2008 Woodie Awards
Dear Honorable Kofi Annan
By: Tinbete Ermyas
Issue date: 4/21/06 Section: Opinion
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Dear Honorable Kofi Annan,
I know you are a very busy man. Attempting to solve the ills of the world one problem at a time is a hard task and one that I think only very few are qualified to do. However, Mr. Annan, there is an issue that has been plaguing my mind seriously as of late and I think you are one of the few people in the world who can address my concerns. The problem I am talking about is t-shirts.
Yes, you read correctly, t-shirts.
But my concerns don't lie with just any t-shirts, just a particular “genre” if you will. And the kind I'm talking about is the t-shirt that proclaims, “Everybody loves a ___.”
I'm sure you've seen them. They appear at the most unsuspecting of moments: on subways; while walking down the street; and, most commonly, in clubs and social gatherings. And believe me, when someone is sporting a garment this attractive, all the world stops to read, ponder, and nod their heads at what seems to be a true statement.
But I stop for a minute and wonder: are these statements true?
I really want to believe that at any given moment everybody does love a “Latin boy,” or “Jewish girl,” but are there deeper messages that these shirts are sending? Perhaps. Or maybe I am just reading into things too deeply, and I am sure that most of the Macalester community would believe the latter to be true. They seem to do that a lot.
Whenever I think of the topic of these t-shirts I am brought back to a conversation that I had with a cousin of mine. I stated that I was kind of upset that they didn't have an “Everybody loves a black boy” shirt (and really, there isn't one, you can even Google it!). And in response to my frustration, my cousin simply stated, “Well, that's because not everyone loves black boys.”
I know you are a very busy man. Attempting to solve the ills of the world one problem at a time is a hard task and one that I think only very few are qualified to do. However, Mr. Annan, there is an issue that has been plaguing my mind seriously as of late and I think you are one of the few people in the world who can address my concerns. The problem I am talking about is t-shirts.
Yes, you read correctly, t-shirts.
But my concerns don't lie with just any t-shirts, just a particular “genre” if you will. And the kind I'm talking about is the t-shirt that proclaims, “Everybody loves a ___.”
I'm sure you've seen them. They appear at the most unsuspecting of moments: on subways; while walking down the street; and, most commonly, in clubs and social gatherings. And believe me, when someone is sporting a garment this attractive, all the world stops to read, ponder, and nod their heads at what seems to be a true statement.
But I stop for a minute and wonder: are these statements true?
I really want to believe that at any given moment everybody does love a “Latin boy,” or “Jewish girl,” but are there deeper messages that these shirts are sending? Perhaps. Or maybe I am just reading into things too deeply, and I am sure that most of the Macalester community would believe the latter to be true. They seem to do that a lot.
Whenever I think of the topic of these t-shirts I am brought back to a conversation that I had with a cousin of mine. I stated that I was kind of upset that they didn't have an “Everybody loves a black boy” shirt (and really, there isn't one, you can even Google it!). And in response to my frustration, my cousin simply stated, “Well, that's because not everyone loves black boys.”
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
ready to give you love
posted 12/02/07 @ 2:29 PM CST
I think black boys are beautiful! I wouldnt mind giving you some loving! You just have to let me know when you are ready for it!
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