HIT THE FLOOR: Another case of Racial Stereotyping

On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the quarters in her room.

'I'll be right back and we'll go to eat,' she told her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.

As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men already aboard. Both were black. One of them was tall...very tall...an intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: 'These two are going to rob me.' Her next thought was: 'Don't be a bigot; they look like perfectly nice gentlemen.' But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized her. She stood and stared at the two men. She felt anxious, flustered and ashamed. She hoped they didn't read her mind but gosh, they had to know what she was thinking!!!

Her hesitation about joining them in the elevator was all too obvious now. Her face was flushed. She couldn't just stand there, so with a mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and stepped forward and followed with the other foot and was on the elevator. Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed. A second passed, and then another second, and then another. Her fear increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her. 'My God,' she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed!' Her heart plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore.

Then one of the men said, 'Hit the floor.' Instinct told her to do what they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained down on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed. More seconds passed.

She heard one of the men say politely, 'Ma'am, if you'll just tell us what floor you're going to, we'll push the button.' The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh. The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men.

They reached down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet. 'When I told my friend here to hit the floor,' said the average sized one,'I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for you to hit the floor, ma'am.' He spoke gently. He bit his lip. It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing.

The woman thought: 'My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself.' She was too humiliated to speak. She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed her. How do you apologize to two perfectly respectable gentlemen for behaving as though they were going to rob you? She didn't know what to say.

The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket. When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid her a good evening.

As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator. The woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went downstairs for dinner with her husband.

The next morning flowers were delivered to her room - a dozen roses. Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill. The card said:'Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years.'

It was signed;

Eddie Murphy
Michael Jordan

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Filipinos Rage against Desperate Housewives’ Racial Slur

A few days ago, news about the racist statement against Filipino doctors in an episode of the Desperate Housewives was all over the television and the internet. The Philippine Medical Association, Department of Health, Congress, and Malacanang itself issued their statements and demanded public apology from the ABC network and the series’ lead star Terri (something, Teri Onor ang kilala ko). Surprise, surprise, the motor-mouthed Miriam Defensor-Santiago was also seen on TV advocating for the boycott of the series, so its ratings would go down. To think that just a week ago, during the ZTE Senate hearing, and in full view of the cameras, she lashed out against the Chinese (without any exception) when she said that the Chinese invented civilization in Asia but the Chinese also invented corruption. She referred to them as “ang mga INTSIK na iyan!”, complete with the dagger looks, voice (how do you describe it?) and hand gestures which Edmund Sicam of the Philippine Daily Inquirer said was a clear case of OVERACTING. To think, that she’s the chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Due to the strong reactions of the Chinoys and the Chinese Embassy, she had to issue a public apology, saying that it was not her intention to denigrate the Chinese (but she did not say what her real intentions were). Para bagang, pinag-sampal-sampal mo, pakatapos sasabihin mo, sorry, hindi kita gustong saktan.


Going back to the Desperate Housewives, without it landing in the news, I’ll surely never get to listen to that dialogue. I have never watched any episode of the series and I don’t have any intention of doing so. Ed Canela forwarded two articles from the newspapers to our egroup, complete with the link to the signature campaign.

I know it’s unfair to the Filipinos in the medical profession, who are regarded in the US or elsewhere as one of the best in the world. Let’s hear the reactions of Marybeth and Fechie on this.

It’s possible that the scriptwriter read about last year’s nursing exam debacle in the Philippines. The greed of two examiners led to the intentional leak of questions to equally greedy review schools. The stubbornness of the Professional Regulatory Commission and indecisiveness of Malacanang, resulted to the long drawn agony of the innocent passers, acrimony among pro- and anti-retake, until it was a US-based group that finally announced that it would not issue a certification for visa of June 2006 Filipino nurses unless they pass a retake of the exam. Still, the head of the PRC (said to be the dentist of the President, her closeness to GMA could have been the reason why she also lacked a sense of accountability) led a delegation to the US to make an appeal to no avail. Kaya, yun, nag-retake din, dapat noon pa.

So, while many of the best in the profession are leaving the country to practice elsewhere and in the process gaining the respect and honor of their host countries, the greedy among those in the PRC, Board of Examiners and the Review Schools are showing the world the other side of the picture.

That involved the nursing profession, not the physicians, but both are in the medical profession.

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Racism

May 10, 2007
From men Venida-Abot

TWO TRUE STORIES ABOUT RACISM

1) I'm sure many of you watched the recent taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show where her guest was Tommy Hilfiger. On the show, she asked him if the statements about race he was accused of saying were true. Statements like'...'If I'd known African-Americans, Hispanics, Jewish and Asians would buy my clothes, I WOULD NOT have made them so nice. I wish these people would *NOT* buy my clothes, as they are made for upper class white people.'


His answer to Oprah was a simple 'YES'. Where after she immediately asked him to leave her show.

My suggestion? Don't buy your next shirt or perfume from Tommy Hilfiger. Let's give him what he asked for. Let's not buy his clothes, let's put him in a financial state where he himself will not be able to afford the ridiculous prices he puts on his clothes.

BOYCOTT. PLEASE SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ANYONE YOU KNOW. Then send it to the whole community that's not white people and see the result. We have to see the result of unity.

Let's find out if Non-whites really play such a small part in\u003cbr\>the world. Stop buying any range of their product, perfume, cosmetics, clothes, bags, etc.,

2) Scene took place on a British Airways flight between Johannesburg and London .
A White woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man. Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess. 'Madam, what is the matter,' the hostess asked. 'You obviously do not see it then?' she responded. 'You placed me next to a black man. I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat.' 'Be calm please,' the hostess replied. 'Almost all the places on this",1]

the hostess asked. 'You obviously do not see it then?' sheresponded. 'You placed me next to a black man. I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat.' 'Be calm please,' the hostess replied. 'Almost all the places on this
Flight is taken. I will go to see if another place is available.' The Hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later. 'Madam, Just as I thought, there are no other available seats in the economy class. I spoke to the captain and he informed me that there is a seat in the business class. All the same, we still have one place in the first class.' Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued: 'It is not Usual for our company to permit someone from the economy class to sit in the first class. However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting.' She turned to the black guy, and said, "'Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in first class.'

At that moment, the other passengers who were shocked by what they had just witnessed stood up and applauded.

Both the above are true stories. If You are against racism, please send this message to all your friends; 'please do not Delete it without sending it to at least one person'.

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