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While doing some research on a project for Black History Month, I came across some excerpts from the transcript ofPaul Robeson'stestimony before theHouse Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)in 1956. Below is one of the more dramatic selections from the
transcript, featuring a glimpse at the ntellect, compassion and depth
of character of the late, great Mr. Robeson.
THE CHAIRMAN: This
is legal. This is not only legal but usual. By a unanimous vote, this
Committee has been instructed to perform this very distasteful task.
Mr. ROBESON: To whom am I talking?
THE CHAIRMAN: You are speaking to the Chairman of this Committee.
Mr. ROBESON: Mr. Walter?
THE CHAIRMAN: Yes.
Mr. ROBESON: The Pennsylvania Walter?
THE CHAIRMAN: That is right.
Mr. ROBESON: Representative of the steelworkers?
THE CHAIRMAN: That is right.
Mr. ROBESON: Of the coal-mining workers and not United States Steel, by any chance? A great patriot.
THE CHAIRMAN: That is right.
Mr. ROBESON: You are the author of all of the bills that are going to keep all kinds of decent people out of the country.
THE CHAIRMAN: No, only your kind.
Mr. ROBESON:
Colored people like myself, from the West Indies and all kinds. And
just the Teutonic Anglo-Saxon stock that you would let come in.
THE CHAIRMAN: We are trying to make it easier to get rid of your kind, too.
Mr. ROBESON: You do not want any colored people to come in?
THE CHAIRMAN: Proceed. . . .
Mr. ROBESON: Could
I say that the reason that I am here today, you know, from the mouth of
the State Department itself, is: I should not be allowed to travel
because I have struggled for years for the independence of the colonial
peoples of Africa. For many years I have so labored and I can say
modestly that my name is very much honored all over Africa, in my
struggles for their independence. That is the kind of independence like
Sukarno got in Indonesia. Unless we are double-talking, then these
efforts in the interest of Africa would be in the same context. The
other reason that I am here today, again from the State Department and
from the court record of the court of appeals, is that when I am abroad
I speak out against the injustices against the Negro people of this
land. I sent a message to the Bandung Conference and so forth. That is
why I am here. This is the basis, and I am not being tried for whether
I am a Communist, I am being tried for fighting for the rights of my
people, who are still second-class citizens in this United States of
America. My mother was born in your state, Mr. Walter, and my mother
was a Quaker, and my ancestors in the time of Washington baked bread
for George Washington's troops when they crossed the Delaware, and my
own father was a slave. I stand here struggling for the rights of my
people to be full citizens in this country. And they are not. They are
not in Mississippi. And they are not in Montgomery, Alabama. And they
are not in Washington. They are nowhere, and that is why I am here
today. You want to shut up every Negro who has the courage to stand up
and fight for the rights of his people, for the rights of workers, and
I have been on many a picket line for the steelworkers too. And that is
why I am here today. . . .
Additional selections from Paul Robeson's HUAC testimony are included here.
On
January 26, 2006, I had the honor of seeing Dr. Cornel West speak at my
alma mater, Wright State University. The speaking engagement was
not scheduled to begin until 3:00 that afternoon, but I arrived at the
WSU campus extra early to attend to some personal business. After
a few quick stops around campus, I stopped by the bookstore to buy a
pen, as I had realized I neglected to pack one and I was almost certain
that I would want to take some notes during Dr. West's
presentation. I then made my way across campus to the Medical
Sciences Auditorium where the engagement was to be held, passing
through the familiar halls that held many memories from my years as an
undergraduate and graduate student.
When I got to the Medical Sciences building, I found that the
auditorium (which I think seats around 400 to 500 people) was almost
completely empty. I quickly grabbed a front row seat and thought
to myself, "Wow...I got here just in time!" Then I looked at the
clock and saw that it was 1:40 and my next thought was "Now how am I
going to pass the time for the next hour and a half?"
I am currently reading Neil Simpson's "Macedonia: Its Disputed History"
but I had neglected to bring it with me. Luckily, I had my copy of "The
Portable Karl Marx" (edited by Eugene Kamenka), so I spent the better
part of the next 30 or 40 minutes reading selections from that volume.
I had the foresight to pack a few other items and they both came in
handy later in the day. I usually don't ask for autographs and
the like, but I decided to take my copy of "Race Matters" along with me
just in case Dr. West was up for some book signing after his
presentation. I also brought my digital camera, just in case
photography was permitted in the auditorium.
