Contact Information
The Spectator
Step Out of the Box
by Brandon Moore '12Opinion Contributor
The concept of a "community building meeting" is flawed in both theory and practice. Though it is certainly well-intentioned, I can't help but see it as an unfortunate misallocation of time and effort by all those who attended.
First and foremost, the audience consists only of those who are already concerned with raising respect and appreciation for diversity. Where are the "bigoted" people who are the ones truly in need of such a meeting? They are the last people that would be seen at the community building meeting and for this reason it is incapable of accomplishing the one goal it prioritizes.
When you get a bunch of Hamilton community members together to improve the level of diversity appreciation at Hamilton, you are actively ignoring the fact the we are already one of most respectful institutions in existence. If one truly wishes to dismantle intolerance and racism, then participate in an ASB trip to Louisiana or Texas. These are places experiencing real problems with racism, and it affects real lives. As stated by one of the admirable members of Hamilton's own faculty, "The best means to reduce intolerance is through service."
I wholeheartedly recognize the intentions of this community building meeting, but I can't help but see it as mere talk (again, only between the people who are already strongly pro-diversity and acceptance.) Action or dedicated service in the places where intolerance truly exist is the only effective way to combat racism. We need to abandon our elitist perspective that we are the ones assaulted by the blows of intolerance when there are people truly suffering, physically. Mere dialogue accomplishes nothing.
Finally, I implore us to realize the lack of the most fundamental kind of diversity on this campus: the diversity of thought. We can all certainly agree that Hamilton is an intellectual, academic institution. This is the reason for its existence. However, thought on campus is suffocated by an overwhelming left-wing bias. I am not just speaking of the student body; faculty is just as guilty.
If Hamilton wishes to claim to be a diverse institution for the exchange of ideas, then why is it that we abandon intellectual diversity? I can't express the damage that is done by our mindless acceptance of the liberal bias that Hamilton so disconcertingly applies to its academics. If there is one thing that should not be uniform and standardized, it must be thought. We are, above all else, a college and must respect the foremost mission that accompanies that title.