Articles should Elicit Discussion

by Kim Nguyen

Tuesday March 7, 2006

To the Editor:

I write in reaction to Neil Makhija’s column, "Fault found over uses of new SLC Common Ground," as well as letters in response, and to a related previous opinion article, "Beyond Black and White" by Teo Beauchamp.

I am very pleased to see these issues of race, safe space, and multiculturalism taken seriously in a public forum. The letters in response to Makhija gave valuable information and highlighted legitimate concerns. They also corrected misinformation regarding Common Ground.

I am thankful to Makhija in particular for bringing up these issues, even if they were published preemptively by the Phoenix. His article and the letters responding to it are precisely what this publication can provide us: a place to think, discuss, and learn outside of the classroom about issues that affect us all.

What concerns me are articles with what I see as serious infringements that create racial division on issues of race and multiculturalism. I am referring to Beauchamp’s article, "Beyond Black and White," which failed to elicit a single written response. He not only failed to go beyond black and white, but he reinforced the lack of discussion about non-Black minorities. He also appeared to discriminate in print against an entire race based entirely on the color of their skin, stating "I can’t stand white people either."

I wonder, where was the outrage and response to Beauchamp’s own failure of the imagination? Why was nobody willing to inform him of the issues one can take with his arguments, or offer an alternative view to the egregious one-sidedness of his narrative?

I sincerely hope that in the future the opinion page captures the spirit of these last few issues, providing a forum of intelligent and critical discussion, whatever the topic.

Yours in the struggle,
Richard A. Contreras