Cornel West greets attendees before his lecture
Around 3:00, things got underway. By this time, the auditorium
was packed and people were standing against every wall and sitting
wherever there was empty floor space. Dr. West arrived with a
group of folks at the left entrance of the front of the
auditorium. It was very exciting to see him and I could feel a
palpable intensity in the air as I watched Dr. West greet university
staff, faculty and other attendees. I snapped a few pictures
while I watched him chat with people. To make the situation even
more surreal, comedian Dave Chappelle entered the auditorium from the
other side a few minutes later. Dr. West and Mr. Chappelle
exchanged a few words and an embrace and Mr. Chappelle then found
a seat on the floor near the front of the auditorium. Dave
Chappelle is a resident of Yellow Springs, Ohio and his mother, Dr.
Yvonne Seon, is the founder of WSU’s Bolinga Black Cultural Resources
Center.
Dr. West opened his presentation by offering this quote from Socrates:
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” The task for us, he
explained, was to “exemplify the courageous Socratic question” and make
life something that is most assuredly worth living...A life that is
measured by individual magnanimity and collective consciousness — as
opposed to the the market-driven society’s emphasis on individual
consumption and the importance of material possessions. Dr. West
told us that the worst thing parents can say to their children is: “Be
successful.” He discussed the difference between one who is
“successful” and one who is “great,” adding that it is often the case
that those who are “successful” are rarely “great” and vice versa.
At one point in his lecture, Dr. West stated that he believes
women will lead the way in the next phase of social change. I
reflected on this for a while as he talked and my thoughts led me
to my own daughters. I took out a piece of scratch paper and
jotted down a note and stuck it in my copy of "Race Matters," hoping
that I would have a chance to share it with Dr. West later in the
afternoon.
Dr. West’s presentation ran somewhere around 60 to 75 minutes.
His lecture featured a valuable overview of struggle and redemption in
American history with emphasis on integral figures such as Emmitt Till,
Medgar Evers and Sojourner Truth. He discussed his personal
interactions with individuals such as Afeni Shakur, Ralph Nader and
Hugo Chavez. He also offered an unflinching critique of American
pop culture, outlining the many problems of our Constantinian culture
and our unending drive to possess and consume. There aren’t many
places in today’s America in which the progressive movement can find
such a focused, coherent and determined voice as that of Dr. Cornel
West.
The lecture ended with a short question and answer session.
A reception was to be held across campus and I headed that way in hopes
of getting a moment to talk with Dr. West. I waited in the
reception hall for a while while many of the other lecture attendees
filed in and talked amongst themselves about Dr. West’s
presentation. Dave Chapelle made his way to the reception as well
and he mingled a bit with the rest of the crowd while everyone awaited
Dr. West’s arrival.
Some time later, Dr. West emerged from a back door of the Bolinga
offices. There was a small throng of people around him and I
waited patiently to get a few seconds of his time. When my turn
finally came, I asked him if he would write an inscription in my copy
of his book. He said he would and took the book from my hands,
opened it and asked for my name. I explained to him that I
wanted to give the book to my daughters and I showed him the note I had
written earlier in the afternoon. The note was simply the first
names of both of my daughters. Dr. West happily wrote the
following inscription on the title page of the book:
To sis. Kalliope and sis. Zoya
Stay Strong!
Love,
Cornel West
We shook hands and spoke just a few more seconds before he turned to
the next admirer. It was almost 6:00 by this point and I figured
it was time to head home. It was pretty difficult to calm down
after such an exciting afternoon. On the way to my car, I stopped
and sat down to reflect a bit on my experiences from that
afternoon. My heart was beating fast and I was still a little
short of breath from the thrill of hearing Dr. West speak and being
able to interact with him, even if only for a fleeting moment. I
can honestly say that there are few times in my life in which I have
felt star struck, but this was one of them for sure. It wasn’t so
much that I had been able to shake the hand of a famous person and get
an autograph as it was the realization that I had been in the presence
of greatness.
From day to day, it's easy enough to find items in the international press
that chronicle the ongoing controversy over Iran's nuclear program. But
what the press doesn't cover — one might even say they neglect to cover
— is the struggle of working class Iranians in their efforts at
building an Iran in which both life and livelihood are respected.
Over
the course of recent years, Iran has seen a resurgence in the momentum
of its workers movement. In response to this, the Iranian
government has stepped up its efforts to stifle organization and
solidarity amongst workers. In late 2005, several prominent
figures in Iran's workers movement received prison sentences following
their attempt to organize a May Day demonstration in 2004.
