The Daily Orange

Originally posted by

GRANT GRAHAM

I SIDE WITH THE PROFESSOR IN HIS RIGHTFUL IRE. IF IT IS HIS EXPERIENCE THAT NON-WHITE STUDENTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMMITTING DISRESPECTFUL DEEDS IN CLASSES HE CONDUCTS, HE HE IS MERELY STATING HIS OWN OBSERVATIONS AND SHOULD NOT BE CENSURED FOR IT! IT IS MY OBSERVATION THAT DIFFERENT RACES HAVE A TENDENCY TO DISPLAY DIFFERING PUBLIC BEHAVIORS DUE TO CULTURAL NORMS PARTICULAR TO EACH RACE, THOUGH EXCEPTIONS CAN ALWAYS OCCUR DUE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL'S UPBRINGING.
ON THE GENERAL TOPIC OF RESPECT AND DEFERENCE---TO ONE'S ELDERS, INSTRUCTORS, AND OTHERS IN GENERAL---MANY OVER THE AGE OF 50 WOULD LIKELY AGREE THAT SOCIETY'S STANDARDS HAVE SEEN A SHARP DECLINE OVER THE LAST HALF CENTURY. WITNESS "ROAD RAGE", RAP "MUSIC", RISING CRIME RATES AND MANY OTHER DOCUMENTED SOCIETAL PLAGUES. DENIAL OF THIS TREND IN THE INTEREST OF "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS" WILL NOT SOLVE THESE ISSUES, JUST PROLONG AND EXACERBATE THEM. ADMIT IT OR NOT, DIFFERENT RACES HAVE TENDENCIES TOWARD DIFFERENT CULTURAL STANDARDS AND MORES. SOME OF THESE WILL ALWAYS BE OFFENSIVE TO THOSE OF OTHER RACES.

Please don't defend him. Please! If you side with an idiot, it pretty much makes you an idiot. It amazes me how Prof. Thomas, still today after all this time, makes statements that to shows how little respect he has for minority students and how little his involvement is in their community. Professor Thomas is and has always been so full of himself. So his actions does not suprise me. He loves to grand stand and this is just another case. But if you take his class then you know what your in for because he is painfully consistant. But he has to be held accountable for his reckless behavior, especially his statements about race. He should know better, but its obvious he doesn't. He has an Uncle Ruckus (from the series Boondocks) mentality when it comes to race. I feel sad for him because he just doesn't get it.

There is no excuse for canceling the class because one students " disrespects him " by text messaging during his lecture??? Come on, that such an arrogant view of himself and whatever the hell he was talking about. Such so that, never mind the other 300 plus students who pay a whole heck of a lot of money (almost twice as much as I paid back in 95 ) to be there. Syracuse University is a business first, and students are their customers. I once got deregistered because I owed 5 cents. Yes 5 cents. So if I was one of those students who had their class ended early, I would be asking the University for a refund or credit for those hours of classes missed. As a student/customer you should be just as offended.

Wil Mathis
Class of 95

Originally posted by

GRANT GRAHAM

I SIDE WITH THE PROFESSOR IN HIS RIGHTFUL IRE. IF IT IS HIS EXPERIENCE THAT NON-WHITE STUDENTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMMITTING DISRESPECTFUL DEEDS IN CLASSES HE CONDUCTS, HE HE IS MERELY STATING HIS OWN OBSERVATIONS AND SHOULD NOT BE CENSURED FOR IT! IT IS MY OBSERVATION THAT DIFFERENT RACES HAVE A TENDENCY TO DISPLAY DIFFERING PUBLIC BEHAVIORS DUE TO CULTURAL NORMS PARTICULAR TO EACH RACE, THOUGH EXCEPTIONS CAN ALWAYS OCCUR DUE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL'S UPBRINGING.
ON THE GENERAL TOPIC OF RESPECT AND DEFERENCE---TO ONE'S ELDERS, INSTRUCTORS, AND OTHERS IN GENERAL---MANY OVER THE AGE OF 50 WOULD LIKELY AGREE THAT SOCIETY'S STANDARDS HAVE SEEN A SHARP DECLINE OVER THE LAST HALF CENTURY. WITNESS "ROAD RAGE", RAP "MUSIC", RISING CRIME RATES AND MANY OTHER DOCUMENTED SOCIETAL PLAGUES. DENIAL OF THIS TREND IN THE INTEREST OF "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS" WILL NOT SOLVE THESE ISSUES, JUST PROLONG AND EXACERBATE THEM. ADMIT IT OR NOT, DIFFERENT RACES HAVE TENDENCIES TOWARD DIFFERENT CULTURAL STANDARDS AND MORES. SOME OF THESE WILL ALWAYS BE OFFENSIVE TO THOSE OF OTHER RACES.

Grant, you're obviously a racist, and more importantly, an idiot.

Originally posted by

Omar

I disagree with the professors actions. Yes its his observation however it is also his assumption. Upon calling out the student as white and her correction of him showcases his ability to assume the races of his students. I dont believe the previous students where latino as he said them to be because in this world you could never assume the backgrounds of individuals. If he had called me out in front of 399 other students in this manner i would have been highley offended. I understand your stance on the relations amongst races but i disagree on your generalizations of thier behaviors. You can not generalize every individual and lump them together saying "This group here lacks commits these actions towards this other group" such a comment is ignorant. This is a case which needs to be studied at the individual level not on macro level. Its not to say the student was correct however i have sat in many classes where all kinds of different students are texting or reading magazines. To say you have never seen this happen is to say you have never sat in a classroom. I hope this professor is ousted. The correct way he should have gone about this would have been to ask the student after class for a moment. His outburst displays his lack of patience and professionalism.

In my opinion, the Professor was indeed incorrect for "calling out" his student in that manner. Instead, it would have been more appropriate to require the student to leave his lecture, explain to all in attendance why, and state no further similar activities will be tolerated. On the other hand, if the student found it necessary to text message, or use a cell phone, leave the lecture hall to do it. It is a basic common courtesy!!

