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Date:         Sat, 7 Nov 1992 14:33:51 -0700
From:         IRWIN@CITIAGO.BITNET
Subject:      response to Lisa on IDM program

Folks,
        In this post I shall attempt to advocate an alternative vision for
the future of SEDS while critiquing the vision as laid out by Lisa.  All that
follows below is strictly in my opinion and is my interpretation of the
position that Lisa advocated in her two posts yesterday.
        I would like to begin with an analogy to the environmental movement
(be glad...I could have chosen the pro-life movement :-).  As I see it, Lisa
is advocating that SEDS become a group much like Earth First!, which consists
of a small, dedicated band of highly committed individuals.  Their top priority
is not to succeed in getting things done, but rather to be "RIGHT!" in their
cause.  While I know that Lisa isn't advocating that we adopt the principles
and tactics of Earth First!, she does appear to advocate that we adopt an
attitude that "if you aren't willing to work 100% for our cause, then we don't
want you."  It is, quite frankly, an elitist attitude which, to me, smacks us
right in the face of what SEDS should be doing.
        Those of us in favor of the IDM program here in California tend to have
the more "egalitarian" and "inclusive" vision that can be compared to other
pro-environment groups like the Sierra Club.  These groups are more likely to
get their agenda heard on the national stage because they actively seek a
grass-roots consensus which carries more political weight precisely because
they have popular support.
        Now, how does this relate to the IDM program...well, Lisa states at
the bottom of her message (and I quote):

   "A small group of motivated people will get more done that a huge crowd
   of inactive people ever will.  And I'll take the small group any day."

That may very well be true.  But who says that we will lose that small group
of motivated people by expanding our organization through this program.  I
certainly plan on continuing to be part of the leadership of SEDS for as long
as I can, and I know that others will continue after I have left (and yes,
there will eventually come a time when I will leave...:-).  In addition, we
may be able to find a vast resource of such committed individuals as a result
of the increased name recognition that SEDS will receive through the IDM
program.  Personally, I would rather try to find a huge mob of motivated people
that can get orders of magnitude more accomplished than any small band of such
individuals.  Lisa tends to be too limited in her vision of where SEDS can
go, and perhaps that may in part explain the limited role that MIT SEDS has
been playing on the national scene this year.
        Most members of SEDS chapters would fall into the category that Lisa
derides as "quite content to sit around and just receive a magazine."  I know
for a fact that Caltech SEDS typically gets about 150 names on our mailing
list each year, out of a student body of 1800 students (grad and undergrad).
Over 50% of those individuals NEVER get involved in any of our activities, but
they still get our chapter newsletter and are kept informed of what we are
doing.  Should these people be ignored, simply because they don't have the
time or resources to be actively involved in SEDS?  Are we not still fulfilling
one of SEDS' goals simply by keeping them informed of what we are doing?  And
for those students who are not fortunate enough to attend schools where SEDS
chapters already exist, thus affording them the luxury of being as active as
they choose, are we to ignore their potential contribution just because they
don't have the time or energy to start their own SEDS chapter?  And how are
we to even find these individuals, who would like to be a part of the largest
pro-space student group in the world, if we don't let them know of our
existence?  The IDM program has the potential, over the next several years,
to reach out to these students who could not otherwise be SEDS members, and
get them to join our cause.
        Our vision...our "impossible dream"...is to get EVERY student in the
United States to join SEDS.  Will it ever happen...of course not.  But by
striving for this goal, we can expand the base of support for SEDS' goals and
ideals, which are:
        1)  to educate students and the general public about the benefits of
            space exploration and development;
        2)  to coordinate the efforts of students in the United States of
            America who are interested in promoting space exploration and
            development; and
        3)  to provide a forum for the discussion and exchange of ideas related
            to the exploration and development of space.
And through the expansion of this support, we can make a positive change on
our future simply by reaching out to as many students as we can who share our
goals but are not aware of our existence.  We as a group are among the most
forward looking individuals in our society, and as such we should not permit
ourselves to limit that vision by excluding those who are not yet fully
committed to it.  We must engage in a policy of inclusion, of developing the
grass roots for tomorrow's space advocacy movement by pursuing students today.
        That about raps up my "vision" for the future of SEDS and I hope that
everyone will look at these points and perhaps reconsider their position in
light of what I've been trying to say.
                                        Ad Astra,
                                        Irwin
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