As I sit and reflect on the storm of events over the last 72 hours, I can't help but feel that a part of the pride and support for a university that I love dearly died today. I'm not sure if it will come back or not. This hurts worse than any 5th down or flea kicker ever will. I'll offer my perspective of why...that is if I'm allowed a perspective since I'm a middle aged white man. I'll try not to let my privilege get in the way here.
My underlying feeling is that my university just caved to a group of extremists and allowed mob rule to win the day. When you look at this Concerned Student 1950 group, they scream extreme from the word go...
Now, I am not going to defend Wolfe's reactions / lack of action in the matter. He clearly failed in his job of leadership / public relations. I also don't know what attempts were made by administration to address the original concerns of the group. From what I can gather, the one racist who was caught was kicked out of the university, GA health care was restored, they have instituted mandatory training for all staff and freshmen going forward, and were starting down the path to a broader plan. You can quibble with the timeframe I suppose but it appears progress was being made. However, I don't know CS 1950's thoughts on these matters because according to them, everyone just needed to be fired.
I feel for all of those exposed to any type of racism, ridicule, or unnecessary suffering. These situations should always be reported to authorities so justice can be served, as was the case with the drunken student on campus. However, if these students think they are going to enter a world where these things don't exist, then college has apparently not prepared them well for the real world. Whether it's your race, sexual orientation, religion, physical appearance, job performance, way you talk, way you think, or any other characteristic, you are going to be exposed to ridicule, condescension, and more. Does that make it right? Absolutely not. It's a hard an unfortunate truth about our world today. However, I've always believed the best way to show up those who ridicule you is to rise above and prove them wrong.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
The best example I can think of came from our very campus...the day thousands of students made a barricade supporting Michael Sam, a gay, black fellow student. I was insanely proud of my university that day, standing united in love in the face of hate. Today I'm saddened that these protesters from my university decided to fight intolerance and extremism with...intolerance and extremism. Did we learn nothing of the Michael Sam experience not even two years ago?
The video posted on here depicting CS 1950's attitudes and actions towards the photojournalist earlier today left me sick to my stomach. The very people preaching equality, free speech, and fairness apparently don't want to offer it up to anyone that doesn't share their viewpoint. They hoodwinked the media, making appeals to Oprah and anyone else who would take up the cause. Now that the proverbial heads are on the stakes, they are trying to kick the media out of public spaces and ban them from their constitutional rights.
As for the football team, I view them as a bunch of kids that simply got suckered into the extremist situation, choosing to join a group that had a confused and cluttered agenda as the situation took on a life of its own. Kudos to them for at least providing the appearance of unanimity, even though I think they were extremely misguided. And spare me the bullshit about this being about concern for a starving human being. They knew exactly why they joined this mess. I do think it's a dangerous precedent to set and it will be interesting to see whether copycat incidents occur given how attached we have become to sports in this country. I also happen to think that our recruiting is about to take a big blow with all of this, but that is a pittance when compared to the larger issues at play.
Ultimately I'm just sad and angry. Sad because my university is on the front page of every news site and probably newspaper tomorrow, portrayed (incorrectly in my view) as a deplorable racist hotbed. And angry because the actions of a few extremists who lit the irresponsible fire that created this mess.
Congratulations CS 1950, you got what you wanted. You've burned down the very home you choose to live in. How do you propose that we get started on trying to rebuild it with real dialogue?
What's that? I'm sorry I can't hear you with the human wall of people shouting at me to get the hell out of their space.
It's a sad day Tiger fans.
My underlying feeling is that my university just caved to a group of extremists and allowed mob rule to win the day. When you look at this Concerned Student 1950 group, they scream extreme from the word go...
- Their approach to discussions with Wolfe was to surround him at a public parade and expect him to immediately begin reasoned discourse with them
- They ambush him on the street (while taunting him) to press him on the definition of systematic oppression
- Their concerns are all over the board - racism, Planned Parenthood, GA compensation / health care. However, race is clearly the one that will ignite the shit storm, so race it is.
- They fail to articulate how any of their concerns have anything to do with Wolfe, Loftin, university policy, or anything systematic
- Their list of demands is at best haphazard and at worst, completely racist
- They fail to make any correlation to the proposed solutions in their demands and how it will provide one ounce of solution to the issue
- One man begins a hunger strike until extreme measures are taken - no desire for dialogue, just firings
Now, I am not going to defend Wolfe's reactions / lack of action in the matter. He clearly failed in his job of leadership / public relations. I also don't know what attempts were made by administration to address the original concerns of the group. From what I can gather, the one racist who was caught was kicked out of the university, GA health care was restored, they have instituted mandatory training for all staff and freshmen going forward, and were starting down the path to a broader plan. You can quibble with the timeframe I suppose but it appears progress was being made. However, I don't know CS 1950's thoughts on these matters because according to them, everyone just needed to be fired.
I feel for all of those exposed to any type of racism, ridicule, or unnecessary suffering. These situations should always be reported to authorities so justice can be served, as was the case with the drunken student on campus. However, if these students think they are going to enter a world where these things don't exist, then college has apparently not prepared them well for the real world. Whether it's your race, sexual orientation, religion, physical appearance, job performance, way you talk, way you think, or any other characteristic, you are going to be exposed to ridicule, condescension, and more. Does that make it right? Absolutely not. It's a hard an unfortunate truth about our world today. However, I've always believed the best way to show up those who ridicule you is to rise above and prove them wrong.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
The best example I can think of came from our very campus...the day thousands of students made a barricade supporting Michael Sam, a gay, black fellow student. I was insanely proud of my university that day, standing united in love in the face of hate. Today I'm saddened that these protesters from my university decided to fight intolerance and extremism with...intolerance and extremism. Did we learn nothing of the Michael Sam experience not even two years ago?
The video posted on here depicting CS 1950's attitudes and actions towards the photojournalist earlier today left me sick to my stomach. The very people preaching equality, free speech, and fairness apparently don't want to offer it up to anyone that doesn't share their viewpoint. They hoodwinked the media, making appeals to Oprah and anyone else who would take up the cause. Now that the proverbial heads are on the stakes, they are trying to kick the media out of public spaces and ban them from their constitutional rights.
As for the football team, I view them as a bunch of kids that simply got suckered into the extremist situation, choosing to join a group that had a confused and cluttered agenda as the situation took on a life of its own. Kudos to them for at least providing the appearance of unanimity, even though I think they were extremely misguided. And spare me the bullshit about this being about concern for a starving human being. They knew exactly why they joined this mess. I do think it's a dangerous precedent to set and it will be interesting to see whether copycat incidents occur given how attached we have become to sports in this country. I also happen to think that our recruiting is about to take a big blow with all of this, but that is a pittance when compared to the larger issues at play.
Ultimately I'm just sad and angry. Sad because my university is on the front page of every news site and probably newspaper tomorrow, portrayed (incorrectly in my view) as a deplorable racist hotbed. And angry because the actions of a few extremists who lit the irresponsible fire that created this mess.
Congratulations CS 1950, you got what you wanted. You've burned down the very home you choose to live in. How do you propose that we get started on trying to rebuild it with real dialogue?
What's that? I'm sorry I can't hear you with the human wall of people shouting at me to get the hell out of their space.
It's a sad day Tiger fans.
