To: William G. Cale, Jr., President, University of North Alabama
Counseling for Racist Tweeter During President Obama's Speech
Dear President Cale,
Alabama.com reports that University of North Alabama football student posted racist, hateful tweets during the President's speech in Newtown, CT, last evening (12/16). (http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/12/north_alabama_player_tweets_ra.html) I call on the UNA to require immediate and regular counseling for this student before allowing him to return to campus or classes. This type of language, this type of hatred, and this type of misguided sense of priorities cannot and should not stand in our society. We need to speak up about such behavior and language, and take action to curtail it, if we can ever hope to heal from and to prevent hate-based tragedies in the future.
I am purposefully leaving out the student's name, because I do not think that he should gain an audience or a following as a result of this behavior. Please understand that I also do not believe that this student should be jailed or punished or threatened--that will only exacerbate the problem. I feel that this student is simply misguided and angry and that by engaging in regular sessions with a professional, he might learn to have more empathy for people who are different than him. He might learn to work to fight oppression rather than to participate in it. He might have empathy for those who are suffering as a result of the tragedy in Newtown, and he might understand why many of us needed to hear from our President in these trying times. I must emphasize that I honestly wish this student the best, and I do not wish him any ill will. We must learn to forgive and to engage in constructive dialogue in order to promote a better, healthier way forward for all.
I also encourage the UNA to hold regular sessions with students about confronting racism, hatred, and stereotyping.
Alabama.com reports that University of North Alabama football student posted racist, hateful tweets during the President's speech in Newtown, CT, last evening (12/16). (http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/12/north_alabama_player_tweets_ra.html) I call on the UNA to require immediate and regular counseling for this student before allowing him to return to campus or classes. This type of language, this type of hatred, and this type of misguided sense of priorities cannot and should not stand in our society. We need to speak up about such behavior and language, and take action to curtail it, if we can ever hope to heal from and to prevent hate-based tragedies in the future.
I am purposefully leaving out the student's name, because I do not think that he should gain an audience or a following as a result of this behavior. Please understand that I also do not believe that this student should be jailed or punished or threatened--that will only exacerbate the problem. I feel that this student is simply misguided and angry and that by engaging in regular sessions with a professional, he might learn to have more empathy for people who are different than him. He might learn to work to fight oppression rather than to participate in it. He might have empathy for those who are suffering as a result of the tragedy in Newtown, and he might understand why many of us needed to hear from our President in these trying times. I must emphasize that I honestly wish this student the best, and I do not wish him any ill will. We must learn to forgive and to engage in constructive dialogue in order to promote a better, healthier way forward for all.
I also encourage the UNA to hold regular sessions with students about confronting racism, hatred, and stereotyping.
Why is this important?
I call on the University of North Alabama to require immediate and regular counseling for the student who posted racist Tweets before allowing him to return to campus or classes.