This letter is in reference to Adam Laniyan's letter to the editor in the Feb. 24 issue of The Spectrum.
Laniyan's letter was ridiculous. While attempting to sound mature by quoting statistics and making completely unbacked statements like "there is not a young white man on this campus who would trade places with me ...," he includes sophomoric terms like "dumb" and actually calls Jamie Lynn Perna an "average white girl." What the h--- does that mean? And for that matter, what would an average black girl or an average Hispanic boy (be)?
Laniyan then babbles on about a singular example of a black woman not being able to get a job in this lousy economy and not only chalks it up to her color, but then insinuates that this is the way it is for every person of color while whites can saunter into any job and get the position. Are you joking? Not many people are getting any jobs - black, white, Hispanic, Asian - whatever.
Lastly, Laniyan asks Perna to trade places with a young black woman and see if she feels the same way about affirmative action, as if being black was some sort of handicap; it most certainly is not. Being black in today's society is very similar to being Jewish in this ever-pervading anti-Semitic environment or being Arab in this ever-fearful society. Closed-minded people certainly are annoying but can be ignored by having confidence in oneself.
Racism is most certainly not dead, Mr. Laniyan, yet by keeping affirmative action alive, segregation will continue to exist through this implemented system to separate black people in some respect.
Perhaps instead of challenging Perna to go to an NAACP meeting, Laniyan should go himself to The Spectrum office and speak to Perna civilly, instead of using pathetic terms such as "dumb" and hiding behind a poorly written letter.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
