Knepper off base on social justice
Last Thursday’s column by Alex Knepper berated the entire social justice movement as “self-serving,” but such a label can just as easily be applied to Knepper himself, who has once again written another piece rife with tired tactics. He accuses leftists who criticize bigoted initiatives like Prop 8 of somehow trying to avoid debating the merits of an argument without providing any merits himself.
Knepper demonstrates that he is not a student of history when he makes the (sadly too widespread) argument that it was somehow Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “conciliatory outreach” that helped end desegregation and not Malcolm X’s militancy. This is a gross simplification of history. Blacks continued to struggle even after King’s successes (see for example the Watts Riots, which followed the Civil Rights act and helped spark the Black Power movement). Knepper whitewashes MLK, whose strongest criticism was reserved for white moderates who felt that the Civil Rights movement was “too radical.” Hardly a conciliatory figure, King was a fighter to the end. Knepper reserves a bit of distaste for those activists who proclaim themselves as “Queer,” “Chicano” and “radical feminist” (in other words, people who advocate for the causes of their own groups). It’s amazing that he has enough supernatural insight as to be able to see inside the mindsets of these individuals and tar them as self-absorbed. Having provided no evidence, this could be the only other explanation. Still, even if they were to disappear tomorrow as Knepper so wishes, there would still be homophobic attacks on gays, there would still be racist and xenophobic attacks on Mexicans and Mexican-Americans and there would still be domestic violence and abuse of women. Like them or not, these activists serve a purpose in bringing these important issues to light.
On the point of the struggles of the “advocates for Israel” on campus: AU is a remarkably robust place for debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as the fine organizations AU Students for Israel, Students for Justice in Palestine and OneVoice AU have collaborated and done programming together for the sake of advancing the common goal of peace with justice. Nonetheless, Knepper seems rather unaware of the strain in the pro-Israel movement that would dismiss even Jews who advocate for justice for Palestinians as simply motivated by anti-Semitism, and would do anything to avoid dialogue with them. Before the pot lambasts the kettle for its color, it should take a long look at itself.
Lastly, Knepper uses these examples to paint a broad brush on the entire social justice movement as a whole. Even if one disagrees with those who are motivated by resentment (an understandable consequence of being victimized), the movement is much larger than that. Social justice is about fair housing, sustainable wages and salaries, universal access to a (good) health care system, a just and non-predatory financial system and so much more. In fact, there are those in the movement who oppose illegal immigration because it is detrimental to poor American citizens who would otherwise have more jobs! Activists in the movement are incredibly diverse, and one cannot say that they are all motivated by resentment, truly altruistic, or otherwise. The common vision is a society that is fair to all its citizens, rich, poor and those in between. It is hardly the “me-first club” that Knepper wants to paint it as.
Barnaby Yeh Senior, SPA
Cardarella wrong on Columbus
Phil Cardarella is totally off base in his article about Christopher Columbus. In my view, there is no “Columbus controversy.” Columbus Day is a national holiday, one that doesn’t pretend to romanticize the man, but rather seeks to commemorate the birth of Western Civilization. In an article last year, Thomas Bowden of the Ayn Rand Institute wrote, “Columbus Day is, at root, a celebration of the worldwide spread of Western civilization ... Those who attack Columbus Day are attacking the distinctive values of Western civilization that America so proudly embraces -reason, science, individual rights, and capitalism.”
Bowden admits — as I do — that Columbus had faults. “We need not evade or excuse Columbus’s flaws to recognize that he made history by finding new territory for a civilization that would soon show mankind how to overcome the age-old scourges of slavery, war and forced religious conversion.”
So, can we give the guy a break? Please. As the future presents enough actual challenges to combat, I think we can leave this faux Columbus controversy where it belongs — alongside other wingnut theories like the 9/11 “truthers,” and the Obama “birthers.”
If we abolish Columbus Day for the atrocities to “native people” (Dare anybody drop the “I” word these days?), shouldn’t we then abolish Independence Day since many of the people who led this nation to its independence owned slaves and caused them undue and unjust harm?
When does this madness end?
Steven Dalton Senior, SPA
Women's Initiative should remain neutral in abortion debate
As a pro-life and, dare I say it, anti-abortion male, I was dismayed to see that Women's Initiative is co-sponsoring AUS4C's "Anti-Abortion Violence Awareness" week. It is a shame that such a non-partisan organization like Women's Initiative at AU, whose stated goal is women's empowerment, is taking sides in such a passionate issue that affects the lives of millions of women worldwide. Not only is it insulting for to insinuate that those of us here who are pro-life and yes, anti-abortion, are somehow the equivalent of thugs or terrorists, but it also seems foolish of Women's Initiative to think that the activities of this awareness week actually serve to empower women at all. Writing "thank you" letters to abortion providers and doing "quad demonstrations" to honor victims of "anti-abortion violence" showcases an attitude typical of student groups here at AU that talk is better than action. Pro-life groups and Crisis Pregnancy Centers do a great deal of work to give women the opportunity to raise their unborn child regardless of their past and/or financial circumstances, and these contributions should be recognized also. Next year, Women's Initiative should either stay neutral in this debate, or acknowledge the work of both pro-choice and pro-life activists if it wishes to have any credibility.
