OCR Text |
Show , . THUNDmBIRD N THE THUNOEABIRDO SOUTHEAN UTAH UNIVERSITYO THURSDAY APRIL 2, 1992D PAGE 4 ---=-.-::...- .- MULTICULTURAL BEATS MELTING his month of April is National Native American Month, and SUU's chosen theme is called, "Perceptions of Native Americans Through History." Many events have been planned for the month by the SUU Multicultural Center, the SUU Inter-Tribal Club, SUU Convocations, the Utah Humanities Council and the SUU Student Association. Yet with excellent activities slated to celebrate American Indian culture, sponsors wonder if Americans are really getting reached. One of the philosophies propounded since America's inception is the idea of the "great American melting pot.'' As political correctness becomes entrenched as the popular culture of the 90' s, this idea is coming under question. Since before political correctness became the style, multiculturalism existed. Multiculturalism claims an ideal America is not so much a melting pot as a '' tossed salad.'' As British and European immigrants kept arriving, those of similar skin color easily "melted in." Like.wise, most already spoke English, and if not, learned to speak it in order to succeed. In later years those of radically distinct cultural and religious background such as Chinese mining and railroad workers, African slaves, and the existing Native American population, found the melting pot a stew, not a broth. In the civil-rights era, African Americans gained increased ability to join the melting pot, but even now the American Hispanic population threatens to outnumber them and even the long-predominant W.A.S.P.s. Rumors of increasing racial tensions between the African American and Hispanic American special interest groups abound, as well as a possible union of lobbying forces in order to gain a bigger piece of the government aid and social dominance pie. A backlash from this racial meltdown perhaps has helped multiculturalism. Bills affmning English as the official language and requiring ''English-only'' speaking in the workplace have met with rejection in many states. Because multiculturalism affirms the individuality of societies and cultures, it finds wide acceptance in this time of political correctness. The Thunderbird feels students must take interest in all cultures of the earth, especially those in our own country. Through mutual understanding, awareness education and shared values, the beauty and strength from our differences may be fully appreciated. ----=-== T TIIB THUNDfflBIRD SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY D CEDAR CITY, UTAH Editor Cbc:ris Tucker Auocute Editor David John,on Copy Editor Jennifer Morley Photo Editor Eric Roderick Sports Editor Jay Hinton Production Maruager Rachelle Mullcnnax Adw:rtuing Bep Ben Blackbum Staff Pmduc:tion Head Lynn Dennett Faculty Adriler Larry Baker The TllurJnl,;rd is published each Monday and Thursday of thc academic l"'ar by and br the •udent body of Southern Ucah Uniwnity and is noi affiliated with the Uniwnity's dcpartmcnr of rommunication. The views and opinions o.prcued in TIit TJ.,,,,J,,,/,i, arc thaoe af individual writers and do noi nett3Sarily rdkct the view, of the institution, faculty, staff or student body in g,encral. The unsigned editorial directly abo,.,c is the opinion a( TIit T1aardt,l,ird as a tingle entity. ~tiers to the editor must be typed and include the name and phone number. Only the name will be printed. Names will not be withhdd under any circulTIIWICCS and the editor rescrves editing privileges. uucn must be submitted by noon Fridays for Monday editions; 5 p.m. Tuadays for Thunday editions. G r i ~ , Any individual with a grievance ag;unst TIit ~ should direct such pmblem 6rst to the editor. If unrcool-1, that grievance should then be ditteted to the advi-. If still unresolwd, the grievance, should be directed 10 the SUU Publications Council, 586-7710. TN TNndnf!rrd.: offices in SUU Technology Building 003. Mail at SUU Box 9384, Cedar City, trT 84720. Phone (801) 586-7757, 586-7758, 586-7750, 586-5488. FAX 586-5487. .... .. ;,.:.· .,. ... "' LETTERS Religious activists reject Constitution TO THE EDITOR: The following is a copy of a fax message to God: Dear God, I don't know if you know what is going on hen:: in Utah. It seems that the anti-abortionists do not care to understand your wishes for the people of this country. Lord, would you please bless the antiabortionists so they would know that it was your will in giving this country its great Constitution. So that people would have a place to go to live under the protection of liberty, free will, and the free exercise in worshipping you as they believe. God, these sick people who have perpetuated Satan's will here in Utah have passed a law so evil that it will destroy the very foundation of your great nation's liberty here on Earth. Satan's people passed a law (for her pleasure) that is a contradiction to its stated purpose. For example, Lord, they, the evil anti-abortionists, claimed that they gave their goddess, Satan, a rational antiliberty abortion bill. All because the bill allows abortion under certain conditions (rape, incest, and the mother's health). But all they want to do is give these unborn children a conversation like so: "Hey, Unborn Baby, because your mother is a bad person, we will allow you to live." "We're sorry, Unborn Baby , because your mother is basically a good person, we will allow -you to die!" They, the evil of the deyil' s anti-choice crowd, claim that they believe that "politicalcorrectness" is wrong. Still they won't allow the children of God to use the name of '' Liberti' in its court battle against these evil anti-abortionists all because they think it is not politically correct. Lord, these anti-liberty people seemed to forget that when the U.S. Constitution was written abortions were allowed in our great nation. In fact you would have to go to the end of the 19th century to find someone being charged with a crime of an illegal abortion before quickening {a period when the baby moves inside the mother and is felt by her). Our godly forefathers knew it was your will, that is why we have the Ninth and Tenth Amendments (which allowed th.e states and the people, see the lasr four words in the Bill of Rights, the known rights of the time). Lord, the funny thing here is that after some billion years of not being involved in politics, the anti-choice crowd feels that abortion is the one issue that you are now going to get yourself involved with ( they even got you on the wrong side of the issue, that you would be politically on). Still Lord, the anti-abortionists may get mad at this fax; but bless them, they know not what they do. William R. Winkler |