Everyone is talking about the Seattle Public Schools’ “Equity and Race Relations” guidelines.  It’s rather entertaining, so I thought I might get in on the action.  You’ll like this.  (All quotes are taken directly from their documentation.)

They make clear racism is only perpetrated by whites toward other races:

The systematic subordination of members of targeted racial groups who have relatively little social power in the United States (Blacks, Latino/as, Native Americans, and Asians), by the members of the agent racial group who have relatively more social power (Whites).

And:

Individual racism can occur at both an unconscious and conscious level, and can be both active and passive. Examples include telling a racist joke, using a racial epithet, or believing in the inherent superiority of whites.

Given this, I feel much better about those from other races who hate Caucasians, Hispanics, Asians, or any other group.  I thought they were racists.  I’m relieved to learn they are not, and I apologize for thinking such a thing.  How silly, eh?  Only white people can be racist.  Those silly Caucasians…  I’m just glad to hear all other races are incapable of its ugly side effects like hatred, violence, and genocide.  Well, that makes me feel better.

Cultural racism is defined as:

Those aspects of society that overtly and covertly attribute value and normality to white people and Whiteness, and devalue, stereotype, and label people of color as “other”, different, less than, or render them invisible. Examples of these norms include defining white skin tones as nude or flesh colored, having a future time orientation, emphasizing individualism as opposed to a more collective ideology, defining one form of English as standard, and identifying only Whites as great writers or composers.

Notice cultural racism is only perpetrated by whites and supporters of “Whiteness” (what the hell is that about?).  It’s about being offensive, I can tell you that.  It also fails to reconcile with society around the globe.  And we won’t even mention the failure of history to support that rubbish.

Speaking of history…  What are they teaching in Seattle?  Does anyone remember being told only white people achieve great things in the arts?  I guess I missed that day in history class.

They go on to say “having a future time orientation” is racism.  Having a list of things to do, planning for retirement, discussing having children with your significant other, thinking about going to the store for groceries tomorrow, and even deciding to go to bed early this evening are all signs of racism.  Wow.  I guess that makes me a big ol’ racist considering my grocery list, my electronic task list, my retirement and savings activities, evaluating political candidates and issues prior to an election, and a great many other day-to-day activities.  I’m such a bad boy.

The next item in their list is “emphasizing individualism as opposed to a more collective ideology” and clearly means that you must never think about your own needs or desires.  It’s racist if you do.  Everything you contemplate, talk about, feel, want, need, or otherwise act on must always be focused on the whole rather than a single person.  It’s offensive to think that anyone in their right mind would put in writing an inference that we are racists if we do not put the collective over individual in all matters.  That’s shameful and embarrassing.

This one explains the non-American comma usage and other language idiosyncracies in the writing: “defining one form of English as standard”.  I mean, shame on us as a country for requesting and teaching that everyone write and speak the same language with the same dialectal usage.  I mean, who do we think we are?  A sovereign state?  Bah.  Let’s just allow everyone to have their own version of English — each state, for instance.  It would go a long way in forcing most Americans finally to learn another language.

This stands on its own:

The advantages created for Whites are often invisible to them, or are considered “rights” available to everyone as opposed to “privileges” awarded to only some individuals and groups.

Need I comment?

They then explain “race” to mean:

A pseudobiological category that distinguishes people based on physical characteristics (e.g.,, skin color, body shape/size, facial features, hair texture).

Come on!  Are things like the color of our skin, our facial features, and even our hair texture choices we made early in life?  That must be why they are called “pseudobiological” features in this text.  Or did this apparently retarded author not realize adding the “pseudo-” prefix to any word makes it false?  As in pseudonym for false name and pseudopod for false foot?  They are saying these “chosen” representations of our physical presence are in fact false biological categories.  Translation: those with the same skin color do not share a common genetic instruction for said characteristic.  The same likewise would have to be true of all other physical traits.  How daft.

The policy continues with this kind of claptrap, a host of grammatical errors, and it rarely demonstrates intelligence or wisdom.  One can not help but be embarrassed for the kids in that school district.  To defame a race so demonstrably in the public square and to insist such ignorance be supported by institutions of learning is alarming and sad.  I’m especially mortified given Seattle’s reputation as a city.

You know what?  Don’t go read it.  It will pollute your consciousness with that part of human obliviousness most capable of inflicting permanent damage.  You should find more enjoyable ways to burn your brain cells.

Oh, and one last thing that goes without mention: it’s full of racism toward anglos.  Huh.