[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Sharon Centanne's STOP CHENEY email to list



Monday, May 21, 2001

Dear Archivists,

    As a self-described activist-feminist-archivist I am saddened when list
members implore that we "keep politics off the listserv."  I always consider
our profession to be well-educated and progressive, i.e. political, so I'm
always suprised by the anti-lefty comments.  To wit, Diane Russell's comment
that Sharon "libels the Vice President with charges like "rape, burn and
pillage,"-- it seems more likely that she's a deliberate mouthpiece of the
radical-left, enviro-wacko hate lobby ..."     Well, I happen to agree with
the recently published election reviews of voting in Florida that show that
the presidential election was stolen out from under us before a complete
review of the contested votes/totals could be completed.  Democracy should
not have a time limit.

    And, I also agree with Sharon's comment that we should speak out against
plunder by energy tycoons.  We all have also read that our VP and P are going
to try to push nuclear on us as a solution, even though we still can't figure
out that tricky "waste" problem--how about paige "miracle boxes"?  And in
view of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island disasters--is our archives profession
too young to remember these devastating wake-up calls?  And, at our energy
consumption rate,  how much gas and oil are left?  Read the estimates--it's
scary.  We should be blessing our conservation and environmental lobbies--as
outfunded as they are-- for keeping our air and water breathable and for
daring to buck the big boys--polluters.  Think Houston, anyone?

    Anyway, we live and  work in a world of political connections,
Everything that we do as archivists--from selection (appraisal) to access
(technology decisions) to outreach (marketing our collections) exists in the
real world of funding decisions and cultural values assigned to either
maintaining or neglecting historical records.  We would not have been
discussing Baker and microfilming for a month if we didn't care about
politics--i.e.  the political ramifications of his book and opinions on our
profession and by extension, our jobs...our livlihood...our weekly paychecks.

    I love political discussions.  I want all archivists to feel that they
can post political messages to our list when they feel strongly about an
issue --in this case, energy and conservation--that affects not only our
lives/environment but also our "stuff"-- in terms of energy to maintain our
archives facilities, our databases, our preservation activities (HVAC
systems????)  I repeat:  we all know that our archives activities do not
exist in a vacuum but are directly affected by political decisions about
value and budgetary considerations.  In fact, don't we all have to be
excellent politicians to survive and thrive in our institutional settings?
No archives is an island unto itself.

    Aside from trying to get every vote counted fairly, you know, democracy!,
 The UTNE Reader "View" in the MAY-June 2001 issue suggests that as
disgruntled voters we all push for proportional representation in our
election process as utilized in continental Europe and many other parts of
the world.   This would insure that political parties are apportioned power
in the national government based roughtly on their percent of the vote.
Therefore, no spoiler Greens--but a sharing of power with the Democrats.  Go
to the website:  www.fairvote.org (put up by The Center for Voting and
Democracy) for further info.

    A final quote from the UTNE article:  "...remember that most of what we
call politics happens between elections.  Social movements and citizen
activism are powerful forces that frame the national political debate in ways
that candidates of every party must respond to.  That should be the mission
of Greens, Democrats, and everyone over the next few years:  advocating for
the changes you want to see in American society.  Talk to your neighbors.
Write letters to the editor.  Organize an activist group.  Take a stand any
way that makes sense to you.  And then let's see what happens in 2004." And,
definitely, talk with your archivist collegues online about important
national issues, such as energy policy, that do, indeed, affect our lives,
our families, our jobs and our facilities every where.  Cheers, everyone--
but especially to Sharon Centanne in Tampa Bay.
                                     Lucinda
Lucinda Manning
United Federation of Teachers
UFT Archives & Records Center
260 Park Ave. South
NY, Ny   10010
212-598-9213

Revolution is but thought carried into action.
            --Emma Goldman (1869-1940)

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>