Not a great university
In the Dec. 17 editorial “Time for answers at Carolina,” reprinted in the Journal, the editors of the News & Observer of Raleigh opine that “the members of [the public] ... believe UNC-Chapel Hill is a great university....”
As a member of the public, I take issue with this assertion. Any academic institution that demonstrates such complete disdain and scorn for African and Afro-American Studies is not a great university. By its actions, UNC has made clear that it considers study of the history and existence of black people in this country and throughout the world as unworthy of serious scholarship; as nothing more than an excuse for an “easy A.”
What a slap in the face to African-Americans throughout the state of North Carolina, and particularly to the UNC Chapel Hill student-athlete African-Americans. And to add insult to injury, this slap in the face comes during the five-year sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment. Unwittingly, UNC Chapel Hill has become a metaphor for the distorted thinking that established a nation underpinned by the atrocities of the Middle Passage and the genocide of Native Americans.
UNC-Chapel Hill is not — and will not be — a great university, until it addresses this egregious lapse and makes the entirety of its African and Afro-American Studies curriculum a rigorous course of study that is second to none.
REBECCA L. BRYANT
Winston-Salem
High hurdles
Who would not prefer clean-energy sources to dirty air and the continued destruction of mountain tops and communities by the coal industry? Apparently, our elected officials in Raleigh and Washington like things the way they are.
The federal tax credit for wind turbines is about to expire for a third time, leaving the industry in disarray and bringing a halt to wind-farm development across the nation. A study commissioned by the wind industry predicts the loss of 37,000 jobs as a result of the credit’s expiration. Yet Washington continues to heavily subsidize fossil fuels. And in Raleigh, there appears to be a move afoot by the Republican-controlled legislature to eliminate the requirements for Duke Energy and Progress Energy to provide even a small percentage points of electricity from clean alternative fuels like wind, solar and biomass.
With hope, our elected representatives will come to understand that we need their leadership to bring clean wind energy off of our coast rather than the oil and gas drilling rigs they seem so determined to welcome.
Thanks for bringing these issues and concerns to your readers' attention with your Dec. 28 editorial, “Overcoming hurdles could lead to use of renewable resources.”
GUS PRESCHLE
Clemmons
Very simply
This is, very simply, how it should work: When the economy is good and employment high, corporate taxes go down. When the economy is bad and employment is down, corporate taxes go up. And the extra taxes go to pay for unemployment benefits.
There’s nothing wrong with making a profit, even as a primary objective. But if our corporations exist only to make a profit, they’re not profiting America. Corporations, in a moral America, should also exist to make life better for Americans, or at least to not make it worse by paying slave wages and polluting the environment.
This opinion is not the product of a socialist philosophy or, for that matter, a consumerist philosophy or any other. It is the product, I believe, of common sense.
HENRY TUBB
Winston-Salem
Professionals know
Recent calls from the NRA and local gun proponents for arming teachers is a knee-jerk reaction from those more interested in protecting their gun rights than our children.
No law-enforcement associations have endorsed the proposal for arming teachers and adding law-enforcement officers to school staff. Could it be that these professionals know that an armed officer or teacher is at a distinct disadvantage when faced with someone with a semi-automatic assault rifle?
Could it be that these professionals know that a fire fight in close quarters could well lead to the killing of innocent bystanders by “the good guys?”
Could it be that even trained law-enforcement officers are hard pressed to defend themselves when surprised by an armed attacker and that over 70 law-enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year?
Do we really want our teachers’ workdays to be spent on the firing line? Do we really want to risk having our children killed by friendly fire in the halls and classrooms of our schools?
Let’s stop listening to the fanatics and start listening to the professionals when it comes to school safety. If the state of North Carolina finds it necessary to limit the sale of alcohol through state-owned stores to protect the population from the evils of “demon rum,” perhaps we should have the same protection from guns and ammunition.
JOHN WIGODSKY
Winston-Salem
A Connecticut lawyer has indicated he may cancel his plans to sue the state for $100 million for failing to protect children in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre -- at least for now.
ReplyDeleteWhen he filed to request permission to bring the suit, the lawyer told WFSB the state of Connecticut "did not do enough to provide for" the safety of the Sandy Hook students. The state of Connecticut has immunity to most lawsuits, unless permission is given to go ahead with any given claim.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57561543/lawyer-may-shelve-plans-to-sue-connecticut-for-$100m-over-sandy-hook-elementary-school-massacre/
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He'll never admit it, but one of the reasons he's dropping his suit is because it'll reveal that the NRA is probably right. Schools do need more security, and probably need armed guards.
Hello!
Glad you enjoyed the Gamecocks game OT. Go Cocks!
ReplyDeleteI never in my wildest dreams ever thought I'd be a Gamecock fan. I remember attending a game in Kenan stadium and seeing the visitor side covered in what at that time I called crimson but now know as garnet.
