An appreciation of what unites us is key

John Joseph
ASB President

The rich diversity and representation our students from other countries offer us during our college years is something I think benefits us all in very practical ways. My goal today is to illustrate some of those ways.

People from other countries give us a greater sense of perspective. For example, I never knew how much I should cherish my rights in a democratic society until I spoke with someone who lived in a country ruled by the Communist Party.

Ideas such as voting, freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press just seemed natural to me. It seemed natural that the government's powers were separated and that checks and balances on those powers exist. This seemed natural until I spoke with someone who was from a country ruled by a dictator.

These experiences have all combined to afford me a new appreciation for the country in which I live. I have a more profound respect for those who died to defend my rights. I have a deeper appreciation of the privileges I enjoy daily. My perspective on American citizenship has been radically altered for the better.

People from other countries often have perspectives that challenge our own. This is a good thing. For example, I have met many people who do not share the same religious views I have. During one past conversation, a friend asked me to defend my beliefs. I discovered that I really did not know much about why I believed what I claimed to believe.

It seems pointless to believe something and not know why. When we can defend our beliefs, it helps justify them and helps us to affirm them. When we feel that our beliefs are wrong after discussing an issue with a person having different beliefs, and find the courage to examine ours more deeply, we develop truer and more profound beliefs. This is the reward of having our perspectives challenged.

Finally, our world is increasingly becoming smaller due to technology and the word 'globalization' is appearing more and more as a definition for the world which will exist in the new millennium. Whether we are interested in business or social work or medicine or anything else, working with different types of people is increasingly inevitable.

I believe the day is coming when a job done in Phoenix will be able to be done more profitably and easily by someone working from a computer in Singapore. In many ways, these new times are amongst us now. Learning to work with, respect and befriend people different than we are is now more important than ever.

In a larger sense, though, we must remember that what unites us is much more than the petty differences we so often let divide us. Do we not all search for happiness and peace? Do we not all want to be accepted for the person we are and not the person everyone wants us to be?

In this new world and in this new millennium, it is my sincere hope that we all work to move towards unconditional acceptance of our fellow man, no matter how we differ. There is no government program that can cause this to happen. It starts with the individual and it starts with dialogue about other cultures and beliefs. It starts right now on this campus. We must not let dreams fade away.

John Joseph is a junior managerial finance major from Decatur, Ala.