Ebola Racism
A Texas community college is rejecting students from countries with “known Ebola cases” which means cutting students with no risk of getting the disease.
“Navarro College is not accepting international students from countries with confirmed Ebola cases.”
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It was with shock that 33-year-old Nigerian-American academic Idris Bello read this sentence, signaling the rejection of a friend’s Nigerian brother-in-law to the Texas community college based solely on his citizenship. “I didn’t believe it, I was so surprised. I thought: This cannot be,” Bello says…
[su_r_sky_ad]…the small community college 20 miles outside of Dallas has decided to stop accepting students from places with confirmed cases of Ebola. Nigeria, it seems, is an odd place to enact that policy. The country of 174 million has only registered 20 total cases of Ebola since the index patient in July, a response so strikingly effective that the CDC dispatched a team to the country to study their methods.
Already through the first 21-day incubation period following the initial cases, the country is now just five days away from being officially declared by the World Health Organization as Ebola-free.
The college responds:
Navarro College sent The Daily Beast the following statement—Our college values its diverse population of international students. This fall we have almost 100 students from Africa. Unfortunately, some students received incorrect information regarding their applications to the institution. As part of our new honor’s program, the college restructured the international department to include focused recruitment from certain countries each year. Our focus for 2014-15 is on China and Indonesia. Other countries will be identified and recruitment efforts put in place once we launch our new honors program fall 2015. We apologize for any misinformation that may have been shared with students. Additional information regarding our progress with this new initiative will be posted on our website.
tracey marie October 15th, 2014 at 2:53 pm
stupid
Jake October 15th, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Stupid, yes. Racist, no.
tracey marie October 15th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
this is stupidity and willfull ignorance, nothing more. You are correct
Bianca Bradley October 15th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
Neither stupid nor racist. Overly conservative to protect against a liklihood maybe, but not racist nor is it stupid.
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 4:25 pm
I agree, nothing to do w/racism. It is bandied about like candy any more.
On a side-related note, Cleveland local stations have usurped regular programming w/’breaking news segments about the second girl. She traveled there for a few days. Kent state is going in full ‘on top of it’ mode. Tallmadge ohio is up too, that’s where she stayed for a few days as well, she’s an akron native, lot of visiting went on…
Ayn Awnemus October 15th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
Pointless. The fact of the matter is there are already 10s if not 100s of people infected with Ebola in the US right now. Don’t believe for a second there is only 2. The only way this outbreak will be stopped is with a vaccine/cure, which will be found soon.
Bianca Bradley October 15th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
There is no vaccine that works for ebola.
Ayn Awnemus October 15th, 2014 at 3:16 pm
It’s being developed, rapidly http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/10/14/us-begins-ebola-vaccine-testing-in-humans/
They just didn’t have enough resources dedicated to finding it until now
Bianca Bradley October 15th, 2014 at 4:41 pm
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
mynameisjohn October 15th, 2014 at 8:55 pm
Seriously, you’re going to point to a Fox article? You’d be better off citing Dr. Seuss.
raincheck October 16th, 2014 at 8:26 am
I’m pretty sure Dr. Seuss was on Fox (as their science/medical expert)
tracey marie October 15th, 2014 at 3:14 pm
lol, really?
mynameisjohn October 15th, 2014 at 8:54 pm
And the factual basis for your claims?
tiredoftea October 15th, 2014 at 3:53 pm
Leave it to Texans to find yet another way of extending their ignorance! “To infinity and beyond”!
R.J. Carter October 15th, 2014 at 4:05 pm
I suppose if the airports won’t restrict travel to these countries, the colleges have to take their own measures.
StoneyCurtisll October 15th, 2014 at 4:45 pm
Lets ban travel to and from Texas also…
It seems to be the hub for Ebola in the US.
Rusty Shackleford October 15th, 2014 at 8:09 pm
They don’t HAVE to do shit. How many “pandemics” have we lived through in the past decade alone that turned out to be naught but sensationalism and hype? Mad cow, bird flu, SARS…you’ve got more to fear from flu season than you do from any overhyped virus.
R.J. Carter October 16th, 2014 at 9:13 am
How long have you been on the Obama cabinet? 10,000 cases a week, but we’ll be fine, cuz ‘Merica.
Rusty Shackleford October 16th, 2014 at 10:04 am
I don’t know where the hell you’re pulling 10,000 cases a week from, considering the fact that there haven’t even been 9,000 cases globally. As I said, sensationalism and hype.
