The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 8, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 9, 2003 Page: 3 of 8
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The Rambler
Opinions
April 9, 2003 3
Agree or disagree, but be tolerant of opinions around you
The principle of tolerance involves toleration of a
wide range of beliefs and moral values. It would allow
individuals and groups the opportunity to
express fully their diverse beliefs, practices
and lifestyles. This principle presupposes an
open, democratic society, which respects
human rights. It also encourages artistic, intel-
lectual, scientific, religious, philosophical and
moral freedom.
The word and the idea are one of the most
important aspects of the American fabric. Still
the principle of tolerance is not an absolute.
Especially in a society where racism still con-
tinues, a drug culture runs rampant, promiscu-
ity and violence in the media are judged by a ———
profit ma-gin, and moral excellence is more of a punch
line than a tradition.
I wonder if we have forgotten tolerance, or if we
have just become tolerant of the wrong things. The con-
versations and opinions across the country -- in our
newspapers, on our radios and TVs, and at the water
cooler and the lunch counter — have all been about the
war and the Middle East. What surprises me are not just
Levi
Walls
with little or no tolerance.
One reason I have not written an article on the war
is because I am not sure how I feel. What I am
sure of is that the arbitrary suppression of any
opinion is morally wrong.
What 1 am talking about is the growing
trend of the American public to voice opinions
and persecute anyone who does not agree with
them.
From those favoring the war, I have
heard statements that border on racism against
Arabs. I have also heard justification for per-
secution of Muslims, both for their religious
and cultural beliefs, and a call to arms against
——— the so-called traitors of our country. From
those against the war, I have heard slanderous statements
about our political leaders, our president, our troops and
the so-called warmongers in our society.
What happened to religious and social tolerance --
hearing the opinions of others and respectfully agreeing
or disagreeing -- with integrity and tact?
The idea of religious freedom and freedom from
persecution is one of the reasons the pilgrims came to
the things being said, but rather the way they are said: America in the first place. We need to remember that
there are concepts and methodologies that transcend spe-
cific cultural boundaries. This begins with the recogni-
tion of universal human rights.
You cannot find a defense of human rights in the
Bible or the Qur'an. They have emerged only with the
revelations from a modern era. We must realize that we,
as a human society, cannot and will not prosper unless
all opinions are heard; it's how we have come as far as
we have.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, "These are days
which demand wise restraint and calm reasonableness."
King didn't often address war directly, and when he did,
many colleagues thought war issues should not be
accompanied by Civil Rights issues. King found that the
two were intertwined, and so did i.
As bombs fall in Iraq, what message do we convey
about our nation? Are we a nation still torn between
those seeking peace and those supporting war?
Tolerance is the answer, and it's the only thing we
should all be able to agree on.
Levi S. Walls is a senior mass communication major and
is a staff writer for The Rambler.
The Voice of Reason
My sister's boyfriend is loser. He does drugs, doesn't go to school or have a job. How can
I make her see him for the scum that he is?
Worried
Unfortunately, you can't. The more thai you
slam this guy, the further that your sister will pull
away from you. Love is blind, and it seems to me
that she sees his problems and is with him anyway.
The best thing for you to do right now is to
stay out ofit, but be there for her. You can tell her
that you think she can do much better, but avoid
making her feel stupid with blunt criticism of her
love interest. Don't make her feel like she can't talk
to you.
I am concerned, however, with the drug refer-
ence. There is a chance that she may be influenced
to use drugs. Talk to her seriously abour this subject.
Tell her that you're only concerned because you
care. If you do find out that she's using drugs, try to
get her some help. Tfy to make it voluntary, but if
all else fails you might even need to get your parents
involved. She niay not be too happy with you for
that, but you seem to care more about her well-being
than her opinions anyway.
There is a chance that he'll be able to turn his
life around with her by his side. If not, just be there
to lend her your slumfder because she'll soon see
him for the scum that he is on her own.
If your sister cannot see her boyfriend for
the loser that he is, then the odds are that noth-
ing you say will enlighten her; that is, unless,
you exploit the direct effect that his presence
has on you. And, yes, you might have to sneak
in one or two little white lies.
First, grab a thumb tack off of the wall,
and poke yourself two ot three times relatively
hard on your arm, opposite of your elbow. To
the relatively untrained eye, the wounds would
appear to resemble the needle tracks seen on
your average junkie
Next, hang around in the Dumpster for a
few hours in order to achieve that "I've hit rock
bottom," smell.
Afterwards, you should be more than wel-
come to attend an AA meeting. Go there, and
stick around just long enough to get a one day
chip.
Go talk to your sister while in your pitiful
state, and tell her that her boyfriend got you
hooked on the "H-train." At this point, show her
the chip, and mention to her that her boyfriend
might not be good for your recovery.
