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Staff Editorial

Editorial Cartoon

Hypocrite!

To the editor,

This is regarding Rohith Nandagiri's "No place for Confederate flags in Texas" (Opinion, Feb. 7). Last semester, Nandagiri wrote "Don't use racism as a lame excuse" (Sept. 27, 1999), which argued against the Hispanic "brownout" aimed at the national television stations.

In response to that article, I wrote The Daily Cougar a two-page response arguing that not only was Nandagiri's logic contradictory, but more important, the piece was void of several important questions regarding various other minority groups in this country. That particular letter was never published. As a matter of fact, it was, as they say in the profession, "buried."

In today's column, though, it seems that Nandagiri has not only changed his views, but manages to provide an argument which is again replete with contradictions and misunderstandings on the issues of race in America. Perhaps the Cougar should look into hiring students from the social sciences.

But to be quite frank, I have only one real question which has more to do with some of Nandagiri's "recommendations." How, for instance, do you expect for racial healing to begin if your only suggestion is to "stop reminding people of the history of discrimination?" Natural logic tells me that in order to root out the social problem, you first have to get to the cause of the said problem.

Phrased another way, doesn't it make more sense to try and find out where the problems exist before you attempt to "remedy" such social ills? If this is the case, then doesn't it make sense to talk about history and "remind" others of the history of discrimination in order to begin the process of racial equality?

George Santayana said, "He who does not know his history is doomed to repeat it." Although I am not a big fan of Santayana, I do have to say that a deeper insight into this philosophy will turn out pretty good results. In this regard, the process of teaching others about the atrocities and consequences of racial discrimination in this country is only the first step in promoting "the well-being among all the racial groups in Texas."

Racism and racial bigotry in this country was not the most glorious achievement of America. As a matter of fact, it was quite ugly, especially for people of color. 

Sweeping the history of racial prejudice "under the historical rug" will not solve a thing. The process was not pretty ... do not expect to end it any prettier.

Jose Angel Hernandez,
graduate student, history
 

Old 'Southern' Glory

To the editor,

I'm disappointed. Presidential hopeful George W. Bush is turning his back on the heritage of millions of people not only in our state, but throughout the South. He has succumbed to political pressure and suddenly feels that a Confederate soldier in front of a courthouse is inappropriate.

A Confederate soldier in front of a courthouse in the state of Texas inappropriate? Why, because we participated in a civil war and were on the losing side? Or is it because everyone in America is so sensitive and easily offended that we would rather forget and force others to forget our legacy? I cannot forget. Others cannot forget.

Our grandfathers and grandmothers fought and died under the flag of the Confederacy. They believed in the state's right to govern. Most of them didn't even own slaves. In fact, Robert E. Lee was opposed to slavery, while Ulysses S. Grant (Union general and one of our presidents) owned several.

How am I (and the millions of others whose ancestors fought for the Confederacy) supposed to forget? By pulling down our war memorials? By pretending that the Confederate flag is an emblem of racial superiority and not a token of our loss? Am I to forget my history?

Am I to forget my ancestors in North Carolina who set their slaves free and educated them and found them passage to a free state? Am I to forget my widow grandmother, whose sons and husband fought for states' rights under the Confederate flag? Can I, a grandson of both the Confederacy and the Union, say one was right and the other was wrong? If the other was wrong, does that erase the history?

Let us not forget the evolution of the Confederate flag, why some think it should be abolished today as a symbol of racism. Let us put that evolution squarely on the shoulders of a post-Civil War federal government that decided to "reconstruct" the South to make it liable for a war in which brother fought against brother.

Let us not forget that the Union's "program" and the postwar climate of the South encouraged the prejudicial and bigoted part of our Southern heritage and the use of a flag as a symbol of the injustice served the South by an ever-intrusive federal government.

I don't pretend to believe that the Confederate flag isn't tainted somewhat by those who used it for diabolical means. I also won't pretend to believe that our nation's flag is spotless and a pure symbol of everything right in America or the world. Ask the Phillipinos, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Haitians, the Cubans and the Mexicans. Need I go on?

I hope that we as Americans can get beyond our differences accepting each other's histories and symbols and realize that strength comes in unified diversity, not in individuation and compartmentalization. We need to quit abolishing each other's legacy because it doesn't agree with our own. I am the son of Confederate soldiers and am the son of Union soldiers. I mourn and remember their sacrifice when I look at the flags of the Confederacy and the Union. It is who I am. It is who we are.

Brad Haines,
alumnus, '99
 

It's not just the lead story ...

To the editor,

I used to joke about "going postal." You know, giving in to the frustrations of a bad situation and blowing someone away. Joking about it would usually help, and the bad situation wouldn't seem so bad.

Thursday, a good friend of mine "went postal." She blew away her teenage daughter and son. The son is expected to recover. The daughter is gone.

I knew that my friend was carrying a tremendous load. Our church (in which she and her family were very active) was trying to help her. But the financial and emotional burdens of her situation were obviously taking a far greater toll than any of us realized.

You may have heard this story on the news. There were no race riots or nuclear meltdowns on the day it happened, so it was the lead story. The media spoke of the shock to the community and the lack of comprehension about how such a thing could happen.

I don't know why it happened, but I know it didn't have to. I know that there are people who loved and cared about this woman, because I was one of them. Maybe I couldn't help her, but I believe someone could have, had she been open about the depths of her despair.

Now I am at a loss, trying to explain to my own teenage daughter how her close friend could be with her at Bible study on one night and gone forever the next. It's a lesson no one should ever have to learn.

What do you do when you are at wit's end? Yes, life is tough, and we all get overwhelmed occasionally. But no matter how low you feel or how dark your situation appears, there is always a rational solution. One that doesn't involve death.

I still love my friend, and pray for her and her surviving son. I grieve for the lost daughter, a chronically ill child I helped care for. I hurt so much, as do so many others. It didn't have to be this way.

There is always help available. You are never alone. When your burden is too heavy to bear, call a friend and let them carry part of the load. That's what friends do. If you can't call a friend, call Crisis Hotline at (713) 228-1505. Call your parents. Call someone, anyone. There are people who care and who will help. Going postal isn't the answer.

Dori McAnulty,
senior, MIS
 

Tunnels are cool

To the editor,

When I went to UH (from 1979 to 1995), I liked to think that walking a zillion miles to my classes from my car was just part of my daily exercise routine. The worst part was walking through the rain on extremely cold days and nights -- and feeling unsafe on dark nights when nobody was around.

I took all the discomfort as just another part of the price to pay for getting a degree. It rains a lot in Houston and I always wished for some sort of underground tunnel system like they have in downtown Houston. Instead of standing out in the rain waiting for a bus, I would have liked to walk into an underground tunnel (with security cameras) and hop onto the first inbound electric golf cart made to accommodate six to eight students.

I think a tunnel system would have been cool, especially if it had had little shops along the way to pick up a bite to eat or grab a cough drop or pen on the way toward class. And it would have eliminated the weather problem, reduced pollution from buses and made me feel a bit more comfortable and safe coming to class.

Ken Clary Jr.,
alumnus, '95

Letters to the editor are welcome from all members of the UH community and should focus on issues, not personalities. Letters must be typed and must include the author's name, telephone number and affiliation with the University. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, language and space. Letters may be delivered in person to Room 151, Communication; e-mailed to dclettrs@mail.uh.edu; or faxed to (713) 743-5384.