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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 1995)
OPINION The Clackamas Print Page 2 Wednesday, May 24, I*9S Letters to the Editor Darris, student respond to diversity coverage (Editor’s note: In the diver sity coverage that appeared in the last issue of The Print, we quoted Dean Darris, political science instructor, as a source. Darris feels we misrepresented his state ments and used his quote out of context. The following are Darris’ thoughts, in full, regard ing the diversity plan, The Clackamas Print, and his views in general.) Dear Editor, I was looking forward to reading the article concerning the Diversity Plan, hoping it would help shed some light, instead of mere heat, on the complex ques tion of social, intellectual, and moral diversity. Fortunately, the article and its attendant comments, in gen eral, seemed to do just that; un fortunately, my comments, in par ticular, did not. That is, I discov ered that it was my comments that radiated the heat while generat ing very little of the light. Quotes such as “you’re all being screwed equally” -independent of the con text in which they were given - do very little in the way of educa tion and seem to be nothing more than inflammatory and ignorant - for this I apologize to my com munity, my students, and my col leagues. As a political scientist I take very seriously the demands of so cial justice and it is with this in tent that I would like to provide the context lacking from my quotes. Let me be very clear from the outset that I support whatever justice demands. And, there can be little question that justice - whatever else it is - demands that persons be granted equal concern and respect regardless of their race, sex, ethnic backgrounds, re ligion, sexual identity, class, etc. Nonetheless, justice also demands that plans or programs or goals claiming to support a just social order must respect the complex ity that this enterprise entails. If we are really concerned with promoting the values of dig nity and respect (and I know we are) then we simply cannot ignore the reality of economic prejudice in contemporary life. How can any of us be so self-congratula tory about our enlightened state, when so many members of our Clackamas community face an uncertain - dare I say desperate - future given the present realities of their economic conditions? Also, if the purpose of the plan is to help instill a sense of our respect and appreciation for others, then how come there is so little expressed concern in the plan that most of our global neighbors live in abject poverty? As a matter of conjecture, could it be that much of the passion ex pressed at the diversity forum was, rather, a manifestation of the in tuitive sense of powerlessness that these students feel given the eco nomic realities they face? It is time - as an academic institution of higher learning - to entertain this question: Are sex ism and racism, in fact, the pri mary obstacles to social justice in America? I posit the following opinion: Racism and sexism are very sick beasts (which makes them easy targets?) that are dy ing, if a bit slowly, of both their own intellectual deficiencies and because dedicated individuals re fused to accept them as guiding ideals of social reality. To be sure, there still remains a few pockets of ignorance, but they hold very little sway on the vast majority of persons and sim ply do not account for die primary acts of social and institutional prejudice in America. The gen eral institutional agreement with the intent, if not substance, of the plan attests to this social fact. But, in their place, an old beast is thriving, one that is so phisticated and charming, where the others were crude and obnox ious. This one speaks the lan guage of freedom and democracy while it practices their antithesis - namely classism. I know it is not popular or trendy to question the gospel of “free market economies;” hence, so much more the need for aca demics to do so. One of the high purposes of an academic institu tion is to set a normative example for society as a whole. Is this not one of the purposes of the plan? Or, is it only appropriate to ques tion a prejudice when that particu lar prejudice is no longer socially acceptable? In other words, do we lead best from behind? Let us not forget that racism and sexism themselves used to be, not only popular, but academic orthodoxy as well. Therefore, when asked if I thought the “plan” was applicable to the issues facing students to day, I replied, in effect, that given the general economic situation of most Clackamas students - re gardless of sex or race - they are “all being screwed equally.” That is, institutional America already grants all working class persons equal concern and respect - which is to say, none at