Dear Editor,

Yesterday, I decided to sit on a bench on the Einhorn Family Walkway. This is hardly news, but it was my first time just sitting in the center of campus. A man on the bench beside me admired my guide dog, Caitlyn, a yellow Labrador. I acknowledged him and affirmed that yes, she’s a pretty dog.

Suddenly the man was called the “N-word” by a passing student. The student was too fast to confront. He’d spat the insult and was gone.

The man began to cry. I moved next to him. Caitlyn decided to kiss him. She washed his face.

His story unfolded. He was a Marine in the First Gulf War. He now has cancer. We talked for a

long time.

Ever since 9/11, we’ve heard the phrase “If you see something, say something.”

Later I relayed this story to a student of color. She said, “Yeah, it happens all the time.”

What use is a university if people can’t experience dignity at the very heart of it?

Sincerely,

Stephen Kuusisto

University Professor

Director

Interdisciplinary Programs and Outreach

The Burton Blatt Institute

 

Published on September 11, 2019 at 9:09 pm