Derek Sieberts op/ed piece (Is a degree a fair trade for a students safety? Feb. 26) is a perfect example of the racialized individual identity that many white students at UWM seem to have brought to campus.

Yep. You read it. I just made an observation about a white person that was not wholly positive.

You see, articles such as Sieberts are daily occurrences in campus media. An endless supply of indirect or direct commentaries on the behavior, social and economic values of people of color, women and the poor, shielded by social and racial privilege, regularly runs down the pages of newspapers at UWM.

On the other hand, I have yet to read a similar commentary about the behavior, social or economic value of white people.

To make it clear, the error that seems to pervade well-meaning white folks pseudo-scientific analyses always has that essential ingredient: the dichotomy of us and them. Add some fear-inspiring comments and you have yourself an article.

A not quite pleasant neighborhood, an unfriendly place, fears and concerns, terrible and unsafe behavior, attacked, raped and murdered are all used by Siebert to express in no uncertain terms the true message of his article.

Im scared of certain people and places and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee should do everything it can to protect us from violence.

But it all boils down the basic question: who is us?

Is us the elementary school children that jump, skip or ride to that same school in that same neighborhood?

Is us the grandmothers, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters that live near Frances Starms Discovery Learning Center?

Is us the 18-year-old pregnant teenager that was killed in the middle of the day on National Avenue this week?

Of course not. When Siebert asks whether it will take somebody to be attacked, raped or murdered for action to be taken, he, like many other UWM students, dont think of the black, brown or poor people that make up the city of Milwaukee as somebodies. At this point, his individualism prevents him from seeing such a world.

Fortunately, as Siebert pointed out, the university is a gathering place of intellects. So lets use the education we are privileged to receive to figure out how to solve violence against us, the people that live and reside in Milwaukee. Lets hand over forever the racialized, individualized identities we bring to campus.

Now thats a fair trade for a degree.

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