Time to Judge Ourselves

NO ONE can say whether Jack C. Patterson '88, who was required to withdraw for a year by the Ad Board, is more racist than the average Harvard student.

It is impossible to know what was going through his mind when he made a racial slur in a prank call to a Black student at the Currier House bells' desk last January 23. Was he moved by malice or by drink?

The Ad Board, of course, did not punish him for his thoughts but for his actions, which is as it should be.

No matter what Patterson's motives, it is time to say that no racist remark or incident can be overlooked or dismissed. When people accept casual racial slurs, they reinforce attitudes that have no place. Such intolerable attitudes can lead to more overt and destructive racism.

Nevertheless, the incident shouldn't evoke self-righteous condemnation of Patterson. Passing judgement on him on the basis of this incident, no matter how reprehensible it was, is both premature and arrogant.

To speak of curing racism by punishing one person is facile. Racism cannot be eliminated, and scapegoating one individual is no way to improve the situation.

The Ad Board has already judged Patterson's actions. We students should now take time to judge ourselves. Better to consider how many others of us at Harvard might have uttered such a remark casually or might have let it pass without comment. Who has never spoken or thought an ethnic slur? Consideration of how often each of us regards someone on the basis of race will do a lot more to improve this campus than making Patterson the focus of anger.