LETTER TO THE EDITOR: How can a public university fall short of humanitarianism in 2019?
TO THE EDITOR:
Masculinity, toxic masculinity, homophobic, transphobic, islamophobia, boarders, Nazis, white supremacy and so much more negativity, hate, and I cannot seem to comprehend a word to express that the faults of what is happening to a location filled with what should be logic, reason, and compassion.
Yes, education can be an area for academic debate, the sharing of ideas and arguing and supporting your thesis when presented but they should not lead to a dismantling effect of human decency. Just this past semester with several opinion articles claiming that “toxic masculinity” is okay and that hate speech is perfectly fine on a college campus raises the red flag question.
Considering that they are being raised in a journal fashion through the school newspaper and social media, they do not follow a traditional academic arguing standpoint. They present a thesis but do not show evidence to back their cases.
The central point of this reflection on what has been happening on this campus is simple. The hate speech argument did not start with that opinion piece. When the racial and transphobic actions happened on this campus is when these discussion really got heated.
How does it look for a public academic institution when these things are being written on another human being's door? The author's argument that they were asking for it with the white board on their door is not a valid excuse for it being done. It should have never happened.
American history is riddled with cruel acts towards its fellow human beings. How so? Consider before the Civil War. Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears should be an example of that. Entering a Civil War because of the question of freedom? How the slaves were treated and then after being freed still did not get their full rights until the 1960s or even further into today.
What about equal pay for women and those of another nationality or race? Why is this even a topic of conversation? Human history is a history of negative impacts on itself.
Even in the world of the Middle Ages where you can read the writings of Julian of Norwich and her expression of a loving and nurturing God while other men of God are taking up their swords. We are all human.
If you want to put a religious context on this, the Christian understanding of the creation of the world in the books of Genesis chapter one and two do not delve into race. God created humans in his own image all at the same time in the first chapter. The men first women next, and according to ancient mythology women are the "better" of mankind because they were created next. I did not mean to get into a sermon, but consider that first chapter.
Remember we are all human. We have brains. It is so simple but yet we tend to fail at that when evil makes its way through the cracks.
Just love your neighbor. Even if you can’t stand their language or fail love them and care for them. We are here at our university to grow not just intellectually, but individually.
—Jonathan P. Korpi
Graduate student and former academic senator
