I have been exceedingly disappointed in the coverage of racism and race relations in The State News as of late. The one-sidedness is just sad, considering the usual quality and class shown in the paper.

I came from Miami to MSU to be in James Madison College. The second-place mayoral candidate of Miami highlighted this issue perfectly: “A non-Cuban can’t win in this town. And it’s a damn shame.”

This troubled me for an obvious reason. That is a very racially charged comment from a high-profile politician who lost, essentially because of the Cuban vote. He got 80 percent of blacks and 65 percent of whites, but still lost. People vote up and down racial lines and a popular saying is that, “White and black are the same race, it’s the Cubans versus the rest.”

You’d think that’s just said from white and black folks, but no, it’s from everyone. This highlights a problem that The State News just doesn’t address: Racism from nonwhites.

We live in a United States where presidential hopefuls declined endorsements from peaceful Islamic clerics. Why? Because it would anger the Jewish contingent. We have terrorism in Zimbabwe against white British citizens by native blacks but there is no mention of that - wouldn’t want to offend anyone.

As a white male who lives in Dixie, I am offended by every white-on-black racist incident, but am also offended by every racist incident be it Arab on Jew, Jew on Arab, black on white, Indian on Pakistani, French on English, etc. - but The State News refuses to publish it.

I’d like to see the people who wish slave reparations were paid by descendants of slave holders explain why they aren’t up in arms about reparations for damaged and destroyed British property in Northern Ireland. It’s simple bias, folks. If you’re going to get up in arms about an issue, get involved with all the cases - not just the ones that suit your particular heritage. Otherwise, you’re being a racist yourself.

Derek Wallbank
no-preference freshman