However, I am more concerned with the response by the student to the Professor assuming the student is "white." Forget, for the moment, the Professor's question was, in my opinion, inappropriate. What exactly does the student's response to being "Cuban" have to do with the Professors question? The Professor did NOT ask about the student's heritage or nationality. He assumed the student's race as being caucasian, but the student answered, "I am Cuban." Cuba is a country not a race, and Cubans, as is the case with all people, come in a multitude of skin color and shades of each -- white, black, brown, yellow, red, including any shade of green after a night out "partying" -- just like the Syracuse University community of students. Both the Professor and his student should apologize to each other -- including to the class where it occurred -- AND then move on -- "stuff" happens -- we are all human.

I am the father of a recent graduate of Syracuse University, and still concerned with the happenings at CUSE. It is truly a GREAT educational center with a lot of compassion and understanding for students, faculty, and especially parents.

Originally posted by

Kaylen Thorpe

Why be here, why waste your time and money, why show up to class if you aren't going to give the professor your attention? You could be at home sleeping, playing video games or screwing around having fun instead of wasting everyone's time by showing up.

I agree with you fully.

I'm obviously not a professor, but neither are most of you that are posting here. You have no idea what it's like trying to teach people and do something positive for them, only to have them completely ignore you and disrespect your work by sending text messages or playing tic tac toe during class. It's ridiculous. Not only is it clearly affecting this mans work, but it is affecting the students that he is trying to teach as well.

Do not go to class and spend your time there being disrespectful to everyone in the hall by sending text messages and goofing around. It's not exactly a rare occurrence, and I'm certain that other professor feel similarly about students like this in their classes as well.


The race thing is another issue though. I don't know what he was talking about during the lecture, race could have very well applied perfectly to the discussion and hence been appropriate, so I'll refrain from commenting on that for now.

I am a professor also with students from various countries.

Some students will never find what you are saying interesting no matter how interesting or captivating you make the lectures. So, for you as an academician to say that a professor is basically bad because some students do not think he is worth listening to is really sad.

Although you may think you are a super professor, I can tell you that there are likely some students in your class who would be very happy to see you go no matter how good you might think you are.

Originally posted by

Tim

I am a teacher with students from many countries in my classes and it is essential to present the material in a manner which is worht listening to; if the professor is not engaging enough to keep the students attention the fault lies with him. His tenured hubris exceeds his ability to captivate the students, don't be so arrogant to blame it on race it is just a case of poor teaching. Students will only care if the material is worth caring about.......

No matter how good of a professor one might be, there are still going to be students who feel that a text message is more important than what they are being taught at the time. Most would not believe how many students receive and send text messages during even the most engaging of classes....

Originally posted by

Tim

I am a teacher with students from many countries in my classes and it is essential to present the material in a manner which is worht listening to; if the professor is not engaging enough to keep the students attention the fault lies with him. His tenured hubris exceeds his ability to captivate the students, don't be so arrogant to blame it on race it is just a case of poor teaching. Students will only care if the material is worth caring about.......

Originally posted by

Tim

I am a teacher with students from many countries in my classes and it is essential to present the material in a manner which is worht listening to; if the professor is not engaging enough to keep the students attention the fault lies with him. His tenured hubris exceeds his ability to captivate the students, don't be so arrogant to blame it on race it is just a case of poor teaching. Students will only care if the material is worth caring about.......

FALSE.
I'm a college student and the majority of students that text are not disrespectful individuals, in fact, they don't consider texting to be disrespectful. If the professor is not engaging the students, that is sad, yes, but it is not the reason the majority of these students are texting. I have been very involved in a lesson or lecture and still answered a text from my mother. The reason texting exists, in my book, is so that you can reply in a situation where you cannot talk on the phone. So when my mother texts me in the middle of class to see what time my class is over so that we can meet for lunch- I reply with a time and that's that.

It is habit that has gotten students thinking this is not something that is disrespectful. We do it all the time and do not associate texting with disrespectful behavior. Therefore, it has nothing to do with whether or not our professor is engaging us or not. The idea that it is always the teachers fault makes me want to throw up. Its society..... not teachers.

Originally posted by

Craig Ward

This professor seems to assume that a lot of power in his classroom. The student, as consumer, can choose to pay attention in class or not; what difference is it to the professor? At the grocery store, does the store manager throw you out if you are going to waste some of the food you buy? This sounds like a tantrum to me. Texting in class may be considered poor social skills, but taking offense to the practice and how you respond to it is completely within one's own control and speaks to the character of those "disrespected." The professor should have learned a long time ago to make peace with what he cannot control (the students' behavior) and take responsibility for what he can control (his own behavior). Is there any profession where throwing a similar fit would be tolerated? Grow up.

Finally - the comment I was looking for! Just as you said, we the students are the customers, the consumers, the ones who make the choice every day to pay attention or not. I pay approximately $30,000 to go here, whether I text in class or not. Laurence Thomas gets paid whether his students text in class or not. Does he think that this is the first time this has happened on any college campus? Had he acted like nearly 100% of the other college professors in this country, he would have shrugged it off and continued with his lecture, which he is getting paid to do. His deterring of the class and exit from the lecture only serves to highlight is own selfishness, as he will get paid while his paying students are having their time and money wasted. He needs to get over himself here. Step into the new age, Mr. Thomas, and embrace the fact that 24-hour communication has become a staple in our society, no matter how petty it may be.

If a tree falls and no one hears it, will Laurence Thomas ever get that gigantic chip off his shoulder?

Originally posted by

todd

thomas thinks the text message was selfish and disrespectful. sure. but not nearly as the selfishness he shows... channeling a fleeting moment of "disrespect" into cancelling the damn class and wasting the time and money of the other fucking 500 innocent kids in the room.

I agree. It was unfair for the other 500 people that were listening and paying attention in his class. He should have dismissed the one student from class if it was that serious to him. I, as a student, would have had a fit with him for dismissing me over what someone else did in his class. I have never been disrespectful of my teachers even if I didn't like them or agree with them. I am also African American (mixed with other races)but rarely do they look at me and think I'm smart although I have a 4.1 gpa. You can't assume anything by race though. And for goodness sakes, he should know better than to take his feelings for one person out on everyone else.

