2008 Woodie Awards
Our readers' voice
Illustration was offensive
Issue date: 3/17/08 Section: Voices
Dear Editor,
The Lifeline picture for Wednesday, March 12th's CM Life article on "St. Patty's Switch" had me taken aback. The picture depicted a very stereotypical and menacing picture of (presumably) Pope Benedict XVI taunting a leprechaun with a clover. While I'm sure many people found the picture humorous, it makes me shake my head at the obvious double standard at this university. Very rarely is there a newspaper published or a speech made by an official at this university that does not mention or reaffirm Central's "commitment to diversity." Somehow, I don't think anything will be said or done by any university officials to reaffirm this commitment as a result of CM Life's picture. There will be no e-mail from President Rao confirming this commitment in the face of such "terrible insensitivity." Very simply, it pokes fun at the Roman Catholic faith, which is apparently one of the few still acceptable types of prejudices. Had the picture been of a stereotypical black person or Asian with the same air to it, you could almost guarantee there would be a backlash by the students, faculty and staff. Why, then, is something that pokes fun of someone's beliefs and a person they respect, acceptable at this university when stereotyping based off of race is not? As I see it, either the University needs to step up and reaffirm diversity in forms other than race and sexual orientation or it needs to back off on how violently it defends them. At the time of this writing, I'm not so much bothered by the picture as I am by Central's ability to speak out of both sides of its mouth. The university is just as culpable as the newspaper because, as I presume, no official statement will be made. Silence is acceptance, as we've been told since our first days on campus.
Glenn Stamps
Royal Oak senior
The Lifeline picture for Wednesday, March 12th's CM Life article on "St. Patty's Switch" had me taken aback. The picture depicted a very stereotypical and menacing picture of (presumably) Pope Benedict XVI taunting a leprechaun with a clover. While I'm sure many people found the picture humorous, it makes me shake my head at the obvious double standard at this university. Very rarely is there a newspaper published or a speech made by an official at this university that does not mention or reaffirm Central's "commitment to diversity." Somehow, I don't think anything will be said or done by any university officials to reaffirm this commitment as a result of CM Life's picture. There will be no e-mail from President Rao confirming this commitment in the face of such "terrible insensitivity." Very simply, it pokes fun at the Roman Catholic faith, which is apparently one of the few still acceptable types of prejudices. Had the picture been of a stereotypical black person or Asian with the same air to it, you could almost guarantee there would be a backlash by the students, faculty and staff. Why, then, is something that pokes fun of someone's beliefs and a person they respect, acceptable at this university when stereotyping based off of race is not? As I see it, either the University needs to step up and reaffirm diversity in forms other than race and sexual orientation or it needs to back off on how violently it defends them. At the time of this writing, I'm not so much bothered by the picture as I am by Central's ability to speak out of both sides of its mouth. The university is just as culpable as the newspaper because, as I presume, no official statement will be made. Silence is acceptance, as we've been told since our first days on campus.
Glenn Stamps
Royal Oak senior
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