Butler must show respect

The Current | May 3, 1999

Butler must show respect for campus

If Darwin Butler is indeed instated into the office of SGA president, I hope that he will show greater respect for the students and system he claims to represent than he has thus far. Mr. Butler's recent question (in The Current 4/26/99) "Do you really think that you are going to dismiss me over some allegations?" show a stunning lack of respect for fairness in the SGA elections. As potential president Mr. Butler of all people should be concerned with fairness in SGA proceedings.

On the contrary, however, Mr. Butler seems to believe that rules created to preserve justice should be manipulated to serve his personal interests. After crashing a private party sponsored by his competitors with their own private funds, Mr. Butler asserted that his right to attend the party was assured by "the Civil Rights Act of 1964." He then claimed that he was not allowed to attend because of "being the only black candidate" (in The Current 4/19/99). Does Mr. Butler sincerely believe that the Civil Rights Act gives everyone the right to intrude on private property at will? Should we all go over to his house uninvited and help ourselves to his food? If I tried to do so and Mr. Butler asked me to leave, would that be because I was a minority? Or because my behavior was rude?

Actually, I don't think Mr. Butler believes what he has said about civil rights. I think he has been attempting to justify himself in any way possible. But that's not good leadership; it's an arrogant refusal to own up to his mistakes. I hope that Mr. Butler will reflect on this and will change, so that his acts in office will show honesty and a willingness to correct his mistakes rather than deny them.

-Joe Frank