Texas State University student Rudy Martinez is defending his controversial column in the university’s college newspaper that argued that “white death will mean liberation for all,” despite a statement condemning the column as “racist” from University President Denise M. Trauth.
“The article speaks for itself,” author Rudy Martinez told The College Fix.“…Though my language, especially when I claim to have only ever met ‘12 decent white people,’ could be deemed as hyperbolic (just barely), it has accomplished its goal: starting a conversation and outing racists.”
Martinez came under fire this week for a column originally published in the University Star, the student newspaper of Texas State University. “Ontologically speaking, white death will mean liberation for all … accept this death as the first step toward defining yourself as something other than the oppressor,” Martinez wrote in the since-deleted column. “Until then, remember this: I hate you because you shouldn’t exist. You are both the dominant apparatus on the planet and the void in which all other cultures, upon meeting you, die.”
“When I think of all the white people I have ever encountered – whether they’ve been professors, peers, lovers, friends, police officers, et cetera – there is perhaps only a dozen I would consider ‘decent,’” Martinez’s column added.
Despite a statement published on Tuesday by the University Star‘s Editor-In-Chief that addressed public concerns that the column promoted bigotry, Martinez is doubling down on his argument.
“… Was the piece racist? Nope; racist attitudes come from a position of power,” Martinez tried to explain. “The only group who have ever held true power in this nation are those who call themselves ‘white.’”
Martinez dismissed concerns that his piece promoted bigotry by claiming that he has been subjected to a torrent of hate since the column was published. “They keep using ‘666,’ ‘88,’ and ‘14.’ The latter two are obvious allusions to white supremacy,” he argued. “Some of the comments I’ve seen on FaceBook have referred to Latinx Americans as ‘rape babies’ and a ‘primitive species.’ Surely you can agree that, while admittedly controversial, my article did not stoop down to such a level.”
Denise M. Trauth, Texas State’s president, condemned the column in a statement published on Thursday morning.
I am deeply troubled by the racist opinion column that was published in the November 28, 2017, issue of the University Star titled “Your DNA is an abomination.” The column’s central theme was abhorrent and is contrary to the core values of inclusion and unity that our Bobcat students, faculty, and staff hold dear. As president of a university that celebrates its inclusive culture, I detest racism in any manifestation.
While I appreciate that the Star is a forum for students to freely express their opinions, I expect student editors to exercise good judgment in determining the content that they print. The Star’s editors have apologized for the column and are examining their editorial process.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.