No Right Turns at Emory | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post began as a comment in response to constant contributor Gene Scarborough, who is a Liberal ("Not that there is anything wrong with that"), and who often speaks quite fondly of his dear Emory University. The post in question that provoked the fervent discussion, or the ire, of our contributors can be found here. Follow the thread and I think you will find Tony's comments and there humorous. I did, ans that is why I re-published it as a post.

    Rev. Gene, I was just poking a bit at the balloon but not enough to burst it. My dad was an electrician at Emory University during the 1920-30s. His claim to fame was that he started out a 6th in line and ended up1st in line. Then he would add that he was the only one in the line.

    He left for the security of the Atlanta Fire Department. He still did electrical work for the 1% Elite doctors of Emory in their rental apartments and commercial buildings. I helped him as a kid. I was the “wire monkey”. That is the person who craws in the attic or crawl space and fishes the plumb bob for the wire to pull a new outlet in an old building.

    Dad never complained about the us or them aspect of life. He just said “that was the way it is”. He just knew that due to his 6th grade education, he had to just bend over and pull a bit harder than others.

    I was born at Emory and because of dad’s contacts; he was able to work off the hospital bill in trade for his skills.

What has all this to do with diversity? Well, I am right handed. I do not know if I was born that way or if I made the choice to be that way. I do know that I have never tried to convert a left-handed person to becoming a right-handed person. I have never demanded that all left-handed people acknowledge that I have a right to be right handed. It is just not that important. Rich-poor, white-black, or degree-no degree, they are no more than starting points in life.

    Sitting under the apple tree waiting for an apple to trickle down will get you nowhere. Climb the tree and pick an apple. Do not forget to save a few so you won’t have to climb each time.

    Now here is my stance on leaving that fine institution. If you keep making left hand turns, you will get nowhere. Of course, if you keep making right hand turns you will get nowhere either. Eventually you have to go straight. Does that make me a bigot?