TJ Lyden is the author of an unsettling book titled Diary of a Recovering Skinhead. It is a cautionary tale about hate groups that feed on intolerance. While some may think that the North Country is untouched by such radical thinking, the truth is that hate knows no boundaries. It lurks within our midst.
Fortunately, there is an abundance of good will here in our community. In fact, there is so much good will that -- like a healthy lawn that makes it difficult for weeds to infiltrate -- our community stands a better than average chance of leaving no room for hate to flourish here.
Three recent examples come to mind:
On October 1, I was privileged to hear two outstanding speakers at a medical society reception here on campus. One was a young man who immigrated from Poland and is now embarking on a career in Nursing. The other was a more senior citizen who immigrated from India and spent his adult life here as a physician and philanthropist. Even though neither person was born in this country, both reminded the audience of what a great nation we are. And the reason that we are so great is that we have grown up as a nation of immigrants, a melting pot that has brought the best, brightest and strongest minds from around the world into a single nation of free men and women. Each of these men literally has been around the world, and lived in several countries, but the United States is the place that they are proud to call home. There was no room for hate in the room on that night.
Earlier this week, a group of concerned students at CCC were looking for a way to express their positivity in the wake of the tragic suicide that recently took place at Rutgers University. With chalk in hand, these students used our sidewalks to remind each other that love surrounds us all. Although we experience pain, embarrassment and anger from time to time, there is one force that is strong enough to carry us through those moments of despair: the love of our fellow human beings. There was no room for hate on our campus that day.
On September 19, 2010, the Press-Republican ran what I consider to be an inspirational editorial. It urged us to be more than just tolerant of others' races, religions and creeds. It made the point that we must embrace such diversity if we, as a community, are to realize our full potential for prosperity and success. The editorial concluded with the statement, "Tolerating is tolerable; embracing is embraceable." There was no room for hate in my mind as I read that column.
A healthy lawn leaves no room for weeds. A healthy community leaves no room for hate. And we at Clinton Community College intend to work together to ensure that we promote a healthy environment in which we can all grow and prosper.
That's what I think. I'm curious to know what you think. Please contact me by e-mail at presidentsblog@clinton.edu.
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