Originally posted by

Mike Montgomery

Let's not forget the utter disrespect the student exhibited towards Prof. Thomas when she said, "IM CUBAN!!!" Her tone was abrasive and Prof. Thomas should be commended for avoiding a personality showdown in the beginning of class. The straw that broke the back was her second showing of disrespect when she text massaged RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM!! I was there and the Daily Orange should report the other side of the story - that this student was out of line. Further, if Thomas had singled her out, she could easily make some silly charge, such as racial discrimination, which the university would be forced to take seriously. Thus, Prof. Thomas was merely responding to the race card that she WAS PLAYING and IS PLAYING. It is a shame that students nowadays run the classroom, and it is the rare and courageous Professor who ACTUALLY stands up to the disrespect that the university cultivates by protecting students who play the political correctness card.

First of all Mike, the students response was provoked by an assumption that the professor made about her. So let's get straight about who introduced the topic of race into this situation. And what the hell kind of comment was that for him to make in the first place? If a college professor is going to be dumb and/or arrogant enough to make an assumption like that in front of 400 or so people he is opening himself up for embarrassment. And I think that's what this whole situation is all about. An overly arrogant college professor was embarrased by a lowly college student and snapped. It reminds me of when Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld) snapped during a standup routine because he was bombing.

Originally posted by

Mark

Mr. Dominguez,

You have summed this issue up perfectly. I know Professor Thomas very well, and he would indeed make the same statement if these students were white, Jewish, etc. In fact he did make such comments once in class entitled "American Slavery and the Holocaust." The class was primarily full of Jewish students, about 6 black students and the minority being non-Jewish, white students. (this I know, as he verbally polled the class) During one exceedingly eye-opening class several female Jewish students were caught reading the Daily Orange during class. Naturally, LT was not happy, as Elie Weisel would not be happy if he saw this or this girl's Jewish parents, its just plain wrong, as 30 or so kids could not even take the class due to a waitlist. C'mon, she's Jewish...the Holocaust, genocide of her ancestry...sort of important. Moreover, one day in class Professor Thomas asked the black students and Jewish students respectively what it meant to be Jewish in today's society, and likewise black in today's society. The responses were piss-poor with such comments as, you drive an SUV, wear uggs, be good with money, etc for the Jewish students, and every negative stereotype in the book for blacks, such as grills, rapping constantly, dancing, singing, liking fried chicken. If these were simply jokes, that would be one thing, but my fellow students were obviously clueless, as I watched them struggle to come up with anything more than a mere stereotype.

Opinions are opinions and a teacher with a clear record of published works, is not an idiot as many of you have said, but merely has a different outlook on the world. So maybe you are simply the ignorant, intolerant ones for not respecting another's opinions. Because after all, isn't that what college liberalism is all about; preaching tolerance and liberal attitudes, yet shunning those with viewpoints that don't coincide with the liberal PC-loving left.

**Lastly, there is a bit of confusion over the details of the incident, as other people who have commented have completely misunderstood the issue, such as Lisa Jackson. Connor Orr, DO writer, is to blame for that, as his article was extremely hard to understand with little chronological sense. Good job DO, wait, what did that police report say? weapons found on suspect.......??? hmmm

QUOTE id="6b7fc0b5-a927-4feb-8991-17b0ed28cd20"] I know Professor Thomas very well, and he would indeed make the same statement if these students were white, Jewish, etc. In fact he did make such comments once in class entitled "American Slavery and the Holocaust." The class was primarily full of Jewish students, about 6 black students and the minority being non-Jewish, white students. (this I know, as he verbally polled the class) During one exceedingly eye-opening class several female Jewish students were caught reading the Daily Orange during class. Naturally, LT was not happy, as Elie Weisel would not be happy if he saw this or this girl's Jewish parents, its just plain wrong, as 30 or so kids could not even take the class due to a waitlist. C'mon, she's Jewish...the Holocaust, genocide of her ancestry...sort of important. Moreover, one day in class Professor Thomas asked the black students and Jewish students respectively what it meant to be Jewish in today's society, and likewise black in today's society. The responses were piss-poor...my fellow students were obviously clueless, as I watched them struggle to come up with anything more than a mere stereotype.

Opinions are opinions and a teacher with a clear record of published works, is not an idiot as many of you have said, but merely has a different outlook on the world. So maybe you are simply the ignorant, intolerant ones for not respecting another's opinions. Because after all, isn't that what college liberalism is all about; preaching tolerance and liberal attitudes, yet shunning those with viewpoints that don't coincide with the liberal PC-loving left.
**Lastly, there is a bit of confusion over the details of the incident, as other people who have commented have completely misunderstood the issue, such as Lisa Jackson. Connor Orr, DO writer, is to blame for that, as his article was extremely hard to understand with little chronological sense. Good job DO, wait, what did that police report say? weapons found on suspect.......??? hmmm[/QUOTE]

WHOOOOOAAAA!!!!!!! Don't jump on me and say I misunderstood the issue. I SAID I couldn't read the letter so I couldn't comment on that, but why the HELL would he, or if not him, the author, bring up only NON-WHITE student's disrespecting him in this instance as an example of racism? What sense does that make? I have taken his class, I know what he is like and he is, to say the least, an odd duck. Can blacks have anti-black issues with other blacks? Yes. But that means that the black/Latino students in his class were racist because they played tic-tac-toe or texted? Maybe they, as individuals, were just rude, but why just single them out? I am sure white students (who are the majority on campus) do that too and much more often because there are more of them in his classes than anyone else. You point out yourself that he had Jewish students (who were obviously anti-semitic) disrepect him in his class but what is highlighted in this instance? Non-whites disrespecting him. Yes I know not all Jews are white, but I'm pretty sure you were making examples of white Jewish people whose heritage presumably encompassed the Holocaust, who were not paying attention in your class. But, according to the "disputed" article, which is all I had to go by, all he singled out were non-whites as examplars of this rudeness. If someone, particuarly a black person, is only going to talk about blacks and other "non-whites" disrepecting him and calling it racist that is bad, but I find it hard to credit those accusations if someone, like you, gives examples of whites being equally rude, but he only addreses the non-whites as perpatrators. Why didn't he just complain about rude students period, who were disrupting his class?

