After U.S. Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas agreed to speak at an awards ceremony for a middle school in Maryland, Kenneth F. Johnson, a school board member, objected, saying Thomas' views had no place in Prince George's County MD, the fastest-growing Black jurisdiction in the country.

He convinced the school superintendent to "dis-invite" Thomas. After a great deal of controversy, Thomas was reinvited and spoke to a standing ovation inside the auditorium and a protest outside. The entire incident has provoked discussion about whether students should be shielded from or exposed to differing views.

Prince George's County School Board Member Kenneth E. Johnson's "dis-invitation" to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to speak at one of the schools in the county, because of his personal I causes me to believe that the county is well on its way to becoming a ghetto like Harlem, where the undisciplined parents have chased the decent parents out of Harlem schools. Chaos brings on destruction. Building cannot take place in chaos.

In the world of academics, small-mindedness is not accepted because it limits the learning field. Children who are not allowed to review the many different opinions or facts of a specific situation are not being given all the ammunition needed to succeed. They are being sent into battle with their hands tied behind their backs. When I was a student in Harlem, I was forced to be disciplined enough to listen to the arguments of others. That skill served me well at Howard, Harvard and Nova Southeastern universities.

As a youth, following the leadership of Malcolm X, I found little to excite me in the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Whitney Young, Thurgood Marshall and Roy Wilkins. I listened to these men because I knew they were bright, and I knew I did not have all the answers. The knowledge I gained from listening to them has also served me well. The good life comes when we listen to everyone.