From: prs9k@brain.med.virginia.edu (Phil Scarr)
Subject: Re: SF + PC
Organization: Neuroclinical Trials Center, University of Virginia
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 16:01:10 GMT

In article <1992Dec31.145319.29772@bnlux1.bnl.gov> weiner@bnlls1.nsls.bnl.gov (Gary Weiner) writes:
>In article <1992Dec30.125910.13054@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> prs9k@brain.med.virginia.edu (Phil Scarr) writes:
>>
>>But don't you see that this is tautological?  If all you are taught is
>>that the best and brightest are DWMs of European decent then you get a
>>skewed view of the world...
>
>I'm not saying the best and brightest are all DWEMs, certainly I could
>name a bunch of brilliant non-DWEM achievers thoughout history. I won't
>argue Confucius vs Socrates or Shaka Zulu vs Alexander. My point is
>that the history of the United States is, pretty  much, the history of
>Europe and if we want to know where we come from: Intelectually, 
>Morally and otherwise, it is the DWEMs (for the most part) that we must
>look to.  

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!  ExCUSE ME?  YOUR heritage might be European, but
what about the millions and millions of African-Americans?  Chinese?
Koreans?  Muslims?  etc, etc etc.  What you are saying is that because
the guys who originally settled here (after trashing the original
inhabitants thoroughly) were of European origin, America is for ever and
ever a Eurocentric country?  I think not.  Our history may be European,
but our future is international.

By this logic we should be living in long-houses (or kivas depending
upon your part of the country), hunting deer and practicing ancient
rituals around the fire.  That was, afterall, the heritage of this
continent...

>
>> ...Our culture (meaning the culture of the US
>>and even Western Europe) is made up of lots of different parts.
>>Especially here in America, our culture IS multicultural (despite what
>>many republicans would have you believe, this is NOT a Christian
>>Country!).  Travel through any city and you will see influences from all
>>over the world.
>
>Perhaps, but most of those influences are European.  The USA is, by and
>large, a mix of European cultures.  The non-Euro cultures are here, but
>their influence on the US culture and mind is minimal.

My point exactly.  The reason their impact has been minimal is because
of racist, sexist, etc. eclusionary tactics practiced by the
powers-that-be (either intentionally or unintentionally).  The outcome
of this exclusion is the appearance of a Euro-dominated history,
despite the fact that much of this nations wealth is built upon the
labor of slaves and the children of slaves.  Just because it isn't in
the history books, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.  Check out a book
by Eric Wolf: _Europe and the People Without a History_.  It's about
just this very topic.

>
>And, the fact is, we are a Christian Country, and I say this as Jew who
>can see these things pretty clearly.

We are a country with a lot of Christians, but we aren't a Christian
country.

>
>>
>>The fact of the matter is there is a great deal to be learned from non
>>DWMs.
>
>Certainly...
>
>>>
>>>The thing is, if you want a more diverse cannon (and this is a good thing
>>>IMHO) then don't say "We Need More Black/Red/Blue/Yellow/Women/Homosexual
>>>/etc authors in our cannon" say "We should have this book in our cannon
>>>because it deserves to be there"
>>
>>Yes and no.  Many of the arguments for inclusion ARE based upon some form
>>of merit or deservedness.  BUT, we, as literati should PUSH the non-DWM
>>or even non-WM for inclusion FIRST, because they have been left out so
>>long.  Kind of a literary affirmative-action if you will.
>
>It has been my observation that this kind of literary affimative action
>tends to push merit to the back burner in order to get "X% of our core
>must be from Y minority"

It was an analogy only.  What I was arguing is the old Jeffersonian
position:

A little revolution now and again is a good thing.


>
>
>
>
>Gary J. Weiner  | Brookhaven National Laboratories  | "The killer awoke 
>PO BOX 715      | National Synchrotron Light Source |  before dawn...
>Upton,NY 11973  |    weiner@bnlls1.nsls.bnl.gov     |  he put his boots on..."
>

	-Phil
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