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From: farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: Why can't WE change society?
Message-ID: <1275@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 29 Dec 87 00:04:41 GMT
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Organization: Sci-Fido - Unix in Oakland
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Mark E. Smith writes:

> I believe that those who did not vote for soc.human-rights fall into one 
> of the following categories:

> 1  ...Are afraid of getting involved.
> 2  Are totally unaware of human rights abuses, or if aware, are totally 
>    indifferent.
> 3  Actively oppose human rights and social change.

I would think that there are many more motivations (or lack of motivation,
as it were) than those three.  First, in my opinion, would be simple 
inertia.  I have never seen a new group creation effort that could
claim to have gotten even one percent of the net readership to vote.

Second, there was all of the concern expressed that the new group would
simply be a forum for Amnesty International.  The number of postings
that held to this belief tend to give credence to my feeling that this
was never refuted in a clear and unambiguous fashion.

Finally, I believe that you are making an error in ascribing the desire
to change society even to those who did vote YES to the new group.  I
do not see a particular correlation there.  Those who wish to change
society will try and do so, in whatever fashion they feel appropriate.
even if that only means changes within themselves.  Those who do not
wish to change will not.  The existence or non-existence of a human
rights group on Usenet only affects Usenet - the refusal to create a
human rights group simply means that we who are concerned about human
rights issues have no central forum for those discussions, and must,
perforce, scatter them over the net in places where they are appropriate.
It has nothing whatsoever to do with our committment to social change
or our ability to facilitate that change.  I will not stop working
for social change from my own position, and, I suspect, neither will
you.

Michael J. Farren