Letter to the President of the University of Texas at Austin:
There is the foul smell of appeasement rising from leadership at the University of Texas--my three time alma mater.
I lived Moore Hill and Roberts dorms for 3.5 years. Did I ever know that they had any affiliation with confederates? No. Nor did the vast majority of those who lived in those dorms these past decades.
So why change the names? To appease a handful of athletes--who themselves only a few year (perhaps months) ago, had no idea who these people were either.
Changing the names with boost their self esteem, make them feel whole? Perhaps they'll enjoy this "progress" a few days...a few hours?
Does making historic names disappear advance anything? Will it satiate the demands of those looking to "whitewash" history? No (I suppose we need to ban that word too)
Once again I look upon UT leadership as cowards.
Nothing has been accomplished--token change has a thin veneer that disappears almost instantly.
What remains? The next round of statues, words, and names to be banished. Are hearts and minds changed? No.
It is a mockery...tokenism...a weak tribute to George Orwell...likely soon to be repeated. (Perhaps you can burn a few books while your at it?)
There is the foul smell of appeasement rising from leadership at the University of Texas--my three time alma mater.
I lived Moore Hill and Roberts dorms for 3.5 years. Did I ever know that they had any affiliation with confederates? No. Nor did the vast majority of those who lived in those dorms these past decades.
So why change the names? To appease a handful of athletes--who themselves only a few year (perhaps months) ago, had no idea who these people were either.
Changing the names with boost their self esteem, make them feel whole? Perhaps they'll enjoy this "progress" a few days...a few hours?
Does making historic names disappear advance anything? Will it satiate the demands of those looking to "whitewash" history? No (I suppose we need to ban that word too)
Once again I look upon UT leadership as cowards.
Nothing has been accomplished--token change has a thin veneer that disappears almost instantly.
What remains? The next round of statues, words, and names to be banished. Are hearts and minds changed? No.
It is a mockery...tokenism...a weak tribute to George Orwell...likely soon to be repeated. (Perhaps you can burn a few books while your at it?)
