Intelligent Hatred

Michael Kadish
Reflection #2

I think one of the problems we're not being prepared for in teaching multiculturally is in the potential aspect of intelligent argument against equality of peoples. We are taught to offer this liberal view, which I do agree with, that the genders, races, and cultures of a people are to be given due respect, and we are taught how to implement this. The problem is, however, that if a student comes in and has a convincing argument for racism, we really are not instructed on how to deal with their ideas.

Our perception of racists is often that it is short sited, that they don't understand their reactions, and that their representatives are the chair-bashing guys on daytime talkshows. This is often true, but there are intelligent people who are elitist, over the other gender, other ethnic groups, or cultures. I think there will be a problem when these people come forward in the classroom situation.

I don't expect this to happen frequently, but if every five years, there will be one student who will continuously point to the bible, and their own statistics, to show that homosexuals are lesser peoples, what can we really do about it? Not all bigots are stupid. Some of the most intelligent writers have been anti-semitic, or against particular races, or often, misogynists.

I don't think we, in any classes offered in this university, can convincingly argue against what we call, biased statistics. Giving children Desiraeli's response, that, "there are three types of lies; lies, damn lies and statistics," is not going to help matters. The children will view as having given up on the challenge, which, to their eyes, makes the bigot appear more knowledgeable. Pulling forth your own statistics may also not help. This student, let's assume, has intelligent books, or individuals that have convinced him, and therefore, has a fountain of information for the bigoted side of the argument.

I think what we have to do, I think the solution, is another course. We have to admit that multiculturalism, or pluralism, is a liberal ideologyz, and we need to have our own statistics, and proofs ready to pull out at a moments notice. Perhaps the answer lies in a periodical journal, perhaps just to a class, but I think that teachers need to be prepared for the student who is ready to argue that one is better than another.