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From: wfi@unc.UUCP (William F. Ingogly)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Discussion about Mensa (flame)
Message-ID: <205@unc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Dec-84 13:32:53 EST
Article-I.D.: unc.205
Posted: Thu Dec 13 13:32:53 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 02:46:09 EST
References: <1552@pur-phy.UUCP>, <7131@watrose.UUCP>, <174@unc.UUCP>, <5170@duke.UUCP>
Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lines: 30

Charlie, I wasn't objecting to the personal motives of any individual
who belongs to Mensa. Many of the Mensa members I've known have been
fine and sensitive people who, as you suggest, joined solely to meet
people with like interests. An organization can be composed primarily 
of fine, upstanding citizens and still be objectionable on philosophical,
political, or other grounds. I personally dislike the aims of the
Republican party intensely; that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the
company and friendship of Republicans, does it? [or Democrats, for
that matter; equal time, eh? :-)]

My personal belief is that the organization Mensa by its very nature
encourages elitism, but that doesn't mean it requires its members to
be elitist. Whether or not many or most of its members join the
organization for other reasons is irrelevant, and I don't presume to
judge them for their decisions.  

You're right about the difficulty of meeting persons with shared
interests, especially for those of us who are rapidly approaching our
'mid-life crises.' It's a fairly easy matter if you're living in a
university town, but it can be near-impossible in many locales. I just
don't think Mensa is an appropriate response to this problem.
Personally, I would have no difficulty with joining a special-interest
club or group based on an interest in literature, say, or astronomy.
But most groups based on special interests that I'm acquainted with
don't use some arbitrary measure of Quality X to determine
membership.

By the way, I think phrases like "egalitarian bigot" are
counterproductive at best in discussions like this. But then I've
always had a hard time getting into flaming for its own sake.