The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 77, No. 4, Ed. 1, Tuesday, November 21, 1989 Page: 2 of 8
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2 November 21 1989
the Brand
Opinions
Discrimination is bad joke
by Phil Wilton
When I was five years old my
best friend was Mustafa. I called
him Musta because I couldn't say
his full name. Our families lived in
the same apartment complex and
we played together usually out-
side on the jungle gym swinging
from bars hour after hour. Mustafa
fell from the bars and he skinned
his elbows he started to bleed-
red. You see I assumed already
that because he was black and I
was white that we bled a different
color. Seems rather ironic that six-
teen years later lots of folks seem
to know that people of different col
lors than their own bleed the same
red yet the same feelings emo-
tions and hurts are denied.
Prejudice and discrimination
seem so much a part of the en-
vironment that we all live in. Can
you think of a good racial joke?
Come on. It would seem as if that
is something which none of us are
immune to. Think of our little world
of forty acres? How many minority
members are on the faculty much
less the staff? Does Hardin-
Simmons really have an equal op-
portunity employment policy or are
these just a few words the school
can say to remember the sixties? Or
how about chapel programs-l sup-
pose that their aren't any good
African-American or Hispanic
preachers in Abilene or the
Southern Baptist Convention? I
can only recall perhaps two total
in my years who were not white
out of a possible forty-eight pro-
grams or so a year that are just for
preaching.
So what's the key- like I would
know the solution to solving a pro-
blem that has faced man for years.
Here are a few ideas which the
newly formed minority students
group suggested as solutions.
First and foremost communica-
tion must be the beginning. Most
of us have some sort of prejucie
regardless of color yet does that
predjudice give the individual the
choice to discriminate because of
ignorance?
Precipice
When a person of a different col-
or comes and sits by you in the
cafeteria don't move your purse
because you are afraid that they
might steal something as happen-
ed to a minority student on this
campus when he sat down to have
a meal last week. Communicate
with those and you might-heaven
forbid-learn something about
heritage culture and lifestyle. This
part has to work both ways.
If you work in an office or deal
with people who need some
assistance try working with them
regardless of their color and quit
discriminating. Discrimination ana
prejudice along with assumptions
about a group of people can stunt
moral and spiritual growth.
Wouldn't that be the worst racial
joke of all?!
Working as one will ease pain
by Ewart Jones
So what do you do? Do you go
down to Sandefer and picket in
front of Dr. Fletcher's office or do
you go down to the sporting goods
store and get fitted for a helmet? It
doesn't really matter because the
Board of Trustees has made its
decision and the young and old
alike must swallow it like castor
oil.
I can see it both ways. An
athlete "How can you do this to
me? Thanks alot you've ruined my
college career. Who wants to play
in Division III? All my friends are
leaving there's no way I'm going to
stick around. An administrator
"We have to do what's in the best
interest of the school. Ten to twen-
ty years down the line you'll see
we made the right decision. It
wasn't an easy one to make but it
had to me done. Make the best of it
-things could be worse."
My advice to administration and
students alike is work together
ease the pain of change and get
through the situation. Neither one
of you made the decision but you
both have to deal with it. Football
will be a reality so will Division III
sports how you choose to handle
it is the big question and that ques-
tion will be the deciding factor in
how Hardin-Simmons develops the
next ten to twenty years.
Enough with the serious talk. By
the time you read this I will be well
on my way to Houston thinking
about turkey etc. Thanksgiving is
an excuse to sleep late eat alot
and watch the Dallas Cowboys
lose there tenth game of the
season. I'm looking forward to it.
I'm thankful for vacation time I'm
thankful for turkey I'm thankful for
HSU I'm thankful for friends I'm
thankful for family I'm thankful for
Mel and Steve and James and Mar-
cie and Colleen and everyone I'm
A piece of
my mind
most thankful for God and and
Dutch Apple Poptarts without
them I would have to wake up early
and go to breakfast in the
cafeteria.
I hope that your Thanksgiving is
wonderful and you know there's
only one thing better than
Thanksgiving dinner and that
Christmas when you get to do all
over again. By the way it's not too
early to start shopping for that
favorite editor of yours. That was a
hint. See you next week and
always remember: Keep your stars
on the ground and keep reaching
for your knees.
Intellectual Tower of Babel may crumble
by Matthew Van Hook
This is a polemic; I'm tired of
apologies. I'm weary of the strain
of man's great assumptions of
himself. Man's true wisdom lies in
what is unknown to him. (The
wisest proverb is "I don't know").
Yet he keeps building his intellec-
tual Tower of Babel and wants to
build his own dwelling at the top.
These are the madmen! Nietzsche
once wrote of a madman. See I
have corrected it.
The madman came running
along the street toward us during
the hea of midday. He was crying
In his passion "I found God! I
found God!" His obvious zeal and
complete foolishness made us
grin. "Poor lost child!" I thought
"he doesn't know what he is
doing." He ran into our midst still
yelling his message as if we could
not hear him.
Did he not know that God is
dead and that my companion and I
had killed him? We judged him and
found him lacking. We are no
fools! We can recognize the
dangerous; he deserved his death.
His men must have been much like
his madman disciple here-he
didn't lift a finger to save himself.
He merely stood there and allowed
our punishment. Where were his
miracles? Where was his proof?
He was guilty I tell you! Guilty!
I could hold it no longer. I told
the madman. He stood there for a
moment staring intently at me. The
others laughed again at him. "But I
have found Him" he said quietly.
Crazy fellow! He was still clinging
to his own world. My friends began
to laugh violently but he kept his
eye on me. I laughed also. Why
not? Isn't ignorance funny? Well
we were no fools and this madman
was like a child amusing his
parents with silliness.
Again I said to him "We killed
Him-killed Him! Can't you unders-
tand plain language! He was mad
like you! Why would you want to
believe in Him? He claimed to
judge us but we have judged
Him!"
"But I have found Him."
"You are suffering delusions
old man" I said angrily " you have
found nothing. You cannot follow
after him; he cannot be your
crutch! Stand up! Wise up! You
can care for yourself! You need no
one! Dispense with the
nonsense!"
"I have found him."
What was the use? He was mad
anyway. We left him there on the
road still saying "I have found
him." We needed to get back to
Jerusalem. We always ate together
on Sundays especially when it
was after the Passover. I wondered
what dread the Romans had given
to us this time...
See I have corrected it.
the Brand
assistant editor
Lara King
business manager
Angela Magee
staff columnist
Phil Wilson
editor-ln-chlef
Ewart Jones
features editor news editor
Duane Slmolke Rick Hope
reporters staff photographer
Rodney Jackson Mike McShane
Unda Ward
i . a ...... faculty advisor
Leigh Ann Whiddon
Randy Armstrong
The Brand of Hardin-Simmons University
is a non-profit campus newspaper publish-
ed during the long term. It is published
under the direction of the Department of
Communication Hardin-Simmons Universi-
ty Abilene Texas 79698. It serves as a
laboratory project and to some extent a
forum for student views.
Editorial opinions are those of the
newspaper and do not necessarily reflect
those of the university or its administration.
Signed columns represent the personal
views of student authors.
The Brand is a member of the Texas Inter-
collegiate Press Association and the
Southwest Journalism Congress.
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The Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 77, No. 4, Ed. 1, Tuesday, November 21, 1989, newspaper, November 21, 1989; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth96470/m1/2/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hardin-Simmons University Library.