Lisa Jackson, 95,
A black person who took Lawrence Thomas' class, always paid attention and took notes!

PS: I read all the comments and don't recall anyone calling him an "idiot" and I believe I said he was brilliant!

Originally posted by

Josh

To be honest, regarding text messaging...who cares in a 3-500 person lecture? You gotta do what you gotta do. Its one thing if you were to make a phone call in class but text messaging is a pivotal communication and efficient. You just shouldn't sit in the front row and make it completely obvious. When I took classes I was always on my laptop, paying attention but not necessarily the entire time. I ran a company in college and I balanced that plus being a full-time student along with a myriad of other things. I got good grades, landed a big job in NYC, and am very successful. I attribute part of my successfulness to making good use of class time and multitasking. Here is an email regarding a five page piece THOMAS wrote on RACE when I was in his class before dropping it years ago:

"On Thursday after a class a student asked me whether I would address the topic of race. The question was asked with much good will and, I believe, hope that I would be speaking to the issue. Still, no student had ever posed that question before. The spirit of my remarks, some 5 pages later, is best captured by the very last paragraph, which reads as follows:
It is that intangible and ineffable, but ever so real, moment of intellectual charge, that marvelous ignition and expression of raw intellectual horsepower--which transcends gender, race, and class--that I seek to achieve with each and every member of the class. This is the standard of excellence to which I hold myself. And my hope is that you, the members of Philosophy 191, shall return the compliment." Hah!

