Policy Bigotry

[asnider@moose.uvm.edu (Alfred C. Snider)]

Arbitary? The topic survey showed that over TWICE as many schools wanted a
mixture of policy and non-policy topics than schools who said they wanted
only policy topics. In fact, it was almost 3 times as many.

That's not arbitrary. I suppose that Hobbs, Ellingson, and Whitney are also
arbitrary in explaining why they like that choice?

I am tempted to start calling this line of argumentation POLICY BIGOTRY,
where not only do they oppose non-policy topics (which is OK) but they
refuse to even allow one for other people to get the chance to vote for.
If half the community in a survey wants a mix of the two, who the heck are
you, Joe Boyle, to say they shouldn't even get a chance to have a
non-policy topic on the ballot?

Let me make myself very clear -- I don't really want a non-policy topic,
but if I had to have one I could handle this one. However, I refuse to
relegate the desires of a large number of our schools (many of which are
not on the listserv) to the dustbin because they want a non-policy topic.

I request that this silliness stop UNLESS someone can explain to me why we
should not even allow a topic like this on the ballot. Don't explain why
you don't like non-policy topics, show me why we shouldn't be allowed to
vote on one.

Cast your vote as you wish, but don't try and load the agenda so that you
only get what you want. There needs to be a real choice.



Alfred C. Snider AKA Tuna
Edwin W. Lawrence Professor of Forensics, University of Vermont
Mail: Box 54225, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405-4225
Phone: 802-656-0097, Fax: 802-656-4275
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