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Editorial: If words were enough to heal these wounds

Date 3/8/2001 12:00 AM | Topic: Opinion

If words alone were enough, wounds would heal faster.

If enough editorials and letters to the editors could cure the racist tendencies of members of society, then surely our campus would be pure by now.

But we aren't cured, and we're far from pure. And while I'm the biggest advocate for communication and the progress it promotes, words -- when there's nothing behind them -- can only do so much.

I have been, and will continue to be, overjoyed at the willingness of so many people to come forward with thoughts and opinions to print in the pages of Chips.

I believe dialogue is a vital step in the healing and learning process.

But if that's where the action stops, then it's all for naught. Preserving words on newsprint does not make them more true, and they don't necessarily indicate a change in attitude or behavior -- in the writer or in the reading audience.

I think it's safe to speak on behalf of everyone at Chips when I say we feel grateful and proud to have played such an important role in this process so far. I think it's also safe to say that many of us are worried words will be the end of it, and that's just not enough.

There has to be a shift in attitude, an adjustment in behavior and a willingness to put it all into positive action.

Words may not be enough, but these wounds can be healed -- with the right treatment.

--

Laura S. Riordan
Chips Editor-In-Chief

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