The courts of the government of Iran have sentenced a number of prominent
labour movement activists to several years in prison, to be followed
for some of them with exile. Their only "crime" is the attempt to hold
a celebration event on May Day 2004.
These workers were arrested at
the gathering for International Workers' Day on May 1, 2004 at the
Children's Park in the city of Saqiz, and sent to the dungeons.
According to the rulings issued by the courts, Mahmud Salehi, the
spokesman for the Coordinating Committee for the Creation of a Workers'
Organization has been sentenced to 5 years in prison and 2 years in
exile. Jalal Hosseini has been sentenced to 3 years in prison. Mohsen
Hakimi, also a member of Iranian Writers' Association, Muhammad Abdipur
and Borhan Divargar, other prominent figures in the workers' movement,
have been sentenced to 2 years in prison each. (full article)
Although
the above sentences are indeed draconian, they are simply the most
recent examples of the systematic repression of working people in
Iran. Police intimidation and assault are foremost among the
measures employed by the elite of Iran in their ongoing campaign
against Iran's workers and their families.
While
the better part of the "New World Order" spends its time scrutinizing
Iran's nuclear program and building its case for a new war in the
Middle East, the working people of Iran continue to struggle under the
constant shadow of hostility and repression from the combined threat of
foreign aggressors and their own ruling class.
[special thanks to "K" for contributing to this article]
With
the news of yesterday's mine accident in West Virginia, the US has now
seen a total of three serious mine accidents in just a few short
weeks. The news dispatches from these grim scenes are reminiscent
of the harsh reality chronicled by George Orwell in his 1937 book, The Road to Wigan Pier:
It is not long since
conditions in the mines were worse than they are now. There are still
living a few very old women who in their youth have worked underground,
with the harness round their waists, and a chain that passed between
their legs, crawling on all fours and dragging tubs of coal. They used
to go on doing this even when they were pregnant. And even now, if coal
could not be produced without pregnant women dragging it to and fro, I
fancy we should let them do it rather than deprive ourselves of coal.
But—most
of the time, of course, we should prefer to forget that they were doing
it. It is so with all types of manual work; it keeps us alive, and we
are oblivious of its existence. More than anyone else, perhaps, the
miner can stand as the type of the manual worker, not only because his
work is so exaggeratedly awful, but also because it is so vitally
necessary and yet so remote from our experience, so invisible, as it
were, that we are capable of forgetting it as we forget the blood in
our veins. In a way it is even humiliating to watch coal-miners
working. It raises in you a momentary doubt about your own status as an
‘intellectual’ and a superior person generally. For it is brought home
to you, at least while you are watching, that it is only because miners
sweat their guts out that superior persons can remain superior.
Sit-down strike by coal
miners in
Wilsonville, Illinois, May 24,
1937
The
night before we left for Toronto (way back in August), I was
emptying out a bag that I needed for the trip and I found a library
videocassette that was horribly, horribly overdue. The tape was
somewhere around 30 days overdue, to be more precise. I returned
the video late that night, long after the library was closed so that I
would be spared any further embarrassment. I have been avoiding the
library ever since, figuring that I would need to pay a hefty fine of
$30 or more to get borrowing privileges back. Imagine my surprise
when I called the library late yesterday and learned that I only owed
$6.70! It turns out they cap the late fees at $5.00 per item as long as
the item is returned intact. So yesterday afternoon, I stopped at
the main branch to pay up and resume my place as a responsible member
of the borrowing community.
It was good to be back amongst all that free stuff. I have been listening to opera performances by Maria Callas
lately and I immediately checked to see if the library had any of her
performances on CD. I was happy to find Callas renditions of
"Armida," "Andrea Chénier," and "Carmen." Additionally, I picked up CDs of the Kirov Opera performance of Glinka's "Ruslan and Lyudmila" and Paul Robeson's "Songs of Free Men."
The main branch of the library has also acquired a lot of of Teaching Company
courses on CD and DVD. I am generally fond of Teaching Company materials,
as I have both purchased and borrowed courses in the
past. This time around, I selected a DVD course entitled "Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age."
All this stuff should keep me pretty busy for a while.
Number 10:Watchmen #12 "A Stronger Loving World" (DC Comics, October 1987)
Most comics fans
probably agree that Alan Moore's Watchmen miniseries changed the face
of comics. The 12-issue limited series ran from 1986 to 1987 and
was set in the heady days of the Cold War amidst the threat of imminent
nuclear Armageddon. Moore's Watchmen tells the tale of how the world might
have evolved had super heroes really existed, exploring their likely
roles in politics and war.
