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