LETTER: Only cowards say, ‘shut up’

Editor,

One recent letter talked about the need to have diversity on campus, and essentially likened those who have concerns about the all-encompassing drive toward “diversity” to Hitler, Stalin, the Ku Klux Klan, and so on. How convenient to dismiss those who disagree with you by comparing them to the worst murderers in history. Small-minded individuals with very little to contribute to a calm, rational discussion often resort to this sort of character assassination in order to discredit their opponents, rather than offering logical counter-arguments.

The author also offered this bit of advice: “Open your minds, not your mouths.” How sad that someone would be so uncomfortable with their own arguments that the only way they feel comfortable discussing an issue is if their opponents keep silent. No problem was ever solved when one side was silenced.

Let’s have a discussion about the need for diversity, but let’s not call names or tell others to shut up. That was OK when we were 5 years old, but I hope we’ve all grown up since then.

There are certain benefits to diversity, but there are also some costs. Those who ignore the costs of pursuing diversity are just as bad as those who ignore the benefits. If you have good, logical arguments about the benefits or costs of diversity, I say let’s have them. The problem up to now is that anyone who questions the benefits of diversity is immediately branded as Hitler or Stalin, which seems an awfully cowardly way to pursue discussion and solutions to a tricky problem.

Jeremy Kidd