The following is the text of a statement of purpose I wrote for an open Facebook group I created. It came about as a result of a post and comment chain on another Morehouse related Facebook group called "You probably attended Morehouse College if..." Several weeks ago I posted "You probably attended Morehouse College if...you're embarrassed by Herman Cain." It's a little known fact that GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain is a 1967 graduate of Morehouse College. Many other Morehouse men soon added comments to my post and we began discussing how Cain's anti-Muslim comments are counter to the Morehouse tradition of tolerance and opposition to bigotry. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the best known graduate of Morehouse College. Although lesser known, the legacy of men such as Morehouse President Benjamin Elijah Mays and theologian Howard Thurman are just as salient to students and graduates of Morehouse College. Every Morehouse Man is well aware of the great legacy of such men in the struggle for social justice and equality. This makes Herman Cain's recent remarks all the more baffling. If you're interested in joining the group (and meet the criteria listed below) or you just want to read the posts on the page, go to: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/141500499273169/members/
Statement of Purpose:
This is a call by Morehouse Men for our brother Herman Cain (class of 1967) to repent for his anti-Muslim comments made during the 2012 Republican Presidential Nomination process. These comments have been well documented by all major news outlets. They include his assertion that he would not appoint a Muslim to serve in his Presidential administration or to serve as a Federal Judge. Brother Cain has gone on to state that he would subject any Muslim applicants to his administration to special scrutiny based solely upon their Muslim faith. He has also stated that he opposes the construction of a Mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in violation of the First Amendment rights of the Islamic community of that city. The members of this group believe that brother Cain's comments do not reflect the values of universal brotherhood and tolerance, which are hallmarks of our Alma Mater Morehouse College. It is particularly shocking to note that brother Cain attended Morehouse College under the tenure of President Benjamin Elijah Mays, one of the most outspoken opponents of bigotry in the 20th century and a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This group was created as an outlet for Morehouse Men who are disturbed by brother Herman Cain's anti-Muslim comments. We intend for this to be a loving and respectful call to our brother to reconsider his views and repent for his recent comments. Disrespectful commentary on this page is strongly discouraged and will be removed upon discovery. We fully respect brother Cain’s right to his party affiliation and conservative political views. We also congratulate Herman Cain on his impressive record of success in the fields of business and media. Brother Cain’s accomplishments in these areas are consistent with the standard of excellence instilled in every graduate of Morehouse College. However, we are deeply concerned that Herman Cain’s anti-Muslim comments do not represent the values of Morehouse College and we seek to make clear that these comments are not consistent with the behavior expected of Morehouse Men.
We fully acknowledge that our nation is currently engaged in a war against Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization that identifies itself as a radical Islamist movement. However, to equate all Muslims with Al-Qaeda is an expression of anti-Islamic bigotry. It is analogous to equating all Christians with the terrorist acts of Timothy McVeigh, the Ku Klux Klan, or the Christian Identity Movement. We call upon Herman Cain to repent for his anti-Muslim statements and to seek forgiveness from the Muslim American Community.
We ask that only the following people seek to join this group:
1) Individuals who have graduated from Morehouse College or who matriculated at Morehouse College during any portion of their undergraduate education.
2) Past or current faculty, staff, or employees of Morehouse College.
3) Past or current administrators of Morehouse College.
This is an open group and will be loosely monitored (we’ve got day jobs). We are asking all those who join and post to this group to abide by the above stated guidelines.
