In the Dec. 3 Exponent, your most outspoken columnist wrote an article about the discriminative treatment of women. I find this and similar opinions quite idealistic and intolerant of the things some people feel are wrong.  This is not a bad way to be in theory, but idealism cannot work in real life. The price of idealism is a sense of humor. I am not saying that racist or sexist behavior is funny or appropriate. I am saying that it exists, and that it will always exist. In order to truly rise above discrimination, people need to find humor in it. So my advice to you is to not let yourself be bothered by racism, sexism or other kinds of prejudice. Instead, just smile, shake your head and laugh to yourself. Laugh at the simplicity of the person making the comment.  Laugh at the absurdity of prejudice in general. And finally, laugh at the fact that the prejudice person does not even know how stupid he or she appears.

Jake Reecher
Freshman secondary English education major