Nathan Reily Senior, SPA
College Republicans should not show a blatantly inflammatory, unscientific film
Many words could describe my feelings about the film the College Republicans chose to show on campus Sunday evening. It's true that I found it infuriating and blind, but coming out of that film screening the biggest thing I felt was disappointment. "Not Evil, Just Wrong," a film put out by an independent film company whose funding is deeply rooted in industry, attempts to build a case that global warming is a lie. Self-describing the film as a "resistance against Al Gore and his cronies of capitalistic destruction" on its Web site, this documentary was clearly not made by a group of people who should be trusted for their ability to be rational. I have the utmost respect for the College Republicans, I may not agree with their politics, but I believe in healthy debate. This was why I was so profoundly disappointed by their support of such a blatantly inflammatory, unscientific piece of journalism.
It is not within the space of this letter to discuss every point in the two-hour movie, but I would like to address a few of the highlights:
DDT
A bio-accumulating substance, DDT is a pesticide that builds up in the fatty tissues of animals, and was shown to be deadly to the birth of large birds. The movie presented DDT as a miracle substance for Africa as a malaria eradicator. They also made the claim that even though the WHO has approved the use of DDT, irrational, people-hating "Greens" intentionally perpetuate childhood mortality by voicing concerns about DDT. This is false. Many organizations such as the Sierra Club and Environmental Defense support limited DDT spraying in homes for the strict use of mosquito eradication, in areas that it would actually be effective (which, by the way, according to the WHO is not nearly all of Africa). What environmentalists do have a problem with is using DDT as a crop pesticide, as there have been proven ecosystem effects and potential human health effects when it is used in such large amounts.
The Economy
Perhaps my favorite line of the movie was a statement by the narrator that said moving to a clean energy economy would raise the price of energy so high that many people in the United States would not be able to afford it. This claim was not backed up by any evidence of any kind and was just thrown out there as if it was a fact that everyone already knew. This could not be farther from the truth. Many organizations, including the Department of Energy, have released impact studies indicating that price scares over renewable portfolio standards are blown largely out of proportion. The film makes it sound like we're going to shut down all the coal plants tomorrow. The heartwarming story of the factory worker from Indiana who depends on oil to make his living is of course true, but missing the bigger picture completely. Transitions in industry have happened at many junctures in American history, and the country has managed to go on. I'm sure the saddle business suffered greatly with the invention of the car, but does that mean we should have not moved to new technologies? Of course not.
The Hockey Stick Model
Perhaps the most famous climate prediction model of the 1990s, a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a line graph shaped like a crude hockey stick to illustrate the sharp increase of global temperatures in the last decade. The movie went into great detail over Steve McIntyre's study that supposedly discredited this data. What the movie didn't discuss, however, was that this "study" was never published in a peer reviewed journal, and when the study and McIntyre's criticism of NASA scientist Jim Hansen's data prompted a senate inquiry, several independent researchers published, in peer reviewed journals of course, that the errors McIntyre found, while real, had only minor significance to the integrity of the graph.
These anecdotes do not attempt to discredit every aspect of this film. However, I find it difficult to put faith into any of their other claims with such obvious fact twisting in these examples. Real criticism and debate can be had over how to deal with the climate crisis, and I invite the College Republicans to schedule a substantive academic discussion, but it is high time that they grow up and stop being swayed by business-funded propaganda. The planet has a problem and it's time to face it.
Anjali Bean Senior, CAS
Students should get involved on International Day of Climate Action
Oct. 24 is the International Day of Climate Action. This Saturday, actions will be held around the world to call for a safe climate future, featuring the most important number to our time — 350. The number that NASA's premier climatologist, James Hansen, has said is the safe maximum amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Currently, there are 387 ppm of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. It will take a strong international commitment to reduce emissions to the safe level of 350. The hope is that world leaders will meet this December in Copenhagen to forge a strong, fair and actionable treaty committing countries to reductions which will return us to 350 ppm in time.
Beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday and lasting until 11 a.m. Saturday morning, students will be in front of the NBC studios on Nebraska Avenue. Eco-Sense invites others to join in protest of mainstream U.S. media's utter failure to cover climate change. Thousands of events will be happening around the world and Eco-Sense will show images from those events live with a projector. Come for however long you can to show your support for strong climate action. At 12 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24 at Malcolm X Park, there will be a rally and concert for the International Day of Climate Action and a march to the White House to follow. Eco-Sense will be hosting “Open Mics, Open Minds” at 8 p.m. on the same night in the Perch to allow students to reflect on the day through music, poetry and discussion. Please join Eco-Sense on Saturday to fight for a clean and safe future.
Laura Flanagan Sophomore, CAS/SIS