from the desk of
lltthhoommaass@@mmaaxxwweellll..ssyyrr..eedduu
SSyyrraaccuussee,, NNYY 1133224444
6 September 2004
To: The Members of Philosophy 191, Fall 2004
Subj: Thomas on the matter of Race and Teaching Philosophy
cc: Chancellor Nancy Cantor Vice-Chancellor Deborah Freund Dean Cathryn Newton, College of Arts and Science Dean Mitchel B. Wallerstein, The Maxwell School
As I have already intimated, these remarks are occasioned by a question from a student after class regarding whether or not I would be addressing matters of race. The student is a young white male whose query was made with much good will, and interest in what I might say about such matters. No student has ever before posed that question to me. What follows, then, are some reflections with regard to the matter. I do not speak as an authority on the issue of race. I am not.
To set the tone, I should say that I regard the female/male divide among human beings as the most significant divide that there is. I also think that this divide masterfully shows that equality does not, and cannot, entail identical treatment in every single aspect of life. It is not even clear what it would mean to treat women and men identical in every single aspect of life. To take the most profound and manifest difference: Women generally speaking can bear children, whereas men simply cannot. Identical treatment across this difference can only be a farce. Both women and men can be raped; and this is devastating in either case. Still, for a woman who is fertile, rape has a significance that it cannot possibly have for a man. This is so even if she chooses to have an abortion; for an abortion is a serious medical procedure and must not be equated with getting one's nails polished, for example. As for equal pay for equal work: Well, of course. What is more, no difference between women justifies a sexist attitude understood as the view that women should be subordinate to men.
The issue of human motivation has animated my intellectual career. I have been deeply interested in what is actually going on when people interact with one another. What feelings are at play, and to what extent can we be clear about that? I am interested in the ways in which people can be made to feel at-ease or ill-at-ease by the words and behavior of another, which is deeply related to the issue of trust. How do we convey to others that we are trustworthy? How do we convey to others that we trust them? Trust, I hold, is the lynchpin of a just society. In this regard, my intellectual idols are the philosopher John Rawls and the sociologist Irving Goffman.
There are times when my published work does involve matters of race, though it is rarely the issue of racism that concerns me. And even when I take up the issue of race, I am
To: Philosophy 191, Fall 2004
6 September 2004
Page 2 of 5
Laurence Thomas
typically concerned with a larger issue. For example, the issue of forgiveness intrigues me; and the black experiences in America and South Africa raise marvelous issues regarding the matter, as does the Holocaust. With regard to forgiveness, the late Gov. George Wallace is a case study to be sure, in that he went from being a committed racist to one who deeply cared about blacks. I am one of those individuals who criticizes Jews for insisting that no Nazi could ever be forgiven, no matter what the Nazi went on to do, while holding Wallace in high esteem for his change of heart. And yes: forgiveness is possible even when the wrong involves the loss of life.
A different person, regardless of the individual's race or ethnicity, could certainly take a different intellectual approach, one in which the topics of race and racism feature more centrally in her or his thinking and writing. However, it is not written anywhere that I have to follow the approach of others. The academy claims to be open-minded and to welcome diverse viewpoints. I do not believe that for a moment. The academic setting is full of party-lines masquerading as open-mindedness.1 Still, I have always acted as if the academy meant what it said about welcoming all points of views, and I do so in these remarks.
I do not think that any race or ethnic group has a monopoly on goodness or badness or, alternatively put, righteousness or evil. In the same vein, I deplore stereotypes. Thus, to take a very silly one, I do not think that all blacks are poor; and I do not think that all whites are rich. What is more, I utterly deplore anyone who exploits these stereotypes to her or his advantage. Of course, I understand that judging people by the content of their character rather than their ethnicity or skin color is often easier said than done. But that is true with life in general. Living well, alas, is easier said than done. That, however, is no reason to abandon the hope of doing so.
Mocking myself a bit, I remarked in class that I am so conservative that I am radical. Well, here is an illustration of this. The phrase du jour these days is "African-American". I am not fond of this phrase. For one, I find it highly divisive. As one of my black friends in France, who had spent some time in Syracuse remarked to me (in a conversation that we had in her and her husband's home in Nante in July of this past summer), it offended her mightily to be told that she, who was born and raised in France, owes it to her race to call herself an "African-American". Her problem was not with her African origins, but with the silly assumption that she is somehow an "African-American". Although she and I both share some of the same origins, the cultural differences between us are quite important, and should not be passed over, certainly no more than the cultural differences between all the whites of the world or all the Asians of the world.
1 Affirmative action has come to be a classic example here. Having concerns about the validity of affirmative action can quickly result in one's being labeled a racist or an Uncle Tom. To the extent that I have managed to dodge the latter charge, it is owing to the fact that I am simply perceived to be far too obstreperous. Obstreperousness and eclecticism, which have always been rather second-nature to me, have served me well, because they have, in part, been the means by which I have asserted dominion over my own life in an environment whose many members have often supposed, owing to the hue of my skin, that they are entitled to know where I stand.
To: Philosophy 191, Fall 2004
6 September 2004
Page 3 of 5
Laurence Thomas
Further, suppose that we pre-fix "African" to blacks in every non-African country in the world (hence "African-Polish"; "African-Russian"; "African-Jamaican"; African-Canadian, and so on). Exactly what good for black people would thereby be accomplished? If there were any evidence that black students worked harder and earned better grades owing to the appellation "African-American;" if there were any evidence that this usage defeated black-on-black crime in the United States: Why it would be impossible to prevent me from uttering the expression. I would make it part of my morning and evening prayers. To my mind, the knee-jerk use of "African-American" is tantamount to nothing more than cosmetic equality.2
Mr. Carter, Ms. Riley, and Mr. Wright are among the various black students in the classroom whose name I have learnt thus far. What I am interested in is their intellectual flourishing. No more; no less. The same holds when it comes to non-blacks. I am equally interested in Mr. Yao's flourishing and Ms. Baxter's flourishing and Ms. Cymerman's flourishing--to mention some of the other names that I have learnt thus far (out of the 400 or so students in the class). And I have noted the fact that Ms. Hornton was among those who stopped by yesterday during my office hours this past Thursday.
The very deep assumption that underlies my teaching is that affirmation at its most profound and wholesome is not tied to ethnicity, but to our humanity--even between members of the same ethnic group. Intellectual affirmation is properly tied to the display of intellectual excellence; and I assume that each and every member of my class wants to be roundly affirmed for the intellectual excellence that she or he exhibits. Ethnicity or gender may very well serve as a conduit; but, in the end, the prize to be affirmed is excellence itself. Cosmetic excellence, like cosmetic equality, is a mere chimera.
Contrary to some, I do not hold that being a member of this or that gender or a member of this or that ethnic group makes one an authority with regard to that gender or ethnic group, respectively. After all, people can be mistaken about their own lives. So there is no reason to think that people are always right in their utterances about their gender or ethnic experiences.
Knowledge is what makes one an authority. Experience is often a basis for knowledge. But it need not be. Here is an illustration of this point.
In France, change returned for a purchase is typically placed directly on the counter rather than in the hands of the person who has just made the purchase. I recall conversing with a black who, having spent a week in Paris, was livid over this "expression of racism" on the part of the French. It never occurred to him that as far as the French are concerned: Everyone can see better what is transpiring when everyone lays the money on the counter. Moral of the story: Experience gives rise to knowledge only if it is interpreted correctly.
2 This is unlike the shift from "colored" to "black", which was intended to undercut the negativity associated with the word "black". Time was when adding affixing "black" to an already vituperative remarks simply raised the bar animosity being conveyed. So, however much animus is contained in the utterance "You son of a bitch" [said by a black to a black], the utterance "You black son of a bitch" added significantly to it. It was an indication of deep moral and psychological progress that the term "black" could be a term of self-reference without any of the negativity that hitherto had been associated with it. The remarks of this essay are proof positive that this change did in fact come about.
To: Philosophy 191, Fall 2004
6 September 2004
Page 4 of 5
Laurence Thomas
People can and do draw incorrect conclusions from their own experiences.
As to the existence of racism, I certainly think that racism exists. On the other hand, it strikes me as obvious that there have been drastic changes for the better in the American society. It seems to me that there are two fundamental mistakes to be avoided. On the one hand,
It is mistake to say that because drastic racial progress has been made, then what remains in terms of racism is less real.
On the other,
It is a mistake to deny that there has been drastic progress made, just because there is much that remains to be done.
With regard to the issue of the issue of racism, I do not think that anyone of any race is free of all false default presuppositions regarding others. Moreover, we can even have false presuppositions about those of our own ethnicity. I may be an intriguing illustration of this point. My public demeanor often suggests a very docile and easy going individual, who is merely interested in getting a good laugh out of folks. It has often seemed to many that I am the last person who would, as they say, rock the boat. But, alas, where it is clear to me that a serious wrong has been done, I can be most ferocious and tenacious in my concern to bring about justice.
That said, I do not think that any mistake a person might make regarding the matter of race or ethnicity (or gender) issues from some impenetrable bedrock of racism (or sexism). To offer an example: if a white person says "colored folks" rather than blacks, I do not thereby assume that the individual is a dyed-in-the-wool racist. Thus, suppose that the person were to say "I lost my arm in the successful attempt to save two colored men from being lynched". Well, I should prefer that you call me "colored" but be willing to save my life, then that you should drink from the well of political correctness, peppering your sentences with "African American", but cringe upon discovering that I am the person who is buying the home next to yours or who has proposed marriage to your daughter.
This brings me to the opinion piece that I wrote for the local newspaper, suggesting a parallel between the NAACP and the KKK. Although slavery certainly did not start with the United States, having had a long history in the Ottoman Empire (during which time blacks were often a very convenient target for enslavement by non-whites), it goes without saying that American Slavery was an abominable wrong. However, another wrong occurs when we let it render us bitter--so much so that we, ourselves, become an impediment to our own flourishing. What is more, I hold that whites or non-blacks generally, who seem to be ever so understanding of blacks wallowing in bitterness over slavery, do blacks more harm than good. Why? Because the practical effect of this is that blacks are consumed with bitterness while others are enjoying the fruit of the land. Thus, the understanding here is far too convenient. Once again: I may be so conservative that I am radical. Just so, I operate with a very hard commitment to the principle equity.
To: Philosophy 191, Fall 2004
6 September 2004
Page 5 of 5
Laurence Thomas
I understand, to be sure, that the KKK is a horrendous organization that is perhaps committed to the physical demise of blacks. But one can kill a person spiritually as well as physically; and we bring about the spiritual demise of a people if we encourage them to become consumed with bitterness rather than to develop their talents. I shall steadfastly and resolutely oppose anyone who takes such an approach. Bitterness has never been a stable solution to anything.
This, surprisingly, brings me back the classroom. My hope is that I can be an intellectual lightening rod for each and every student in the class. For if I can manage to bring out intellectual excellence in each student, or to refine and hone it, then I will have been a most positive factor in each student's life with respect to achieving one of the most important of all gifts in life, namely the wherewithal to think well and to do for herself or himself.
Mr. Yao is an Asian student; and I watched the sparkle in his eyes during lecture this past Thursday, as he appreciated the force of a point that a student had made. That is why called on him. So it was, also, in the case of Ms. Cymerman, the white female student who raised the wonderful question about psychological health with regard to a particular sexual practice.
It is that intangible and ineffable, but ever so real, moment of intellectual charge, that marvelous ignition and expression of raw intellectual horsepower--which transcends gender, race, and class--that I seek to achieve with each and every member of the class. This is the standard of excellence to which I hold myself. And my hope is that you, the members of Philosophy 191, shall return the compliment.
Respectfully, I am
Sincerely Yours ______________

