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From: bzs@bucsd.UUCP (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: net.college,net.politics
Subject: Re: E.g. Student Gov't Project.
Message-ID: <168@bucsd.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 15-Feb-86 14:25:09 EST
Article-I.D.: bucsd.168
Posted: Sat Feb 15 14:25:09 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 16-Feb-86 09:06:29 EST
Organization: Boston Univ Comp. Sci.
Lines: 30
Xref: linus net.college:1062 net.politics:12815


>Speaking of allowances, I hope those progressive sorts in Michigan decide
>to ban ALL parts of the U.S. Government from recruiting because of the
>CIA (just to be consistent, of course).  Can you picture our progressive
>friends trying to keep the REST of the Federal Government's agencies from
>hiring on campus?  Can you picture those students refusing Federally 
>guaranteed student loans, Federal grants, Federal funds to the University
>itself?  Of course not.

therefore, following your argument, citizens should not in any way
protest or question their government's actions or any agency thereof
unless they are ready to reject the entire government and all benifits
derived. Gee, I know some totalitarian govs that would love to have you!
You'd be a model citizen.

Look, these reductio ad absurdum arguments just make you sound silly,
a citizen has a right (maybe a duty) to question and, if need be,
protest the actions of their government in a democracy, the opposition
has a right to defend itself and somewhere out of that competition
should come consensus. Why are people right of center so uncomfortable
with this, tending to prefer blind, silent obedience? I find it very
disturbing. Express your views, even put some pressure on your opponents
within some sense of fair play (which in politics stops somewhere around
assassination, not denying access to the privilige of utilizing career
centers.) It's ok, that sort of discordance is what this country is
all about. It makes people feel more comfortable with the outcomes they
end up having to live with, at least their viewpoint was given a chance
to be considered and perhaps rejected, but not for lack or fear of trying.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University