[232] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: What can we do?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (LeeAnn L Henn)
Fri Apr 27 11:07:31 2001
Message-Id: <200104271507.LAA19647@mint-square.mit.edu>
To: Ray Jones <rjones@pobox.com>, mit-talk@MIT.EDU, spa-discuss@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: Your message of "27 Apr 2001 10:51:31 EDT."
<ppw3dauflak.fsf@PIXIE.MIT.EDU>
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 11:07:10 -0400
From: LeeAnn L Henn <langdon@MIT.EDU>
It's not because it's offensive to students that I think it wouldn't be sent.
It's because of the racism and sexism. I doubt the other papers sent in the
packet made claims like "All non-Catholics are less intelligent and less
motivated than the Catholic students are." Or "Students in the Outing Club
are obviously better and more deserving of being here at MIT than the Art
Association because going climbing and biking is more athletic and out-going
than sitting in front of a potter's wheel."
The Extropians probably weren't censored because they questioned Affirmative
Action, or Chuck Vest, or the Institute itself. I'm pretty sure Voodoo was
included in the freshman pamphlet, and they (often quite wittily) question
MIT's ways all the time. The extropian's pamphlet would more likely have been
removed from the mailing because it is racist and sexist. The stats they use to
prove their points are infused with that racism and sexism. Please, read their
packet and if you don't spot those aspects, well... I wonder about you. Much
of their packet is very articulate and well-written, until you look at the
complete lack of logic and rational thought applied to their own arguments
about the "average MIT students."
leeAnn
