I’ve been getting lots of e-mail about an idiotic math question reportedly crafted by a Bellevue (WA) Community College professor that takes a racist swipe at Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Here’s a message forwarded to me from Rev. Wayne Perryman of Mercer Island, Wa.:

Dear Friends:

The following sample math problem was given to students as part of their final exam at Bellevue Community College in Washington State. I was asked by black students to represent them in this matter. Some of these students attend my church. I am asking all of you and your friends to e-mail the school at the following e-mail addresses and express your outrage: Advising@bcc.ctc.edu, tpritcha@bcc.ctc.edu, and amatsumo@bcc.ctc.edu. The following is the math problem given to the students.

Condoleezza holds a watermelon just over the edge of the roof of the 300 -foot Federal Building, and tosses it up with a velocity of 20 feet per second. The height of the watermelon above the ground t seconds later is given by formula h= -16t² + 20t + 300

a. How many seconds will it pass her (she’s standing at a height of 300 feet) on the way down?

b. When will the watermelon hit ground?

If they used this same problem and substituted Condoleezza’s name with Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, there would be mass protest and they would shut the college down. Because it was Condoleezza Rice, they wanted to ignore it until I showed up today. Please e-mail the college and express your outrage and your support of having me at the table to resolve this issue. I am demanding that the college to do several things to correct the problem.

This is serious. Please do not let me down, I want thousands of e-mails to come from all across the country. A CBS affiliate, KIRO TV did cover this story.

Rev. Wayne Perryman

Reader Gary M. e-mails:

This is no joke. I listened to a radio interview with a school spokeman this afternoon on the John Carlson show here in the Seattle area. The spokesman denounced the question but accepted at face value the instructor’s claim that it was an unintentional reference, and he defended the instructor’s 1st Amendment right to say what he wants.

Condi Rice has withstood far worse, far uglier slights in her life. But this is another telling little example of the acceptability of liberal bigotry and racial double standards.

Remember the national brouhaha over Fuzzy Zoeller’s fried chicken comments about Tiger Woods?

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