Sunday, January 22, 2006

Unity Regardless

I think it is a bad decision to move to the city. The evidence to support my belief is almost overwhelming. I find it insulting to ask for consensus, especially when their is no overwhelming evidence to support the move. Especially, when the move is so indicative of what is happening to Not-For-Profits, small businesses and communities across the nation.
It seems that once again the ability to make a cogent argument that has nothing to do with facts outweighs common sense. We are ignoring the unorthodox manner in which this proposal was presented and ignoring the "haste makes waste" irony. That seems to be a theme in our nation today. Administrative shenanigans are ignored in the spirit of unity.
I seem to remember some arguments in my education that painstakingly warned against leaders who opposed their detractors by challenging their loyalty to the nation. Shimer is giving up its unique place in the world of academia to stand in the ranks of colleges and universities who sole purpose in teaching the works of great authors, logicians and theologists is to come up with a slick advertising campaign to lure consumers. We are shoring up the battlements of an economic machine whose greatest accomplishment in the past hundred years has been the financial disenfranchisement of millions. The business paradigm they serve operates on the premise that one should make more than they made last year. So, very similar to the rhetoric that believes a war on terrorism can be successful. How can war end war? How can greed end greed?
I know for a fact that Shimer’s board gave only a cursory ear to the proposal that the board made. I know for a fact that they gave the city of Waukegan barely more than two months to make a proposal. How very aloof! How very arrogant of us!
Sarcasm: Yes, let us move forward. Let's take higher education, of the quality that Shimer offers, into the city where there are true intellects that can appreciates and can afford the quality of what Shimer offers.
I thought the words under the tree were "to serve". Amend that to "to serve when a profit can be made." I don't want Shimer’s Faculty and staff to be poor and starving but something really stinks about the way this went down.
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't consensus what George Bush asked for when he found out that people disagreed with and mistrusted him? Am I a traitor now?

1 comment :

Psyche Z. Ready said...

Thanks, Bill... I don't think I know who you are, but thank you for managing to express what I couldn't about this situation. My emotions have the better of me and I all I can express are tears and fevered anger. Thanks for so eloquently and honestly expressing exactly how I feel.