The story is
likely one of the most complex and multifaceted tales to have been
portrayed in a comic book format at the time of its publication.
Along the way, Moore introduces readers to some of the most amazing and
intriguing characters in comics history, including the likes ofRorschachandDr. Manhattan.
Issue 12 is, of
course, the final chapter in the series. One might think that the
conclusion of a story would generally tie up most of the loose
ends. But Watchmen really did break most of the rules in the
comics world and the conclusion of the story is certainly no exception.
Readers are left with a host of questions and moral dilemmas on a scale
so vast that it’s simply impossible to do the tale any justice
whatsoever with a short and simple summary.
The complete Watchmen series isavailable as a one-volume trade paperback. If you have read this far and you don't already own a copy of the book, you should probably go ahead and buy it.
Further Reading Watching the Detectives: An Internet Companion for Readers of Watchmen Number 9: Swamp Thing#32 "Pog" (DC Comics, January 1985)
I had long
considered this selection to be one of my "obscure" favorites, and
perhaps it is relatively obscure compared to some of the other books in
my favorites list. But I did a quick Google search before writing this
piece and I was surprised to find that this issue won the Kirby Award
for best single issue story of 1985. It also seems to regarded as
somewhat of a classic in its own right, even garnering a mention in the
Wiki entry for "Swamp Thing." So it seems as if plenty of folks
out there have appreciated this issue at one time or another.
This is another
Alan Moore work and once again, it is not a typical comic book story.
The story is an homage to Walt Kelly's legendary comic strip "Pogo" and
it features a cast of Pogo-like characters and dialogue written in the
Okefenokee swamp dialect (from the original Kelly strips). In Moore's
adaptation, "Pog" and the other swamp characters have fled their native
planet after it was overrun by the intelligent but violent creatures
known as "The Loneliest Animals." With the help of Swamp Thing,
"Pog" and the crew of his ship, Vivi-Quinquereme, soon learn that "The
Loneliest Animals" — humans — also rule the planet of Earth.
Heartbroken, "Pog" and his crew assemble to depart Earth and continue
their quest, but not before one of the expedition's crew meets an
untimely and unfortunate demise.
It is estimated that almost
16,500 people died in India as a result of the 2004 tsunami.
Among the countries affected by the tsunami, India has the third
largest death toll, following Sri Lanka (38,195) and Indonesia (126,915).
I recently asked my friends
Ardhendu and Anuradha to share their impressions of the relief and
recovery efforts in India. They indicate that the recovery effort
"is a repetition of the same old story — there has been little
rehabilitation work there although funds have flown into the state
coffers. Both in Tamil Nadu and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands -—
the entire situation is in turmoil. In Tamil Nadu there have been
severe rains and flood. People residing in the relief camps are in a
dire situation."
Kumar, who is another of my Interent friends from India, has similar observations. He says:
One
thing is clear. These governments do not care about the fate of
victims. The large amount of money and material has been
collected from the common people. Many organisations have donated
for the victims. Indian state machinery is so corrupted that even this
people's money is not reaching the real victims. If such a natural
calamity occurs, this creates hell for ordinary people and victims, but
at the same time it becomes a heaven for the administration and the
politicians. Because, these people make money and other property in the
name of relief and rehabilitation.
The unfortunate situation that
Kumar describes above is not limited to the money that was donated by
the people of India. A recent study by Britain’s Disasters and
Emergencies Committee (DEC) determined that nearly two-thirds of money
collected in the UK has yet to reach tsunami victims. The report
indicates that tens of thousands of people are still living in tents or
unsafe shelters in affected areas despite the availability of
substantial resources. (full article)
Tamil Nadu, which had the
highest casualty count of all Indian states, continues to feel the
effects of the 2004 disaster. Class and gender are often dictate the extent to which victims must suffer. A recent Yemen Times article provides a
glimpse of the role that gender plays in India’s recovery:
Reports
from Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu, India as recorded in a study,
Gender and Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation, conducted in March 2005
by the Womankind Worldwide suggest that single women and women headed
households have not been able to meet basic needs. Most of the families
in the affected districts of Tamil Nadu, India are dependent on
fishing. Men from these families catch fish, while women are engaged in
diving to collect pearl, prawn farming and marketing of fish. Women are
not recognized as fisherwomen. Any relief and reconstruction measure
which identifies and supports affected people on the basis of
occupations is bound to miss out people who are engaged in unrecognized
occupations or those whose contributions to the concerned occupation is
not recognized. The destruction of prawn farms, salt-making areas, fish
markets, and equipments which women use in their occupations has
affected their capacity to provide for their families very badly.
