College offers much to be learned

Brandon Moeller

I never understood the white flight of my parents and grandparents or the current trend to participate in the gentrification of the inner city,
pushing the poor and usually minority residents outside the Interstate 610 loop, as if predominately white yuppies have introduced a new
attitude of pioneerism.

I never understood communism, black political thought, the census or the real story of American history, labor unions, class hierarchies or jazz,
funk, soul and disco; punk, new age, the rave scene or hip-hop ... I thought rock 'n' roll was the only true American musical art form.

I never understood how presidents could not work for the public interest, how people could be systematically kept from participating in the
election process or how people would never desire to do so based on attitudes of removal, apathy and disgust.

I never understood how domestic organizations like the FBI and the CIA could be bad for freedom, until I learned how they plot to assassinate
foreign leaders, track free-thinkers who use their First Amendment rights to criticize the government and society and disrupt popularly and
democratically elected foreign governments. 

And I never understood how the FBI could accuse environmental or peace activists like Judy Bary of attempting to blow themselves up by
planting crude nail-bombs in their own cars. This under-publicized (because mainstream corporate news sources would rather toe the line
than go toe-to-toe with the line) travesty paralyzed Bary, who died an early and unnecessary death because of complications of the incident.

I never understood COINTELPRO, the Bay of Pigs, the joke they call the war on drugs and its subsequent industry or how buying illegal drugs
has always helped support terrorism and imperialism, contrary to the government's Super Bowl rhetoric.

I never understood the prison-industrial complex or the wasting of taxpayers' money; nor did I understand the corruption and ability to get
anything you want with money and power. I never understood anarchy, until I watched as all my fellow driving comrades on the early morning
interstate commute disobeyed the 55-miles-per-hour speed limits.

I never understood the ability to do anything one wants if one only employs the proper skills of rhetoric. This is best displayed by how Monsanto
was able to win a lawsuit in Canada when a man challenged the company for fining him for having Monsanto's patented crop on his field
without his putting it there.

The case didn't debate whether the farmer, Percy Schmeiser, stole the crop, as the case did establish the seed probably arrived on his land
through being blown by the wind; the case was about whether the now "contaminated" crop belonged to Monsanto or Schmeiser. The judge
ruled against the citizen farmer in this case, proving the gift of gab can do anything in this world.

I guess I never understood anything prior to coming to college. This week, the University celebrates its 75th anniversary. Whoopie. I've been
here so long I feel 75. Now, if only I can make it through this day when I have one test to take and two papers to turn in (for a combined total of
20 pages), I will know that I have stood up to the climax of the semester, looked it square in the eye and said something honorable.

I probably won't say anything, as the warm air surrounds me reminding me of how my education is persistent in getting in the way of my
education. In fact, if you see me today walking around with deep purple eyes and a sleep-deprived stumble in my step, don't say anything and
we might just possibly be able to coexist for yet another day.

Moeller, a senior communication
major, can be reached at brandonmoeller@hotmail.com.