Columnist encourages students to speak out against recent racism

By Matt Patrick, Columnist

On Sunday night, OCU’s own Kelsey Griswold, acting senior and Miss Oklahoma, came 2^nd runner up at the Miss America pageant. Miss New York, Nina Davuluri, took home the crown that night as the first Indian-American to win the pageant. At OCU, the crowds cheered with certain sadness at the fact that one of our own had not won the pageant. Many were looking forward to perhaps adding another statue to the already three that sit at the corner of Blackwelder and 23^rd. However, all across America, others were getting upset as well, just for different reasons. Many across the United States flooded Twitter and other social media networks with hate speech towards Davuluri for her skin color. One twitter follower said “Miss America? More like Miss Al-Qaeda.” This is an abhorrent comment for 21^st century American ideals.

The 14^th Amendment of the Constitution of the United states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States…. and are not deny and person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Make no mistake; this Reconstruction Amendment comes right after the 13^th Amendment, which abolished slavery forever. The 14^th Amendment defined citizenship and what makes someone “American,” regardless of color of skin.

I am extremely disappointed that this kind of attitude has arisen in our culture today. I actually thought that more people would be proud of this accomplishment from an Indian-American woman like Davuluri. This kind of racism and behavior is unacceptable in American society today. America should no longer define a true American by the color of someone’s skin. There should be a distinction made between what makes someone an American citizen, and what makes someone who upholds American ideals and values. An American citizen should only be defined by someone who was born here, or has attained citizenship in another way. Someone who upholds the values of America is hard to define because Americans have very differing ideals, that’s what makes us great. I think what makes a person a great American is not where they stand on war, peace, immigration, abortion, health care, or any number of other social issues. What makes someone a true American is whether or not they are open to ideas outside of their own. That’s it. The true American embraces diversity of ideas and culture even if they might be wary of it. American citizens who spread hate and intolerance of cultural and racial diversity still deserve and have the unalienable right to all the liberties, freedoms afforded to them by the Constitution. These are rights derived from God and no person, American citizen or not, no matter how hateful or oppressive, deserve because they are simply a human being. However, just because these hateful people are legally American citizens, doesn’t mean that they are American.

What makes a great American will never lie in a legal status of citizenship, skin color, or family heritage. What makes a great American will always lie in our ideals and our willingness to try and be open those who are different and to show equal liberty and justice for all. Therefore, I encourage all OCU students to speak up when they hear others spreading racism about the new Miss America or anyone else. The only way to put an end to this attitude is to keep speaking out against it when we hear it.