Back in the 19th century, the pseudoscience of phrenology, which taught that the shape of the skull dictated intelligence, increased in popularity. The hypothesis was used to depict particular groups, especially blacks and Native Americans, as lesser. Although phrenology is wholly rejected today, bigoted views exploited in the name of science remain. One such example comes from the Lone-Star State.
The University Star, a student-run newspaper from Texas State University, recently published a controversial opinion column claiming, “white death means liberation for all.” The periodical has since received livid letters and death threats from many readers who consider the article as expressive of a violently racist ideology, according to an ABC news affiliate.
The piece titled “Your DNA is an Abomination” was authored by Hispanic American Rudy Martinez who has since been discharged from his position by the Editorial Board. In the column, the social justice warrior expressed many controversial outlooks, among them stating that he could only consider a handful of European Americans as “decent” human beings. He also remarked that slavery and mass incarceration are “products of whiteness.” When asked in an interview with an NBC news affiliate if he believed the piece to represent a biased perspective, Martinez replied:
“I don’t think colored people can be racist, I think racist attitudes come from a position of power.”
He declares that his first meeting with Caucasians was upon moving out of Miami to the Texas university, and is thus “suffering from cultural shock.” With a logic reminiscent of that of a five-year-old, Martinez also states regarding the ethnicity, “I hate you because you shouldn’t exist.” Would someone please get him the bottle and blankie for comfort? Millennials have born a generation of mindlessness and hypersensitivity.
Martinez’s ideas are chillingly similar to those pushed by 19th-century phrenologists. By claiming of whites “your DNA is an abomination,” he suggests they are inherently corrupt, displaying a blatant ignorance of science for a college student. A gene causing prejudice behaviors has never been discovered, mainly given the fact that actions are the products of both biology and environment.
Furthermore, his assumption that colored individuals cannot be discriminatory is fundamentally flawed. As a Hispanic, I very well know that intolerance is just as prevalent in minority communities as it is in Caucasian populations. The stance is also demeaning, as it categorizes non-whites into one, while their respective cultures vastly differ. For a university “educated” youth, his opinions are fallacious and evidence the victimhood mindset followed by all too many of this generation.
The blame should not wholly be placed on the misguided collegegoer, however, as the University Star were responsible for editing and publishing the work. Had editors found the piece grossly inappropriate, they would have decided against its publishing, but instead, they indicated backing for the commentary.
As a mislead youth, Martinez can only hope to one day, as SJW millennials would phrase, “get woke” to his mistaken and hateful beliefs. The periodical also has a reputation to replenish following their publication of the article and Texas State University must invest in enhancing the critical thinking capabilities of its millennial students.