Despite the scale upon which
contributions were collected for tsunami aid, even basic rations and
supplies are scarce in affected areas within India. As recently
as December 17, 2005, 42 people were killed in a stampede at the
Chennai flood relief camp in Tamil Nadu: From India Times/The Times Foundation:
They
came in droves seeking relief from their tragedy. But instead they fell
victim to another tragedy as a stampede Sunday at a relief camp for
flood victims in this Tamil Nadu capital left 42 people dead and 40
injured.
Hundreds of people ran for cover following a sudden downpour and fell on each other, crushing women and children in their wake.
The
tragedy occurred at 4.30 a.m. as a crowd of around 4,500 — largely poor
people — gathered in front of the locked gate of Arignar Anna
Corporation Higher Secondary School at K.K. Nagar in west Chennai to
receive food and other relief goods. (full article)
The harsh realities of
post-tsunami India have made the antagonisms wrought by years and years
of injustice all the more apparent. Colonial rule,
neo-colonialism, civil strife, corruption and militarism have left
little resources in the hands of the people of India.
The people of India — whether
they are in the tsunami-affected areas or in cities like Kolkata, New
Delhi or Mumbai — deserve a better life. Some years ago, Vinod Mishra penned a work entitled "India of My Dreams"
in which he described his vision for the full potential of the
people of India. I hope that one day the people of India might realize
Mishra’s dreams and make his vision a reality. Many years from now,
perhaps I can visit my friends there and share a bit of their dream.
[Many thanks to my friends Anuradha, Ardhendu and Kumar for contributing to this article]
This morning while I was getting ready for work, I caught a bit on Schwarzenegger’s recent motorcycle wreck.
After reporting that Schwarzenegger will not be ticketed for operating
(and crashing) his motorcycle without a license, CNN anchor Carol Costello quipped something to the effect that if it had been her
driving without a license, the penalty would have been most assuredly
harsh. Hmmm…Not necessarily, Carol. Membership in the CNN
family has its privileges. Remember that time that CNN’s veteran
curmudgeon Jack Caffertystruck a cyclist with his Cadillac and then fled the scene?
He reportedly knocked the cyclist to the ground and kept going as at a
small group of onlookers chased him down while yelling for him to
stop. In the end, he only got community service and a $250 fine
out of that one. Not too shabby, eh? While on the
topic of CNN, I’d like to share one of my all-time favorite clips from
CNN. As Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on the Gulf Coast,
Carol Costello and CNN Weatherman Chad Myers
had a short tiff while on the air. The clip has been floating
around the ‘net for months. I'm telling you the truth...I giggle
like a schoolgirl everytime I watch it. Whoever recorded this
spat for posterity is a freaking genius. Click here to watch the fight. Further Reading Jack, you ignorant slut…greeklish.org News Anchor Faces $10 Million Lawsuit
For
many years now, I have kept a special spot reserved in my living space
to display my favorite comics of all time. Years ago, I had a
prominent display of my eight favorite comics, then I added two more to
make it my "top ten." These days, I have a little more living
space and a couple more favorites, so now I have a "top twelve" section
on the wall of my home library. One of my pals (whom I will
identify only by his celebrated alias, "Nate the Great")
always makes a point to check out my "favorites wall" when he's in
town, despite the fact that I haven't really made any major changes in
several years now.
In
the coming months, I will share a bit about the books that make up my
"top twelve" including why I think they are all so great. Because I
have complained a few times in the past about how inaccurate and
annoying those "best of" lists can be, I must preface my own list by
acknowledging that these comics are simply my own favorites and I am
not suggesting they are the best of the best or anything like
that. Some of my picks are among the most renowned of the silver
age classics and some of them are rather obscure. Whatever the
case, they are all well-read and the are the best-loved of my small
collection. Onward...
This
issue marked the conclusion of Marvel's legendary limited series in a
most dramatic fashion. Written by Jim Shooter, the story begins with a
shocking scene as the entire cast of heroes lie dead, blown to pieces
by a "bolt from the blue." The heroes lie dead, killed by Doctor
Doom who recently acquired the omnipotent powers of The Beyonder.
By the end of the tale, the Beyonder cleverly tricks Doom into giving
his omnipotence back, the heroes rise again and all live to battle
another day.
