Letters to the editor

The contradictions of USA

Sir,
Abdul-Jabbar's write up, titled the "The View" was published in "Time" weekly US magazine of June 29. The write-up was based on matters of racial identity that has been the 'Achilles Heel' for USA since long. Despite the name being United States of America, the country, in reality is not totally racially integrated, hence not united actually. Each sate has its own attitude on the problem. Can we say that the country has being wrongly named.  Fact is, that despite USA's power and wealth and overall scientific and technological capabilities, social tension based on color prejudices still existed, and its practice varied from state to state, and somewhere it was more open and more visible.   
This was our experience, as we drove for over three days with my wife and son, from Miami in Florida to Chicago in Illinois, sometimes in mid 1970s. In a few places we could palpably feel and see the signs and symptoms of color bar. It was fairly evident as we drove up from south to north, stopping in many rural towns and cities for breaks over tea and snacks and breakfast, lunch and dinner, and overnight halt.
 I am not sure that USA is totally free from color prejudices even today, more so in rural areas and small towns and cities, and color bar, though officially not there can be easily felt and seen as we experienced in our fairly long cress-country drive. One wanders if socially and culturally it has truly disappeared, despite the American Civil War, that was based on the abolishing slavery of the 'blacks', and having equal rights for all. After all, historically whites were land owners and rich, and the blacks (usually dark skinned of African origin), who were physically kidnapped or pirated, against their will, and later sold as slaves, to serve their white owners in America. After all racial bar was practiced in the so-called civilized Europe by Hitler around seventy five years back.
Even in Europe, as late as early nineteen eighties this writer had felt the subtle undercurrents of color prejudice, when traveling to a number of factories in some Western European countries on official business. It was most visible in West Germany than elsewhere. In that respect this writer feels that we as human beings are still not totally civilized. WE all know, that the very creation of Bangladesh, was based upon racial and language based discrimination which subsequently led to political and economic discrimination being practiced by the then West Pakistani based government and the armed forces, leading to the break-up that was inevitable.

S.A.Mansoor
Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

Letters to the editor

The contradictions of USA Sir, Abdul-Jabbars write up, titled the The View was published in Time weekly US magazine of June 29. The write-up was based on matters of racial identity that has been the Achilles Heel for USA since long. Despite the name being United States of America, the country, in reality is not totally racially integrated, hence not united actually. Each sate has its own attitude on the problem. Can we say that the country has being wrongly named. Fact is, that despite USAs power and wealth and overall scientific and technological capabilities, social tension based on color prejudices still existed, and its practice varied from state to state, and somewhere it was more open and more visible. This was our experience, as we drove for over three days with my wife and son, from Miami in Florida to Chicago in Illinois, sometimes in mid 1970s. In a few places we could palpably feel and see the signs and symptoms of color bar. It was fairly evident as we drove up from south to north, stopping in many rural towns and cities for breaks over tea and snacks and breakfast, lunch and dinner, and overnight halt. I am not sure that USA is totally free from color prejudices even today, more so in rural areas and small towns and cities, and color bar, though officially not there can be easily felt and seen as we experienced in our fairly long cress-country drive. One wanders if socially and culturally it has truly disappeared, despite the American Civil War, that was based on the abolishing slavery of the blacks, and having equal rights for all. After all, historically whites were land owners and rich, and the blacks (usually dark skinned of African origin), who were physically kidnapped or pirated, against their will, and later sold as slaves, to serve their white owners in America. After all racial bar was practiced in the so-called civilized Europe by Hitler around seventy five years back. Even in Europe, as late as early nineteen eighties this writer had felt the subtle undercurrents of color prejudice, when traveling to a number of factories in some Western European countries on official business. It was most visible in West Germany than elsewhere. In that respect this writer feels that we as human beings are still not totally civilized. WE all know, that the very creation of Bangladesh, was based upon racial and language based discrimination which subsequently led to political and economic discrimination being practiced by the then West Pakistani based government and the armed forces, leading to the break-up that was inevitable. S.A.Mansoor Dhaka, Bangladesh.