Jordan Lanini hit the issue on the head with his recent editorial dealing with the insulting and racist remarks made by Danielle Heselbach. More remains to be said, but many people were hush during the recent self-starvation of Allan Nosworthy.

Frankly, I ask if it is equally unjust to risk your own life, putting blame on the university for such a selfish act, all because of the name of a building.

I came from Nebraska, a state with some of the toughest and most recognized multicultural mandates in the United States. In fact, the bill was drawn up with the help of Mr. Jim Kubik, my teacher, and some of his students, my close friends.

I have seen what multiculturalism can do to people. When something is shoved down people’s throats, they are bound to reject it. I find this is the case with the pending demands from those students who believe whites are racist.

These demands seem like a cry for attention. Back in the ’60s, a “separate but equal” policy was enforced.

Great people such as Martin Luther King peacefully fought, saying everyone should be equal. Lately, I see the same thing on the opposite side.

The whole force of King’s arguments was that we need to unify. I could not agree more. It is when some — not all — minority groups cry for diversity and against abnormal treatment that the entire fight of King is overthrown. Why is everyone trying to diversify? Aren’t we supposed to be trying to unite to form a great nation?

Not only have these groups asked for separate treatment, but they also have noted that we are not allowed to bask in the glory. Flipping through channels, I see stations like WB and BET. If whites were to have their own channel, the effects would be devastating. We would be painted in white robes, posting burning crosses on people’s lawns.

Yet, when I watch the reruns of a recent Saturday Night Live episode, I am hurt to see Chris Rock insulting not only whites, but other minorities. Reverse racism is just as much a problem now as it was with our ancestors many years ago.

On that, I conclude by saying let the past go and quit the name-calling. My heritage German, but I am not called a German American. Why do certain minorities preferred to be called African Americans or Asian Americans when most of these people have never been to, or have never been, citizens of such countries?

Aren’t we all Americans? All of our ancestors, save Native Americans (who do have the right to be called such), came from some other country and, yes, our white ancestors made mistakes. Let us not worry about the past and instead focus our attention on uniting as one power heading into the future.

Heath Stewart

Freshman

Computer science