Student Fast

To the Editors of The Crimson:

I have been rather dismayed to hear and read the negative reactions to the group of students presently fasting in opposition to Harvard investments in companies doing business in South Africa. The criticisms vary, charging the fasters with being irresponsible, naive, or just plain deluded. The argument I seem to hear the most is that their fast will be "ineffectual," an inappropriate and ultimately impotent gesture. This makes me wonder what constitutes "effective" politics at Harvard and in America 1983. Entering law to change the system from within? Voting between the less blatant of two evils? Writing letters to the editor? Running for public office perhaps. These alternatives offer more in the way of frustration, impotence, an easy way to blow off steam and a choice between destroying one's integrity or one's sanity (respectively), than any hope of salvation. The world continues to get worse, not better, and aside from a Messiah or Luke Skywalker it's difficult to see who can do much of anything.

I think Karl Marx would have been in total agreement with Hugh Calkins' estimation of the Harvard Corporation's lack of ethical concerns--who with any sense in their head would expect anything but profit and power considerations from a corporation? So in this sense the fasters join every other justice-minded, moral human being on this planet who desires change in the face of insurmountable odds. I guess that means they're "ineffectual," "naive," maybe even a little crazy. But somehow it also seems clear to me that doing something--anything--to protest and bring to public attention a situation which assaults the conscience and the heart as apartheid and Harvard's complicity in it do, is a whole lot better than doing other ineffectual things--watching television, playing Pacman, worrying about grades.

Each of us chooses what we want to act on and how: it is for no one else to condemn or ridicule the tactics chosen, especially when no violence is involved. So unless someone out there has got the recipe for World Salvation in his or her pocket (and is willing to part with it cheap. I guess). every and any action which attempts to give voice to what little is left of ethical conscience in the world at large at fair Harvard in particular deserves our respect. With this, and despite the fact that I choose for personal reasons not to join the fasters. I would like to state my support for their effort, and also my hope for all of us concerned and outraged over the divestiture issue that some change will come about soon. Toba Spitzer `85