Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 December 2002 — Page 9

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6,2002

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE AS

Reckless behavior ef collegians gets more violent

^ The police use pepper spray and tear gas. The individuals are running wild, tipping over vehicles, burning trash contain- ' ers,andbreakingintolocal convenience stores. Vehicles are burning and smoke fills the air nniloc rwntinnpc

for miles. Violence continues to erupt, as bottles, rocks, and other harmful items are thrown

at police officers.

These scenes are reminiscent of the riots after the white LA California police offers were acquitted of beating motorist Rodney King. Or maybe they i remind you of the Cincinnati riots after another unarmed Black civilian was shot to death by die white Cincinnati police • department. The assassination l of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. * also brought about these types ; of public outbursts. t Unfortunately, these riots • were not carried out because of some action of injustice, but because of a college football victory. Yes, these individuals were celebrating! Ohio State University defeated the University of Michigan in a college football game on Saturday, Nov. 23, by

a score of 14-9.

The students responded by starting over 100 fires, burning nine vehicles and breaking the windows of many homes and local stores. They also threw ' rocks, bottles, and other debris * at police officers and firefighters. By the end of the melee, 54 people were arrested, and after reviewing video foot- • age, through instant replay, more arrests are expected. At Berkeley, hundreds of University of California fans rushed the security guards and knocked them down, in an effort to tear down the goal posts after the Golden Bears beat Stanford in a college football game by a score of 30-7. In that * fracas, many students were ar- £ rested and the game ended with 111 seconds remaining on the

|clock.

| When the University of Hai waii defeated the University of jf Cincinnati, 20-19, the players > from both teams bolted onto the field and fought for nearly five minutes. Helmets were thrown, players were dragged across the field by their jerseys, and both players and coaches were punched and kicked. As the Cincinnati football team left the field under heavy police escorts, they were pelted with coins, cups, water bottles, and

trash.

| What is becoming of our ini stitutions of higher learning? jAre we sending our young * people to these veiy expensive * colleges and universities to # learn this type ofbehavior? The

knowingly disguise as a celebration. Are these students’ actions a sign ofthingsto come?The reckless behavior that they engage in with drugs, alcohol, sexual promiscuity, hazing, violence, and criminal activity seem to be common place on many campuses of higher learning. With the recent actions of many of our leaders in the educational, political, spiritual, business and local communities, evidence points towards the college students as being the followers and our leaders as being...well, the leaders.

For speaking engagements or education workshops, contact me at: educationdoesmatter @hotmail.com or write me at: 9701 E. 63rd St, Indianapolis, IN. 46236. My contact number is (317) 502-0272.

Last weekend Crispus Attucks Middle School (formerly high school) celebrated its 75th Anniversary. Pictured is Ida Bfelen (left), who is receiving a signed literary work from alvmni Eloise J. Solomon, a retired teacher and author.

(Above) Frances Stout, a longtime IPS teacher of fered her ref lecticns of Crispus Attucks' past.

(Right) Carolyn Gill Davis, author of the book "The Fall of My Beginning, * was at the anniversary signing copies of her work. (Photos/ C. Guynn)

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* saddest part about each of these {criminal incidents is that they {each occurred under the guise

*of a “celebration.”

Is this behavior the reflection of a much larger issue? Are these students actually carrying out behaviors that they see being displayed in our greater society? Maybe they are modeling the behavior of our professional athletes and their

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fans? They had to have learned this type ofbehavior from somewhere, other than on a college

campus. When students who are

~ thought to represent the best of £our society act in such a recktless manner, in such large J groups, with little to no regard *fbr dvil obedience, we are derveloping into a society that has ; truly lost its way. While corpot'rate America is stealing away iour retirement funds and savings accounts and while the fedJeral government is slowly taking away our civil liberties, our future generations of leaders are shiftingtheir priorities from education to dvil disobedience.

Civil disobedience that they

See store For Defc