* ^tytt
Page 10, The Aletheia
Student
Comments
Who is this? Possibly a Professor?
Cont'd from page 2
have seen what democracy
is all about. This issue is no
different from other campus
issues like smoking,
drinking, parking, curfew,
and chapel policies. Or on
a national level, issues like
the speed limit, drinking
age, abortion, drugs, or
taxes, etc.. One should
always stand up for what
they believe is right, but as
with many of the above
issues, too many don't
believe that their opinion
will make a difference, but
you can make a difference,
only you must begin by
letting yourself and ideas
known.
With the Howerton
thing; I believe that it was
Show Your School Spirit!
The
Has it all...
Sweatshirts License Plates
Pennants Cups Stickers
basically wrong, and that
basic rights were violated,
for I have never heard of a
case in the United States,
where because of a crime
committed by one, few, or
many. That the militia was
called in at 2am - forcing
innocent citizens into the
cold streets in their
underwear until a guilty
party was found. It sounds
suspiciously like Nazi
Germany to me. And I
cannot believe that
Howerton leadership;
people who are our
communities equivalent of
publicly elected officials,
thought that the measures
taken would actually
improve internal affairs, I
know they could not have
gained any respect for what
they did, and I know that it
could have done nothing to
help bring the Howerton
community together as a
whole.
I personally believe in a
Laisse Faire form of
administration and
leadership, because I believe
that having strict rules and
countless laws are basically
no more than a written
moral conviction of those
who make the rules or laws
and do not always reflect the
public's opinion. Too many
times these rules and laws
cannot be enforced, no
matter at what expense in
time and enforcement. Our
country is the most
law-bound in the world, I
can see this carrying over
even into this schools
policies, where it is thought
that by simply handing
down an edict to the
masses, that the problem
will magically be solved.
Anyone who has taken an
entry-level psychology class
can see the fault in this style
leadership. Unless a rule or
law can without a single
doubt be enforced to the
letter, then it should not
exist. Because capricious
enforcement undermines the
very spirit of the rule or
law, and in my opinion,
only compounds the
problem.
For example; with the
fireworks, by bringing a
small matter to the attention
of the many and in effect
making a "mountain of a
molehill", it can all too often
tempt others to follow in
mischievous behavior.
Another example might
serve as the national speed
limit- one of the most
hypocritical laws of our
time. It is a law which (1)
is irelevant to fuel
consumption or loss of life
and (2) it has been well_
proven that it cannot b^’
enforced; only one in
22,000 interstate speeders
can be caught (a 1985 CHP
report) and by mass
law-breaking of a small,
unimportant law, can lead to
a wider de-sensitization and
respect for law and order.
Creating problems 100
times greater than the
original issue!
And while I'm on my
soapbox, I will say that
learning is an active
process, it cannot be
passive. And part of college
is to train people how to
conduct themselves in the
real world, and that means
that as free citizens we
should be able to make
mistakes both small and^
large because that IS the
learning process, laws and
rules can never be used as a
substitute for learning.
So I close by urging you
to think and act on what
goes on in the
ever-changing world around
you. As humans,
Americans and Christians,
we should always look
around us and look for
ways to expand, grow, and
to help others expand and
grow. We should feel it our
privilege and duty.
With coneem, Scott
M. Keels
Fight
w
W
Participate!