Spring Break
Column: Leave hate and ignorance behind
James Stewart/Columnist
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Opinions
This semester, I have written on a wide variety of topics, from PETA to Proposition 8, from Octomom to the new Facebook layout. I've talked about a lot. Normally, I sit at my desk the morning before my column comes out, and I stare at the Google News page, Fark.com and BBC's world news page waiting for a story to strike my interest. Sometimes I have an agenda to further but not often. I'm generally content to sit back and mock those who take themselves far too seriously. However, at this point, I have an opportunity I cannot pass up.
Thursday night in the Phipps Lecture Hall of the Physical Science Building, representatives from EIU Pride sat before the campus community to field questions from the general population. They sat unashamed before the assembly, asking only to be respected and patiently awaited the questions - serious or not - they had prepared to field for months. This was the EIU Pride Campus-Wide Panel.
Some students - especially those in family and consumer sciences, counseling and psychology, and the school of education - are familiar with an EIU Pride Panel. Pride is the only organized voice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender interests at Eastern. As such, they provide an important educational service: They offer to come into classes and introduce themselves, tell their stories and field questions from students. The questions range from, "When did you know you were gay/bisexual/lesbian?" to, "How does sex between two men/women work?" The panelists answer the questions they are comfortable with. The purpose of these panels is to educate individuals about gay people. Some individuals at Eastern have never met an LGBT person. Therefore, everything they know is second-hand knowledge from news sources and friends. The panels seek to speak to those people and answer the questions that they don't have any venue to ask otherwise.
Even if you missed the EIU Pride Campus-Wide Panel, that doesn't mean your question - if you have one - needs to go unanswered. You don't even need to have a question. If you disagree with homosexuality, all the better. Representatives from the gay community can be found on Facebook. Just search for "EIU Pride" and send a message to any of the administrators of the site.
Why am I saying this? Because there is a lot of hate in the world. There is a lot of hate at Eastern. Hate comes from ignorance, and education stops ignorance. If you're informed and you still hate, then you are a fool. Every human being deserves to be respected because they are creations of God. If you don't believe in God, then let me rephrase: Every human being deserves to be respected because they are alive. They deserve the same respect you expect to receive.
You don't have to accept, but you do have to acknowledge, tolerate and respect. To do otherwise is to forfeit your own right to the respect you should receive because you are alive. Fight ignorance. Fight hate. It's your job to educate yourself.
James Stewart is a junior English major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
Thursday night in the Phipps Lecture Hall of the Physical Science Building, representatives from EIU Pride sat before the campus community to field questions from the general population. They sat unashamed before the assembly, asking only to be respected and patiently awaited the questions - serious or not - they had prepared to field for months. This was the EIU Pride Campus-Wide Panel.
Some students - especially those in family and consumer sciences, counseling and psychology, and the school of education - are familiar with an EIU Pride Panel. Pride is the only organized voice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender interests at Eastern. As such, they provide an important educational service: They offer to come into classes and introduce themselves, tell their stories and field questions from students. The questions range from, "When did you know you were gay/bisexual/lesbian?" to, "How does sex between two men/women work?" The panelists answer the questions they are comfortable with. The purpose of these panels is to educate individuals about gay people. Some individuals at Eastern have never met an LGBT person. Therefore, everything they know is second-hand knowledge from news sources and friends. The panels seek to speak to those people and answer the questions that they don't have any venue to ask otherwise.
Even if you missed the EIU Pride Campus-Wide Panel, that doesn't mean your question - if you have one - needs to go unanswered. You don't even need to have a question. If you disagree with homosexuality, all the better. Representatives from the gay community can be found on Facebook. Just search for "EIU Pride" and send a message to any of the administrators of the site.
Why am I saying this? Because there is a lot of hate in the world. There is a lot of hate at Eastern. Hate comes from ignorance, and education stops ignorance. If you're informed and you still hate, then you are a fool. Every human being deserves to be respected because they are creations of God. If you don't believe in God, then let me rephrase: Every human being deserves to be respected because they are alive. They deserve the same respect you expect to receive.
You don't have to accept, but you do have to acknowledge, tolerate and respect. To do otherwise is to forfeit your own right to the respect you should receive because you are alive. Fight ignorance. Fight hate. It's your job to educate yourself.
James Stewart is a junior English major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
J
posted 4/24/09 @ 12:48 AM CST
["If you're informed and you still hate, then you are a fool. Every human being deserves to be respected because they are creations of God. If you don't believe in God, then let me rephrase: Every human being deserves to be respected because they are alive. (Continued…)
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