Letter stereotypical, defies goals of IU Education

In his letter to the editor ("Out-of-staters should take up walking," Feb. 19), Brian Rosenzweig, apparently an urban transportation expert, discovered through his unique form of research that the reason for the entire traffic problem in Bloomington was due to "East Coast Students" (hereinafter in keeping with his depersonalization of stereotypes to now be referred to only as the "ECS"). Whether, under the guise of comedy, social comment, or critique, the fostering and proliferation of stereotyping is wrong.\nWhat is really Rosenzweig's beef: the professed financial advantage of all ECS parents. After reading this letter several times, I could only laugh at the ignorance and misconceptions people can foster; which is unfortunately the poorly hidden but real message of his article. Rosenzweig's ill-conceived stereotyping is no better illustrated than by his own statements that ECS drive Lexus', BMWs and Jeep Cherokees and would never be caught in a car such as a Saturn. This, as with all stereotypes, is incorrect. I, an ECS, drive a red Saturn.\nThe real issue here is that stereotyping is intolerable. One would think that part of each student's education at IU, with its wide range of diversity, would be to realize that stereotyping is unacceptable. Does Rosenzweig look at two students walking through campus, one black one white, differently? Unfortunately, people who promulgate stereotyping do. They never go beyond the façade nor examine the irrationality of their own stereotyping. They focus only on isolated events, which support their bizarre stereotyping, regardless of who it demeans. Rosenzweig stereotypes even those who take the IU bus (as most of us do) as "peasants." Everything distilled to its basic proposition in the letter is a stereotype, whether it's peasants, ECS, rich, poor, black, white, foreign-born or local, they are all easily compartmentalized in Rosenzweig's world. How he could feel that way, while attending an institution such as IU, mystifies me. Rosenzweig's letter is the antithesis of our educational experience. By the time he and I graduate, hopefully we both will be able to better see that all people are individuals with distinct abilities and attributes.\nIn writing a letter, accuracy is crucial. Through Rosenzweig's inaccuracy, he diminishes the character of our University. That's not funny. That's just wrong. My first two years at IU have been an eye-opening experience. I have met people from all walks of life, from all parts of the country, from all ethnic and religious backgrounds. I have learned something from each and found they each have something to offer. Rosenzweig should try it; he'll get more out of his experience at IU if he does.