To the editor:
Whether deliberately or inadvertently, your excellent editorial page has grouped features by topic once again. The Feb. 1st political cartoon addressed the “winds of change” threatening the liberty we cherish; D.G. Martin’s column reminded us of the time when innocent protesters
Whether deliberately or inadvertently, your excellent editorial page has grouped features by topic once again. The Feb. 1 political cartoon addressed the “winds of change” threatening the liberty we cherish; D.G. Martin’s column reminded us of the time when innocent protesters where prosecuted on false charges; and Carol Whitehead’s marvelous letter demonstrated how far we have come. Carol listed numerous blessings we enjoy here in Laurinburg and Scotland County, including wonderful cultural assets and “…excellent academic opportunities taught by extremely gifted professors.” Carol did not mention, and having lived here only 45 years, possibly does not know the social effect St. Andrews professors and teachers like her have had on local students as well as our community at large.
Children hear adult conversations. As a child, I heard adults express delight over the new St. Andrews College, as well as the new Methodist College in Fayetteville. Not because of the wonderful assets Carol listed in her letter, but because not being federally funded, such colleges would maintain the “all white” southern tradition. Neither our county nor our region had enough highly trained professors, so most of the “extremely gifted professors” came from other places, that had progressed socially. They taught students well, but a number of them helped to lead our community out of North Carolina’s “prosecute protesters of social injustice” mentality.
I was a patient in Scotland County’s “second to none” hospital the day you published Carol’s letter. Thank God for our “growing medical community,” and the St. Andrews professors and public school teachers like Carol Whitehead, who came from more socially progressive places to lead us out of the doldrums of racial discrimination into the wonderful example of social harmony we are today, in spite of local, state and national political bickering.
Robert C. Currie Jr.
Laurinburg