If you’re so desperate to panic about a “pandemic”, how about you put your efforts towards something meaningful? HIV/AIDS is still around, you know, infecting something like 35 million people globally. Go freak out about that, and help them.
greenfloyd October 16th, 2014 at 10:27 am
I think the “10,000 cases a week” is a W.H.O. projection for West Africa over the next couple of months as this record breaking outbreak peaks. But, CDC projections are much lower and there are no such projections that I know of for the US, at this time. The recently aired NOVA program provides an informative time-line from patient 0 through mid-September. I think it is estimated the infection rate is now doubling every 28 – 50 days, in West Africa.
R.J. Carter October 16th, 2014 at 10:34 am
Because with AIDS, you generally know the people you had sex with.
R.J. Carter October 16th, 2014 at 10:35 am
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/14/world/europe/ebola-outbreak/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/15/world/africa/ebola-epidemic-who-west-africa.html?_r=0
Not that the World Health Organization knows squat, I’m sure…
Rusty Shackleford October 16th, 2014 at 10:49 am
Oh boy, more sensationalism and hype, this time via omission of facts!
One guy, Dr. Aylward, predicted that they will reach 5,000-10,000 cases per week in the capitals of 3 countries, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. And that’s not until December, assuming, you know, there aren’t drastic changes in the variables, which NEVER happen in a span of 2 months while a global panic is going on. He also said that the rate of infection was SLOWING DOWN in other countries.
congero October 16th, 2014 at 2:11 pm
I have been following the discussion on MM’s on the thread about Jon Stewart and Billo and the poster Rob asking for proof of systemic white privilege. You are correct to point out the drug laws but also housing discrimination, those who were steered into sub prime loans,income,unemployment numbers,preference in hiring studies…he is using the ploy that barriers to legal segregation have been removed but de facto discrimination remains as well as attitudes.
You are less likely to be arrested.
you have the facts and the war on drugs
You are more likely to get into college.
According to a 2013 report by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, elite educational institutions are a “passive agent” in perpetuating white privilege. The report found that white students are still overrepresented in the nation’s 468 elite institutions. Even though many white and minority students are unprepared for college in equal rates, more white students are admitted to universities.
“The higher education system is more and more complicit as a passive agent in the systematic reproduction of white racial privilege across generations,” the Georgetown study noted. “Even among equally qualified white, African-American and Hispanic students, these pathways are not only separate but they bring unequal results.”
You are more likely to “fit in” and get called back for a job.
Having a name perceived as “black” is a burden during a job search. In 2012, an unemployed black woman made headlines for reporting that her resume on Monster.com began to receive interest from employers after she changed her name and race. Yolanda Spivey, an insurance professional, noticed that Monster.com’s “diversity questionnaire” section seemed to be hurting her employment options. After Yolanda changed her name to the fictitious Bianca White, however, she received calls with job offers immediately. And not only that, they were for better jobs.
“More shocking was that some employers, mostly Caucasian-sounding women, were calling Bianca more than once, desperate to get an interview with her,” Spivey wrote. “All along, my real Monster.com account was open and active; but, despite having the same background as Bianca, I received no phone calls. Two jobs actually did email me and Bianca at the same time. But they were commission only sales positions. Potential positions offering a competitive salary and benefits all went to Bianca.”
http://mic.com/articles/89653/7-actual-facts-that-prove-white-privilege-exists-in-america?utm_source=fbpartners
congero October 16th, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Also check out this link. I’m unable to post there but this may help.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/02/civil-rights-act-anniversary-racism-charts_n_5521104.html
congero October 16th, 2014 at 2:32 pm
This is from the link:
5) In the years before the financial crisis, people of color were much more likely to be targeted for subprime loans than their white counterparts, even when they had similar credit scores.
The Center For Responsible Lending came to that conclusion after analyzing government-provided mortgage data for the year 2004, supplemented with information from a propriety subprime loan database.
“For many types of loans, borrowers of color in our database were more than 30 percent more likely to receive a higher-rate loan than white borrowers, even after accounting for differences in risk,” the authors of the report wrote.
This wasn’t a new phenomenon. HUD data from 1998 also showed that predominantly black neighborhoods at every income level had a much greater share of subprime refinance mortgages than predominantly white neighborhoods.
6) Minority borrowers are still more likely to get turned down for conventional mortgage loans than white people with similar credit scores.
An Urban Insititute data analysis found that mortgage denial rates from government-sponsored servicers are higher for black applicants with bad credit than for white applicants with bad credit:
7) Black and Latino students are more likely to attend poorly funded schools.
“A 10 percentage-point increase in the share of nonwhite students in a school is associated with a $75 decrease in per student spending,” a 2012 analysis of Department Education data by the Center For American Progress found.
8) School segregation is still widespread.
80 percent of Latino students attend segregated schools and 43 percent attend intensely segregated schools — ones with only up to 10 percent of white students. 74 percent of black students attend segregated schools, and 38 percent attend intensely segregated schools.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/02/civil-rights-act-anniversary-racism-charts_n_5521104.html
Larry Schmitt October 15th, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Using their logic, they would not accept any Americans, because there have been several confirmed cases of Americans with Ebola.
