Call me crazy, not racist

As assistant editor of the op-ed page, I was given authority to choose and run the Carino political cartoon Wednesday. \nIs it controversial? Yes. Does it express an opinion shared by others in America and on campus? Yes. Is it racist? No.\nThe cartoon depicts a nerdy white man questioning why a larger black man received more "points" towards admission to a university than the white's "perfect SAT score." The black man appears to be whistling with ease as the white is baffled with some amount of consternation.\nMany brought to my attention that this cartoon should have never been run as it promotes stereotypes and was simply conceived in poor taste.\nI however, disagree.\nThere are many points of departure for debating this piece, whether an oversimplified cartoon can be considered an image promoting stereotypes, or whether a cartoon is designed to oversimplify and stereotype. Still, the primary and most substantive issue seems to concern the black man's whistling. He appears comfortable knowing that he doesn't have to rely on perfect SAT scores to attend the university of his choice, whereas the white man might be pressured to do so.\nI hate to admit this, but I relate.\nI find the cartoon vital to the opinion page not only for its controversial nature, but for its accuracy. Being a full-blooded Puerto Rican, first generation born in the states, I cannot lie when I say that I understood full and well that I didn't have to worry about performing on the same level as some of my peers who would be unable to enjoy the "ethnic scholarship/acceptance policy" fallback. Does this mean I let up on my performance? Did I work less than my white friends? Absolutely not. But my stress level was considerably lower than theirs when it came time to receive admission letters in the mail.\nDoes the cartoon imply that the black man is inferior in any way, shape or form? Absolutely not. If anything, he's not as uptight as his counterpart. Would opponents rather Carino have depicted the black man worrying about how everyone would feel? "Oh, I hope my white colleagues don't get mad at me because I enjoy a benefit that they don't."\nLet me tell you, white people don't worry about their advantages. Why should minorities?