all. In short, my comments were not an indictment of the plan, but rather, a plea that we make it meaningful. We could do this by having the intellectual courage to examine prejudices that all of us may actually share, instead of ones we already know we should not perpetuate. That is, education is about exposing successes against it. It is in this context that my comments were made, and I guess this does prove that with all complex ideas, be it justice, diver sity, or whatever, context js every thing. Dean Darris, Political Science Instructor GREAT SUMMER JOBS Immediate Need All Skills ♦ ♦♦♦ Staff Writers/Photographers: Eric Eatherton, Hoyun Choi, Patrick Lundstrom, Brendon Neal, Jon Roberts, Lora Wahrgren, Linda Barr Batdorf, Amy Bierman, Josh Kehler ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Secretary: Joanne Gale (Ext. 2309) Advisor : John Knowlton (Ext. 2310) The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased, professional manner. The opinions expressed in The Clackamas Print do not necessarily reflect those of the student body, college administration, its faculty or The Clackamas Print's advertisers. Products and services ad vertised in The Clackamas Print are not necessarily endorsed by anyone associated with The Clackamas Print. The Clackamas Print is a weekly publication distributed every Wednesday except' for finals week. The adver tising rate is $4.50 per column inch. All signedletters to the editor will be considered for publication and must be submitted by 1 p.m. the Friday prior to the next issue. Clackamas Community College, 19600 S. Molalla Avenue, Oregon City, Oregon, 97045; Barlow 104; (503) 657-6958, ext. 2309. the Original Draft 11-21-94 (Goal 5 part i) and it should be pointed out that this point was footnoted (with a double aster isk) stating, “We recommend these strategies be done imme diately.” If anyone doesn’t con form to this new orthodoxy, he/ she need not apply. How toler ant. This should frighten the socks off of everyone because it is reminiscent of the new incar nation of Afghanistan, where only Muslims may hold public office or public employment (and where non-Muslims orga nizations are outlawed) and the former Soviet Union, where only party members in good standing could hope to advance. Good Grief, Martha, grab the scatter gun, the thought po lice are at the door! The odd thing is that, if these goals begin to be enacted, what you wilLend up with is a group of people employed at this institution who are homogenous in their outlook and philosophy, which seems to me to be the very antithesis of what the “diversity plan” had hoped to accomplish. Or is that, in fact, the true in tent and purpose of this plan? If it is true that, it is, indeed a “done deal,” then the recent diversity forum was a charade and a farce. A “gut level reactionar[y]” Terry Koivisto _____________________ Corrections Box________ ____________ In the article titled “ASG invites students to Dance: Friday, May 26,” we printed some incorrect information. The following in formation is the correct concerning the ASG dance. Photo identification is required for admission. The dance will be from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. There will be ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s mu sic. The contest that will be held will be for the best dressed from each decade, as well as a dancing contest. The live band Grocery will play from 1 to 2 a.m. for more information, contact ASG at 2247. Employment Opportunities Ute Ctcdmuuw ftiitl SfatH Editor-in-Chief: Tina Guinn (Ext. 2576) News Editor: Anjanette Booth (Ext. 2576) Feature Editor: Jocelyn Gauthier (Ext. 2577) Sports Editor: Jesse Sowa (Ext-. 2577) Photography Editor: Chad Patteson (Ext. 2578) Copy Editor: Cori Kargel (Ext. 2578) - Opinion Editor: Christi Snavely (Ext, 2576) Business Manager: Donny Kemp (Ext. 2578) Dear Editor, The rumor around campus has it that the “proposed” changes in CCC’s existing, ap proved Affirmative Action Plan, the focus-of the recent campus forum, is anything but “pro posed,” but is, in fact, a done deal. As a paying student at CCC and a taxpaying resident of Clackamas County, I am curi ous, in light of the recent Propo sition 5 funding cuts, as to how these changes (“pursue grant monies and/or release time for faculty to develop/modify classes to meet ‘diversity con tent’ criteria... research “Diver sity Awareness Programs’ used in other institutions... research techniques used by other col leges...”) are to be funded. Isn’t CCC also faced with further funding cuts at the state level when the revenue sharing, rich school/poor school formula begins next year? I also object to their politi cally correct and indoctrinaire tone: “clarify/define criteria for ‘diversity content” ... 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