I realize that this is going to make me sound old, but just the same, I must admit to asking myself "What is this world coming to?" and "What is wrong with young people today?" on a number of occasions lately.
For starters, let's look at the HEC students who claim they were trying to honor a famous Jamaican athlete by wearing blackface (and arms & and legs!) and sporting fake dreadlocks, wearing Jamaican-style hats and chanting with put on accents about smoking marijuana. (http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Blackface+stunt+says+students+didn+want+offend+anyone/5409544/story.html)
Seriously? Maybe they are lying when they say this was an attempt at an homage, perhaps this is simply an attempt to salvage their personal reputations and that of the school. I actually almost hope that this is the case. What would be worse - outright, naked and blatant racism and disregard for blacks in general and Jamaicans in particular, or the level of complete and utter ignorance of what constitutes acceptable or unacceptable behavior?
This was not a case of one or two or even 10 university age students who were raised and educated, somehow, without one iota of sense, sensibility or sensitivity for black people. This was a large group of individuals who apparently had no idea that anyone would be insulted by their demeaning portrayal of Jamaicans Did not one of these people think that this was not right? Did no one who knew about the "prank" point out the wrong-headedness of the plan - and the reasons why it would be hurtful and offensive?
While I was concerned when I read about this incident, I filed it away in my mind as just one incident. If you read the article about it, you may have done the same thing I did. But, I am no longer able to think of this as a one-off, or an isolated incident, because of another recent appalling incident at L'Universite de Montreal.
This young man, a university student, was told to come to the first day of classes in costume, the outfit had to be health-science related and incorporate the color red. He chose to wear a lab coat, with blood-red hand prints on it, and the name "Mengele" written across the back.
In what perverse world would anyone find this appropriate? He removed the costume within about 30 minutes, after being asked to remove it and after several people told him it crossed the line. The young man issued a heartfelt apology, and apparently "This kid, he really didn't do it out of malice. He had no idea this could be so hurtful".
Well, isn't that nice, he made a mistake and he apologized. I, myself, do not feel the need to rake this young man over the coals - but, lets not fool ourselves - he is not a "kid", he is an adult. So, apology accepted, but my question remains - how could someone in Canada in 2011, not be aware of how heinous Josef Megele was? I know from my own high school reading (personal, not assigned, mind you) of what that evil man did and my heart still aches when I think of his victims. How is it possible that a young man, considered intelligent and educated enough to qualify for further studies at L'University de Montreal think that a portrayal of Joseph Mengele for the purpose of amusement would be a good idea? What is wrong with this guy's parents? His educational system? His conscience? His friends, who presumably also though this was okay?
Perhaps we should all be equally concerned about the students who make it though the school system as well as the ones who drop out.
If this is the kind of thinking, that we as a society are creating, we should all be ashamed of ourselves.
(http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/todays-paper/Investigation+into+student+dressed+Mengele+ends/5480316/story.html)
Claudine Dionne is an anglophone of Scottish and French descent, who would be thrilled to raise her children to be color blind.
