Mark Paul Responds to Grave Misrepresentation
The Article written by Mark Paul in response to Josh Grave's assembly speech:
Since there is no need to hide my annonimity because well frankly, everyone knows that I, Mark Paul, created the Caucasian Support Group.
Lets start off in the beginning. Back in assembly on October 20, J.C. Thomas told the student body that they had created an African-American Support Group on campus. He stated that the group was not racist, rather was like any other support group that could exist whether it be a male or female support group, alcohol, drugs, etc.
A group that outwardly distinguishes race as its main component is simply promoting racism, whether that's the groups intention ornot. So I knew I had to do something to make my voice heard. I thought at first about just going to certain faculty responsible for the group and simply stating my opinion, but let's be honest, I wouldn't have been heard. We all know I would have been blown off as quick as possible. One voice, generally does not make a difference on its own.
Therefore, I decided that I would use what ability I had to make my voice bigger. So I created the facebook group called the Caucasian Support Group. In no way is the group racist and I basically set the mission statement exactly worded as Thomas did in assembly. Before long there was over 100 people in the group.Obviously some people had a problem with the African-American Support Group as well. I knew that it would not be long after that I would face a group of pissed off people telling me that I'm racist.
First, I was talked to by the President of the Student Action Diversity Council. We talked for about half an hour and ultimately in a nutshell what I was told was that what I did was subversively racist and that if the group was not removed then Claude Huddleston and J.C. Thomas would be contacting me. I was told,"You don't want to have to sit through 4 hours of sensitivity training." said the President of SADC. Ultimately, I was threatened saying to take my group down or sit through hours of meetings where I'd be trained to no longer be a racist.
Now lets get one thing straight, I am no racist. I say neither support groups are positive, however, if one can exist, certainly the other can as well. My reason for creating the group was simply to draw awareness to how wrong the African-American group is. I then decided to call their bluff. I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong, and that I was just exercising my rights of free speech.
A few weeks later I was approached by Josh Graves to set up a meeting. We met Thursday before Friday's assembly and had a great chat. He basically said he wanted my side of the story and I gave it to him. In return he said that his talk would be very objective, approaching the issue from both sides. Does anyone else find it ironic that the word "objective" has turned into such a subjective word?
In the assembly Josh Graves quoted me as saying that I knew my group was wrong, it wasn't positive, and I was just doing it as a knee jerk reaction to the Black Support Group. Total misquote!
What I said was "I don't think either of the support groups are right. I didn't think what I did was positive but it was the only way I knew that I could draw attention to how ridiculous their group was."
Took a lot out of context didn't he! Shortly after he decided that it would be the "objective" thing to do in publicly saying that I was immature for making such a group. Wow, thank you objectivity! I think someone is confusing objectivity with the word,
O-P-I-N-I-O-N.
A lot of the talk had an underlying tone that, "Well they (refering to other members in the group and myself) were wrong for what they did and there was no point to this disgraceful act so if you're a good Christian then you'll get out."
Basically, the school did nothing to address this issue. The only thing that happened was people were verbally flogged for being in this group.
Cheers!
Mark
Since there is no need to hide my annonimity because well frankly, everyone knows that I, Mark Paul, created the Caucasian Support Group.
Lets start off in the beginning. Back in assembly on October 20, J.C. Thomas told the student body that they had created an African-American Support Group on campus. He stated that the group was not racist, rather was like any other support group that could exist whether it be a male or female support group, alcohol, drugs, etc.
A group that outwardly distinguishes race as its main component is simply promoting racism, whether that's the groups intention ornot. So I knew I had to do something to make my voice heard. I thought at first about just going to certain faculty responsible for the group and simply stating my opinion, but let's be honest, I wouldn't have been heard. We all know I would have been blown off as quick as possible. One voice, generally does not make a difference on its own.
Therefore, I decided that I would use what ability I had to make my voice bigger. So I created the facebook group called the Caucasian Support Group. In no way is the group racist and I basically set the mission statement exactly worded as Thomas did in assembly. Before long there was over 100 people in the group.Obviously some people had a problem with the African-American Support Group as well. I knew that it would not be long after that I would face a group of pissed off people telling me that I'm racist.
