Letter writer misunderstands minorities

Although it would be rude to assume that Matthew Rich is a typical, ignorant, wealthy white boy after reading his Oct. 4 letter, it would be no more inconsiderate than Rich's reply to Amelia Herbert’s Oct. 1 column.

Rich quickly dismisses Herbert's connections between rap music and political statements, while ignoring the obvious facts that both involve “profanity... and macho, chauvinistic messages” while only one is argued against. Rich’s “evidence: of rap music degrading black people is completely untrue. As I’ve learned in my African and African American Studies class this year, music, including rap, is one of the key ways in which the black community expresses itself.

 Next, the only “comment on jails [that] is absolutely absurd” is Rich’s. If he had ever talked to anyone from a real inner city, such as my black roommate from Atlanta, he would know that oftentimes life is so rough that kids have no place to turn but selling drugs. They, obviously, would love to pursue an educational career, but the opportunity is sometimes either not present or the schools are of such poor quality that it is not worth it. Rich’s statement of “every person makes that decision for themselves” only highlights his ignorance of the situation many blacks, and other minorities, find themselves in all too often.

 Third, Rich’s complaints that Herbert’s comparison of crack versus cocaine sentences is “blatantly untrue” is, for lack of a better term, blatantly untrue. The laws on drug possession are, in fact, unfair. A person must possess a much greater quantity of cocaine to receive the same sentence that one would receive for having it in crack form. His defense of his ignorance is that “good representation costs money,” and that is why cocaine users get off while the typically poorer crack users go to jail. His defense is so weak that it barely requires a rebuttal, but it is ignorance like that that Matthew Rich has that keeps this country in the unequal state that it is now.

 I would like to laud Herbert for voicing her views. While I may not agree with all her points, I certainly understand where she is coming from with many of them. They are definitely not deserving of such a biased, ignorant rebuttal, which is not at all backed up with real evidence. Rich’s personal opinions do not count as back-up for his blathering.

 In closing, I urge Rich to speak to some real black people. I used to be somewhat ignorant myself, and I blamed it on my situation, middle-class white suburbia. After living with my black roommates for last year and this year, I have learned a great deal and have challenged my previously-held assumptions about the black community. I learned that I was way off on too many topics. I only hope Rich has an experience like I have had to open up his eyes before it’s too late and we have another bigot on our hands.

Andrew Shadoff