Put this in your pipe:stop thinking stupid
June 25, 1997
There are many things that intrigue the mind in this world, many things that cause us to think about why things are the way they are.
Seriously, think about it.
There are many a thing in our world that if we were to think about, we would have little choice but to laugh at ourselves.
Here’s an example: You see someone walking down the street with a tackle box in one hand and a fishing rod in the other. Now, what is the first thing you ask when you see them?
If you are any normal person, it would be, “Going fishing?” Now think to yourself; isn’t this a dumb-ass question? If you were really paying attention you wouldn’t need to ask this question.
What about when you walk into a doctor’s office, the receptionist asks you if he/she can help you. The first thing your silly behind says is, “I need to see a doctor.”
Human beings are the newest creatures on the planet and also the funniest.
We do the dumbest things and ask the silliest questions. We write the most foolish things and say the least profound.
Sure, I know that we have moments when we showcase our greatness, but I guarantee you the bad things clearly outnumber the great astonishing things.
You can find a lot of this in history, even if the books don’t tell you. History will show making a mistake can get you a lot more than you bargained for.
Think about Custer. He made one of history’s greatest foul-ups when underestimating the Sioux, and look where he is now. What about the guy who thought up the atomic bomb? And I know the guy who cut Michael Jordan from the varsity squad must have trouble sleeping nights.
I’m sure Lewis Latimer wasn’t counting on Thomas Edison taking the credit for the filament that makes the incandescent light bulb work.
I’ll even bet right before he killed himself Hitler was kicking himself, asking, “Where did I go wrong?”
Then, on the other hand, saying some stupid things can get you remembered forever whether you want to or not.
Wasn’t it Yogi Berra who said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental and 50 percent physical”? (At least I think I got that right.)
Or what about the numerous stupid things that Dan Quale said (I am the child of a single parent)? How are those family values now, Danny Boy?
It is virtually impossible to be a human being and not say, do or think something really stupid. Believe me; I know.
But it’s okay. No, really, it is. Unless you are just always doing it, there is nothing wrong with it. It is in human nature to be an idiot sometimes. Sometimes you have to think crazy and stupid — it’s the only way things will get done once in awhile.
However, thinking crazy things may at times be okay, but it isn’t always acceptable.
Like for those of you who are thinking the administration must be crazy to hire Thomas Hill for vice president of student affairs position.
You are probably saying that he’s no Tom Thielen. Of course not! Who would want to be? I know that I find it hard enough to be myself without trying to be someone else. I’m sure that Mr. Hill has the same problem.
Tom Thielen is a great educator and a good human being, and he will be missed. But for all you momentary idiots, this is a crazy thought and one you should be ashamed of having. Thomas Hill wants to do the best job that he can, and if you go comparing him to his predecessor in every move that he makes he will never be able to do that job.
I cringe at the thought that some of us that are having these mental lapses might actually be thinking that Mr. Hill isn’t qualified based on his skin color.
(This is where I faint and have to be revived by Vanity and an IV hooked up to Tony Braxton.)
Okay, now I’m back. Where was I? Oh yeah: skin color. If you are basing your thoughts on that, all I can say is to stop it. That shit is useless, pointless, stupid, ignorant and just plain dumb.
People who do that do so because they can’t find anything else to base an opinion on.
If you want to say he’s unqualified, do so based on his experience or lack of it. Maybe even do so based on lack of initiative. But I guess you can’t do it based on those criteria, since, after all, he has tremendous experience (look at his resume) and obviously has some kind of ego to even apply for the position.
The man deserves — and most likely wants — input from everyone, whether they be black, white, brown, yellow or red. He may be black, but that has no meaning at all. He may be the first African American VICE PRESIDENT for student affairs at ISU. So what?
What is important is that he listens to ALL students, and I mean ALL students. Just because he is an African American doesn’t mean that we are about to take over. (Well maybe just take over a little bit.)
It simply means that now there are precisely five black people in Ames and they all either work for or attend Iowa State University.
Mr. Hill will do a fine job if we let him.
So stop thinking and saying all those stupid things.
Increase the peace.
Later y’all.
Rhaason Mitchell is a senior in journalism and mass communications from Chicago.