Evolution of Race Relations From Another Angle

Whilst reading the news I came across a headline that sparked my interest as I felt it held a certain relevance to our current focus in class. The article in question equates the modern development of racism and the racial relationships we've formed in society today to that of a "super-virus", or rather as they call it "super-racism". This relation serves two purposes in my mind; one to tie the claims made to the unfounded irrational paranoia often associated with the "super-virus" theory, the other being the opposing side which supports the theory and accepts the rational behind it. In other words the farsical nature of the article serves two masters in the way that it both seems to describe and evaluate a valid issue yet discredits it through the comical arrangement of the arguments. Instead of providing any constructive options for interacting in a diverse and multi-racial culture it leaves it as an inevitability that racism will always persist and will only recede further into the subconcious of the masses. Though there are no overt examples I do believe the imbedded truth of the article poigniently observes ways in which the system is currently failing; a point found within this quote taken from the article, "According to the report, by attacking only the symptoms of racism and not its economic and social causes, legislative efforts to vaccinate the populace against racism may have accelerated rather than halted the spread of the disease." Under the guise of an outright ludicrous premise and comic parallel there is a valid point being made, one that we would do well to take to heart and consider.

Something else I enjoyed was the pictures featured within the article. The first being a double-entendre, playing with the word "focus" to describe both the article that has it's focus on race as well as commenting on the phenomena of race in social interactions as we focus on race rather than the merits of an individual. The second picture was just silly as it depicts the "credible source" frequently quoted within the article in a meeting at his office. The silly part comes in where he is the only non-white person in the room and the picture itself seems to mock those "diversity shots" used in pamphlets and brochures to show that a business, organization, or school has filled their quota of minorities and thus can not be accused of any racist tendencies. The body language of the other people in the photo is also disconcerning, from my take it appears that they are either frightened or in awe of this glorious induction of another heritage into their cozy ivory tower. Here they are respectively in case you are a dirt bag and decided not to look at the article...