THE COLLEGE cult comedy, PCU, is well-known among college-age students thanks to frequent reruns on such cable powerhouses as the USA Nework and Comedy Central. The satire portrays the antics of a stiff prospective student who gets pulled into the company of a rowdy cadre of students fighting the oppressive mentality of political correctness from their peers and the university's administration. Perhaps the University can pull a valuable lesson from such a commentary.
The recent trauma sustained by the University has shocked the whole of this community into dealing with the unpleasant subject of bigotry and hate. Additionally, the impending war with Iraq has accentuated sharp political tensions. Engaged and concerned student leaders should be praised for their tireless efforts to make the University a more welcoming place to live and receive an education for all. However, our community must be wary of forces that silence dissenters. We must guard against pressure to attach labels or judge peers based on their disparate ideas for helping this place embrace its wonderful diversity. Political correctness may protect oneself from attack by those who disagree, but it censures the marketplace of ideas which Mr. Jefferson sought to instill in this place.
The power of attaching labels is a great one indeed. Joseph McCarthy, the previously unknown senator from Wisconsin, used the power of attaching labels to make himself one of the most powerful men in American politics. By pointing the finger and creating guilt by association, McCarthy fashioned a seemingly unassailable empire of fear, distrust and panic that gripped the nation for many years. With his weapon of the Red Scare, McCarthy was politically unstoppable, no matter how far he went to trample the rights protected by the Constitution.
Labels are power. They censure any dissent and immediately discredit those who oppose an agenda. Being called a communist was one such label in the 1950s. At the University today, the power is held by those who can call others a racist, baby-killer or towel-head, and is no less dangerous.
The shocking act against Daisy Lundy was deplorable. Yet linking this act of violence to claims of systemic prejudice and bigotry within the University community is inappropriate. This column will not debate the availability of fair, just and equal opportunities for minorities at the University. Regardless of viewpoint, there is always more that can be done to create a community that better serves each individual. Instead, what begs examination are the tactics being used to effect the desired change on Grounds or promote a political agenda.
One who does not march on Carr's Hill is apathetic. One who criticizes efforts to help flood the mailboxes of the conservative white male Board of Visitors is part of the problem. One who opposes one or more of the FORCE proposals or any other similar policy is a roadblock to progressive change. This is not to point the finger at a specific group or insinuate individual misdoing. The point is made to draw attention to the natural tendency to dismiss those who dissent as impediments to achieving change. However, these labels are no less injurious to this institution than the arm that struck Daisy Lundy.
To separate the issue of racial concerns from war activism, bigots exist at this university, as they exist in the world beyond. The attack weeks ago proved this. But as the University once constructed an honor system out of an aversion to those of dishonorable conduct, so the community is again showing a common dedication to expelling manifestations of prejudice and hate. Many will disagree about how best to effect such change. This disagreement is important, as is the free and open dialogue which precedes it.
As a traumatized and concerned community, we must be wary of those who seek to manipulate public sensitivities to gain power for an agenda, or moreover, propose no productive solution to the problems they identify. We must continue to encourage and respect dissension from the solutions we propose, as only through thoughtful deliberation will the solution be found. The task is difficult. There is no obvious evil to deconstruct here, no chains to unshackle or busses to desegregate. Where injustice is present, it will take cooperation and perseverance to root it out.
The tendency to couch our views in terms that seem "politically correct" is great. Yet our democratic duty is to fight this urge toward self-censorship. Only those who encourage sustained dialogue, accept dissension and then promote understanding will find the key to the problems they find. Racial McCarthyism -- pointing the finger and employing guilt by association -- will only accentuate problems between those of different backgrounds or disparate political views. Let us all sit at the Welcome Table together as peers of this institution that we all love, respect the opinions of those around us and trust one another as we all strive to make the University a better place than when we found it.
(Preston Lloyd's column appears Thursdays in the Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at plloyd@cavalierdaily.com.)
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