Number 11: The Spectre #22 "Spear of Destiny, Conclusion" (DC Comics, September 1994)
A
great cover and a great story! This issue, written by John Ostrander,
concludes a 4-issue story in which The Spectre battles the elemental
known as Naiad. The US Government, fearing an alliance between
The Spectre and Naiad, enlists the help of Superman who is entrusted
with the legendary Spear of Destiny
to use as a weapon against The Spectre (The Spear of Destiny will be an
integral part of another "top twelve" story as well). On the way
to join The Spectre and Naiad in battle, Superman becomes possessed by
the power of the spear and goes on a maniacal rampage, crushing all who
oppose him. In the end, the only thing that stands in between
Superman and world domination is The Spectre himself. Cover art
by the incomparable Alex Ross.
I recently read up on the controversy involving Wikipedia's biography of journalist John Siegenthaler Sr. Jumping from link to link, I came upon the work of Daniel Brandt, the creator of the site "Wikipedia Watch."
Brandt has posted a rather extensive critique of Wikipedia (along with
his critiques of Google and Yahoo) in a number of forums. His recent
involvement in the Siegenthaler biography affair has now placed him in
the forefront of a very public and candid discussion of the problems
presented by the Wikipedia model. He shared his critique and his
suggestions for improvements in a recent CNET interview.
Brandt
certainly has a lot of valid points in his criticisms of Wikipedia and
its founder Jimmy Wales. But the underlying concept of Wikipedia still
merits some defense. Regular readers of this site have probably
noticed that I frequently link to Wiki articles in the "Further
Reading" postscripts to articles. Wikipedia is even included in
our site's "Web Essentials" links as well.
Somewhere between the hype and the critique, surely there is some
kind of happy medium to be found. At the end of the day, web sites that
specialize in the dissemination of information require some kind of
centralized regulation of content to maximize accountability and
accuracy. Wikipedia boasts that it is "the online encyclopedia that anyone can edit" but in its present form, it is more accurate to say that it's "the online encyclopedia that anyone can vandalize"
Not only does the Siegenthaler row prove this, but there have been a
host of other controversies over entries on topics like Islam and the
Republic of Macedonia (At various times throughout the past few years,
the latter two articles have had to be locked so as to prevent
vandalism by disgruntled parties). So simply assuming that everyone
shares the common goal of building a free, open-source encyclopedia is
more than a bit naive—This line of thinking actually borders on
irresponsibility.
I
once tried to explain the idea of "content control" (that is, having a
human being act as moderator or editor of a web site's content) to a
peace group that I was working with a while back. During a period in
which the organization's web site was without an administrator, there
was a massive influx of obscene and inappropriate postings on a "forum"
section of their site. They asked me to remove the offending content
and to try to prevent the problem from occurring again. The problem,
however, was not merely in the design of the page, but in its concept
as well. This particular page was intended as a bulletin board of sorts
at which anyone could post notices about upcoming peace events or
related matters. So the door was wide open for all sorts of garbage to
be posted and their was no human being that was serving as an
administrator or editor of content. I cleaned up the site and "sealed
up" all the open doors throughout their site. I also tried to
explain to the group's organizers it was somewhat dangerous to operate
their web site in the manner that they had chosen, explaining that
there were all sorts of liability issues to consider. However,
they were basically adamant that the flow of information on their site
had to be uninhibited and uncensored. Our collaboration was
rather short-lived.
When
you get right down to it, the Wiki concept is certainly with some
merit, despite its many problems. To quote Michael Shermer,
"...babies and bathwater come to mind." Many of Wikipedia's
articles are very interesting and they often serve as a good "jumping
off point" when one is delving into a topic for the first time.
But Wikipedia is not the ideal place to research controversial subjects
or complex issues. As noted above, Wikipedia is a haven for
inaccuracies which are sometimes inadvertent and sometimes
intentional—or even malicious. It's okay to remain cautiously
optimistic about the potential benefits that an improved Wikipedia
might someday bring to the Internet community. But in order
to really get there, Mr. Wales needs to take a long, hard look at how
he runs his shop.
At one point in his lecture, Dr. West stated that he believes
women will lead the way in the next phase of social change. I
reflected on this for a while as he talked and my thoughts led me
to my own daughters. I took out a piece of scratch paper and
jotted down a note and stuck it in my copy of "Race Matters," hoping
that I would have a chance to share it with Dr. West later in the
afternoon.