The Gamecocks beat the Tarheels. Many years later I am the proud parent of a "Carolina" graduate(and I'm not referring to UNC) and I can't say enough about the experience she had at there. While the LTE today described UNC as not a great university, I disagree and now think there are two great Carolinas.
It is sad that sports has become such a driver of college status and funding dynamics, but this is reality of our current higher education system. It seems the Tarheels will play the Gamecocks in the 2013 season opener. Either way I'm a winner.
When I was at UNC, we played the Gamecocks at their place (beautiful stadium, btw). We came up with a cheer ("Lick the Cocks, Tar Heels, lick the Cocks!") and were warned by our assistant band director, Allen Reep, that we were "going to Columbia, South Carolina: the redneck capital of the world", so we had better be on our best behavior. We won the game and had a good time afterwards as I recall. Some hotel furniture might have wound up in the pool (we stayed the night), but that memory is a bit fuzzy.
DeleteLast may, Christine Quinn and Kim Catullo got married at the Highline Stages, adjacent to New York's newest and coolest park, "The Highline", built mostly on the elevated lines of the old Pennsylvania Railroad.
ReplyDeleteThey came down the aisle on the arms of their respective fathers and were married by former New York chief judge Judith Kaye. Among the 300 or so in attendance were New York governor Andrew Cuomo, both New York senators and most of the state's Congressional delegation, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, the NY city police commissioner, many members of the state legislature and the city council and many other celebrities. The governor's wedding gift to the couple was a framed copy of New York's new Marriage Equity bill.
Tony Award winning actress and singer Audra McDonald sang the Gershwins' song "He Loves and She Loves" with a slight tweak to the lyrics. When judge Kaye pronounced the couple married, the crowd leaped to its feet and cheered. At the end of the wedding dinner, as the wedding cake was being served, the famous "Big Gay Ice Cream Truck" pulled up outside and served the guests ice cream cones and milkshakes to go with the cake.
Ms. Catullo is a senior partner at the Gibbons law firm, one of the most powerful in the world. Ms. Quinn is the speaker of the New York City council, and the front runner in the 2013 mayoral election.
In the 60s, Bob Dylan sang "The times they are a-changin…the old order is rapidly fadein'". They were then and they are now. There has been a brief "American Dark Age", ushered in by the Great Reagan and continued by the Bush's and the now rapidly fadein' "Tea Party". The change will accelerate as the Grand Old Bigot Party commits seppuku upon its alter of greed, selfishness bias and outright hate.
Many will be, as the evangelicals like to put it, "left behind". Maybe the "white flighters" in King and Lewisville ought to be working on their secession petitions. "Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie".
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DeleteAll of America will soon be one big ghetto. Mexico and Canada will soon be vigilantly patrolling their borders for illegal, stinky, impoverished Americans. I''ll bet those countries won't be doling out free health care, food stamps, and housing the them when that happens though.
DeleteBy the way 'spelling/grammar boy', 'may' should have been capitalized.
Good afternoon folks! Back to the grind day.
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: "As a member of the public..." - unfortunately, the public has a tendency to rant and make blanket statements before investigating all aspects of the situation as is the case here. It was a few courses within the department, not the entire department that were in dispute. All schools have what my academic advisor called "Mickey Mouse" courses that allow a student to fulfill an elective requirement without a great deal of effort so that the student can spend more time on the more challenging and time consuming courses. It is also true that some degrees are more academically challenging than others and athletes that barely met the entrance requirements are often steered towards these less challenging majors (check out how many Duke athletes major in Sociology). Ms. Bryant should check out the history of blacks and black athletes at UNC in comparison to the rest of the South before making blanket condemnations.
LTE 2: Tax credits are generally granted based on how powerful the lobby or representatives backing the industry. Wind turbines are interesting in that the public seems to have a generally positive view of them, but absolutely detest the idea of having the turbines anywhere nearby. Mr. Preschle may be enthralled with the idea of wind turbines off the NC coast, but there are a lot of people along the coast who would strongly disagree.
LTE 3: "..very simply..", "...common sense" - (heavy sigh). Oh, if only the economics of the world's largest and most complex economy were that simple...but it ain't. Furthermore, lowering taxes under growing economies while raising them under shrinking economies is the exact opposite of what you want to do. The former would further fuel inflation while the latter would decrease demand even more thus extending the downturn. Btw..the purpose of any business is to make a profit. If a business didn't make a profit, eventually it would no longer exist.
LTE 4: Continuation of the gun debate. The consensus appears to be that arming teachers is a very bad idea and providing armed guards at every school may not be financially feasible nor effective.
At Princeton they used to have a 101 level Geology course called "rocks for jocks".
DeleteLTE #1 - Certainly the university has been, and will be even more, shamed by the African-American studies scandal. But one scandal cannot deny the fact that UNC is one of the best state universities in the country.
