NH Primary Aftermath
Mood: Primarily Irritated
I remain convinced that one of the reason’s why NH so firmly protects it’s First In The Nation Primary status is due to the fact that socially we’d rather get unpleasant tasks done sooner rather than later. Winter sucks anyway, so might as well deal with the would-be candidates when it’s too fucking cold to be standing outside for long.
I’m not usually one for talking politics at work as I think it’s tacky. Also too, being an argumentative bitch by nature, I can spend more time playing Devil’s Advocate than working if given half a chance. Still, with the Primary last Tuesday, this year's National Election was on everyone’s minds.
One of my coworkers, who I do not like, O----- was talking politics throughout the entire day and at one point started talking about Sen. Sander’s proposals to address the cost of higher education in the US. O----- wondered how such a program would be paid for and as the cost of Teen Minion’s education in less than four years has been on SSG and my minds recently, I dealt myself into the conversation.
I should have just continued to sit it out as I’m still fucking pissed three days later.
O----- made the comment that the cost of room, board, books and fees is around $15,000.00 at the University of Illinois. Over four years $60,000.00 is a lot of money to provide for every single student in the US, so how is this going to be paid for?
Well, for one thing, she’s a bit off- the University of Illinois website puts cost of living expenses at $18,300.00 and just assuming that the only cost subsidizing higher education would be the cost of living is fucking short sighted. Pretty sure professors, facilities and research programs need funding too.
I replied that I thought that her question was a good one. One that needs to be asked of every candidate with high reaching programs. Raise taxes? Cut another program? Build a useless wall across the US-Mexico Border? Having a plan should include how you’re going to fucking pay for it.
I replied that since “UNH costs $30-35,000.00 for instate and close to $45,000.00 for out of state students- at those prices you’re better off going to an Ivy League calibre school. Which is why Teen Minion is going to be applying to MIT and Stanford.”
O------: “He won’t get in and I’m going to tell you why.”
Here we go. /sigh
I replied that I thought that her question was a good one. One that needs to be asked of every candidate with high reaching programs. Raise taxes? Cut another program? Build a useless wall across the US-Mexico Border? Having a plan should include how you’re going to fucking pay for it.
I replied that since “UNH costs $30-35,000.00 for instate and close to $45,000.00 for out of state students- at those prices you’re better off going to an Ivy League calibre school. Which is why Teen Minion is going to be applying to MIT and Stanford.”
O------: “He won’t get in and I’m going to tell you why.”
Here we go. /sigh
Me: “And why’s that?”
O-----: “He’s white. They have quotas to fill.”
She did not JUST-
She did not JUST-
(Maintaining professional voice through willpower alone) Me: “MIT doesn’t admit based on quotas. And even if they did, so what? He’ll apply on his own merits.”
They don’t. MIT is very open about their admission process, rates and breakdown.
O-----: “Well, he won’t get a scholarship.”
Me: “MIT has very generous financial aid packages and scholarships. Top tier schools like MIT are the type of school that if you get admitted to, you go and they have very good programs to make it affordable for families under a certain income threshold.”
O-----: “Well, he won’t get a scholarship.”
Me: “MIT has very generous financial aid packages and scholarships. Top tier schools like MIT are the type of school that if you get admitted to, you go and they have very good programs to make it affordable for families under a certain income threshold.”
O----: “Is he a valedictorian?”
Me: “He’s in 9th grade.”
O----: “And is he valedictorian.”
Me: “He entered his Freshman year 12th in his class.”
O----: “Well, he might get a scholarship then but he probably won’t get in.”
Me: “We’re aware of the odds, O----. That’s why if he isn’t admitted to MIT or Stanford he’s going to be going overseas or to Canada to study. It’s still cheaper than sending him to UNH or other state funded university.”
O---: “Well, good luck.”
I spent the rest of the afternoon ignoring her and only speaking to O--- when I absolutely had too. As the evening went on and I repeated the conversation to my husband and a friend, I realized how very irritated I was at her and why.
