Costello's multitudinous grievances

By Mark Costello
Collegian Editor
August 30, 2006

Welcome back to another exciting year of Lasallian goodness, my friends and fellow members of the La Salle community. I hope the summer treated you well, as it did me and many on the editorial board. The summer, though, provides for everyone an important, and all too rare, opportunity for reflection and introspection.

My writers this week are reeling on the heels of such opportunities, and have consented to writing about their New Year’s resolutions and hopes, things they would prefer to see done differently either on a local or global level. Keeping in spirit with such a theme, I must admit my ever misanthropic heart has its usual amount of grievances and as such, I will take up my bully pulpit once again.

First, I’d like more than anything to finally see American attitudes about Islam and its practitioners change. Fear of terrorism has grown thin upon our nation’s psyche; the recent attempt involving Gatorade bottles filled with liquid explosives seems to have aggravated people more than terrified them. In this newfound courage, or at the least, blasé, we must do all we can to learn about Islam.

Why, though? Aside from the benefits affixed to any kind of education, those finding themselves oddly uneasy about Islam might find peace in understanding its precepts, its practices, its Holy Writ. The Koran has portions in it as beautiful as the Song of Solomon and as frightening as Leviticus; when viewed in total, a study of Islam shows a religion of peace, love and tolerance—much like Christianity. A study of its more fanatical practitioners, however, is a different story. My first hope, then: to see a broader understanding of Islam inculcated into American thought.

Second, why is there such a fascination nationwide with John Karr, the recently-acquitted suspect in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey? I would like to believe the country was so interested because they wanted to see justice done; after all, if the charges were true, if he wasn’t a psychopath making his story up, then he would deserve nothing less than life imprisonment. It is my experience, though, to see Americans more interested in horrific details and less in justice. It’s the fascination with car wrecks deep inside each of us. Were we so interested in Karr because we wanted to see a monster slain? Or were we looking at the newest car wreck, the newest media fascination? Is there nothing better with which to occupy our time than discussions of John Karr’s alleged desire to have a gender reassignment? My second hope: that Americans will begin paying attention to the important things and stop being tantalized by media bread and circuses.

Last, and this is purely an English major gripe, I want to see a far more literate campus than I’ve encountered in the past. Television has its place, but when we lose our literature, we lose our history, our future and ourselves. The most any of us have to live is a hundred years, which is precious little time to read all of it. If you haven’t read 1984, start there and spider web your way out. Read everything. Newspapers, books, magazines, journals, read all of it and become better, more whole people.

Let’s have a happy new year, my friends and readers. We owe it to ourselves.

costellom4@lasalle.edu