On Tuesday, Blake Hasenmiller wrote probably one of the most ignorant pieces that the Iowa State Daily has published! I could not believe what I read and had to reread it several times to make sure that it was real. He titled it, “Judge Obama campaign on politics, not race.” Yet the entire article is pieced together with statistics to support “common” stereotypes of black people across America! It was only during the last fourth of his article that Hasenmiller attempted to explain that Obama was not part of the stereotype.

I am sorry, but that entire article was filled with ignorance and racism. It was sickening! Being a male Latino, I have heard everything Hasenmiller wrote about and supported, not only through statistics and his own complaints, but also over my entire life said about my race. Yet, in greater understanding than Hasenmiller has, I know that all those stereotypes are completely untrue. His support or understanding of why people can look at black people — or minorities in general — in that fashion is a simple failure of understanding of what racism actually is. My dear sir, racism is any thought, or action, that would hold one’s race above any other.

To say that whites are less violent, more responsible and harder working than black people are racist thoughts. Racism isn’t just a strong dislike, or even hate, felt towards another race of people. What you wrote, in all honesty, simply supported racism, and it is unfortunate that you cannot understand that race will be a factor on the votes Obama and McCain will tally.

Marco Benitez

Cook

ISU Dining