[497] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: Take the Anti-AA Challenge!!!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tom Woodfin)
Thu May 3 14:15:37 2001
Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.0.20010503135210.027168d0@po9.mit.edu>
Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 14:15:15 -0400
To: Phife <aca3@MIT.EDU>
From: Tom Woodfin <twoodfin@MIT.EDU>
Cc: mit-talk@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <200105031715.NAA15244@oedipus.mit.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
At 01:15 PM 5/3/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>...
>
> >SO PUT UP OR SHUT UP. ANYONE NOT WILLING TO PROVE THEIR OWN "MIT
> >WORTHINESS" SHOULD AVOID THE HYPOCRISY INHERENT IN BITCHING AND
> >WHINING ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK OF OTHER'S WORTHINESS W.R.T. AA.
I disagree. Consider the reverse situation. Suppose MIT disproportionately
*rejected* blacks for no discernable reason other than skin color. Would it
be hypocritical for a white student to attack this practice even if it
resulted in her admission? Would it somehow be better if she stayed silent?
Just because a particular practice (be it affirmative action, legacy, or
whatever) has benefited you in some way should not preclude you from
criticizing it. I disagree with a lot of the views of the
anti-globalization protestors, say, but I don't think they should shut up
and go home because they might have bought stuff made in Mexico during NAFTA.
~Tom
twoodfin@mit.edu
