From: Peshewegunzh <beaver.cs.washington.edu!gnosys!mthvax.cs.miami.edu!mamia!peshe>
Subject: Re: ACTIVISM: Mt. Graham Action Alert!!
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:58:52 GMT

Original-Sender: Peshewegunzh <mthvax.cs.miami.edu!mamia!peshe>

gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman) wrote:

> There are damn few good observatories. EVERY one of them has made at
> least one major discovery. Currently astronomers can wait for years
> for observing time with a major astronomical instrument.

The search for knowledge is always valuable. That said, however, it
cannot be an end in itself as that places it beyond all moral
control and direction. The result of knowledge achieved without
moral restraint is a classic exercise in trying to achieve good ends
via bad means - bad ends. Human history ancient and recent is replete
with the sad examples of trying to operate within a moral vacuum with
the only imperative being "knowledge." The "good" German academics
who acted only out of "pure" scientific or academic motives were
eventually forced to tour the death camps where their philosophies and
discoveries were so successfully put to use without moral compass.
The present case is not so severe, of course; but the path embarked
upon is the same, which sees only the imperative of science. It's
worth examining at the start.

> >>Otherwise the hysterical quasi-religious ravings of a few fanatics
> >>will destroy this valuable bit of scientific progress.

This is an assertion, not a fact, and is a statement made with
recourse to demagoguery, and considerable contempt and hatred.
It is not scientific, but reveals the dangers of believing one is
exempt in the pursuit of knowledge from the emotional and moral
dimensions which affect all people.

> Well that shows how much research you've done into the issue before
> spewing off. The so called San Carlos Tribal Council didn't exist
> two years ago. And as far as anyone can tell, it consists of eight
> people who *claim* to be Apache Indians.

It's difficult to tell from here just who the mebers of this Council
are, what authority they have, and who it is who is casting aspersions
on their legitimacy and what authority they have for doing so.

It's an old, old, trick, however, for the European American society to
challenge the authenticity of any aboriginal authority which fails
to agree with whatever they wish to be done.

> The U of A had the permission
> of the established Indian tribal councils before it started this
> project.

This may be so, yet again, with whose permission and by whose
authority were these "established" councils? Sometimes these are
of a form designed to rubberstamp European decisions made elsewhere,
and usurp legitimate Indian authority.

> ... this is just an
> eco-terrorist stunt on the order of Earth First! terrorist tactics.

Certainly such phenomena do exist, and may be a major part of what's
going on. But it's impossible to draw that conclusion without more
information, particularly without knowing what the Indian issues are
in more depth.

You should be aware that Indian traditional living is in basic
conflict with most urban European ecology groups, as actually
practiced, with hunting and other activities.

--
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Peshewegunzh

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mthvax.cs.miami.edu!mamia.UUCP!peshe
peshe@mamia.UUCP
mthvax!mamia!peshe

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