I’m tired.

I am tired of reading articles that compare a man’s symbol of his religion to a “fashion fad” (Dan O’Shea, Feb. 5). I am tired of people (Claudia Curry) publicly declaring their opinions on an event that they did not even attend. Seriously, it’s like giving a movie review without having seen the movie. I still cannot begin to comprehend that type of logic or reasoning.

And if nothing tires or infuriates me more, it is this “point-counterpoint” style that several letters (dealing with racism) to the editor have been addressed as.

Take, for example, Michael Bonds (president of B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S.). He wrote a letter back in NOVEMBER and people are still responding to it. If Michael has not thanked any of the “multitude” of people who have taken the time to respond to his letter, then I do.

I do this because you inadvertently have given him notoriety and great publicity for an organization that deserves it, B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S. Thanks to those of you who responded to his letter. A lot of people who did not know what this organization was now do—so go ahead give yourselves a round of applause for a job well done!

Also, if we may, let’s save the cries and pleas of “Student funds misspent.” There are several activities that our funds are used for that we have ABSOLUTELY no direct say in, or don’t approve of or care for—but our funds are spent nonetheless—minus all of this controversy.

For example, (and just as an example and not to offend these programs) an important segment of our “campus society” did not particularly care about P.J. O’Rourke, Dave Swanson or the Bo Deans. But there were no rallies or protests against any funds that might have been used for these events.

On Feb. 7 there was a debate on abortion that cost about as much as Minister Louis Farrakhan’s lecture on Jan. 30. But I sincerely doubt that there will be a big debate or issue on where the money came from to fund this event.

Why not? It is probably because an important segment of our “campus society” cares about this issue and would like to see it addressed.

Could this not also be true for Minister Farrakhan and his lecture in which he simply expressed a desire to see a people (Not BLACKS or NEGROES, as William Lee Crumbaugh so “eloquently” wrote Feb. 5, but African-Americans) who have been oppressed for so long economically and socially rise above this and positively advance in our society?

I sincerely believe that it can because an IMPORTANT segment of our society cares about this issue and seeing it addressed.

It is really too bad that our SA feels that by realizing this and funding the BSU $4000 that the SA executive board acted inappropriately. And (it’s too bad) that its SA President Huda Scheidelman should be impeached (as was implied by the impeachment petition).

It is also too bad that for months to come people will still be writing to a newspaper to express their disdain for Minister Farrakhan, what he does, what he says, and more ludicrously, what he wears. It is also too bad that some people (some SA senators among them) went to this program with a closed mind and left with one that was closed shut.

And finally, just to set the record straight, I am not Pro-Louis Farrakhan or the Nation of Islam. For many years, thanks to the hysteria of the media, I had several preconceived notions about the man and anything that he had to say.

But after this event, I left with a new found respect for the man and what he had to say, fortunately those media-instilled notions were dispelled.

If our campus, town, state and country can be as open to someone else’s opinion (controversial or not) and as open to formulating or changing their own opinions as I was, perhaps there still would not be so much controversy surrounding this event days after it has ended.

Doralice Gardner is a sophomore at NIU majoring in political science and public law. She is also the Black Student Union Liason to the Student Association.