Newspaper Page Text
November, 7987 / Maroon Tiger / Page 5
OPINIONS
Fraternity Lines
The Blind Leading the Blind?
by Karl Robinson
Once again this campus
along with many others are in
the midst of pledging. The
guessing games as to who will
be a pledgee areoverandthe
ones you’d least expect turn
up on some fraternity line.
Good! It is traditional. It
creates excitement,
especially for those of us who
must wait in long cafeteria
lines. But let us look critically
at fraternities and pledgees
and their relationship to us as
a student body. What good
are they. What value are they
to those of us, who for
whatever reason are not
members of fraternities.
With the p o's s i b I e
exception of a fraternity
throwing nice parties — the
benefits which boosters
fraternity bank accounts —
there is really very little
substancially that a fraternity
does for a collegiate
community. Sure a fraternity
stands for service to the
community, etc., and they do
perform service projects such
as blood bank drives, visiting
convalescent homes, aiding
kids in tutorial programs.
These are noble causes
indeed but fraternity
organizations are blind if only
they see the needs of people
being outside our campus
walls and neglect the needs
inside its own backyard.
Charity starts at home.
It amazes me how hard I
see the S.G.A. year after year
struggle with the seemingly
perennial issues that
confronts the student body:
apathy towards the care of
the buildings and grounds,
lack of recreational facilities
for the enjoyment of all
instead of just athletes,
concerns that are legitimate
but always seems to lack
Editorial
It should seem odd that after the suspect of two of the child
murders, Wayne Williams, wias arrested, the murders have
suddenly stopped. Williams is only accused of twoof thechild
murders: therefore, it seems suspicious thatthe murders have
not continued.
Perhaps we ought to take more seriously Dick Gregory’s
hypothesis of what is happening in Atlanta. Gregory believes
the government is responsible for the child murders. He
believes the government is performing experiments on the
children for the purpose of cancer reseafch. A substance
called interferon, which is found in the male testicles, is
believed to cure cancer. And what is more, the center for
disease control, which does experiments of government
interest, is conveniently located in Atlanta.
The government has experimented on Blacks before;
therefore, they should not be above our suspicion in the case.
In 1939, at Tuskeegee, Alabama, Blacks were injected with
syphilis for the purpose of learning how syphilis affects
humans over a life span. The lack of enthusiasm in this
country’s law enforcement agencies to capture persons who
have committed violent acts against Blacks and give
substantial sentences to those convicted of violent acts against
Blacks testifies to this country’s injustices and inhumanities
against Blacks.
Williams is accused of only two of the murders. Is another
murderer or others on the loose responsible for 26 more
murders? It seems suspicious that the murders would stop
altogether after one suspect is caught. The murders seem to be
of a profesisonal type; there are no clues of any kind. The
evidence the district attorney has on Williams is
circumstantial. No clues would lead one to believe the
murders were planned at a high level. To top it all off, we have
been given the impression that with the conviction of Williams
the situation will be over. Whether the government is truly
responsible for the death of these Black children we will
probably never know; but the government is indicted for
these crimes anyway, because in the final analysis, the
conditions in society depend on the government.
people involvement to help
solve them.
Pledgees ought to be
required to register between
25 and 50 people, including
themselves, before being
considered for becoming a
member of a fraternity. They
could, along with other
organizations, get together
and knock on doors in
dormitories reminding
students to vote.
Pledgees at Morehouse
ought to be required to read
all of Benjamin May’s books
along with other great Afro-
American works. Fraternities
are good at giving only lip
service to causes which
benefit a few 3nd neglect
causes which calls for great
sacrifices and yet they thrive
on the word “service.”
if the fraternities and the
S G.A. or newspaper gave
a benefit basketball game for
example, notonly would it be
profitable, but it would open
new avenues of
communications and
hopefully lead to better
results on any other school
project. Money earned will
hardly be told how to spend
by either President Glosteror
Mr. Perdue — in fact, they
would welcome it. they are
tired of the S.G.A. crying for
more money when they
really do not know how to
spend it.
A fraternity should judge
its responsibility by posing
this question: Will our efforts
yield .personal gratification
for us few or edification for
the many.
Or will the blind continue
to lead the blind?
From The
Desk Of
The Editor
Since it becomes the nature of man to be
presumptuous in his analysis of situations, and too
flowery in his articulations and interpretations of them, I
pray that the spirit of my intent will assist my pen and
cleanse the purpose for which I write. In my first article I
attempted to inspire inquiry into the present realities of
black relationships. After such comments as “well Maxie
you could have been more direct” or you should have
been more forceful if you want to make them aware” I
must acknowledge that my purpose was not to make
"them” aware, but to make awareness available.
Ignorance is merely blindness fed by neglect.
Awareness is all around you. Look for yourself, for your
own inspiration to act. One will not accept what he does
not see and he will never see the whole while squinting.
Ignorance of American Economic and Political
institutions and the way they affect black people
throughout the world is denial of self. For those of us
squinting through American eyes, I would like to remind
you that America:
• has taken a radical turn toward conservatism. We are in
a second reconstruction. The distinctions of race will
again appear as the funds that keep the poorer black
community alive and send black men and women to
school begin to disappear.
• has taken a turn, that turns its back on its black
community. American nationalism will begin to appear
again, blacks and whites together, one big happy family.
If we allow these images to shape our lives we will move
backwards twenty years.
• is desperately concerned about the “black
problem” and the “Black Movement.” She desires either
black support or unconsciousness. She will beat you to
sleep with words like bravery, honor, truth, justice and
other abstractions that have never existed here except in
certain governmental document or shewilltrytoseduce
you with the promise of personal economic
advancement.
® can no longer control us if we can control our
resources. We can control our lives and our destinies!
• has produced such phenomenal personalities as
Gwendolyn Brooks, Imamu Baraka, Contee Cullen,
Owen Dodson, Lerone Bennet and others who have
excelled. We must read black literature, reflect upon the
realities of black life. Remember ignorance is neglect do
not for any reason while you live, lest you die fighting it,
neglect yourself.
Be Proud, Knowledgeable and Black
Eric Franklyn Maxie
SGA Fails to Communicate?
by Karl Robinson
The Student Government
Association at Morehouse
has once again this year
rubber stamped the same
mistakes of past SGA’s at this
institution. Most
upperclassmen and staff
personnel understand that
Homecoming is the main
event in the school calendar
year. But it will be a shame if
the S.G.A. this year, in light of
economic conditions,
continues to spend huge
amounts- of money on our
celebration and ignore the
more basic and fundamental
needs of the student body. I
would propose this
alternative, action agenda, to
be seriously considered by
our student body leaders —
leaders who for the most part
are now engaged in following
past S.G.A. agendas.
Consider this:
1. Washing machines. It
costs 75 cents to wash clothes
in and around f Morehouse
College. It costs 25 cents to
dry your clothes. Th&re is no
reason why the S.G.A. cannot
allocate money for the
maintenance and upkeep of
the washing machines in the
basement of the Kappa
House right here on campus.
I hesitate to suggest that the
leaders in the S.G.A. are off-
campus students who care
little about how students on-
campus live, but . . .
2. On-Campus
Recreation. Recreation is
extremely important for the
physical and spiritual growth