[Lions-l] correct political paradox

[WillTraw at aol.com]

Hello George,
 
As the word race has a number of meanings,  it was perfectly  legitimate for 
the young lady to identify herself in either one of several  different 
categories (African, African American, Anglo, Kenyan (if she came from  Kenya), 
White, etc.).  Check the meaning of race in the dictionary.   If you are filling in 
a blank on a questionnaire, without knowing what  alternatives you are to 
choose from, you cannot be faulted for writing in  something that might be 
unexpected.  Race does not necessarily identify the  color of one's skin.  It might 
indicate your national origin (American),  the continent of your ancestors 
(Asian, European), the geographic origin of your  ancestors (Eskimos), etc.  
People preparing questionnaires should be aware  of the different meanings of the 
word race and not ask such open-ended  questions.  Nevertheless, I suspect the 
young lady was perhaps making a  political statement indicating that her 
sympathies lie with black people whose  origins were in Africa.  And she should 
have known that the questionnaire  was probably just trying to identify the 
color of her skin.
 
Hope you don't think this is just nit-picking.
 
Willis Trawick '56
Sutherland Springs, Tx.



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