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by Becca Lee
Inaguration day chosen in ignorance
JACOB NOBLE
staff writer
On January 20, 1997, the civil rights
movement took a big fall. Instead of re
joicing and celebrating the life of a man who
almost singlehandedly brought about
change in the sixties, we instead decided to
celebrate the re-election of a president, who
just like those who came before him upheld
the racial prejudices of the great society in
which we call America.
The ignorant remarks which our presi
dent made during the inauguration, just
heightened the reasons why we needed to
postpone the inauguration and reflect a true
being. Comments such as: "...the bold con
viction that we are all created equal."
Clinton then goes on to say that our great
America was, "...preserved in the 19th cen
tury, when our nation spread across the con
tinent, saved the union, and abolished the
awful scourge of slavery."
What is Clinton thinking! Has he lost
track of all the tragedies that have occurred
along the way? Has Clinton forgotten that
slavery was not abolished until almost three
fourths into the nineteenth century? Did
Clinton forget that even though slavery
ended, the nightmare was still in place?
After blacks were freed from slavery they
were subjected to the harsh realities of what
we now know as racism.
February 14, 1996
What is your opinion of
Valentine's Day?
- ~ A"
■
-
. ,
My opinion
depends on
whether I'm
involved
with
someone. I
think it's
stupid and
lame if I
don't have
someone,
and it's
great if I do.
-Rosa
Evergreen,
first year
Ignorant statements like that and others
which were made in Clinton's speech are
the reason why we need to celebrate King's
birthday. Racism, one of thsfew constants
in America, is why we stop aiyl look back
at King's life and recognize all of his ac
complishments.
Clinton then asks the question, "Will we
all come together, or come apart?" Well,
Bill, you answered that question by holding
your overpaid and not-well-thought-out
party. How can a country which is so di
vided come together when on one side, one
group of people celebrated the re-entering
of an already demonstrated slow-poke, and
another group of people celebrated the life
of a man who not only gave hope to blacks,
but who opened the eyes of all to the wrongs
of racism?
By our country celebrating the inaugu
ration of such an unenlightened president
on what some consider a very important day,
King's day, we not only took a step back in
the civil rights movement, we took a step
forward in the direction of separation, a
problem which Clinton even says is
"America's curse."
I am sure Clinton is familiar with King's
"I have a dream" speech; in fact he men
tions it in his inauguration speech, at least
he remembered what that day was really
about. In King's speech he dreams that "one
day this nation will rise up and live out it's
true meaning of it's creed." Clinton, alludes
forum
I think
Valentine's
day is cheesy
because if
you do have
a partner you
should show
them that
you love
them
everyday of
the year, not
just one day.
Chris
Oswald,
first year
It always
seems that
right
before
Valentine's
Day
people
break up.
-Heather
Loring,
senior
to this quote, but then why did he not hold
true to it?
For those of us who know our constitu
tion, one can make the argument that in it,
it states that the 3rd Monday in January shall
be designated as the swearing in ceremony.
So what! The Constitution was written by
a bunch of racist slave-holders who did not
care one bit about the rights of others, ex
cept for those who were like themselves.
Clinton, being the most powerful man in the
country could have done something instead
he played the role of the true "Southern
democrat." Clinton said, "As times change,
so must government." But once again
Clinton's actions contradicted his words.
In all our country remained divided on
the day in which we were supposedly to
come together. While some chose to cel
ebrate change in America, others fell prey
to the ever-present racism sponsored by our
government and its most powerful figure.
On January 20,1997, was the dream remem
bered? I think not. As King points out in
his "I Have a Dream Speech," which was
made almost 35 years earlier, "...the Negro
is still languishing in the corners of Ameri
can society and finds himself an exile in his
own land." As maybe King would have put
it, this past January the celebration of King's
accomplishments was deemed a bad check
and returned due to "insufficient funds."
The Guilfordian
H
It gives me a
reason to do
something for
the ones I
love. The only
problem is
that I
shouldn't
need a
reason.
Random gifts
mean more.
- Mike
Barney,
junior
Love is
not for
sale
LORI KERR
guest columnist
Valentine's Day 1984. I remember a room
full of scurrying 5-year-olds making envelopes
to hold valentines from fellow classmates... I
remember the teacher cutting out red and pink
construction hearts with the big scissors... I re
member the happy expression of each child as
they collected their valentines and spent their
free time reading them...no one was made to
feel excluded and everyone truly loved every
one else, because no one knew any better...
Valentine's Day 1997. I sat down to write
this editorial many times. I asked many people
for their opinions on the subject. I considered
all the bad things I had to say about "V-Day" .
I tried to decide where I stood. How is it pos
sible for anyone to hate Valentine's Day, a holi
day which, after all, collects more revenue than
Christmas? How could I bitch about it, when I
had no constructive way to fix its problems?
What did I really have to add to all the cynical
talk about the holiday, anyway? I settled on
the fact that I hate the holiday—a holiday de
voted entirely to love in all its many forms.
Sounds like a lovely idea, but is that really
what the holiday is about ? Or is it something
more trite, more trivial, and more economic? I
think it's essential for people to give and re
ceive love, but is it necessary to devote a day to
love? Is Valentine's Day a holiday to celebrate
all forms of love or is it a holiday to show off
your companion, or to show how much money
you can blow to prove you love someone?
Now, I know what you're thinking as you
read this: "you're just bitter" or "damn cynical
people"—but to be entirely honest this will be
the first Valentine's Day that I have spent alone
in four years. As a matter of fact, this is the
first year that I don't feel particularly bitter to
ward the holiday. I think expressing the fact
that you love someone is a very positive thing;
the main problem I have with the holiday is
that it has become very exclusionary. Each and
every year this holiday would roll around and I
would think, why do I need someone to buy
me things to prove that they have strong feel
ings for me? Valentine's Day is pushed on us
by every commercial, Lv. sitcom, and movie
ad we see. Basically all it comes down to at the
end of the day is a $5 card that gets shoved in a
drawer, wilting flowers, and deflating balloons,
and that is for those people lucky enough to be
in a relationship at this heinous time of year.
Meanwhile if you're not seeing someone
you're made to feel abnormal and excluded. If
you're not with someone, you're no one. I hate
the false show of any emotion, so, somehow
prescribing a day to be in love is a gross and
unnecessary act of oppression by our society.
Is there an answer? Is there a way to fix this
dilemma (since we all know everyone loves to
be loved)? I think we should take the day back,
send a card to your mom or grandma (one made
of construction paper and tiny red and pink
glued- on hearts) and this time, you get to use
the big scissors.
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