WHITE PAPER
I’ve recently been giving a good deal of thought to what I perceive as a
widening racial divide in our country. After discussing the topic with several
Key Advisors, I believe I have come up with a solution that takes into account
the concerns of people of all races and creeds, offends no one, and
incorporates every facet of the issue. I have decided to release my findings in
the form of a White Paper.
And that is the first challenge. If the paper is
indeed White, it may subtly convey a bias; as though white is the optimal
medium, and that the arguments put forth on a white background are more worthy
of consideration.
For that reason, the paper will not be White! Yes,
I am aware that white is, in terms of the light spectrum, a combination of all
colors. By that reasoning, then, Black—the absence of color—would seem to be
the optimal choice. But, by choosing the polar opposite of White, I would be
injecting bias into the objective analysis of the issue. Gray paper is out of
the question, as it would subtly frame the issue as though black and white are
the only races.
By the same token, Brown paper, Yellow paper, and
Red paper are not appropriate choices.
So, I am forced to
identify a color without a racial charge. Sky blue, for example. It conveys to
the unconscious a sense of expansiveness and hope. Therefore, given the gravity
of the matters to be discussed, Blue is the wrong choice. While the reader may
indeed derive from the text a sense of hope, tainting the publication by
provoking the mood in this subliminal way is wholly inappropriate.
Green is inappropriate as well, as one can hardly
think of green without thinking about the color’s association with money, at
least in America. More importantly, though, the color green has been
appropriated by the environmentalist movement, which, however important, is not
the issue at hand.
Pink, of course, has connotations both feminine and
sexual, and I wouldn’t want to inject matters of sexuality into the argument, or
alienate readers of different orientations.
Purple conveys royalty and privilege, and is not
appropriate given that it is the common citizens who are most powerfully
affected by racial discord.
Red—besides again being a difficult color on which
to print and possessing inherent racial connotations—conveys a powerful
political message, too. Racial harmony should be apolitical! In addition, Red
is the color of blood, and may trigger unwelcome thoughts of violence in sensitive
readers.
Orange, even though it is a combination of red and
yellow, might be appropriate. According to those knowledgeable about the
psychological effects of color, orange conveys enthusiasm, optimism, and
warmth, which are not unwelcome attitudes in these matters.
Unfortunately, Orange is indelibly associated with
the Orangemen, a protestant political movement in Ireland. Issues of faith—let
alone divisive politics--are provocative in this context, and would, I fear,
lead to great misunderstanding.
So, I am stymied! Racial discord is an issue of
utmost concern to all of us. For now, however, wary of being misunderstood, I
must withhold my views, awaiting some hue or shade that gives offense to no one.
But I will find it—perhaps in one of the subtler shades of beige. Of course,
then there is the matter of ink.
