Dear Editor,
In reference to Ryan Steman's Wednesday letter to the editor, I want to say I agree with Steman's comments in his letter to the editor. Education is necessary. I mean, we hope that when people "know better" that they would in effect "do better." However, contrary to Steman's comments about the University Core Curriculum, there are courses within the sociology, psychology and communications departments, the Honors College and several other departments that educate students about diversity.
For example, I had the opportunity to work on a Virginia Ball Center project called Learning from a Legacy of Hate. We researched the history of hate speech in Indiana, then created a Web site with interviews from victims of hate speech, curriculum ideas and other resources for the Ball State, Muncie and Indiana communities. This is not to say we should stop adding courses to educate Ball State University students about hate in our community, but there are efforts being made.
Second, I want to say that I disagree with Steman concerning his skepticism about the effectiveness of campaigns or protests like the Stop Hate campaign. The abolitionist, women's suffrage, civil rights and student rights movements were all protests, and I can say with all honesty that if it were not for these individual-led efforts, I would not be here at Ball State, as an African-American woman, getting ready to graduate in less than two weeks. I agree, education is important, but without a group of people to stand up and point out the existence of a problem, there cannot be any progress or education.
It is important for all of us, as citizens, to stand up and speak when we have concerns.
I am extremely passionate about the genocide currently happening in the Darfur region of the Sudan in Africa. All of us, as human beings, can speak out against this systematic murder. Please join me in learning more about what is going on there and writing letters to our government urging them to follow through on our pledge of "Never Again!"
I applaud those who have organized the Stop Hate campaign, and I thank you. Without people to speak out, all Americans would not have the ability to take full advantage of their rights as citizens.
A banner can make a difference, and we have seen that protests do create change. So, Steman, you are right, education is necessary. But without protests, without banners, without people speaking out, we wouldn't have organization. We wouldn't have unity; we wouldn't have change.
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