Originally posted by

Mark

Part 1: Text messaging in a college classroom.

Everyone needs to open their eyes to a simple fact. When attending college your education ought to come first, otherwise as Todd said, why waste the time and money of the "fucking thousands of innocent kids in the college." (sarcasm mode turned off) Lets face it, for those who have scholarships or full rides to Syracuse University, other students are in fact paying for you to be here, so go to class, sit down, turn off your stupid phone, and learn. When one has earned the right to have a classroom of their own, or run a meeting at a corporation, is it right for the students or employees of that particular company to text message and show that kind of disrespect to the person at the head of the room? No, its not tolerated in the real world at your job, and shouldn't be in school either. I ask this question as a matter of principle, as I understand fully that you are being paid as an employee, but in college you are being paid with knowledge and the right tools to advance in this world.

Part 2: Race as a Crutch.

At the website - www.moralhealth.com
you will find an essay, Racial Profiteering: Society and the University, which details the profound issue that is alluding everyone. People are consistently asking what race has to do with this. (For anyone who believed Laurence Thomas was arbitrarily pulling out the race card and being ignorant, simply cannot appreciate a teacher's ability and right to FACILITATE a much needed discussion.) Within this essay, you will find the answer to why race is a pivotal topic of discussion amidst all this controversy. I believe it is best summed up with the partially paraphrased line; Minorities hold a certain kind of power as "they can always accuse the professor of racism should the professor dare to call them to excellence." If a white person says in an educated manner in a discussion with a multi-ethnic, multi-racial group of friends that he or she has noticed an unequivocal persistence of violence and/or a lack of respect and integrity in the black community, is that racism? No, but some would believe so, as Lisa Jackson has pointed out, apparently whenever a person disrespects or slights anyone of a difference race or creed, that person is being racist or "anti-semitic" as she put it in reference to my comment about Jewish students reading the newspaper in the Laurence Thomas class, American Slavery and the Holocaust. What if this white student merely echoed the sentiments of a black or Hispanic professor at their college? Would that be a racist statement? To some that would validate the comment in some way, but as Laurence Thomas declares, that is the wrong being committed through racial profiteering. Blacks and other minorities need to be criticized and examined for their wrongs, as much as whites or any other group of people in this world. Without that, how will anyone move to better themselves. Whites needed to be held accountable for the wrongs they committed throughout history, but it should not stop there, as Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc can and will commit wrongs as well, and they should not be allowed to hide behind "racial profiteering"and simply avoid the scrutiny by crying racism.

You really don't get it do you? You obviously are seriously misunderstanding some fundamental point and or are purposely distorting them to suit your own needs. Laurence Thomas only referenced non-white students when he said that people disrespect him in class and they are being racist toward him. He is the one who brought race up. I find it hard to believe that only non-white students text in class, read the paper etc, in class, I've been to college and I've seen plenty of white kids not acting appropriately in class and for him to try to say that only non-whites do it is crazy. And yes I agree it is rude to text in class but why is he singling only one group out. If anyone is hiding behind race it is him and for a totally silly reason. I find it funny that you are so quick to defend that but I'm sure if he said white students (the majority of students on campus) were disrepecting him in class and were racist as a result I doubt you'd be so quick to defend that statement. You totatlly distorted what I said to make your own silly circular non-sensical arguement. It seems that as far as you are concerned Laurence Thomas can do no wrong. Oh and by the way, I do have a real job and I see adults in meetings texting on their blackberry's constantly all the time, and I've seen whites and blacks and asians and Latino's doing it. The point is who texts in class or when someone else is talking, is rude, but it has nothing to do with ones race. If it had been a white professor who said something like that he'd be in big trouble and if Thomas had said the same thing and applied it to white students only he'd be in big trouble. It is silly and has nothing to do with race. ALso, to me it sounds pretty racist for you to say that black students hide behind race to get away with bad behavior if a student mis-behaves it is he or she who has misbehaved and has no reflection on their entire race just like if a white student misbehaves it doens't mean reflect on their entire race. And it was a joke when I said the Jewish students were anti-semetic for not paying attention in class, I was trying to underscore how silly Thomas argument is. They were just not into the class, being silly, wasting their time and their or their parent's money.

