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November 28, 2009

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Letter: People should not be judged by others’ labels

Thursday, Feb. 24, 2000 | 9:32 a.m.

For instance, why are the words black and white used to describe a race? Neither is a race, nor are the terms brown or red, which are often used in other settings to describe race.

And should the category of race even be used in the census? I know the intentions are good, but the outcomes are not. Whenever ancestry (race) is used to describe a personal situation or tragedy we only lower the value of the individual.

Is a Nigerian college president any better than one of Japanese descent? No way. Should an injured Costa Rican baby evoke more sympathy than one of Italian heritage? Not at all. But we are constantly bombarded with this information as if we are to react differently based on what the person is, instead of whom the person is.

I am not sure who started the process of labeling people in this manner, but it sure has not helped bring us together. We as a society have unfortunately given ethnic heritage priority over inner personal values. I myself think it's time for a change. Ignore the labels of where one comes from and try your best to see where they are going. That's the true test of character.

MIKE MILLER

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