Sat, 22 Oct 1994 16:28:22 -0700 for <socgrad@UCSD.EDU>
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 1994 18:28:15 -0500 (CDT)
From: Melanie <mlowery@comp.uark.edu>
Subject: Re: murray book
To: Michael Lichter <lichter@nicco.sscnet.ucla.edu>

Michael, 

I don't think that it is fair to assume that because some are wary of what 
they have seen of "multiculturalism in action," we may be latent racists 
or afraid of change or losing our comfort level.  

I can only speak for myself as, like you, I don't know anyone out here in 
real life. Theoretically, I love the idea of inclusiveness, or respect 
for other nationalities, genders, and traditions. When I see this noble 
idea being twisted into a way for some people to grab power in the 
growing numbers of big money bureaucracies (and I am working in one right 
now), then it makes me wonder where this movement is leading.  Power in 
the hands of the "wrong" people can do a lot of harm.  

I have seen this in person, where layers are added into already 
overstuffed agencies in order to "transform" the agenda to make it more 
palatable to everyone. What comes out is a lot of jargon that no one can 
relate to, but to which no one is about to object out of fear for their 
jobs and reputations. 

When you see in that documentary and in real life, teenagers who think 
that they do not have to dress in a neat manner in order to get a job, 
African-American kids who won't use standard American English because 
they say that is oppressive, and other similar (and misguided 
IMHO) impacts of this movement, you have to wonder where it has gone 
wrong. At least I do. 

I am a woman. I would like to see more women held up as role models, 
but we can't invent them where they do not exist, and we can't write 
imaginary histories about what women WOULD have done had they been 
"allowed". This is being done here in my own school and all around the 
country. To me, it seems that something has gone awry...

melanie


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"The difference between utopia and a cemetery is that occasionally 
some things do happen in Utopia." 
                                         - Ralf Dahrendorf
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