Our country is hurting as we process the tragic events of this past week. We mourn for everyone. I believe in the transformative effect of higher education and that it has a unique and powerful role to play in our path from here. We must approach each other with respect, with dignity, and through civil discourse. There are no easy answers, but we have strength in our voice and a responsibility to further the conversation.
We are all bound together by the human need to be known, understood, and valued. At the University of Mississippi, we embody these mutual commitments to one another in the UM Creed, a part of which states our belief in fairness and civility and in the respect for the dignity of each person. I urge all members of the UM family to embody these beliefs as we reach out to one another in the coming days.
Many in our country are speaking and writing about these painful events. Frank Bruni of the New York Times provides us with words to start moving forward:
“There’s only one cause here: taking the appropriate steps — in criminal justice, in police training, in schools, in public discourse — so that each of us goes about our days in as much peace as possible. And the constituency for that is all of America.”
Mr. Bruni’s article struck a chord with me. Here’s a link to the full article; it’s well worth reading: http://nyti.ms/29uCiZY.
