Dearest Evan,
I will readily admit that the problem of fundamentalist Islam is a serious, frightening issue. I agree with you that suicide bombings, honor killings, and terrorism are horrible, barbaric, and never justified, especially in the name of a religion. But condemn the acts and the specific groups and people that are 100% responsible for committing them. Don’t make prejudicial, bigoted assumptions about a religion that a minority of radicals claim to be acting in the name of. Remember that 1.6 billion people follow the tenets of Islam. As Jamal Ahmed already stated, even if a million Muslims were violent extremists, it would be less than a fifteenth of one percent of the Muslim population. Try to understand why fundamentalism occurs without inaccurately and offensively condemning the overwhelming majority of peaceful Muslims. After all, you may believe that making generalizations are justified, but how can you justify making a generalization that is statistically more than 99% wrong?
After your last Wespeak, I must admit that I was pretty angry with you, mainly because you misconstrued a private statement I had made to you by placing it in a public realm and twisting its meaning. I never said I had to work harder because I’m only 50% white, particularly in the context in which you place it. I definitely would never refer to myself as “50% white.” I would also never make the assertion that I had to “work harder” and attribute that to being Asian American because I’m a pretty big slacker when push comes to shove.
What I meant was that you, as a white person, don’t know what it feels like to be me, a person of color in that you haven’t had to deal with the racism I’ve experienced. Sure, I’ve had to work through the anger and pain I felt at being called a “chink,” “gook,” or “China Boy” all through my life by strangers and peers alike, but I have been given the same privilege of attending Wesleyan that you have. But I can’t entirely blame you for forgetting this part of our conversation because I’m guessing you were maybe still a little stoned at the time since you had smoked up earlier that night.
Anyway, my anger at you disappeared when I witnessed a strange thing on Tuesday night while working my usual shift at WesWings. You were eating dinner there with some friends, and one of my coworkers used your full name, “Evan Carp,” over the PA to call out your order. Instead of picking up your food yourself, you had a female friend of yours come all the way to the counter from your table in the back corner of the room to pick it up for you. I’m assuming that none of your male friends wanted to be mistaken for you, and a female friend of yours offered to come up to the counter and pick up the food designated publicly for “Evan Carp” since she would be the least likely to be mistaken for you.
Initially I was confused as to why you were being so paranoid. You evidently felt the need to prevent people from knowing you by sight, as shown by the fact that you went to the extreme of having a nice friend of yours go out of her way to pick up your food. Honestly, I feel like you don’t have much to be afraid of. Wesleyan’s policies on physical confrontations dictate that anyone attacking you for your views would be summarily (and rightfully) suspended or expelled, which is a pretty sufficient deterrent of violence. Admittedly, I personally know what you look like, and I do have a shameful desire to cause you physical pain in response to all the emotional pain and frustration you have inflicted upon those individual Muslims I’m lucky enough to have as friends. Despite that desire, which was intensified by the fact that you justified the abhorrent practice of racial profiling in your last Wespeak, I haven’t tried to physically hurt you, and I don’t ever intend to. Even if all of Wesleyan knew you by sight, I’m pretty certain they would say the same thing. After all, I really doubt anyone would suicide bomb your dorm. Remember that this campus is filled with tree-hugging liberals who oppose violence in the first place.
So, with no real threat of getting hurt, why would you try hard to hide your identity in WesWings? You spew such wrath and furious condemnations in your Wespeaks, yet, when it comes down to it, you are afraid of people recognizing you in the public arena. The mere fact that you like to sit behind a wall of anonymity and criticize others, but at the same time are afraid to look them in the eye is just pathetic. (Although, I suppose it’s hard to look someone in the eye when they are lacking “two eyes and a brain,” as you say.)
Witnessing this whole mess at WesWings made me feel really sorry for your situation. In fact, I’m not going to write any more Wespeaks responding to you, with the sole exception being if you ever try to wrongly attribute an idea or words to me again. In fact, to show my good will, I will even offer you a service. Every time you come into WesWings and I am working, I will personally bring your food out to you in a discreet manner in order to preserve your anonymity.
Hang in there, Evan.
Cheers,
Brian Ahn Thorpe
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