There's been a lot of talk this week, following the tragic accident at the bonfire, of ending that tradition. I've endured enough talk radio opinions by people who don't understand our traditions that I feel like I have to speak my piece. I personally hope that we continue with the bonfire. I think that it will mean more to Aggies than it ever did before -- just like all of the other traditions that we have that deal with the death of loved ones.
At A&M, I learned that it's not how you die, it's how you live. I don't think that you can go through your life trying not to die. Two bad things will happen. One, you'll die anyway. Two, you won't live. At A&M, we have a treasured tradition of service to a larger group -- the student body, our families, our country. One other thing that they taught me at A&M during the 70s was the phrase, "Highway 6 runs both ways." They meant that if you don't like it here you can leave the same way you got here. We didn't leave. We stayed because we wanted to be part of what we found there.
I don't think that anyone feels like it's a good thing for a young person to die working on bonfire. Still, Aggies take risks to serve others. I'm not the only former student who wouldn't say, "Take me, and leave these kids." When I was at A&M in the 70s, my job on bonfire was serving coffee, popcorn and hot chocolate to the people working with the logs. Bonfire is a bonding experience like no other.
I hope that the leaders at A&M redefine the 12th man tradition to include work on the bonfire, and honoring all of our other great traditions. And I hope that the bonfire is preserved so that others can live the same way that so many have lived before them. I plan to be there next year.
My heart goes out to the friends and families of the Aggies who were hurt last week. My heart also goes out to the people who don't understand our tradition of service and sacrifice. The latter group has lost more than the former, but they have a chance to change that. They could find out about our traditions: Bonfire, Muster, Silver Taps, the MSC, the drill field, the Elephant walk, Senior wood, Howdy, the 12th man, the Corps of Cadets, and many more. Then look at your life and make some traditions of your own. I hope that you can find as much fraternity and meaning in yours as we have in ours.
And if you don't care about our traditions, I would only respond, as politely as I can, that Highway 6 runs both ways. It's bad enough to grieve over the loss of your own, but it's unimaginable that people would tell us how we ought to live during our mourning.
--- 21 November 1999