StoneyCurtisll October 15th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
3 of them from Texas…
Sorry, no Texas students welcome here…;)
whatthe46 October 15th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
“Using their logic,…” “logic” being the key word. now, why don’t they quarentine Dallas? i mean i’ve seen it done in the movies.
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 5:27 pm
You honestly don’t see a difference between foreign nationals w/no info of background exposure to your fellow Americans?
Larry Schmitt October 15th, 2014 at 6:02 pm
How accurately could you list all the people you’ve had contact with over a specific time period? That’s what anyone suspected of exposure to Ebola would have to do. Then all the people they’ve had contact with, etc. “Navarro College is not accepting international students from countries with confirmed Ebola cases.”
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 6:39 pm
Didn’t answer the question.
rg9rts October 15th, 2014 at 6:26 pm
Does ebola…remember McCain wants to invade Ebola too
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 6:38 pm
Not sure about the mccain part, but are you equating human actions to ebola actions?
thinkingwomanmillstone October 15th, 2014 at 6:48 pm
Yes indeed the virus checks the paperwork before moving in. The hysteria is a bunch of hooey…as is your comment.
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
Please explain.
Rusty Shackleford October 15th, 2014 at 8:08 pm
Are Americans worth more than non-Americans? Do their lives hold more value?
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 8:59 pm
I find it interesting you think along those lines; that consideration never crossed my mind nor is it even closely implied in my response to a post. Read 1st the post I replied to, then my reply.
Rusty Shackleford October 15th, 2014 at 9:10 pm
I don’t see the difference between foreign nationals who may have ebola exposure and American nationals who may have ebola exposure. Unless you care to enlighten me on the difference?
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 9:28 pm
Sure, no problem… there is no difference on a ‘value’ aspect which you brought up out of no where.
You’re asking a question that has nothing to do with the posts and replies.
Lets start at the beginning:
“Using their logic, they would not accept any Americans, because there have been several confirmed cases of Americans with Ebola.”
That isn’t a logical premise, it is equating one w/the other which are not the same, for various reason.
1. Most americans that go to that college won’t be going back/forth to an african country to visit during breaks.
2. Most americans that go to that college won’t be getting ‘care’ packages from african countries.
3. The odds of someone from here having contact w/someone having ebola is extremely large, much smaller odds from someone in an infected country.
4. And one of the most important aspects, american citizens have certain rights that non-citizens don’t, period.
There’s more, but hey….
Rusty Shackleford October 15th, 2014 at 9:32 pm
Does ebola care what country you’re in? Every American that goes to that college is coming from a country with confirmed cases of ebola, the United States.
Gonna repeat: America is an infected country. Objective fact. Where do you draw the line for these odds, and why there?
Only as far as government goes, and mostly involving voting, employment, and social safety nets. Absolutely no relevance to college admissions.
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 9:49 pm
“Every American that goes to that college is coming from a country with confirmed cases of ebola, the United States.”
Are you truly saying the infection here is = to an east african country? 7 cases w/tracking of contacts compared to thousands w/very little tracking? You’re actually saying those scenarios are the same?
“America is an infected country…Where do you draw the line for these odds”
Instead of 7 cases and a couple of hundred possible contacts w/those people in 2 areas being tracked, compared to thousands of cases in some other countries w/little to no tracking is where.
“Only as far as government goes, and mostly involving voting, employment, and social safety nets. Absolutely no relevance to college admissions.”
Not accurate, there are many laws pertaining to admissions in both public and private institutions.
My original premise stands in my view, they are not comparable.
Rusty Shackleford October 15th, 2014 at 10:21 pm
So you have some sort of “acceptable risk” cutoff for the odds? Where is it? I’m not seeing an answer. How convenient, however, that it just HAPPENS to exclude African countries, and no others.
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 10:37 pm
“So you have some sort of “acceptable risk” cutoff for the odds? Where is it? I’m not seeing an answer.”
LOL, you are still missing the point… it is there is a difference between denying/accepting americans in america(even if it spreads more) or non-citizens, period. You can not say ‘well america is infected so deny americans too’ because it is not the same thing. Except for those who wish to be argumentative for its own sake.
“…that it just HAPPENS to exclude African countries, and no others.”
Oh god here we go w/the racism sh**… um, in case you haven’t noticed, that’s where the ebola is spreading rapidly. When it hits britain, or peru or japan, I’ll say the same thing pertaining to those countries.
You keep introducing aspects to this that are at best tangential, at worse meant to be combative, so I’ll cut here and go with we have different views and
have a nice day.
