<p>Right-on on Post #36 Tarhunt!</p>
<p>The only reason I am convinced that the intent was not racist is because I know one of the students who is a main writer & editor for the Primary Source. I won’t name him, but let’s just say he’s one of the students who’s been quoted by the media coverage. His best friend at Tufts is a black student (a black Republican, if that matters). I’ve spoken to them both about this and the former is deeply apologetic. It’s different when someone says, “I think all n____s are lazy, but I’m not a racist,” as you wrote above. I just know the writer of these carols is not racist. He’s just a blindsighted conservative junior neo-con. I would probably agree with you if I didn’t personally know the writer of the carol. (And I should note I don’t even know him socially; I’ve jsut worked on him on some school projects for class.) You are more removed from the situation than I am; perhaps if I were in your position I would agree 100% with you. I admit that.</p>
<p>And I don’t know waht you mean by my having “more on the ball than this.” I have no connection to the PRimary Source whatsoever.</p>
<p>“His best friend at Tufts is a black student.”</p>
<p>Let’s not go there.</p>
<p>I should’ve said that his best black friend told me he is convinced this guy in question is not racist against blacks. Sorry I missed that.</p>
<p>Anyway, I am not posting here anymore. Not because I think I am wrong, but because I am in finals and have more importnat things to do. I’ll check back on this thread in a few weeks.</p>
<p>Oh come to the parents forum
On college confidential
Oh come to the place where noone has humor
Come and behold it, never tell a racial joke
Oh come lose your humor
Oh come lose your humor
Oh come lose your humor or you will be banned</p>
<p>Sing to the moderators
He implied the “N” word
Sing to everyone that he is racist
He actually thinks that racial discussion is ok
Oh let him post on stormfront
Oh let him post on stormfront
Oh let him post on stormfront if he doesnt agree</p>
<p>What is the lesson learned
Today from your friend JoeV
Lesson learned today is to lighten up
Take a chill pill maybe a tyelnol
Don’t get all worked up
Don’t get all worked up
Don’t get all worked up over a silly song.</p>
<p>FIN</p>
<p>lolabelle:</p>
<p>Like mini, I just threw my head back and laughed over the “best friend” thing. Growing up, I used to hear this all the time from people who were some of the most egregious racists imaginable. Oddly, every single one of them seemed to have real “good” African American friends (though they were rarely so polite about what they called them). Same with people who tell horribly insulting Jewish jokes. They all have really, really good Jewish friends. Having really, really good friends you constantly insult appears to be some sort of absolution from racism among a certain set of people.</p>
<p>Go figure.</p>
<p>OK. So, let’s get to the logic of what you’re saying. You have worked with the writer on some class projects, don’t know him socially, yet you KNOW that he is not a racist. Hmmm. And they are both very apologetic. And those apologies just couldn’t be crocodile tears? Or they mightn’t be truly, truly sorry for being caught out? The formal apology appears to be a non-apology apology.</p>
<p>Let’s apply your way of handling this issue to you, shall we? I don’t know you very well, but I have corresponded with you. Based on that correspondence, I am convinced you are a racist, and the reason you are defending this stuff is because racists defend other racists.</p>
<p>Now, do you see how ridiculous that is? I don’t know anything about your inner thoughts. I WILL say that I suspect you are an unwilling racist. That is, I think you have racist attitudes you don’t know about because you have never defined racism for yourself. Until you do, you are at the mercy of your own emotions and unsupported feelings.</p>
<p>Regardless, if I made the argument that you must be a racist, I would be in the wrong. It is not a logical argument unless you publish something that fits the definition of racism. And since you refuse to define racism or to respond to my post in which I, de facto, defined aspects of it, that is unlikely to happen.</p>
<p>As for having more on the ball, that’s a complimentary term that means I think you have brains. Oddly, it is the very fact that you write well and seem to have talent that has caused me to rethink Tufts.</p>
<p>Two of my children have been accepted there, but neither matriculated for various reasons. I always liked the place, because I felt it had a devotion to undergrad education that was very, very admirable.</p>
<p>Now, I’m going to have to rethink my goodwill towards Tufts.</p>
<p>In my large, public university, I really don’t expect much from the education the undergrads receive. Generally, there’s no real rhyme or reason to it. There are some broad and insipid distribution requirements, but one can meet those without learning much of value. I had hoped Tufts was different. I had hoped that students there were taught to think and reason based on generally accepted rules of thought and discourse worked out long, long ago. I realize now that this is not the case.</p>