First, I was talked to by the President of the Student Action Diversity Council. We talked for about half an hour and ultimately in a nutshell what I was told was that what I did was subversively racist and that if the group was not removed then Claude Huddleston and J.C. Thomas would be contacting me. I was told,"You don't want to have to sit through 4 hours of sensitivity training." said the President of SADC. Ultimately, I was threatened saying to take my group down or sit through hours of meetings where I'd be trained to no longer be a racist.
Now lets get one thing straight, I am no racist. I say neither support groups are positive, however, if one can exist, certainly the other can as well. My reason for creating the group was simply to draw awareness to how wrong the African-American group is. I then decided to call their bluff. I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong, and that I was just exercising my rights of free speech.
A few weeks later I was approached by Josh Graves to set up a meeting. We met Thursday before Friday's assembly and had a great chat. He basically said he wanted my side of the story and I gave it to him. In return he said that his talk would be very objective, approaching the issue from both sides. Does anyone else find it ironic that the word "objective" has turned into such a subjective word?
In the assembly Josh Graves quoted me as saying that I knew my group was wrong, it wasn't positive, and I was just doing it as a knee jerk reaction to the Black Support Group. Total misquote!
What I said was "I don't think either of the support groups are right. I didn't think what I did was positive but it was the only way I knew that I could draw attention to how ridiculous their group was."
Took a lot out of context didn't he! Shortly after he decided that it would be the "objective" thing to do in publicly saying that I was immature for making such a group. Wow, thank you objectivity! I think someone is confusing objectivity with the word,
O-P-I-N-I-O-N.
A lot of the talk had an underlying tone that, "Well they (refering to other members in the group and myself) were wrong for what they did and there was no point to this disgraceful act so if you're a good Christian then you'll get out."
Basically, the school did nothing to address this issue. The only thing that happened was people were verbally flogged for being in this group.
Cheers!
Mark
posted by an analytical college student | 6:19 AM
8 Comments:
It's sad that there has to be a committee to decide what to do about this. When did we come to a place where we need a committee to decide how to treat one another like human beings?
It seems people at Rochester care more about politics than kindness and love.
The anonymonous above is exactly why Rochester is encountering the problems it is. No one cares about the world around them and how they could be manipulated by what they are fed in the classroom or assembly.
I am sorry that I can't check my brain out at the classroom door like you. Love is not the issue here, it is about the slow and sneaky liberalization of RC. I happen to know and love several African American students here at RC. I am just quite concerned about exclusive support groups and emergent theology which wants to make the Bible into a pick and choose buffet.
I think it is entirely possible that the anonymous student meant something different than what you posted, Jimster.
For the sake of clarity, could the anonymous student expand upon their post?
Tacitus
Actually, Jimster I believe you and I might feel much the same. Perhaps I was not eloquent enough or clear enough in my first post. I am sorry you felt the need to so viciously attack my comments sir.
I too am concerned about the increasing liberalization of RC, and about the division of races. I am also concerned that there seems to be too much "discussion" and negative action and not enough positive action. Kindness and love were and are, for me, a representation of how we should conduct ourselves and I think if we do go about behaving with those two attitudes in mind then we might have far less conflict. To me, it seems that there is FAR more conflict in general (all around) then there was when I came to Rc many years ago. I do not know why you feel I am checking my brain at the door but I assure you that is the last thing I have done, rather I have wrestled with all the goings on and how they affect my opinion of and support for the college these last many months (in fact, almost a year) and I still have few concrete conclusions [only an increasing sense of unease].
I too agree that there are too many support groups on campus singling out one sociological mass from another. And I for one would be in favor of banning all groups - not just the white group or the black group, etc. However, I also see where this could create a whole entity of other problems. As humans, we all need support of one kind or another at different points in our lives and I think we should be able to have that. However, in what form should it be and what role should it take in order to not offend or step on the toes of others? I don't have an answer to that yet either.
Bottom line is, I don't pretend to have all the answers. I am however, interested in the process of finding some. I hope RC is at least, diligently trying that rather than sweeping things under the rug.
Thank you Tacitus for your interest in my expounded opinion.
You know, at first, I was pretty indignant about Mark's group. I still think its stupid. But, I've also had a change of heart in regards to the BSU. It's weird. I'm caught between two worlds really. Working with the SADc, I believe God made us different for a reason and those are beautiful reasons. So, there is focusing on differences as something that better reflects the artistic grandeur of our God and the focusing on differences that says one part (or group of individuals) of God's creation is better than another. I believe the former, not the latter. The SADC is working hard to talk about more than just race (Hence, the House of God, Church Hopping, and a few other ideas in the cooker) and certainly dislike the idea of only talking about "black and white." That being said, I wish Mark would have been better represented if that is not, in fact, what he had said to Josh. Does this make sense?
