I am writing to salute the diversity of perspectives reported in the recent article, “Lindsay hands out Cash in Stewardship Challenge”. Too often I see news media becoming vehicles of public relations and  silencing those who express criticism of a cherished view or institution. I see the goal of the news media as fostering diverse opinions which promote critical thought and inquiry in their readers. The point of my letter is not to defend either Lindsay’s message or student Maria Bauder’s comments. Rather, I am applauding the  Tartan for making a tangible contribution to our belief that  “freedom within a framework of faith” is absolutely paramount for our ability to develop a critical, Christian faith. I hope the Tartan can increasingly think of intelligent  ways to disturb our complicities on a myriad of topics and issues. The aim is not provocation for its own sake, but to provoke us to deeper thought and thus a more genuine faith and communal life in Christ.

-Lauren Barthold,  Associate Professor of Philosophy

As the 2011-2012 academic year comes to a close, I’d like to thank publically the editors, advisor Jay Lindsay, and all The Tartan staff members who have worked diligently to make the newspaper a relevant and important tool for building community across campus this past year.

The Tartan’s ‘resurrection’ into print this year signals how far the student voice has come. And while I’ve appreciated their commitment to making the paper as professional and excellent as possible, I hold no illusions that this is also a student newspaper. That means by its very nature, it is on a perpetual—and very public—learning curve. At its essence, The Tartan provides an opportunity for young reporters, editors and photographers to learn the profession of responsible and essential journalism, pursuing truth ethically, and maintaining loyalty to Gordon students first as they decide what stories to cover. The Tartan’s watchdog role of holding administrative and student leaders accountable is as crucial as providing a platform for the various voices that comprise our community.

Of course, not everyone on campus always appreciates the role of journalism or our students’ efforts. And admittedly, not every story in The Tartan gets every detail or quote exactly right. Journalists—student or professional—are, after all, flawed creatures. But they’re trying.

I’ve watched how hard Tartan reporters, editors and their advisor work to make sure each story is verified as it records “a first draft of history” for the sake of Gordon College. And I believe most of us recognize that not having a student newspaper at all would weaken our sense of community and reduce the options our students have for drawing their own conclusions about issues that concern them. (It’s no accident that governments around the globe who want to deny their people freedom often start by destroying the press.)

I’m grateful, then, to the many students, administrators, faculty, and staff who support The Tartan with patience, time, honesty and respect, recognizing it as both a valuable educational process and a crucial reflection of our corporate life. Even in an age of online information, a community newspaper is still very much of a public forum, one that requires participation from all of its members. For the ongoing success of Gordon’s student newspaper, thank you for yours.

—Jo Kadlecek, senior writer/journalist in residence

As a Gordon alumni and one that has been working in politics for a number of years, I like to think I know the profession well. As a way of background, I have worked for elected officials, campaigns, political action committees, non-profits and partisan committees. I have worked in politics in Massachusetts, New Jersey and in Washington, DC. I wanted to express my thoughts on Senator John Kerry speaking at Gordon.

My initial reaction to Senator Kerry (D-MA) speaking at Gordon is that he is widely considered a partisan, a talking head for a far left, with an interest in foreign affairs, mainly due to the fact that not much else interests him. He doesn’t cross party lines often and for that matter doesn’t work with the middle. He has often unfairly criticized people who disagree with him, often times alienating large blocks of people, as he demonstrated in the Gordon chapel. I understand he is the Senior Senator from Massachusetts and I can acknowledge that probably was an important consideration in weighing the decision to invite him to campus but outside of that factor, he doesn’t bring much to Gordon in way of setting Gordon apart from most liberal arts colleges in the state. I hope the same invitation was offered to Senator Scott Brown (R-MA).

I listened to the entire speech, while not surprised, I am still annoyed that Senator Kerry was given the opportunity to take swipes at the Koch brothers, speak at length about global warming and abortion. I am not annoyed at Senator Kerry because his swipes are predictable; I am annoyed Gordon allowed him the opportunity to do so in the chapel and without challenging the Senator to cite sources and facts. One of the most outrageous scenarios Senator Kerry described was the lack of frozen ponds near Gordon during the winter months and the “invisible tsunamis” all due to Global Warming. He also took liberty to take jabs at the Koch brothers, which are boiler plate talking points from DNC officials. This type of partisan rhetoric would be gladly welcomed at a DNC rally, on a partisan fundraising solicitation or even a Sunday talk show, but I wouldn’t expect it to be allowed in the Gordon chapel and in front of our students.

Senator Kerry also spoke about the terrors of human trafficking on a global level, and of course we will all agree this level of evil is horrible. What Senator Kerry failed to address is that President Obama’s administration is actively pursuing policies to prevent the Catholic Church from helping these victims because of the Catholic Church’s stance on issues like abortion and contraception. As a Catholic Senator, he is often silent on issues like this and others like the Blunt Amendment, more recently.

Senator Kerry talked about levels of corruption on a global level, which we will all agree need to be eliminated. What he didn’t discuss were the levels of corruption here in Massachusetts. 2 of the past 3 Speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives have been indicted. Just this week, a national survey was released on state corruption levels and no surprise Massachusetts does not do well. Our open meeting laws are not subject to the Governor and the State Legislature, that alone should provoke outrage. Our Lt. Governor was recently involved in a motor vehicle accident going over 100 mph in the early morning hours and he and the Governor refuse to disclose the Lt. Governor’s cell phone records, despite calls from the Boston Globe and Herald editorial board. I could go on and on with examples of corruption in Massachusetts.

