Thread: sensitive issue
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Old Mon Nov 27, 2000, 05:43pm
JRutledge JRutledge is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2000
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Re: Sensitive issue

Quote:
Originally posted by LadyRef
You're right, this is a sensitive issue. I do, however, have to take ssue with a comment you made in your post. You question the quality of the officials hired from a recent JuCo camp you attended. Your questioning remark suggests the officials hired were unqualified or not the best qualified because they are African-american. While I was not privileged to have attended that camp, I would certainly believe the best officials were hired. You simply were not one of the best officials, therefore, you were not hired. It is unfair to assert that minorities are ill-equipped and unqualified simply because of their ethnicity. Do you mean to suggest that because of your WHITENESS, you are the best or better qualified? If, by chance, you were not hired because you are WHITE..., well that just doesn't happen in America. After all, WHITE men have run this country since its existence.

I am so sorry if that is what you got out of my comments. No I feel that the better officials are hired. But lets face it, sometimes the people are hired because assignors are looking for them to hire. I did not get hired in the college area, but I did get hired to do some varsity games for a couple of assignors. I think that at least for Women's college basketball, that the women officials got first consideration. Now does that mean that they were not qualified, I would never say that. You must also understand that word "qualified" is very subjective. To one person you are qualified, to the next you might not be what they are looking for. I have only been officiating for 5 years. To some individuals and assignors, I am not qualified to do any varsity. But when I was on the court and was able to show my stuff, I was given many chances. But there were cases that I was not given any. I have been doing varsity games since my second year, both boys and girls games. Now was I more qualified than the others that did not do games, I really do not know. You would have to ask the people that hired me. To some I was, not because I was Black (at least I do not think), but because my mechanics were solid, I looked the part (slim, athletic body type) and my deameanor was good too. But I am now working in conferences that have some all-black teams and all-white teams. And if you work in the Chicago Public League, almost all the officials in the association that assigns those games are Black. As a matter of fact, I have not seen one white official that has attended those meetings. I have not gotten one Public League game assigned to me, so you tell me. It just depends on who is hiring you and what they expect. Some have different "qualifications," and I assume that I am not going to fit everyones standard, nor do I expect to. I am only at the lowest level in my state, and to many that is not good enough to get varsity games in some conferences. But I would never suggest that minorities or women that have been hired are not as capable as the white counterparts. Never would say that!!!
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