I'd like to weigh in on this whole Frontier Fiesta thing. I figure that it's about time I said something. I mean, judging from the response the Fiesta gets every year, I seem to be the only person who has never given an opinion on it.
"That's not possible. Ginsburg has an opinion on everything. He's never had a thought in his life that he didn't feel a need to litter all over the campus."
OK, it's true my thoughts are public knowledge, but I don't have an opinion on everything. I just don't think about some things at all - like Frontier Fiesta. Why should I care? It's just an excuse for frat boys to eat, drink and make fools out of themselves. It's beneath my concern.
Of course, I do realize the university spends a lot of money on the event and some of that money is mine. But so what? UH spends money on buildings I've never walked into. It supports hundreds of programs that will never benefit me. It underwrites a basketball team and I never see them play (my stomach isn't that strong). I may not particularly like my money being spent on these things, but they don't upset me so much that I'd ask for a refund either.
I also understand that Frontier Fiesta offends some people. Well, what can I say? If the university did away with every aspect of itself that someone found offensive, I'd never write another column again. Really, people shouldn't be so easily offended in the first place. I mean, gosh, if the frat boys were pissing on the Mexican flag or playing "pin the tail on the Injun," I'd be the first person to demand that the Fiesta be burnt to the ground. But they're not. The most offensive thing they do is paw up sorority girls.
I realize that the mere celebration of the "frontier," even if it's only an excuse to party, might annoy some folks, but these are generally people with empty lives who have nothing better to do than complain about ancient history. Really, I don't care about which Indian tribes were slaughtered anymore than I care about the British burning Washington or Queen Isabella kicking all of the Jews out of Spain. Sure, I wish that those things hadn't happened, but I wish I'd win the lottery too. What's the point?
History is full of unfortunate things and it's important that we remember them, lest they be repeated. But it's one thing to remember and quite another to hold a grudge. None of these people who complain about frontier atrocities 100 years ago seem to mention that the Mexican government is hunting down Zapatista rebels right now. Sorry, but there are too many problems right now to spend time worrying about something that happened before my grandparents were born.
I think a good example of the proper way of thinking is the Roman Coliseum. Now, from what I understand, Rome is 99 percent Catholic. Hundreds of years ago, a popular event at the Coliseum was feeding Christians to lions. So, why doesn't the pope order the damn thing torn down?
Why don't we tear everything down? Nothing is without fault. No nation is without blame. No people are without sin.
Sure, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, but he also kept slaves. So why not take a torch to it right now? But the Declaration isn't about slavery - it is freedom.
The Coliseum isn't about religious persecution - it is history. Frontier Fiesta isn't about genocide - it is a beer blast. Now, I often consider freedom and history, but kegs are not among my intellectual priorities. And so end my first, last, and only thoughts on Frontier Fiesta. Should you see them littered across the ground, please feel free to recycle them.
Ginsburg is a senior political
science major.