STEVE SMITH FURTHERS THE IMAGE OF COSTA MESA'S WESTSIDE AS A SLUM
In his above linked opinion piece, Steve Smith says the cheating students from Corona del Mar should be punished by "mentoring and tutoring kids at Costa Mesa's Westside elementary schools."
Gee, thanks, Steve. Why did you pick the Westside? Why not have them mentor and tutor kids in Corona del Mar or anyplace in Newport Beach? Is there something about the Westside that is different from, say, other parts of Costa Mesa or Corona del Mar? If so, exactly what is that difference?
By singling out the Westside, Smith has continued with the stereotype of the area.
The reality is that we are changing the Westside for the better. It is not as it was just a few years ago, and the majority City Council members have been making a lot of correct decisions to implement the Westside Plans that are causing an even faster sea change on the Westside.
We don't need people continuing the talk about the Westside being bad--which is a reasonable inference from Smith's comment. We're pretty sure that wasn't his intent, but intent isn't required to say something before thinking it through.
In psychiatry and clinical psychology there is a trend away from labeling mentally ill people with certain terms because once they are better, the terms tend to stick with them for the rest of their lives and the terms themselves can cause further emotional problems. The same principle applies to parts of cities and to the Westside.
The Westside that was, is going by the boards. Stop thinking it's a basket case. We're witnessing a new birth of the Westside.
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WHY ISN'T THERE A WHITE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS IN THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE?
In his above linked opinion piece, Steve Smith says the cheating students from Corona del Mar should be punished by "mentoring and tutoring kids at Costa Mesa's Westside elementary schools."
Gee, thanks, Steve. Why did you pick the Westside? Why not have them mentor and tutor kids in Corona del Mar or anyplace in Newport Beach? Is there something about the Westside that is different from, say, other parts of Costa Mesa or Corona del Mar? If so, exactly what is that difference?
By singling out the Westside, Smith has continued with the stereotype of the area.
The reality is that we are changing the Westside for the better. It is not as it was just a few years ago, and the majority City Council members have been making a lot of correct decisions to implement the Westside Plans that are causing an even faster sea change on the Westside.
We don't need people continuing the talk about the Westside being bad--which is a reasonable inference from Smith's comment. We're pretty sure that wasn't his intent, but intent isn't required to say something before thinking it through.
In psychiatry and clinical psychology there is a trend away from labeling mentally ill people with certain terms because once they are better, the terms tend to stick with them for the rest of their lives and the terms themselves can cause further emotional problems. The same principle applies to parts of cities and to the Westside.
The Westside that was, is going by the boards. Stop thinking it's a basket case. We're witnessing a new birth of the Westside.
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WHY ISN'T THERE A WHITE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS IN THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE?
It was
recently announced that State Senator Marty Block, (D-San Diego), started the
Legislative Jewish Caucus and that this caucus will also form a political
action committee to raise money for Israel-friendly candidates.
Block told the
press that the Legislative Jewish Caucus "...isn't a religious based
organization. We see this as an ethnic organization." This
statement was presumably made to both forestall Muslims from starting a Muslim
Legislative Caucus and also to head off complaints that the Legislative Jewish Caucus is breaching the wall between religion and state.
At any rate,
the Legislative Jewish Caucus, as an ethnic organization, now
joins the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus and the Latino Legislative Caucus.
These
caucuses work, sometimes behind the scenes and out of public view, to represent
the interests of their ethnic/racial groups.
They write legislation and take
other actions on behalf of their particular ethnic/racial groups even though
the people they are acting on behalf of may not live in their districts.
In
other words, unlike the traditional American political notion that people
elected to public office represent a specific geographic area, these ethnic
caucus members represent "their racial/ethnic/genetic people," no matter where they live in
the state. And, in the case of the Legislative Jewish Caucus, even if they live in Israel.
On the
welcome page of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus we read this: "[T]he Caucus was founded in 2001 and serves
to represent and advocate for the interests of the APIA community...."
On the Website of the Latino Legislative Caucus
we read: "The Mission of the California Latino Legislative Caucus is to
identify, promote and advocate on behalf of the professional, educational,
social, political and cultural interests of the Latino Community."
And,
on the Website of the Legislative Black Caucus we read: "The continuing
mission of the CLBC is to provide our unwavering commitment and support to our
goal of achieving full inclusion of our state’s Africans American residents in
every aspect of California life – from education and employment to housing and
health to commerce and government services."
So, there you have it. Four ethnic/racial organizations all
advocating for the interests of "their people." Who advocates for White
people? No one. Are White people a people without a peoplehood? Are Whites non-people? Are Whites an identitylessness non-people? Do Whites not have particular interests that need protecting and advancement?
Now, some who haven't kept up with the news may say that a White
Legislative Caucus isn't needed because Whites are in the majority in the
state. Actually, we're not. Latinos have ether reached numbers
parity or have exceeded the size of the White population. Some others may
argue that Whites are not an ethnicity, but a race, and that we shouldn't lump
the various White ethnicities (or people who originated in many different
European nations) together under one rubric such as White. Well, the
Asian Pacific Islander Caucus lumps various Asian and Pacific Islander
populations together, and the Legislative Black Caucus is based on race.
It's
time to change that.
Will we now see some White legislators start a White
Legislative Caucus? Probably not. Why? Because Whites have
been so brow beaten about race that it seems many are even afraid to order a
gallon of white paint at the hardware store lest they be called racist.
The result of this racial intimidation that Whites have undergone for years is
that Whites are left without any real representation for their particular
interests (and we have many) in the state legislature.
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FACT
CHECK: (1) Link to California State Legislature caucuses: http://www.legislature.ca.gov/the_state_legislature/leadership_and_caucuses/caucus.html
(2) Link to The Sacramento Bee Capitol Alert (1/22/14) re: Jewish Caucus:
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/01/california-legislature-launches-a-jewish-caucus.html
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