Originally posted by

Juancarlos Izaguirre

As a Peruvian grad alumni, I felt very uncomfortable with the Professor's racist remarks. I do not think it is acceptable, in a University that has been so open to students from different cultural backgrounds. I have also been a Professor (and more than once bothered by the lack of attention of students, too), and there are many other ways to deal with that issue instead of DISRESPECTING the other students that ARE in the classroom.
And in terms of culture, I am sure we can also find other atittudes from non-latin students that may appear as offensive or disrespectful to latin people, but it is just an issue of cultural differences.
The Professor has all the right to protest against lack of attention from students, but there is no need to present that as a racial issue. Has he paid attention to all the latin and non-latin students in class to draw up that conclusion? As a student myself, I have found out that both groups have similar ways of not paying attention to a Professor, especially if he is not good at engaging his students.

So you would also agree that no cultural difference exists as per the students conduct of text messaging in class. You as a Professor, student, and alumni also understand that the text messaging conduct in class for a non emergency situation was disrepectful, and offensive to the Professor, the students in the class, Syracuse University, and academia. Do you agree that the student should apologize to all?

Again, if the student attending Professor Thomas' class would disrespecfully text message in class for a non emergency purpose, the standard against such conduct remains the same, it would not matter that the person was Prince Harry of England, or the musical artist Usher {who did a similiar thing on the Nickolodian Kids Choice Awards}, Raul Castro who just this week granted cell phone usage rights to Cuba, or the President of Peru who fell asleep at his own murder trial. The Professor would not hesitate to do as he has done year after year and what he has done anytime the same conduct of any student who reads the newspaper in class, talks on the cell phone, or who text messages in an non emergency situation.

Note: I don't think the Professor has ever done this when a student has fallen asleep in his class.

Originally posted by

Juancarlos Izaguirre

As a Peruvian grad alumni, I felt very uncomfortable with the Professor's racist remarks. I do not think it is acceptable, in a University that has been so open to students from different cultural backgrounds. I have also been a Professor (and more than once bothered by the lack of attention of students, too), and there are many other ways to deal with that issue instead of DISRESPECTING the other students that ARE in the classroom.
And in terms of culture, I am sure we can also find other atittudes from non-latin students that may appear as offensive or disrespectful to latin people, but it is just an issue of cultural differences.
The Professor has all the right to protest against lack of attention from students, but there is no need to present that as a racial issue. Has he paid attention to all the latin and non-latin students in class to draw up that conclusion? As a student myself, I have found out that both groups have similar ways of not paying attention to a Professor, especially if he is not good at engaging his students.

I also find it interesting that the article you mention as proof of how non-whites wallow in the race card and use it as an excuse to "get away" with not living up to excellence is an article written by Laurence Thomas himself. One could argue that the phenomena of racial profiteering, which I think is a bogus canard that is rarely used and to the extent it is used it is rarely successful, is exactly what he is doing i.e, bringing up race when it is totally inappropriate. Since we are throwing out websites though check out http://www.timwise.org, and the article "What Kind of Card is Race? The Absurdity (and Consistency) of White Denial" by Tim Wise, a white person who fights for anti-racism. The article argues that the "race card" is something that does not benefit blacks and argues that contrary to what we are regularly told by the media, it is rare that a non-white person gains any traction by bringing up race or examples of racism and if anything they often make themselves worse-off because the claims are discounted. His article talks about how often it is whites who engage in this sort of denial, however, I think this applies to Laurence Thomas as well in this instance because he is claiming that only non-white students engage in a certain type of behavior (although he is ironically calling their behavior racist against him, when this is behavior that all students engage in and these students probably do exactly the same thing in all of their classes irrespective of the race of the professor). It seems the only reason why Laurence Thomas' accusations have gained traction, at least to you, is because it is non-whites who he explicitly targeted.

Originally posted by

Mark

One, never once was it intimated that Laurence Thomas or anyone was saying the students in question were being "racist" to Thomas, it was merely said they showed brazen disrespect. And it is correct that all students, regardless of color, culture, creed, or sexual orientation text message and/or show disrespect to teachers in class. But in this case, it was a teacher calling out several students who not only text messaged, read newspapers or played tic-tac-toe, but did it DIRECTLY in front of the teacher.

Two, being Cuban or any other Hispanic qualification does not necessarily make one "not-white." Race is determined as one of the following or a combination of the following; Mongoloid, Negroid, and Caucasoid.
Thus, the student could technically be white, but of the Cuban culture.

Lastly, by commenting on racial profiteering, my point was made crystal clear when Lisa Jackson said, "it sounds pretty racist for you to say that black students hide behind race to get away with bad behavior." That's precisely the point, it would be wrong for a black person to arbitrarily label someone a "racist" for criticizing an individual who happens to be black. When Bill Cosby says that black men need to start becoming responsible again and learn the meaning of integrity, it is clear who he is talking about. Not all black men, but those who are being irresponsible, and are in a place of power and influence, i.e. rappers, actors, etc. The issue is, what if it was not Bill Cosby who made this claim, but say, Hillary Clinton. She's white, but she has noticed a trend and feels it needs to be addressed in the public sphere. Would she now be a "racist" for being white while criticizing black people????

I think I said in my first note that Hispanics can be of a variety of racial background but he used the word non-white and the article highlighted Hispanics.

Secondly , the entire point is he ONLY criticized non-white students, but race was TOTALLY irrelavant to what happened. He dragged race into it. So by singling out bad behavior that any one can engage in regardless of race but only singling out non-whites as the ones who participate in that bad behavior is racist. It has nothing to do with saying anytime anyone says anyting about blacks they are being racist because it depends on what is said. If he'd said, students seem to disrepsect my class. Fine. But he said ONLY non-whites disrespect my class, which you yourself said was not true when you pointed to Jewish students in your class. He could have made a valid point about student behavior but he had to sully it by bringing race into it and for no reason. Taking a bad behavior that is individual specific and that people do regardless of their race, but only applying it to minorities whether it is blacks or Hispanics, both of whom are often discriminated against, is racism. To me it sounds like you are allowing the fact that someone who is black who used this opportunity to perpetuate negative stereotypes against non-whites and dresses it up with academic rhetoric as an excuse to go out of your way to excuse racist thoughts and opinions without feeling bad about it.

