From: aap@wam.umd.edu (Alberto Adolfo Pinkas)
Subject: Re: Salas
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 20:46:28 GMT

In article <19284@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, ez000281@othello.ucdavis.edu writes:
> 
> Robert,
> 
> I thought you would succeed in making some Folks confront the issues instead 
> of censoring the issuer, but apparently this has not been possilbe.  

Yes, it seems that it did not work. It is sad, because Robert was absolutely
right.

> Fortunately, we were both raised under a form of government where the 
> distincion of legitimacy is never placed on "ideas", 

Yes, you are right. A form of government where the distinction of legitimacy
is never placed on "ideas". Sure, not like in England, for example, where
they have a different form of government.
Forms of government define everything.
For example, in the USA, legitimacy was never used on ideas, specially when
applied to top governemnt jobs or visas.


> but many of our friends 
> here and abroad don't understand this concept very well, 

And, at this point it is clear why they do not understand.
What has made the USA great, and the flagship of the free nations is their
European culture.
That is, the basis of this great country were made by Europeans that came here,
killed most of the indians, and realized which culture was superior to what.
SOmething similar happened in Argentina. Until 1930 it was the 7th power on
the world, and it was an example of freedom, until the indians were allowed 
into our culture, not like in the USA, where segregation was legal until 1963.
So, Washintong, Franklin, and the rest of the founding fathers understood the
importance of the freedom of speech, and that ideas could not be placed under
the category of "legitimacy".



> and it is their 
> experience that when someone pushes something other than the popular creed, he 
> is either inmoral, crazy, or both and shoul
> be silenced.  Do not worry, this 
> runs very deep in the "hispanic" tradition.

Sad but true. Absolutely true. The popular creed is untochable. Not like here,
where there is no popular creed, like freedom of speech.
The popular creed among "hispanics" has a long tradition. It comes from the
time when indians were killed by other indians, before the discovery.
You see, Robert, those hispanics did not understand that they should have
taken the "european" roots of culture, toghether with the very French ideas
of "liberty, fraternity and equality", more seriously. Some "hispanics" were
so dumb that they even abolish all kind of discrimination by 1813!!!, and,
in that way, inferior "hispanic" traditions made their way deep into the 
culture of all the other hispanics. 
There is some fasination with the popular creed in Latin America. 
Lately, it was related to some kind of crying for indians killed during the
discovery. Of course, nobody should oppose that creed.
But, Robert, there is something worse in all of this: There is a weird traditionamong hispanics. This tradition ask for people who are giving an opinion to 
have some knowledge about what they are talking about. They called it something
like "legitimacy"/
This is a terrible  tradition. It makes illegitime the opinion of those who
have no idea about what they are talking about.
However, the Great Jorge Luis Borges taught us that there is a chance that a
monky, by typing at random on a typewriter, could write the same book as 
Shakespeare did. 


  It is not the first time I have 
> seen simmilar attributes placed on the word "ideas".  Not so long ago, one 
> frecuently used amongs Latin-American stalinists was: "dangerous ideas".  This 
> practice will be something very difficult to set aside in the minds of some 
> folks.  

You are absolutely right on this one. But what scares me is that those folks
are coming from Latin America and are occupying teaching possitions.
You see, this brings two problems, at least:
a) So many hispanics would make other people believe that hispanics are almosr
as capable as the rest, and then "affirmative action" welfare will be cut.
So far, most of these hispanics have come and finished excellent academic
carrees without any federal orstate help. What would happen with those who 
are asking for money?
b) These stalinists are teaching kids in universities!. This is terrible becausethey seem to be asking kids to back up ideas with real facts, and to have some
context for their conclusions. This would limitate the ability of some people
to arrive to conculsion just by watching Univision!!!. Or, even worse, they
would make people believe that "attributes" placed under ideas was done here,
in the USA since 1776!!!!
This really scares me. Look for example at people like Edelmiro. He is an
American. Yes, 100% American. However, people who do not have a drpo of 
Americna bood on their veins, might come and fail him for using a book 
from the 1800's to understand current political events in Argentina.


> At least there is some hope, for as you may see below, they are 
> begining to recognize the benefits making use of our first amendment rights:
> 

Well, Aristoteles said it loud an clear: Slaves should thank their masters.
After all, being slaves they are expossed to a culture that they would have
never know otherwise.
So much exposure cannot go without effects, and here we have one.
However, do not be too happy. I still believe that they are not telling the
whole truth. (You know that they are descendents of Malinche!!!)
I guess that they say that they support the first ammendment, but they still
want people to know what they are talking about! 
This is a trick. They arekindof selectives: They would only have respect for
people who have some facts to basck their opinions.
So, Edelmiro, do not be so happy. But, you should not worry either. After some
time this "hispanics" will learn that even you have a right to talk even if
you are just making noises.


> 
> Regards,
> 
> Edelmiro

Alberto Pinkas

PS: I believe that Edelmiro is right. That is why I am against Puerto Rico 
being accepted into the Union. That would bring a lot of hispanics as part
of a new state, and we know what happen with Hispanics.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america