These are the discussions and topics Gordon failed to raise with Senator Kerry when we had the opportunity to do so. These are the types of discussions that if applied, would have set the college apart from other New England schools.

What proceeded was Q and A, and everyone wondered whether the white elephant in the room would be addressed. Abortion. How could a Senator that was pro-choice come to Gordon and not be questioned. How could we ignore that question when it has unjustly been placed as a wedge within American politics for so long? We could not. Senator Kerry addressed the issued from two fronts, first a personal response. He himself did see it as immoral; he would advise his wife, his children, his friends not to commit such an act. In sequence he laid down his political argument, he stated that it is simply not the role of the state, that the decision to abort or not should be left to the woman, her family and God.

The room was filled with tension; there were outburst of clapping from part of the crowd and a stern look of concern from most of the attendees. It was uncomfortable, awkward and provoking. It was necessary.

If we claim to be an institution that is non denominational, seeking truth, and dedicated to knowledge we must be able to gather different opinions, to wrestle with them, to open our minds and break down our preconceived notions and reach truth. One might find themselves with the same final thesis, however to consider a different perspective should only perfect our full comprehension of truth, to further establish the thesis as reality.

I command President Lindsay not to shy away from exposing us to ideas that may be controversial, ideas that diverge from the traditional rhetoric within Christian circles of higher education. I appreciate that our President respects his students enough to understand that we are able to dissect through different opinions and through contemplative informed and faithful reflection form an opinion of our own. If we are to be prepared to be leaders in this world, we must be able to hear opinions that may contradict ours, and to meditate upon them, with the humility necessary to achieve truth.
There you go Gordon students. The bubble burst. Can you handle it?
Submitted by Naama Mendez ‘13

I was delighted that Senator John Kerry, the first senator received at Gordon, was able to inaugurate the Richard F. Gross distinguished lecture series. Sen. Kerry emphasized that in this world, there are those “who draft Christ into partisan service, using his name in order to divide for the purpose of power.” Instead of adhering to this division, religions of this world must focus not on their differences, but rather on the values they hold in common.

Sen. Kerry went on to state that the “Golden Rule” is not a concept exclusive to Christianity, but one described in the other Abrahamic traditions such as Judaism and Islam. Therefore the three major religions, in Kerry’s words, “share universal values of human dignity.” These religions view faith as demanding an active response, especially in regard to human suffering. Sen. Kerry commended Christians actively responding to poverty, the AIDS epidemic, and the Kony 2012 campaign, which seeks to bring justice to Joseph Kony, who kidnaps children and forces them to commit egregious acts of violence.

What intrigued me most was Senator Kerry’s response to the question of how his faith impacts his political stance on abortion. He believes abortion to be morally wrong, but insists that it should remain “rare, safe, and legal.” He also mentioned that “white men” should not attempt to outlaw it, regardless of the moral concerns. The choice should be made privately between a woman, her doctor and God.

As Christians, we empathize with those oppressed and dehumanized—such as the children enslaved by Joseph Kony. In the same way, there is no group that is more greatly persecuted than the pre-born. Since the passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973, the ruling which legalized abortion-on-demand through the third trimester of pregnancy, nearly 54,000,000 lives have been extinguished. Sen. Kerry had mentioned the universal dignity of the human person, but this definition does not seem to include those human beings still in the womb.

You might ask, “Is that REALLY life?” I would respond, yes. We have dramatically advanced our understanding of fetal development since 1973. The notion that life begins at conception is not under debate in the medical community; it is an established fact. Professor Micheline Matthews-Roth of Harvard University Medical School testified alongside many medical professionals in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1981, stating that ““It is incorrect to say that biological data cannot be decisive…It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception.”

The true question then is, are these lives equal to our own? Are these our neighbors, whom Christ called us to cherish as Sen. Kerry discussed, or quasi-human “things” to be overlooked in the name of “privacy?” No one should attempt to simplify the difficult circumstances and anguish a woman experiences in an unwanted pregnancy. Yet to claim that the government has no jurisdiction to save the lives of the unborn, yet has jurisdiction to save lives elsewhere, is to cling to a double standard.

Submitted by Ian Isaac ‘14

I was alarmed to hear that Sen. John Kerry is giving a lecture entitled “On Faith” March 19.
John Kerry believes that politics should be divorced from faith, stating, “I fully intend to continue to practice my religion as separately from what I do with respect to my public life, and that’s the way it ought to be in America.”
James 2:14-16 asks
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such a faith save him?  . . . if one of you says to [a brother or sister], “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”
In many areas of his office, he has attempted to live out his “moral obligation to one another, to the forgotten, and to those who live in the shadows.”  However, this is not always the case, especially in the area of abortion.  According to his own website, John Kerry has a 100% voting record from NARAL Pro-Choice America specifically because of his pro-choice voting record.  At the same time, he claimed in a 2004 presidential debate to believe that life begins at conception.  If the divide between what he says and what he does is so great, then he is unqualified to preach on faith, which “if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17).

- Chris Gavrielidis ‘14  GCSA Sophomore Class Representative