Pag
e6
The Clarion
February 14, 2005
Opinion
Democracy: a dying
dream?
By Hall Penn
Editor in Chief
As I walked into a bathroom stall
here on campus, I noticed something
that has changed my mind about the
attitude and education of some of
Brevard’s students. Amongst the
usual profanity-laden grafTiti on the
stall walls, I saw the words “F***
Bush” scratched into the paint. That
in itself is a childish remark, one that
changes nothing, but apparently
someone else had decided to edit it.
And this edit was what truly scared
me: The word “p***” had been
scratched out and “’08" was added
after “Bush” so it read “Bush ’08.”
The shadow of dictatorship
looms over our country. I’m sure
most people will disagree with this
statement, but I’m going to say it
again; The shadow of dictatorship
looms over this country. And while I
risk sounding like Chicken Little, 1
firmly believe it. This doesn’t mean,
however, that I think tomorrow we will
be suddenly overtaken in a coup led
by George W. Bush, or even that this
will happen in the next four years. No,
I think it is a much more subtle thing,
this attitude and want for a dictator
ship.
It is in the attitudes of the citizens
of this country — citizens who are
willing to give up their rights for
safety (all while warring in other
countries to “give” these rights to
others). It is in the media, where the
American flag and the nation state are
propped up to be a sort of god in and
of themselves. It is in the discourage
ment of frank political discussion and
the vililying of those who speak out
against the now godlike State.
Our democracy relies upon the
rights granted to us in our Constitu
tion, and the erosion and outright
derision of some of these rights
infringes on our cherished form of
government. The attitudes of the
public and the actions of those in
power all add up to what this country
is, and recently these actions and
attitudes have trended away from
democracy and a free society. While
we may think that this democracy will
go on into eternity, the fact is that any
form of government is fragile and must
be protected by those who support it.
While it may seem cliched, it is
true that the power to change our
government rests in our own hands.
But power isn’t only for good, power
is simply power; and when used
incorrectly it can change things for the
worse. The lack of education and the
lack of rights in our country turn us
from continuing this free and demo
cratic society and leads us to a
dictatorship wherein our rights are
taken from us. And while that graffiti
was recently painted over, the senti
ment undoubtedly still stands... and
that scares me.
The opinions expressed on this page are the opinions of the respective
authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Brevard College.
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When someone
has as unique
a take on life
as our own
“Tex " does, it
would be a
shame not to
share it with
the public.
That's why this
year’s Clarion
staff have
decided to create an advice column highlighting
the wisdom of one of our campus treasures. -Ed.
Dear Tex,
My boyfriend doesn’t like me. Why?
-Crushed on Campus
Dear Crushed,
Well, I don’t want to hurt your feelings but you
might want to give your boyfriend some space.
That might be one reason for his behavior. Do you
shave? 1 know guys don’t like girls that look like
men. That might be another factor for your
boyfriend not liking you. I think you need to shave
everything except your head and give your
boyfriend some room. Best of luck to you. ^
Send your questions for Tex to:
clarion@brevard.edu or drop them of at the Clarion
office in MG 222A
Brevard College
The Clarion
Senior Staff
Hall T. Penn Jr.
Adam Beeson
Editor-in-Chief
Managing Editor
Matt Rutherford
Terrance Angelo
Entertainment Editor
Sports Editor
Joel Graham
Dr. John Padgett
Head Photographer
Faculty Adviser
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