| "I was called Ward Connerly of the East Coast...and I don't even know who that is?" (April 14, 1998)
Here's a really well thought out response to my article on leaving school early, entitled School Daze. I acknowledge his points, as I am just a Canadian who has not lived in the United States, and the oppression blacks have felt. Who the hell am I kidding? I'm nowhere near this serious. This guy wrote a great response. I love it. He calls me a racist. How can I defend that? I really can't. I could say, some of my best friends are black (Hey Rad, come to my defense). I could say I'm active in the black community. I'm not, but I could. All I can say is that I'm not racist, but I still think this is a great reply. It's thoughtful, detailed and obviously the product of a man who got 95th percentile on his LSAT and 98th percentile on his SAT. So without further adieu, my latest response:
You said, in your "rant" (I believe that's what you call it) on college ballplayers staying in school:
"The black college coaches said the SATs were culturally biased (so they added the ACT scores as well). The point to the SATs is, if you can't get 700 you're really unintelligent or you don't apply yourself (Chucks Note : HEY. Steady on there.). It's easy. I'm Canadian, so I never took an official one, but I did try take a couple of practice tests that you can buy. Without cracking a book or studying or taking any courses I knocked off a 1250 and a 1340 (or something like that). Culturally biased? I'm Canadian, and I got way over 700, so when anyone says it's culturally biased, the just don't do the work and they don't study."
Wow. You're pretty deep. With your uncanny ability to boil down as thorny an issue as the "cultural bias" of a generalized test to such a simple (or simple-minded or simplistic, you choose) concept, I expect that I will soon see your byline in a reputable newspaper or on a well-received website. Not!! (That's why I read Hoops-LA -- you keep it "real" [ hint: backhanded compliment])
Sure, the phrasing of the argument that the test is "culturally biased" should draw some derision, especially considering that life is culturally biased (believe it or not!!) and you have to play the game to win the game. However, I think the phrase means that it is culturally biased against many, not all, POOR BLACK students who have not had access to some of the more effective educational methods and facilities. For you to base your somewhat smug and simplistic assessment of the argument by the "black coaches" (funny, some "white coaches" and "white people" agree with the "black coaches") on the fact that you're Canadian and you scored a whopping 1250!! or 1340!! (or whatever, and therefore, it cant be that hard); and your belief that if you cant get a 700, you're either lazy or you dont try hard, simply follows that same old B.S. argument advanced by so many racists in the past that blacks dont succeed because they dont try hard enough or they are just lazy. I know that you didnt explicitly say that, but you imply it. If you're a black Canadian-- wow!! Ward Connerly of the East Coast in the house!!
Anyway, what folks such as yourself never seem to want to acknowledge is that a mere 30 years (only one and half generations for those of you who bother to count) CANNOT compensate for four CENTURIES of systematic oppression and denial of access to basic education and means of economic progress. What about B.S. school systems?? What about aging educational facilities in predominantly minority neighborhoods? What about teachers who are uninspired and, in many cases, incompetent? Not to mention the temptations out in the streets and parents who dont support their kids' educations. Those distractions are a lot for a young kid to handle. I hope that your "insights" on the applicability of the SAT as a useful indicator of intelligence was actually well-intentioned, but it somehow strikes me as condescending and ill-informed. Perhaps you should stick to the realm of sports and leave the sociology and educational psychology to the professionals. I dunno, just a thought. Besides, this is like sports radio, where all of the idiots with access to the 'Net can show just how simple-minded they actually are by saying the Raptors should just trade for Michael Jordan.
I hope that your 1350 or 1240 or whatever has landed you a position in a very successful business, or that you have become independently wealthy. Otherwise, you will have proven the point that the SAT, in and of itself, means nothing. And that's coming from an African American who scored in the 98th percentile on the SAT and in the 95 percentile on the LSAT and is still trying to get a piece of the American Dream.
Now I feel better. This is the first time that I have ever responded to a posting on the 'Net. I do not plan to make it a habit, but for some reason, your inane comments really got to me this morning. I think I just need some coffee. Keep up the good work, Mr. Bell Curve.
Yours Truly
3D
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