<p>I’m disappointed that Tufts can take someone of your apparent intellect and do practically nothing with his/her mind. Logic is a skill. It has to be acquired. It is most often acquired by working with a teacher that will not let you get away with anything less than application of that skill.</p>
<p>Oddly, in your attempt to defend Tufts (which I never attacked in the first place and which was never in question), you have managed to make me think it, like so many other institutions, offers a fifth rate education.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The only thing that the best friend can truly attest to is that he is not overtly racist or has done anything overtly racist (until this parody/satire/humor or whatever) toward him. </p>
<p>Because yes, he’s picking at, making fun of and talking about “all those other” black folks and not his friend.</p>
<p>sybbie:</p>
<p>Bingo!</p>
<p>As a person of color myself, I can tell you I am not racist against blacks or other people of other colors. Just because you don’t agree wtih me doesn’t mean that I am stupid or that Tufts is a “fifth-tier” institution. My argument about the guy having his closest friend be black I felt was justified because his black friend told me he sincerely doesn’t think his friend is racist against blacks (whether his evluation is correct or not could be a different thing). I just don’t bristle as easily as you do. I appreciate your level of comfort; you shoudl appreciate mine. Why does there have to be a wrong or right answer here? It’s all relative. Farewell.</p>
<p>lolabelle:</p>
<p>If you’ll check what I wrote, you will see that I think you’re far from stupid. On the contrary, you appear to be rather bright. The failure is Tufts’ (and you high school’s, I suppose). You don’t know the rules of logic, so you cannot employ them. That’s not your fault.</p>
<p>As for being a person of color, I just had to laugh again. The most racist girl in child #8s class this year is Taiwanese. Racism is a funny thing. It doesn’t seem to discriminate by race.</p>
<p>Good luck on your exams.</p>
<p>quote [The Primary Source
Tufts University
Mayer Campus Center
Medford, MA 02155</p>
<p>CONTACT:
Douglas Kingman
Tel: (609)439-8482
E-mail: <a href=“mailto:Douglas.Kingman@Tufts.edu”>Douglas.Kingman@Tufts.edu</a></p>
<p>TUFTS PRIMARY SOURCE ADDRESSES DECEMBER 6TH PUBLICATION</p>
<p>Medford, MA, December 11, 2006: On Wednesday December 6, 2006, The Primary Source, Tufts Journal of Conservative Thought, a student publication and a member of the Collegiate Network, published a controversial Christmas carol. O Come All Ye Black Folk, was published as a critique of affirmative action from the viewpoint of a college admissions officer. The carol, meant to satirically illustrate the offensive nature of the racial stereotypes underlying affirmative action, was seen by many as racially insensitive.</p>
<p>The Primary Source recognizes now that the satire displayed in the carol holds significant potential to be misconstrued. The motto of the Source is Veritas Sine Dolo: Truth Without Sorrow. As a response to concerns, Editor-in-Chief Alison Hoover, speaking for the editorial board, made clear that, Part of Veritas Sine Dolo is pointing out errors we see at this university; part of it is admitting when we make mistakes. Knowing what we know now about the misinterpretation of the carol, we would not have published it in its present form.</p>
<p>The Primary Source regrets that the purpose of the carol was not clearly communicated. The carol was intended as a satirical criticism of affirmative action and was, in fact, intended as an anti-racist statement. The Primary Source believes that it is important to make clear that policies of racial preferences are a harmful perpetuation of degrading stereotypes.</p>
<p>Tufts Primary Source is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary and is the second oldest conservative college paper in the United States. More information can be found at <a href=“http://www.TuftsPrimarySource.org%5B/url%5D”>www.TuftsPrimarySource.org</a>. ]/quote</p>
<p>just thought I would copy the entire “apology” here. </p>
<p>Before you read more, let me state that I personally thought the piece was idiotic, poorly written and TYPICAL of the style and content of the Primary Source’s writings on all liberal topics and University policies. They have disdain for all things Tufts. Having said that…</p>
<p>When we dropped out D off at Tufts this Fall we were handed a copy of the The Primary Source by some students. Clearly, the journal represents a very, very, very small minority of student thinking at Tufts, which is well known as a bastian of liberal thinking. The paper reeks of “shock” type commentary to draw attention and make a point. The papers’ lame attempt at satire fits within the type of writing found in the journal on almost every topic, not just Affirmative Action. </p>
