Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?

[Shalako]

America used to be called a melting pot of all the different ethnicities and backgrounds. I liked that analogy. Way back in elementary school we learned of lots of different cultures and I combined them in my mind to envision a dynamic America that could exemplify the best features of all the included parts.

Now days, they teach the salad bowl theory. Rather than simmering all the ethnicities and backgrounds together to make a rich broth, "Diversity" keeps everyone seperate and distinct. I like soup AND salad, so maybe the Salad Bowl analogy is ok too? I'm just not sure you get the synergy of the simmering broth in a salad though.

Herein lies my confusion: where is the white dude's role in the salad bowl? Come to think of it, Heinz 57 is not a real ethnicity so I don't even bring a distinct flavor at all to the mix. If a salad is enriched by all this great diversity, that leaves us boring ol white dudes kind of standing on the fringe of the bowl like crusted cheese that no one washed off. Or maybe iceberg lettuce, ... :barfy:

Maybe I'm starting to revert back to a melting pot idea. There maybe I can contribute at least as stock or celery or something.

Any thoughts?

[K Frame]

You're in the lettuce league.

You provide the majority of the bulk of the "salad" in a very understated way. Easy to over look your contributions.

Remove you, though, and there's a huge, gaping hole.

[Strings]

I think you hit on one of the big pushes of those who promote "diversity": pushing those of us identified as "white" to the sides...

 Overheard a white girl and a black girl talking at a coffee shop. The white girl was telling the black girl "I envy you people your culture and heritage. We don't really have anything like that".

 Ain't THAT a pretty picture?

[SADShooter]

White dude=bowl.

Supporting the other ingredients and keeping it all together.

...I'm a little vinegary today, sorry.

[onions!]

White dude=croutons.

Drowning in a dressing of ambiguity.Becoming soggy-Nay!,falling apart because so many of our youths desire someone else's heritage.

Destined to be the dregs given up for Fido's attention.

Now if we could only be the tomatoes.Spreading our seeds throughout the mix & adding flavor to the whole.

[Antibubba]

Think "Chunky Stew"-You can recognize all the ingredients, and taste what they add, but it is undeniably a meat dish.

[grampster]

Chunky Stew.  I like that.  Must be why I wear size 40 pants.  Sigh...A man's pant size should coincide with the caliber he prefers.  HEH.  Sorry for the Veer.

I vote for the melting pot vs the salad.   A hearty stew sustains a person.  Salads are roughage; good for the bowels and not much else.

[Justin]

Is this thread making anyone else hungry?

[SADShooter]

Only in an icky, Soylent Green sort of way...

[InfidelSerf]

[Homer drewl]  Mmmmm fondu... Mmmm mixed salad [/homerdrewl]

[Sindawe]

Herein lies my confusion: where is the white dude's role in the salad bowl?

Tofu?  The very idea turns off most salad eaters I know.

[Shalako]

Thanks for the responses folks. I knew I could count on this place for insight to this abstract question.

Tofu, huh? Dang, at least that's better than Jicama.....

If I had any Hispanic in me I'd say make it a taco salad. That would rock!


Maybe it's lettuce afterall. On its own its not really palatable, but with all the other goodies its pretty good. That's why the salad analogy seems to suck a tad bit.