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Re: Why the Race topic will probably not be debated (fwd)


Ross pointed out that the discussion of the Civil Rights topic was not 
taking place on the CEDA L. To anyone unaware, a fairly interesting 
debate about the merits and value of this topic has been going on for a 
number of days. Honestly I get all the posts at the same time and usually 
don't check which listserv they come from.  In the interest of including 
the rest of the community I am forwarding my minor contribution to this 
discussion.  A number of people have expressed reservations about 
negative ground on the civil rights topic.  Those posts among others 
prompted Michelin Massey to write an empassioned opinion about the 
discussion from the perspective of an African American debater......the 
following was my response. Hopefully others will begin cross posting 
their comments as well.
3~x
Jason Jarvis
Wake Forest



Michelin Massey says:
> >
> > *** It is a shame and shameful that
> > this community that thrives on competitive discourse is blunting one of
> > the most important areas of discussion this nation (and the world) faces
> > in the world today.  The importance of this issue won't go away until
> > communities like the debate community finally take a stand.  No stand is
> > taken when there is no debate, though.***
> >
> > Sadly,
> >
> > Michelin Massey.
> > University of Colorado-Boulder.
> >
>

Jason says:
>
> I think that Michelin Massey has pointed out the bottom line quite
> eloquently. If we don't debate these issues as future leaders (lawyers,
> legislators, teachers) then we are doing a disservice to ourselves and
> our self proclaimed liberal community. I haven't read the literature on
> this topic, but I find it hard to believe that we cannot find a way to
> balance the topic and address these issues head on.  His description of
> the debate community, while stereotypical, is unfortunately accurate. It
> is dominated by white elites for better or for worse. Given this fact it
> seems all the more important that *this* community come together and find
> a way to debate this topic.
>
> I once took a class on Malcolm X in the Candler School of Theology. I got
> an education there that i was not prepared for.  I am reminded of an
> argument in which I was told by a number of people in the class (the
> majority of whom were African American- being a minority for a few hours
> a week was an education in itself), at any rate I was told that racism
> was only possible if you had the power to enforce your prejudiced
> attitudes upon people. I initially disagreed with this statement, and I
> am still unsure of whether I fully agree with it, though I can at least
> understand where the statement is coming from.  The point is that from
> this perspective, a predominantly white community's rationalizations
> about why it cannot debate a topic on race seems to be the essence of
> racism itself.  At some point it seems imperative that we examine the
> issues that members of our society justifiably feel have been swept under
> cultural rug for too long.
>
> Jason Jarvis
> Wake Forest
>
Archive created by Jonathan Stanton (jonathan@cs.jhu.edu)
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