SEPTEMBER 20,1996 — THE DECREE — PAGE 5
Political campaigns ignore real issues
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By GRANT LONG
Another year has come and is
about to go, but we must ask our
selves what is particularly spe
cial about this one. Was it the the
Olympics, which were held in
Atlanta this year, or was it be
cause a hurricane almost hit camp
Wesleyan?
I personally think that it was
neither. This year stands out from
most others because this is a presi
dential campaign year. That
makes probably the only time in
a four-year span where the Ameri
can public comes its closest to
being politically active.
Last month both parties held
their political conventions; the
Elephants (Republicans) held
theirs in San Diego, and the Don
keys (Democrats) were in the
windy city of Chicago. To those
who do not actively keep their
heads in the political arena. I’m
going to tell you what you missed.
While reading a small local
newspaper from Roanoke Rap
ids, (the “Daily Herald,”) I came
upon a letter written by Elkton C.
Richardson. In that letter he posed
an interesting and difficult ques
tion. He asks why there is a spe
cific month of the year for Afri
can-American studies and not a
month for the study of other
American cultures?
Richardson specifically cited
the lack of Native American cur
riculum in today’s schools and
universities. According to the
1990 census. Native American
students make up over seven per
cent of the student body in North
Carolina. However, these students
are denied education information
about their ethnic background.
Richardson says it is shameful
that this happens in American
schools.
No one would argue that the
African-American population is
the largest minority group in the
United States and that Black His
tory does indeed deserve recog
nition and attention. It would be
a mistake to even suggest that
schools drop their Black History
programs. However, this is
America, the great melting pot. I
believe it would make more sense
to institute programs that allow
students to learn about all the dif
ferent and unique cultures that can
be found in our country, rather
than simply one.
Opinion
Nothing! That’s right; you didn’t
miss a damn thing.
First of all, unless you were
bom on Mars or are just a com
plete moron, everyone knew that
Bob Dole and Bill Clinton were
going to get the nominations of
their political parties. Secondly,
most people know that conven
tions are just for meeting other
delegates and bashing members
of the other party.
The last time a political con
vention actually decided who the
party was going to nominate for
president, was way back in 1952,
when Adali Stevenson beat Este
Keffaevuer. These days the po
litical conventions have all the
excitement of a Hollywood
awards show instead of political
spirit.
Such change should be made
in every level of education in
American schools. At the elemen
tary level Black History Month is
a major part of the curriculum
although almost no time is set
aside for the children to study
other cultures. In the high school
level Afro-American classes are
offered, but rarely is there a class
that gives emphasis to another
specific ethnic origin.
Steps to make a more rounded
and more politically correct
course of study can easily be made
at the college level as well. When
I looked at the North Carolina
Wesleyan College catalogue I
noticed that there are three Black
History courses: HIS 225, Mod
em Africa; HIS 314, Afro-Ameri
can Studies; and HIS 414, Topics
in African History. After I turned
the page, I saw that there are also
courses concentrating on Latin
American studies, European stud
ies, Middle East studies. Far East
studies, as well as Russian and
Modem American studies.
After I finished reading the
catalogue I realized that North
Carolina Wesleyan College has
already established a broad group
of classes that allows t le student
to choose what he or she would
like to study. This should serve
as a model for other schools to
follow and hopefully duplicate.
All students of American
schools deserve an education that
does not discriminate against any
ethnicity or. culture. If a school
Speaking as someone who
watched both political conven
tions, I will give you the high
lights from both. I only watched
the first two days of the Republi
can national convention, because
that is all I could stand to see
without wanting to vomit.
The highlight of the conven
tion was Colin Powell’s speech.
In his speech Powell was ener
getic and his speech helped bring
the crowd to a frenzied response.
Although most of the delegates
did not agree with his views on
abortion and affirmative action,
they did enjoy his speech.
The people who were disap
pointed with the convention the
most were the three major net
works, who all expected tension
among the delegates, but were
surprised when there was none.
Other than that, the meeting of
the millionaires’ club was suc
cessful. The reason why I call it
the meeting of the millionaires’
does not have the resources to
offer a group of different courses,
then that school should offer one
course that covers many different
groups and racial backgrounds.
In a world where racial lines
are being drawn every day, the
future would benefit if we learned
about each other’s racial, cultural,
and ethnic pasts. It is said that we
as people hate what we fear, and
fear what we do not understand.
Therefore, by learning about oth
ers and ourselves we can elimi
nate the hate.
club is because a good portion of
the delegates there are million
aires or are extremely well off.
In 1968, riots and civil unrest
marred the Democratic national
convention and this is the first
time since then the Democrats
decided to have a convention
there. But much has changed
since 1968, except the fact that
the Cubs and White Sox still
haven’t reached the World Series
or, for that matter, won their
league title. Now Richard Daley’s
son is mayor arid he did not want
to see a repeat of the 1968, fiasco
that his father got into.
The highlight of tiiis conven
tion was Bill Qinton’s speech.
Unlike Bob Dole, Clinton’s
speech was worth listening to be
cause it wasn’t boring and dry
like Dol^’ acceptance speech.
I also have to hand it to the
Democrats, they had more stars
there than the Republicans. Chris
topher Reeve gave a stirring
speech, and who could forget Carl
Lewis, Mohammed Ali, Keyin
Costner, and Lawrence Fishbum?
With Superman, Othello, Elliot
Ness, and a nine-time gold med
alist there, how could the Repub
licans compete?
My fault. I’m sorry: Arnold
Schwarzenegger was probably at
the Republican national conven
tion. They did have the Termina
tor there, and you know he is go
ing to be back.
In an age where glamour and
glitz are more important than sub
stance and originality, it saddens
the heart to see that politics has
followed suit.
Whatever happened to real is
sues? While people are dying,
starving, homeless, and unem
ployed, politicians continue to use
their power to dress up for the
camera instead of solving the real
issues that affect the American
populous today.
If you really want to impress
people, don’t pose for a camera
and talk about change, get up and
make that change.
To quote Nike, “Just do it.”
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Expand our cultural horizons
By JAMES iBELL