Originally posted by

Mark

One, never once was it intimated that Laurence Thomas or anyone was saying the students in question were being "racist" to Thomas, it was merely said they showed brazen disrespect. And it is correct that all students, regardless of color, culture, creed, or sexual orientation text message and/or show disrespect to teachers in class. But in this case, it was a teacher calling out several students who not only text messaged, read newspapers or played tic-tac-toe, but did it DIRECTLY in front of the teacher.

Two, being Cuban or any other Hispanic qualification does not necessarily make one "not-white." Race is determined as one of the following or a combination of the following; Mongoloid, Negroid, and Caucasoid.
Thus, the student could technically be white, but of the Cuban culture.

Lastly, by commenting on racial profiteering, my point was made crystal clear when Lisa Jackson said, "it sounds pretty racist for you to say that black students hide behind race to get away with bad behavior." That's precisely the point, it would be wrong for a black person to arbitrarily label someone a "racist" for criticizing an individual who happens to be black. When Bill Cosby says that black men need to start becoming responsible again and learn the meaning of integrity, it is clear who he is talking about. Not all black men, but those who are being irresponsible, and are in a place of power and influence, i.e. rappers, actors, etc. The issue is, what if it was not Bill Cosby who made this claim, but say, Hillary Clinton. She's white, but she has noticed a trend and feels it needs to be addressed in the public sphere. Would she now be a "racist" for being white while criticizing black people????

Your statement that it was not intimated that the students were being racist for being "blatantly disrespectful" to him is crap. That is exactly what he was driving at by bringing it up and if you don't see that... it is sad. And just because you are non-white doesn't mean that you cannot have issues with blacks and latinos. Isn't always easier to fit in by picking on other outcasts, especially if you can find someone in that group to give you cover for your behavior? And Ann bringing up her race had nothing to do with me, that was her option and I have no issue with her changing the subject and happen to agree with her and I think I said many times I think the girl's actions were wrong, but his actions were worse especially because he is supposed to be an adult, "Mark"

Originally posted by

Mark

I agree fully with Anne. She summed up the student as a customer issue so eloquently. I always say that it sucks that school has become so much of a business, but it's something I accepted. But you don't have to accept it, you can still look at it as a privilege. Nice work Anne.

and to respond to Lisa from earlier, I noticed Anne clarified her race, which saddens me. I don't blame her, but I blame our society that she has to preface her comments because had she not said she was a woman of color she might have been considered siding with the "ignorant white people" posting on this issue. She put aside the race issue for a second, only to have to mention it for the sake of having her thoughts on the "student as a customer" topic taken seriously. So I wanted to take this moment to identify myself as a Punjabi male who has experienced racism here and there at school, but I refuse to use racial profiteering as a way to defend myself in the face of any criticism.

Does my racial classification now affect what I have said?

p.s. I feel that it is a privilege to be in this country studying, and I respect a teacher for having the guts to call out students who are wrong, and if he is making a statement about being disappointed in a sect of students, (such as non-white) thats his prerogative. I don't find it to be racist, I find it to be truthful. And they say the truth hurts. I also respect a teacher who takes the classroom serious enough to walk out when the students aren't taking the class seriously. I shall remember Laurence Thomas in 20 years and I won't remember my teachers who simply sat at the head of the class and read off of a sheet of paper with no enthusiasm, no fervor, and therefore in my opinion possessed actually less respect and admiration for his/her students. I enjoy a professor who expects the utmost excellence of me, that is what schooling is all about.

Yep, you got me, I only went to college and have a job now because I'm black, had nothing to do with the grades I earned or my SAT scores. I never earned anything nor would have gotten anything if not for the color of my skin, I am the epitome of racial profiteering. And I must say that for the majority of blacks and latinos in this country, racial profiteering has been really lucrative too, as Tim Wise pointed out in his article The Oprah Effect: Black Success, White Denial and the Reality of Racism "According to Census data, black college graduates are only two-thirds as likely as whites to be employed in a professional or managerial position, while Latino college grads are only 44 percent as likely to be employed in such jobs . Black men with college degrees earn, on average, about $20,000 less annually than their white counterparts--a difference of almost fifty percent; whites with masters degrees earn about ten percent more than comparable blacks, on average, and whites with professional degrees (like medical or law degrees), earn, on average, about $30,000 more than their black counterparts, each year. These gaps persist, despite the fact that whites and blacks receive college degrees in the same disciplines at roughly the same rates , and even when their ages, experience levels, and prior academic performance records are similar."
He goes on to say "... the typical white family has nearly eleven times greater net worth than the typical black family, and eight times greater net worth than the typical Latino family. But even more tellingly, if we exclude home equity from the calculation of assets and net worth--since, after all, home equity is not as easily liquidated as stocks, bonds, commercial real estate, or other financial instruments--the median white household has almost twenty times the net worth of the median black household and twelve times that of the typical Latino household. And these gaps exist at every income level, including among those whose incomes suggest they are "making it." worth, of blacks ($208,000 compared to $65,000). In other words, typical members of the white middle class have almost the same net worth as typical members of the black upper-class, irrespective of the latter group's higher income and occupational status" Yep racial profiteering, nothing like it! Check out his website timwise.org if you want to see where he got this data.

PS: Did I ever use the term "ignorant white people" NO those are YOUR WORDS, Mark. Don't twist and distort what I actually said to try to dismiss my points. And I took classes with excellent profs at Syracuse and Laurence Thomas was not one. His class was disorganized and I know several people whose GPA's were messed up because he gave them incompletes, not because they didn't finish the class but because HE ran out of time and didn't finish grading so he just gave them incomplete grades and they had to fight to get their deserved grade and have it recorded on their transcripts. Mark of excellence there. Also, the syllabus he gave my class was RIFE with misspellings and missing words which made it appear to be ungrammatical, so he obviously hadn't bothered to proof read. Yes, more excellence there too. If he is really the best prof you had at SU, you should seriously ask for a refund Mark.