Rusty Shackleford October 15th, 2014 at 10:46 pm
A difference you’ve yet to explain. Closest you’ve come is some vague reference to “odds,” but no indication of where the cut-off is. I mean, a poor American from Dallas has a higher risk than a wealthy man from ANY African country, but this eventuality is not included in this vaguely-defined rubric. At worst, it’s overtly racist, and at absolute best, it’s poorly thought-out.
Spirit of America October 15th, 2014 at 11:48 pm
Have a nice day
Ed Holtman October 16th, 2014 at 1:01 am
We need to protect the United States and the people here..if that means closing our borders until this Ebola outbreak is over..than so be it..or whatever it may take to make sure the citizens here are as safe as possible
greenfloyd October 16th, 2014 at 1:18 am
I trust Obama, however I do not think he is getting the best scientific advice. Please check out the CSPAN video in my post above.
congero October 16th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
Rusty sorry to keep bugging you but I’m unable to respond on MM.
Hootyman • an hour ago
Fair question as long as the follow up asks Udall’s stance on partial birth abortion (AKA: infanticide).
———————————————————-
Hootyman is playing games on the Colorado reporter thread on MM. That was his original post to derail the thread. He had Udalls answer because he posted it and Udall is not the one supporting a bill that calls for personhood. His trying to derail the thread and post his nonsense. Please point that out.
congero October 16th, 2014 at 6:46 pm
Thanks Rusty, you’re a gem.
tracey marie October 15th, 2014 at 9:24 pm
yes
greenfloyd October 16th, 2014 at 1:57 am
Navarro College faces 21 day quarantine, flame-throwers standing-by.With Ebola erring on the side of caution is wise, but this is overreaction and fear of the unknown. Further it seems there is a lack of oversight for a community college to unilaterally(?) make a public health pronouncement. Doing so only ratchets-up the fear.
rg9rts October 15th, 2014 at 6:25 pm
They are also going to deny acceptance to Texans from the Dallas area
OldLefty October 15th, 2014 at 6:58 pm
So a Chinese or English or UAE businessman goes to Sierra Leone to carry out business, contracts the virus, comes back China/England/UAE, gives it to someone there, who gives it to an American businessman……
greenfloyd October 16th, 2014 at 12:49 am
I don’t see “racism,” as much as I see an emerging wave of panic. I anticipated this when Obama dismissed the idea of banning non-essential travel to/from a W.H.O. designated “public health emergency,” (announced on Aug.8, 2014). Or at least detain and quarantine all arrivals from these W.H.O. areas for 21 days before they are allowed to go free. We’ve got to follow the science on Ebola, at least as far as that science can help us understand what we’re up against and how to stop it here in America. It may already be too late to stop it in Africa, although CDC and W.H.O. projections vary widely, everyone agrees we have not seen the peak as new infections double every 28 – 50 days. While Obama “hugs and kisses” Duncan’s medical staff, (protocol?), Cuba is the only nation with boots on the ground actually treating the sick and dying. American and international response lumbers on and will eventually get there, however, Ebola won’t wait! And cares not your race or nationality, wealthy or poor, ordinary citizen or President!
raincheck October 16th, 2014 at 8:48 am
Has anyone heard anything about, how long Ebola lives outside of the human body? For example on a doorknob or anything else that someone infected touches? I’ve seen the question asked… but no answer given. I also keep hearing how it is transferred from one person to the next from diarrhea, vomiting, saliva, urine, but only an occasional mention of “sweat” I can’t help but think SOME information is being minimized or omitted to prevent panic…
greenfloyd October 16th, 2014 at 9:33 am
That’s got to be a powerful motivation and we really do need to guard against mass hysteria. But the only way to effectively combat Ebola is with facts that we do have and the humility to admit there’s a whole lot we don’t know.
raincheck October 16th, 2014 at 11:15 am
“and the humility to admit there’s a whole lot we don’t know”
I freely admit I don’t know enough… there are some things I don’t understand… like how does it help to take someone’s temperature before they board a plane, then deny them passage if they have a temperature, and yet let everyone else climb on board because they didn’t have a temp. They could be just as infected as someone WITH a temp. It would seem to me, the only way would be to have anyone from one of the countries in Africa that has Ebola, either be (as you said) quarantined for 21 days before being aloud into the US, or keep them out altogether. Also the reason I asked the question about how long it lives outside the body, is because at least one of the infected people got it from the suit they were wearing (it was at least one possibility anyway) A person would think they never came into direct contact with an infected person… however a week after a person with Ebola touched a doorknob etc. others can still be infected with Ebola…. Maybe I worry too much
greenfloyd October 16th, 2014 at 11:27 am
A few days ago I would have agreed. Now I’m not so sure.