Until
next semester everyone
Well folks, this is my last column for the
semester, and I write it with a tear in
my eye and a lump in my throat (okay, maybe
it isn’t that dramatic). As I sit here and
reflect on the semester, however, I must
say, it was an eventful one.
I remember my first article that was printed
in the On-line Forty-Niner, titled, “Pacifists,
And Why I Hate Them,” and I could not believe
the amount of responses I received over
that submission. I thought it was relatively
tame, but nonetheless, it struck a nerve
with the campus liberal movement, and it
did not stop there.
My next article was called “Religion Not
For Everyone,” and believe it or not, that
one is still generating controversy even
today. One Web site, CollegeClub.com, posted
the article and there are a whopping 52
pages in response to it from people who
call me the devil to people who praise me
like a god. Unbelievable.
When war in Iraq finally did break out,
much fun was to be had in angering the leftists
of this campus. I guess you could call my
politics conservative, sometimes even offensive,
maybe that is what angered so many of the
campus population and elicited literally
dozens of letters to the editor. Perhaps
it was the truth my articles spoke that
so many of you did not want to acknowledge.
Whatever it was, I feel I accomplished my
goal of provoking thought and dispelling
the rhetoric that certain campus groups
so often spout with regard to social issues.
And you know what? I cannot wait to do it
all over again next semester.
That said, I now have a few “thank you’s”
and acknowledgements to make.
First off, I would like to thank the campus-at-large
for reading and responding to my articles
week after week. I would especially like
to thank the many people who disagreed with
me and wrote in (an overwhelming majority
of letters to the editor in response to
my column were from dissidents). While I
still know that I was right on all the issues
I commented on, it is always healthy and
productive to hear a dissenting view, no
matter how ridiculous the person who disagreed
with me sounded.
Next, I must give praise to some wonderful
people who always gave me advice, guidance
and support on my weekly rants: Dr. William
Mulligan — you introduced me to the world
of journalism, your door was always open
and you were always more than willing to
answer my questions (which were usually
endless); Dr. Charles Hughes — your counsel
and commendation never went unnoticed; Conway
& Steckler of 97.1 KLSX — for inviting
me on your show and allowing me to read
one of my columns on the air, which sparked
controversy over the airwaves of Los Angeles;
Jason Garthoffner of the Long Beach Union
— great minds do think alike; Jack Schneider,
Oscar Montealegre, and Barlas F. Esin of
the On-line Forty-Niner — all of your comments
and compliments were extremely heartfelt
and I cherish them greatly, you are all
great writers; the rest of the staff of
the On-line Forty-Niner — without your hard
work and dedication to this daily publication,
none of this would have been possible; and
last but certainly not least, the best editor
an opinion columnist could have, Tina Page
— I thank you for putting up with my weekly
tirades and not editing them excessively,
and for allowing my sometimes very controversial
views to be seen by a population of over
30,000.
Until next semester, I advise everyone to
relish in these rapidly approaching tranquil
times where your views will go unchallenged
and unchecked, and fear the day that I will
return to spark controversy upon the campus
once more. This concludes our broadcast
day.
Gerry Wachovsky is a business major at Cal
State Long Beach. He can be reached at senorbucho@aol.com
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