Pam Diddy

RACIST AND IGNORANT

My friend posted this image on his facebook yesterday. Much to my disgust and horror, some obviously racist and ignorant douchebag from Anaheim Hills decided to post his not-so-valid opinions.

Read the conversation, go ahead. I’ll wait.

Yeah. Wow. What else is there to say? I’ve seen and heard people say a lot of really ignorant things. Things that get me irritated and all worked up, but nothing has ever actually deeply offended me and my sense of logic/humanity/history/everything else.

Robert Fruth clearly has no understanding of world history. He clearly doesn’t understand that most countries in Africa were under colonization by at least one European country for hundreds of years. He clearly doesn’t know that most African countries didn’t gain independence until as little as 20 or 30 years ago. He obviously doesn’t know that those “generations and generations of corrupt bastards” were actually corrupt British bastards who pillaged those countries for all their amazing natural resources without ever giving anything back to the people who lived there.

Oh hey you, you’re going to work in a diamond mine for 15 hours a day and not really get paid for it. But god help me, if we catch you trying to steal a diamond the size of crumb, we will cut off your hands.

Every time I see someone spout off their racist and ignorant opinions (seems to be more often these days), I get really scared. I realized that deep down inside, I have this “what if” fear that this is how white America really thinks. Crazy? Maybe. But I think anyone who doesn’t fit into the mainstream, white, middleclass, christian, heterosexual box can understand where I’m coming from. When your whole life is filled with moments of being put down because of your skin, being less respected, being overlooked or being looked at with a suspicious eye - YES, the fear of racism is an actual fear that crosses your mind almost every day. When people you know or are friends with say racist/prejudiced things and think you don’t know about it, racism is palpable a fear that creeps into your mind on an almost daily basis.

I can’t read everyone’s mind though. People have an amazing ability to think things and never let the world know their truth. I hope that Robert Fruth is an example of the extreme, uneducated, overprivileged asshat and not an example of the mainstream.

sidenote: I’m tagging Robert Fruth’s name on this post because I hope to god that someday he applies for a criminal justice job and this post pops up when the employer searches his name.

RAFAEL CASAL - MEAN ONES

The long awaited LP from Bay boy Rafael Casal is now out! The project formerly known as Whoville has been retitled, but still exceeds all expectations. This Bay Area native recently moved to LA and is documenting his rise to local domination on BayBoyInLA. Spread the word, tell your friends, and #GetBack. #BayAreaBoyfriend Download The Mean Ones Stream at BandCamp

BURN THE SCHOOLS

Over the past few years it has become increasingly obvious to me that higher education is a waste of time and money. The only problem is that I, like so many others my age, are so far down the hole it is nearly impossible to get out at this point. Last week marked the beginning of the Spring semester at Cal State Northridge and many other schools across the state. To the horror of many students, it was soon realized that enrolling in a full load of classes would be nearly impossible.

State budget cuts over the past few years have severely cut the amount of classes available for students at Cal State schools, as well as other school systems in California. This semester the problem was exasperated by the CSU system’s threat of fining schools who have exceeded their enrollment cap. What does that mean? The Cal State system sets enrollment targets for every campus and at this point in time, CSUN has gone over its target by 7%. This could result in up to a $7-8million fine for the school, in addition to the millions already lost in cuts.

CSUN’s solution to this problem was to freeze enrollement. A letter was sent out to department heads and professors on the first day of class that explicitly stated they were NOT to enroll any students in their classes, no matter the availability. If 5 seats were available in the class and 3 students wanted to enroll, they would be denied. This is the school’s attempt to drop enrollment numbers. Across the school, this means that students are unable to achieve the 12+ units that are required for so many things. Not being a full time student could put at risk the eligibility for health insurance as well as financial aid.

Many students complained of the inability to enroll in the last 1 or 2 classes that they needed to graduate. Though the higher ups said graduationg seniors would be able to enroll, most classes just simply don’t have the space to accomodate the extra student. For them, this means missing graduation and coming back next year in an attempt to fullfill their graduation requirements. This means paying anywhere between $2000 and $4000 to take those one or two classes needed to graduate.

And what is CSUN’s advice to students who are unable to enroll in an adequate number of classes? Leave school. In the enrollment FAQ posted by the school on January 30th, it is stated:

Some students may choose to “stop-out” for a semester and return next fall. Students who chose not to enroll for one semester typically are eligible to re-enroll the following semester without reapplying. Students who withdraw from classes in a timely manner may be eligible for a fee refund…

Students are expected to leave school for a semester, with the possibility that they may not get a refund of their school fees and  that they may not even be eligible to return without reapplying next year. This is a pure, honest example of the system taking money out of the pockets of students and kicking them to the curb.

The quest for higher education has become a scam and an unnecessary part of life. A bachelor’s degree is now the high school diploma of the generations before us. What was once a 4-year journey that could cost as little as $10,000 has become a 6-year roundabout that will typically cost students no less than $24,000, with fees on the increase every six to twelve months. All of this while university presidents are making over $500k a year. Not only have tuition costs inflated while graduation has become more distant, but those who are lucky enough to eventually get out are likely to spend years unemployed in their field of study. Graduates of the past 4 years have notoriously staked claim in job titles such as server, cashier, retail manager, or “unemployed”.

For quite some time it has been tough for this generation, tougher than it was for anyone before us. The job market has been hard, school has been difficult to get through, but it never actually seemed like the forces were working against us. Now it is clear that while we attempt to push forward in life, the instituations around us are attempting to push us back. When will we get the chance to bust through the barricades? I believe it is far beyond the point of igniting a fire they can’t ignore.