By William R. Jones
On its Oct. 9 edition, The Korea Times posted Peter Yoonsuk Paik's “Mass man” and the destruction of the West's civilization heritage. It was a nice, thoughtful article and gives a bit of clarity to the issue. He cites Jose Ortega y Gasset, a philosopher from Spain, who attempts to provide an answer for the fury of youth today and their attack on our past. For all Ortega's reasoning he was only half-right for he neglected the moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous, and noble standards that many have thrown out the window.
Concerning “the white supremacist hierarchy of the South”: I proclaim and declare, not only the South! There was repressive history of all people everywhere. Fury against statues and other symbols of the past and destruction is not the answer. There are innumerable reminders of the past. Are we to erase all? So many do not have conception of the true history and of its how and why. They are not willing to do the study and full research of it.
There is racial inequality, in particular, the uneven treatment of minorities concerning arrest issues. However, there is promotion of racial equality in all other quarters. They wish not to speak of that! Many activists and protesters are not educated on the issues. They simply follow the herd. And, as evidenced they were very much unorganized and in need of leadership.
The vast majority of Americans oppose violence and destruction of properties. We cannot change the past no matter how judgmental we may be. We cannot destroy all traces of history and should not! We can go forward and we have; that needs to be recognized.
It is amusing how the minorities rail against the very government (U.S. federal government) that has done so much for all. Many are passive consumers and have no understanding of the process providing the everyday products they use. Most have even less understanding about the world trade system and its complexity. Those who wish to dismantle everything propose nothing better for replacement.
I think there are proper procedures for change. “Mass man” can come to no agreement on that. When I think of my country, I think of Virginia, my birthplace. Here, we don't have all that nonsense of the big cities! Our minorities here are well-accepted and treated with equality and justice. We were all influenced by the zeitgeist of the times. Most of us have risen above it.
My family is old Southern with a Confederate history. Of course, we opposed slavery and continue to oppose injustice of arrest policies and procedures. I think there are precedents to be considered. I mean, things that should be addressed in a certain order, i.e., what is most important. I feel so many people are a sorrowful lot and need a “God” in their lives. I'm speaking of the God of the Universe. What I say is silly and foolish to those who have not experienced and think there is no God.
Now in my old age, it is all I can do to take care of my personal thoughts and actions. I have no time to fight for others; I am fighting for myself for it won't be long that I shall meet my maker. Anyway, I endorse the 'Mass man' article to readers. Paik Yoonsuk's effort to make people think is admirable. Kudos to him!
The author (wrjones@vsu.edu) published the novella Beyond Harvard and presently teaches English as a second language.