While I say SADC is not a black support group, I don't see why that would be such a bad thing. In the sense that if your a white student at Rochester College, you have all the support you can get. Meaning alot of us black students don't feel excepted at Rochester College as a black student. Many people put on fronts, as if we are welcomed, just as much as the white student, lets be serious, students, and faculty put on an OBVIOUS front. Some of us black students need the support group because they dont feel comfortable at Rochester College, yet they hold all they frustrations they may have in. Im just saying that being that Rochester College is a predominantly White school, in a predominantly white neighborhood, I really dont see why a support group would be so bad. In the sense that it is used for support and not to bring down anyone else of another race.
Anonymous,
Here is my take:
Even though I personally am not offended by exclusive support groups whether they are black, white, or whatever. I realize there are some people who are deeply troubled by one or another of these groups. In light of this, I have to stand by Paul, and the principle he lays out in Romans 14:15
“If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.”
Some students seem genuinely troubled by these exclusive racial groups, and in the interest of those, I believe it would be better that these groups didn’t
exist on campus at all. Instead, why not employ inclusive and issue-based support groups to combat the
retention rate, and other problems of the like?
If the issues are things only black students deal with, then theoretically, only they will come. But it might be the case that even just one Asian, Caucasian, or Latino (or any other race for that matter) student needs some of what you are giving. Would they be turned away because of their race?
~Aquinas
“If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.”
This is a quote that should not be taken out of context. Not only that but all aspets of the issue need to be considered. To fully evaluate this situation is to not only look at the current demographics of the school, nearby church, and surrounding community. First of all, racism is real and is currently alive, including, on Rochester's campus (and it did not ust start with this generation of students).
Regardless of being a religious insitution or not there is a reich history and tradition of support/diversity goups. Just take a jog over to OU. A campus, that does not even claim to be Christian based, has several times the number of groups Rochester has, no one has a problem with them. One of the problems is that Rochester has never had these types of things so it is something new for the student body. Most people have problems with change. Also, J.C. Thomas brought a new and welcome addition (diversity) to the "face of", and decision-making body of administration. He could "see" some of the issues that previous administratin has been unable to see or known how to address. The adminstration has not been known to implement support programs, or similar, for people of diversity (that includes people of different nationalities, race, or culture). Traditionally, there has not even been minorities on the academic support or counseling staff. This is the type of support that some minorities need to be fully successful in a different type of environment. A different type of environment means one that you are not used to or can not relate to.
There are even students who have experienced what we call "culture shock" because they never lived and/or interacted with others of different races. Who is responsible for helping them to adjust? This type of psychological, and sometimes emotional, experience can be debilitating to one's social life even to the point of becoming depressed and withdrawn. What group, or who would you say they should talk to about these type of issues? Would it not be a "Black" Support Group if the person is black? But would that group hinder a person, of any race, from joining if the family they had been adopted into and lived with all their life was an African-American family? I think not.
Not every Black person necessarily needs a Black support group. I am Black and was raised in a white environment. However, even then a person start to not know who they are when they are unable to see reflections of themself, or celebrate part of what makes "you, you." What then is the White Support Group for? To prove to the every black person they are "fine" and do not need any support? To be away from home, especially with no transportation, can already be depressing for ANY college student. But add that to not being able to find similar interests and also becoming a minority, when you where a majority, makes it even harder for some people.
There has been some very close-minded, "what about me", ignorant (lack of understanding) thinking on this blog. It is a shame that in 2008, a time when a Black man has actually made it this far in the race for President, that this type of thinking still exists.
I challenge any Causcasian in the Caucasian Support Group (or anyone who felt the need to criticize the Black Support Group) to attend even just one semester at a predominantly black college, in a predominantly black city, and report back on how they felt and what would have helped them to adjust. You may not know the music, the dances, the vernacular, the traditions, etc... You would feel like an outsider and definitely "homesick."
My fight is, and everyone's should be, against principalities of evil, not against people and differences. I hope that these words, spoken in love, have helped to enlighten some who never "thought that way" before. God bless and "in all your getting, get an understanding".
Peace and love,
Alumni
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