Monday, April 03, 2006

Denego Lux et veritas

In 1701 a group of Christian ministers created Yale University along with it's seal (pictured here with my modification) in about 1736. The seal is somewhat of a mystery. The words on top of the book in the seal are Hebrew (Urim v'Thummim), appear in the Hebrew Bible are thought to be oracular gems worn by the high priest Aaron. Some believe these words placed, as such, suggest the book in the Yale seal is the Bible itself. I'm not sure of the date, but the Yale motto "Lux et Veritas" was added to the seal about this time. It's meaning of "light and truth" can be interpreted in various ways, but I believe the spirit and meaning of this once esteemed institution have been obliterated.

Recently 1300 undergraduate acceptance letters have made their way from Yale to eager young sponges ready to take on the world. While I hope some of these 1300 youngsters, having heard that Taliban mouth piece Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi was a student at Yale, would reject their acceptance letter and pursue higher learning elsewhere. It's probably too much to hope that a teenager could be this informed and also capable of such a bold move so I'm hoping some parents stepped in.

Thankfully the WSJ's John Fund is hammering on Yale nearly every time he has something in the Journal. It's fine that after college, after working for a living, after paying taxes for a while, that we choose to be liberal or conservative, or some where inbetween. But, while we mold our children from K thru college we should be doing our best to give them an unbiased education. That can include examples of the spectrum of thought on all subjects but shouldn't include the severe onesidedness we see today. The bias and an enlightened elitism has grown in the last few decades in our universities to the point where they see their closed mindedness as being open! How else can you explain the duplicity of Yale's position on things like military recruitment and the Taliban student?

I for one say Reject (Denego) Yale! I suspect their $15B+ endowment keeps them feeling high and mighty and immune from these outside pressures. But if significant numbers of students said thanks but no thanks it would hurt....I'm not holding my breath though!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I read the whole linked WSJ Opinion article, and there was one really interesting bit: "Suppose that there existed today a powerful united Arab-Muslim state," he told Yale's students and posited that state had the biggest economy and the most powerful military in the world. "In those conditions, would not many Americans grow to loathe that colossus?" Mr. Kennedy wondered. "I think so."

I can understand that. But this is what we in the business like to call an explanation, not a justification. I resent the fact Diddy is wealthy and successful -- this doesn't give me the right to blow up his mansion or restaurant in Manhattan.

Instead of Taliban Man, I'm sure there's a former Crip in South Central L.A. who'd love a chance at an Ivy League education and who's infinitely more worthy of the spot.

Light and Truth indeed.

Tiny said...

Schad-man,

when you say "what we in the business..." which business would that be?

Anonymous said...

Heh, that would be the let's-try-to-keep-our-heads-out-of-our-asses business. Yale should look into it.