O---- is in her mid-70s and conservative by nature. A tech Luddite who still isn't comfortable with our ten year old POS system. She’s been employed for over 18 months and still doesn’t know how to process a return. Apparently, she’s also a Trump supporter, which in retrospect should have been a warning that she’s also a racist bitch.
“He’s white.”
Ok. So, she's assuming that a) my partner is white or that b)my son is not adopted. She's trying to play the White Persecution card because of the very idea that some institutions might choose a ethnic student of equal merit over my son because of their race.
Even if that was the case, so fucking what? Not to paint the lily too white, but Teen MInion is already starting off from a higher rung on the fucking ladder than most other people in this country because he’s male, white, educated with a stable home life.
I hate to admit to the idea of White Privilege even existing because I know how fucking difficult my life has been and how long we struggled to climb out of poverty and how hard we continue to work to be comfortably middle class.
(See my Food Bank Challenge posts if you’re interested in more of my sad beginnings.)
Yet White Privilege does exist and my son will unfortunately have more opportunities given to him because of his social (white) economic (educated middle-upper middle income) upbringing than 50% of the United States than have those oppurtunities be based on his actual abilities or work.
For O---- to imply that ethnic students can only get into MIT or other Ivy League because of quotas is so incredibly racist and elitist it’s not funny. It’s also not sad. It is infuriating, however. I am so disgusted by O----- that I have difficulty talking to her at work. I spend a good amount of time finding other projects to do in the back so I won’t be forced to deal with her.
Yes, I could and should report her to management, but I am reluctant too for a couple reasons. I am a strong believer in starting from the bottom up when dealing with this sort of shit. If someone is bothering me, I like to confront them first and see if they will correct their behavior before escalating it further. A lot of the time (not always, but a good percentage of it) any situations can be resolved with at the lowest level.
“Hey, that sounds really racist. Don’t be that person.” pulls them up short and saves their job. It might also make them think, which I’m a big fan of encouraging.
I didn’t confront her then because I honestly didn’t recognize the racist implications right away. I was furious with her about her elitist attitude and it was only later that evening that the racial implications hit me.
It’s also no secret at work that O---- and I do not get along and I have already reported a client's complaint about her recently and while I’m not comfortable with her behavior I know to watch for it now. Sadly, I’m confident that there will be more opportunities for her to open her mouth to let racist comments dribble out.
I hate to admit to the idea of White Privilege even existing because I know how fucking difficult my life has been and how long we struggled to climb out of poverty and how hard we continue to work to be comfortably middle class.
(See my Food Bank Challenge posts if you’re interested in more of my sad beginnings.)
Yet White Privilege does exist and my son will unfortunately have more opportunities given to him because of his social (white) economic (educated middle-upper middle income) upbringing than 50% of the United States than have those oppurtunities be based on his actual abilities or work.
For O---- to imply that ethnic students can only get into MIT or other Ivy League because of quotas is so incredibly racist and elitist it’s not funny. It’s also not sad. It is infuriating, however. I am so disgusted by O----- that I have difficulty talking to her at work. I spend a good amount of time finding other projects to do in the back so I won’t be forced to deal with her.
Yes, I could and should report her to management, but I am reluctant too for a couple reasons. I am a strong believer in starting from the bottom up when dealing with this sort of shit. If someone is bothering me, I like to confront them first and see if they will correct their behavior before escalating it further. A lot of the time (not always, but a good percentage of it) any situations can be resolved with at the lowest level.
“Hey, that sounds really racist. Don’t be that person.” pulls them up short and saves their job. It might also make them think, which I’m a big fan of encouraging.
I didn’t confront her then because I honestly didn’t recognize the racist implications right away. I was furious with her about her elitist attitude and it was only later that evening that the racial implications hit me.
It’s also no secret at work that O---- and I do not get along and I have already reported a client's complaint about her recently and while I’m not comfortable with her behavior I know to watch for it now. Sadly, I’m confident that there will be more opportunities for her to open her mouth to let racist comments dribble out.
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