Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!batcomputer!pyramid!hplabs!hplabsz!taylor From: msmith@dasys1.UUCP (Mark E. Smith) Newsgroups: comp.society Subject: Re: Why can't WE change society? Message-ID: <1209@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM> Date: 14 Dec 87 18:44:28 GMT Sender: taylor@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM Lines: 43 Approved: taylor@hplabs Forgive the old joke, but, "Who are you calling, 'WE,' white man? WE cannot change society because WE do not want to change society. I personally would like to change society. So would the other 49 people who voted for soc.human-rights. But out of a quarter million usenet readers, 100 votes did not exist, so there will be a mailing list, not a net group. Those who proposed soc.human-rights appear to believe that people did not vote for the group because they just don't have time to participate. I cannot agree. Voting for a group does not imply any agreement to participate. Many more people voted for this group than are actively participating. I believe that those who did not vote for soc.human-rights fall into one of the following categories: 1) Would like to support human rights, but are afraid of getting involved. Fear that if their vote was published, they themselves might become victims of human rights abuses for having become involved. 2) Are totally unaware of human rights abuses, or if aware, are totally indifferent. Are satisfied with the status quo and devote their time to technical andor recreational groups. Do not believe society needs changing. 3) Actively oppose human rights and social change. I believe that only individuals, not groups, change society. And I am heartened by the individuals who proposed the group, those who went against the flush and dared to vote for the group, and those who decided that 50 votes were sufficient basis for a mailing list. I have often been called paranoid for stating my belief that 90% of the usenet readership is indifferent to or opposed to human rights. Now that a vote has been called, my estimate turns out to have been extremely conservative. At a minimum, in order to change society, you need people who want to, and who aren't afraid to try. Human rights is a self-interest survival issue for human beings. What sort of "WE" is it that does not self-identify as human and support human rights? Mark Ethan Smith