<p>While, I find this attempt at commentary/satire or whatever you want to call it, idiotic and in poor taste, I doubt that it was racist in intent. If you pick up a copy of this paper, you will find that no liberal subject matter is exempt from their attack. They are a puny voice attempting to make a big noise via shock…much in the same way Saturday Night Live and other “edgy” comedy shows dance a fine line with satire. Ever listen to the Capitol Steps? There is much there that could be considered racist when they poke fun at Jews, Islam, Blacks…you name it. The difference is, you can hear their tone of voice,or in the case of SNL, see and hear them. If the Primary Source “song” were performed by SNL or others, you would probably sense the satire. On paper, it’s hard to get the tone.</p>
<p>What I know about Tufts and the Adminstation at Tufts is that it is a fine college that promotes a “world view” and encourages students to go out and make a difference. They brag about their students and graduates who end up working in third world countries. The Administration is also committed to free speech, as they should be. </p>
<p>From the Tufts College CC page…In response to “what I like about Tufts” thread</p>
<p>quote[That nearly every senior in my class of 2007 has said they will sign the following graduation pledge:
Quote:
I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work. </p>
<p>This says SO much about Tufts, and it makes me real proud!]/quote</p>
<p>^ thank you, blucroo. You voiced my opinion in a better way than I did, which was rather ineffective.</p>
<p>blucroo:</p>
<p>Yes, I read the non-apology apology. As usual with this sort of thing, what they said was that THEY were not wrong, but they apologize that OTHERS “misconstrued” it. So, of course, this is OUR fault. THEY aren’t racists because of what they said. It’s OUR problem because of how we misinterpreted them.</p>
<p>This form of non-apology apology is probably the most common in public life these days. Figures.</p>
<p>In any event, one can’t apologize for being a racist. One simply is a racist or is not a racist along some sort of continuum running from “murderous” to “God’s innocent.” One can change in the same way one can become a recovering alcoholic. That’s a lot more important, to me, than non-apology apologies.</p>
<p>As for Tufts being very liberal, that’s news to me. The guidebooks tend to call it “balanced.” The student comments I’ve read tend to say the same thing. Maybe I just haven’t read enough, but over the years, I must have read scores of books on college culture.</p>
<p>As for racist intent, see my post about a page back that breaks the verses down and explains why they’re racist. What are your thoughts on that?</p>
<p>Tufts is VERY liberal. If you read the Primary Source, their constant gripe is that conservatives (of all breeds) are a very small minority.</p>
<p>I have not read the previous three pages of posts but feel I must jump into the fray. As the mother of a Tufts junior, I could not agree more with blucroo on the ardent position of the Tufts administration that its students should be conscientious world citizens. Tufts is committed to raising its students awareness of the impoverished, the ill, the oppressed, etc.</p>
<p>worrywart and blucroo:</p>
<p>Why is everyone jumping to the defense of Tufs? Where on this thread has anyone taken on Tufts? This is about publication of a parody. Why do you keep jumping to the issue of Tufts?</p>
<p>OK. So let’s assume that Tufts leans liberal.</p>
<p>What does this have to do with the issue at hand?</p>
<p>Tarhunt – you boiled down the issue here in post #40.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You nailed it right here. That’s pretty much all there is to it. Surely the Tufts proponents here realize the racist nature, but for some weird reasons they think they are cornered…</p>
<p>This issue is not about conservatives versus liberals; it is about irresponsible copywriting and incompetent editing. Allowing students who do NOT understand the far reaching implications of their writing to be at the helm of a student newspaper is … irresponsible. </p>
<p>Dumb racists or simply dumb, the adjective describing the writers and editors of the carol does not really matter. </p>
<p>As far as the apology, they HAD an opportunity to partially mitigate the damage, but preferred to justify their actions. A front page with gigantic letters spelling out WE WERE WRONG! would have worked. Yet, they could NOT shed their true colors … and their poorly veiled lack of respect.</p>
<p>^ ^ It’s not a student newspaper; it’s a conservative biweekly journal.</p>
<p>You’re right, I love Tufts. But I didn’t say they didn’t do anything wrong: I said they failed to make effective satire, and it came out as racist. I don’t think the intent was racist – yes, it’s my opinion that it wasn’t meant to be (I could be wrong; but so could you) – and I think intentionality matters. It’s unfortunate and I’m sorry they ever wrote it. Maybe now that they realize their satire is neither witty, funny, nor effective, they’ll think twice.</p>