Need some advice? Send your questions to TWURambler(a)yahoo.com
The Rambler
Humid (i Jeffcoat, Publisher
tided in IVI7 ax The llumJoi
Man Nettles editoi
Dee Flowers, news editor
Faith Beverly, photo editor
Fran Long, advertising manager
Rachel Carter managing editor and business manage.
Amy Keen,-Advi\
Sheree Malatesta. opinions edito
Jaclyn Gonzales, entertainment edito
James Haney. sports edito
Whitney Fowler campus life edito
Mem'oer of the Associated College Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
Opinions expressed in The Rambler are those of the individual author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Wcsleyan community as a whole.
Letters to the editor The Rambler, a weekly publication, welcomes all letters All submissions must have a hill printed r
phone number and signature; however, confidentiality w ill be granted if requested
While every consideration is made to publish letters, publication is limited by time and space The editors reserve the righ
ail submissions for space, grammar, clarity and style
Letters to the editor may be subject to response from editors and students on the opinions page
"We are not afraid to follow the truth...wherever it may lead." Thomas Jefferson
Address all correspondence to:
Te*a* Wesleyan tdiversity. The Rambler, 1201 Wesleyan SI., Kort Worth, I X 76105.
Newsroom: 531-7552 Advertising: 531-7582 Fa*: 531-4878
E-mail: tnuramblim vuliuu.cum
Letters to the Editor
Cheerleaders Sound Off
As per the article you ran a few weeks back about school spirit, or lack of it, I would
' appreciate your attention in the following.
I, myself, am a member of the four-person cheerleading squad that you termed as "lazy."
This label is unfairly placed and not deserved in the least.
As to this date, we still have been actively supporting Ram athletics.
We have attended games and cheered from the stands. We have made posters that present
the dates of the games, and we have also helped out at baseball games.
1 find the article in need of adjustments and future research into the organizations you find
flaws in.
It is not solely the cheerleaders' attendance that should be looked at under the microscope,
but rather all other organizations, as well as other sports teams and Greek societies.
Christine Anne Peirce
Cheerleader
Editor's Response
1 found some points in your letter to the editor that I agree with, but there are still things
that I can't agree with.
1 agree that I should have investigated the depleted cheerleading squad's reasons for not
cheering the last half of the school year previous to publishing my 'Where's the spirit?' arti-
cle. 1 have since gathered sufficient facts, and I still feel that the cheerleading squad could
have done more.
If last year's Women's Basketball team had shared that same apathetic attitude, there
would not have been a team for the second half of the season. The Lady Rams, however,
decided to keep their heads up and play every game for the remainder of the season with only
five players. 1 admire the persistence and passion they displayed for what they do.
I also agree that some of the cheerleaders have attended many games and cheered.
Some, not all, of them have cheered out of uniform and in the stands. That sounds just like
everyone else who attended the games. If that is all it takes to be a cheerleader, I could be
nominated for captain. 1, too, have attended, cheered, volunteered and helped out at many
Wcsleyan sporting events.
1 did look at the attendance, or lack thereof, by other organizations and teams prior to
writing my article. The baseball team and the Gamma Sigs was a seemingly permanent fixture
at each of the home games. The two were the most vocal groups in the stands. Several mem-
bers of various other organizations also attended games regularly, including the Softball team,
the Women's Basketball team, the Men's Basketball team, the Soccer teams, the Volleyball
team, the Alpha Xi Delta's, the Alpha Phi Omega's and many more.
The Wesleyan Cheerleading Squad did cheer at the Men's Basketball team's first round
opener of the Red River Conference Tournament. To my knowledge, they decided to do so
after taking a vote. While I appreciate their decision to get out on the floor and cheer one last
time, I can't help but feel like they were only jumping on the bandwagon of the team's suc-
cess. I believe that they would not have cheered the last home game had our team not made
the playoffs. They did not cheer at the women's last home game.
Whether the cheerleaders deserve the term of "lazy" is a simple matter of opinion. I saw
how hard they worked at the beginning of the year. I stopped by a few practices. I also saw
how they decided not to cheer anymore after the squad dwindled down to only four at semes-
ter. Their reasons for this are not important. All that matters is that Wesleyan teams did not
have anyone on the- floor to lead cheers and represent the university. Cheerleaders have long
been symbols of school spirit. It is tradition that they be the ones to inflict spirit and school
pride. 1 am led to believe that each of the cheerleaders knew this upon trying out for the
squad.
I wrote my article to inspire — even provoke - the entire student body to become more
spirited. I would like to think that it worked.
Marc A. Nettles
Editor-in-Chief, The Rambler
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Nettles, Marc. The Rambler (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 89, No. 8, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 9, 2003, newspaper, April 9, 2003; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth253293/m1/3/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Texas Wesleyan University.