OICURPC!

ARE YOU PC? Is she PC? Was that last remark PC?

Are PC people oppressive? Are PC people oppressed?

Does PC exist? Is PC everywhere?

Is it PC to talk about PC? Is it PC to talk about anything else?

LIKE THE ENERGIZER RABBIT, the debate over Political Correctness just keeps on going and going and going and going...

Unlike the Energizer Rabbit--who walks funny and wears cool shades--the PC debate has become intensely dull. Right-wing ideologues accuse the "PC thought police" of baseless name-calling, intolerance, self-righteousness and McCarthyism. Left-wing ideologues accuse the right-wingers of--you guessed it--baseless name-calling, intolerance, self-righteousness and McCarthyism.

At Harvard, this mind-numbing game of intellectual Ping-Pong has transcended the monotonous and entered the realm of the ridiculous. This April, after Hillel's Coordinating Council voted to condemn an antigay poster distributed by the Association Against Learning in the Absence of Religion and Morality (AALARM) and agreed to co-sponsor a Holocaust memorial service with the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Students Association (BGLSA), AALARM co-founder E. Adam Webb '93 actually told The Crimson that Hillel was a "political, PC hack group."

The kosher food Hillel serves at every meal is not political, PC hack food. The Hillel-sponsored Mosaic is not a political, PC hack literary magazine. Hillel's Sabbath services are not political, PC hack services. Judaism is not a political, PC hack religion. You'd think the founder of an organization devoted to extending religion's influence on campus would know that by now.

Of course, the campus Right has no monopoly on inane, unfair generalizations. A week after Webb mouthed off to The Crimson, son, Adams House resident Tanya S.J. Selvaratnam '92 had this to say about the increased diversity brought about by non-ordered housing choice: "We are soon to be surrounded by racists, bigots and homophobics [sic], just like they have in Winthrop and Kirkland House." Her hearty welcome to non-Leftist Adamsians: "We know where we want to live, and it's not with you."

When people complain about PC hegemony and PC intolerance, that's what they're talking about.

But contrary to reactionary-generated, media-propagated popular beliefs, Selvaratnam is not representative of some insidious, speech-suppressing PC movement supposedly sweeping through the Kremlin on the Charles. Conversely, Webb is not representative of some insidious, speech-suppressing anti-PC movement. Selvaratnam and Webb are extremists. They represent no one but themselves. Reasonable conservatives (It's true! They exist! And we admit it!) do not automatically dismiss opposing positions as mere "PC bullshit" without giving them a fair hearing. Reasonable liberals do not throw around irresponsible, trumped-up charges of racism, sexism, homophobia, "ageism," "ableism," imperialism, militarism, "Eurocentrism" or "phallocentrism" to silence their intellectual opponents.

And here, moms and dads, is the important thing to remember: believe it or not, people committed to protecting free speech and academic freedom are firmly in control of Harvard. When a faculty committee proposed a speech code last year, the Faculty, quoting a Crimson editorial, amended its guidelines to guarantee that any speech permitted by the Constitution would be permitted at Harvard. President-designate Neil L. Rudenstine has told The Crimson he hopes to continue this policy.

Every so often, a disturbing case of left-wing closed-mindedness has surfaced on Harvard's campus. Last fall, a Quincy House resident stole copies of the ultraconservative Peninsula from doorsteps and distribution areas. One resident. Last fall, a Kinko's employee refused to photocopy AALARM's anti-abortion posters. One employee. Both incidents demonstrated an arrogant, hypo-critical, tactically misguided inclination to stifle opposing voices. But they were isolated incidents. They were condemned by conservatives and liberals alike. Copies of Peninsula were hastily redistributed, and Kinko's apologized. And we all went on with our lives, none the worse for the vigorous debate these incidents had inspired.

IN LATE FEBRUARY, as the Gulf War was winding down, Bridget Kerrigan '91 hung a Confederate battle flag out her Kirkland House window. Cabot House resident Tim McCormack '91 followed suit with a Southern Cross of his own. An outraged Jacinda Townsend '92 responded by hanging a swastika with the words "Racism--No?" out her window.

The flags quickly replaced the war as Campus Issue Numero Uno. President Derek C. Bok even joined the fray, affirming the students' right to free expression but urging them to respect the offended sensibilities of members of their community.

To Kerrigan, a writer for Peninsula, the letters, phone calls and demonstrations imploring her to remove her flag were perfect examples of knee-jerk PC fascism. Gleefully adopting language straight out of The PC Handbook, she claimed that she was being "marginalized" on account of her Southern heritage. Biased, intolerant North-erners were "pressuring" her, conspiring to violate her freedom of expression.

Funny. It sure seemed like Kerrigan was getting a chance to express herself. She defended her actions at three public forums. She was interviewed by several local television and radio stations, profiled at length by The Boston Globe and The Crimson glorified by the CBS Nightly News as a brave victim of PC oppression. And her pain-provoking Confederate flag still files over Kirkland House. Nobody ever forced her to remove it.

Yes, many of us did "pressure" Kerrigan et al to take down their symbols. That's what happens in a pluralistic community that allows disagreement and protects free expression--people freely express their disagreements. Free expression implies a right to criticize, not a right to be immune from criticism.

THE PC BROUHAHA may have some unfortunate repercussions.

The hypersensitive, unsupported wolf-cries of "racist!" and "sexist!" made by a few radicals could make the rest of us reluctant to attack real--and unfortunately prevalent--cases of racism and sexism in America today.

At the same time, the indiscriminate accusations of "PC totalitarian" made by a few reactionaries could blind us to the legitimate concerns of conservatives--here at the Liberal Boutique and elsewhere--who say they feel uncomfortable discussing issues like affirmative action, gay rights and abortion in liberal-dominated sections led by liberal section leaders. These concerns--like the concerns of women who say they feel uncomfortable in male-dominated sections led by male section leaders--may not be deserving of a full-scale Newsweek/Time/ New Republic/CBS/NBC/ABC media blitz, but they should still be addressed.

In mid-January, Joel D. Hornstein '92 stood on the steps of Widener Library and said that, as far as the Gulf War was concerned, "the time for debate is over." We found Hornstein's attempt to halt discussion despicable. "The time for debate is never over." we insisted. "Never." Debate educates, debate enlightens. Debate prevents antagonism from festering beneath the surface. Debate gives unpopular intelligent viewpoints a chance to be aired. Debate gives unpopular idiotic viewpoints a chance to look idiotic.

There isn't much left to say about PC that hasn't been hashed out time and time again. This much is clear--it's time to stop the antagonistic name-calling. By now, everyone should understand the dangers of thoughtless PC intolerance. By now, everyone should understand the dangers of thoughtless anti-PC intolerance.

Let's get on to more interesting debates.