ReplyDeleteAnd UNC is far from being the only school that uses certain majors to warehouse their football players.
At Georgia Tech, it is “management”, which Tech students have nicknamed the “M Train”. At Duke and Clemson it is sociology, at Wake Forest “communications”, but my favorite is Texas A&M: “agricultural leadership”.
As one college dean points out "It’s pretty much the same at all Division I schools…they’re majoring in eligibility, with a minor in beating the system."
One football player chose Georgia Tech from among the many schools recruiting him because he wanted to major in architecture. During his orientation, his academic adviser laughed at the idea. “Son, you’re looking at hundreds of hours of labs,” he told the player. So the player got on the “M Train”.
But then there is Myron Rolle, who earned a Rhodes scholarship while starting at strong safety for Florida State…I’ll repeat that, Florida State. He took a year off from football to study at Oxford and is now trying to make it in the NFL. Ultimately, he hopes to become a neurosurgeon.
Regarding UNC and African Americans
DeleteWhat's amazing is: African Americans get frequently pandered to-especially if they're reasonably bright, and then they have the gall to complain?
The more you give, the more people want you to give. I think my mother told me that one time.
I sometimes wish I could have been like Rush, going to that big fancy law school over there on Silas Creek.
DeleteThen I thought, Hell no! I'd rather have been like Arthur-cruising the chicks down on Franklin St, pounding down brews telling 'em how smart I am, and how much money I'm going to make. Yeah! That's more my style.
By the way Rush, thanks for the education on the types of weapons and magazines that the criminals used at Columbine a few years ago. Again, you helped me make my continuing point that limiting the capacity of gun magazines will do little, to nothing, to stop mass murder.
ReplyDeleteWhich I have been saying for weeks, which shockingly puts us on the same page for once.
DeleteHowever, since you have a severe reading disability called "only seeing what you want to see" you end up arguing with someone who isn't arguing with you, you surest sign of a fool that I know of.
I knew more about guns when I was 11 years old than you will ever know.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Sure you do Rush.....sure you do.
DeleteBy the way, how many bowls of pot did you smoke New Years? You were a little slow getting back into the game.
I resubmit my suggestion that gun owners be licensed. Considering that the 2nd Amendment includes the words "well regulated," though applied to militiae, amendments are sufficiently malleable (see Amendment 1) to move the phrase around and apply it to well-regulated owners.
DeleteThe license would be necessary in order to possess, transport, or purchase firearms; or to purchase ammunition or significant parts, such as frames or detachable magazines, all of which would be purchased in person from a licensed dealer. Persons unable to qualify for licensure, or felons or adjudicated substance users or mental cases would be ineligible for licenses.
As noted above, all firearms transactions would have to be through licensed dealers, with perhaps dispensation for hereditary transfers, assuming the heir could be licensed.
Costs of licensing could be underwritten by a reasonable, not punitive, tax on firearms, parts, and ammunition/reloading supplies.
Would this stop all the Newtowns? Doubtful, might not have even stopped Newtown itself, since the murderer was actually declined for a rifle sale. But, I think the plan would keep firearms out of some hands.
Oh, penalty for possession of a firearm without a license, first offense a year and a day, on top of any other penalties, not to run concurrent with other sentences. While we're at it, let's up the sentences for gun crimes, period, and see what happens. How to pay for the extended jail stays? Decriminalize drug use/possession. That will clear jail cells and would cut down on gun play in the first place.
Stab, that was a very thoughtful post, from a very thoughtful man. I don't think it would work. We've got too many guns in our world already. Ciminals would continue to be able to obtain and use guns illegally. That's just my opinion, however.
DeleteStab, I think your suggestion could work although your penalties seem a bit too harsh for me. It might not have been feasible in years past without the potential for online registration, but hey we do have the internet now.
DeleteI am also in favor of an ammunition tax. I could even go for the idea that firearms that over so many years old would be exempt as well as some other classifications that were not so potentially deadly. The sad thing is that the NRA has made it illegal for the CDC to even study and categorize the effects of gun violence or for that matter the purported benefits of concealed carry.
Very Simply LTE:
ReplyDeleteCorporations do not pay taxes. They collect taxes. From consumers and taxpayers. WE pay corporate taxes, most of WE being the oft-cited 98%.
According to Politico, several sources claimed to have overheard a verbal altercation between the two men in the White House lobby.
ReplyDeleteWith no bipartisan agreement about the debt ceiling, spending cuts and tax increases in sight, Boehner reportedly pointed at Reid and said, "Go f**k yourself."
"What are you talking about?" Reid asked.
And Boehner again said, "Go f**k yourself."
Republican family values at work. And Boehner repeats himself, because he can't think of anything else to say, just like our own parrot.
DeleteGreat Moments in American Statesmanship, Part 1