A
      matter
      of
      conscience
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Craig
      Douglas
     
    

    
     
      S$
      we
      approach
      the
      end
      of
      the
      twentieth
     
     
      A
      century
      and
      enter
      a
      new
      millenium,
      I
     
    

    
     
      wonder
      how
      much
      ‘real’
      progress
      we
     
     
      have
      reached
      in
      our
      ability
      to
      eliminate
      dis-
     
     
      crimination
      and
      develop
      tolerance
      in
      society.
     
     
      One
      might
      say
      that
      One
      does
      not
      discriminate
      or
     
     
      that
      one
      treats
      each
      other
      with
      equality.
      I
     
     
      wonder,
      in
      practice,
      how
      much
      truth
      exists
      in
     
     
      these
      statements
      or
      is
      it
      a
      coverup
      for
      implicit
     
     
      discrimination
      of
      various
      kinds?
      The
      world
     
     
      around
      us
      is
      filled
      with
      images
      of
      dismissed
     
     
      discriminatory
      acts
      and
      of
      the
      most
      horrible
     
     
      acts.
      For
      example;
      the
      ethnic
      cleansing
      in
      the
     
     
      former
      Yugoslavia,
      heightened
      anti-semitic
      ri-
     
     
      otsin
      Germany,
      intolerance
      ofrefugees
      inmany
     
     
      countries
      throughout
      Europe
      (especially,
      Aus-
     
     
      tria):
      while
      the
      world
      is
      moving
      or
      converging
     
     
      towards
      one
      common
      economic
      structure,
      capi-
     
     
      talism,
      the
      planet
      is
      becoming
      embroiled
      in
      an
     
     
      exponentially
      increasing
      environment
      of
      politi-
     
     
      cal
      conflicts.
      Is
      it
      logical
      to
      assume
      that
      this
     
     
      economic
      union
      of
      sorts
      is
      causing
      increased
     
     
      conflict
      between
      various
      entities,
      or
      is
      it
      a
      path
     
     
      with
      which
      human
      evolution
      is
      inevitably
      mov-
     
     
      ing
      fowards?
      We
      may
      say,
      at
      least
      in
      Canada
     
     
      and
      the
      United
      States,
      that
      we
      do
      not
      commit
     
     
      such
      explicit
      discrimination
      as
      in
      other
      parts
      of
     
     
      the
      world.
      The
      truth
      of
      the
      matter
      is
      that
      we,
     
     
      ours,
      are
      not
      cured
      ofthis
      social
      disease.
      Exam-
     
     
      ples
      of
      discrimination
      can
      be
      found
      on
      a
      daily
     
     
      basis
      in
      many
      different
      areas
      in
      society
      whether
     
     
      it
      be
      in
      the
      workplace
      or
      at
      home
      or
      on
      the
     
     
      nightly
      news
      shows;
      the
      Los
      Angeles
      Riots,
      The
     
     
      Tail-Hook
      Affair,
      Status
      in
      the
      Military
      (i.e.
     
     
      sexual
      orientation).
      The
      Los
      Angeles
      Riots
     
     
      were
      spawned
      by
      the
      announcement
      on
      network
     
     
      television
      of
      the
      judgement
      given
      on
      the
      Rodney
     
     
      King
      Case.
      The
      all-white
      Jury
      found
      the
      police-
     
     
      men
      involved
      were
      not
      guilty
      of
      beating
      the
     
     
      Plantiff,
      Rodney
      King
      when,
      in
      court,
      docu-
     
     
      mented
      video
      tape
      showed
      the
      policemen
      beat-
     
     
      ing
      King.
      This
      caused
      the
      community
      of
      Los
     
     
      Angeles
      to
      go
      into
      uproar
      causing
      a
      state
      of
     
     
      emergency
      to
      be
      imposed
      in
      Los
      Angeles,
      yield-
     
     
      ing
      hundreds
      of
      injuries
      and
      dozens
      of
      deaths.
     
     
      The
      Tail-Hook
      Affair
      was
      brought
      to
      the
      atten-
     
     
      tion
      of
      the
      media
      when
      a
      few
      female
      members
     
     
      of
      the
      military
      explained
      that
      they
      had
      been
     
     
      Sexually
      assaulted
      by
      their
      superiors
      and
      that
      no
     
     
      action
      had
      been
      taken
      against
      those
      who
      were
     
     
      'esponsible.
      This
      affair
      is
      now
      under
      investiga-
     
     
      ‘on.
      The
      third
      of
      these
      memorable
      events,
     
     
      Discrimination
      of
      Status
      in
      the
      Military,
      may
     
     
      have
      had
      the
      greatest
      effect
      on
      society,
      at
      least
     
     
      'n
      the
      United
      States.
      This
      issue
      of
      discrimina-
     
     
      lion
      of
      status
      in
      the
      Military
      deals
      with
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      allowance
      of
      homosexuals
      into
      military
      posi-
     
     
      tions
      based
      on
      their
      orientation
      and
      practice.
     
     
      This
      discrimination
      is
      merely
      based
      on
      status
     
     
      and
      not
      conduct
      or
      practice.
      The
      legal
      discourse
     
     
      the
      military
      has
      had
      in
      the
      past
      dealt
      with
     
     
      homosexuality
      as
      an
      act
      of
      sodomy
      and,
      in
      that
     
     
      case,
      went
      against
      the
      anti-sodomy
      regulations
     
     
      of
      military
      conduct.
      The
      military
      did
      not
      deal
     
     
      with
      the
      practice
      of
      the
      sexual
      orientation
      but
      of
     
     
      sexual
      orientation
      itself.
     
    

    
     
      Is
      it
      not
      time
      to
      put
      away
      preconceptions
     
     
      and
      misconceptions
      of
      people
      based
      on
      their
     
     
      status
      whether
      it
      be
      visual,
      i.e.
      colour
      race
      or
     
     
      gender,
      age,
      or
      sexual,
      i.e.
      heterosexuality,
      bi-
     
     
      sexuality,
      or
      homosexuality?
      It
      is
      one
      thing
      to
     
     
      have
      one’s
      own
      values
      and
      morals
      but
      it
      is
     
     
      another
      thing
      when
      these
      morals
      or
      values
      are
     
     
      imposed
      on
      another.
      Some
      would
      say
      that
      the
     
     
      values
      and
      morals
      they
      attest
      to,
      have
      been
     
     
      gained
      through
      experience
      due
      to
      their
     
     
      upbringings,
      whether
      it
      be
      religious
      or
      other-
     
     
      wise.
      Especially
      those
      in
      the
      religious-right
     
     
      believe
      that
      such
      things
      as
      ‘‘family
      values,”’
     
     
      and
      sexual
      orientation
      should
      be
      legislated.
      I,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      myself,
      believe
      in
      the
      same
      God
      as
      does
      the
     
     
      Religious-right.
      But,
      I
      suppose,
      I
      misunder-
     
     
      stood
      what
      God
      had
      taught
      me.
      I
      thought
      that
     
     
      making
      moral
      statements
      about
      others
      would
      be
     
     
      outside
      of
      my
      jurisdiction
      of
      what
      God
      had
     
     
      taught.
      I
      thought
      that
      God
      taught
      us
      to
      be
     
     
      tolerant
      and
      forgiving
      of
      each
      other.
      I
      thought
     
     
      that
      God
      was
      the
      only
      judge,
      the
      first
      judge
      and
     
     
      the
      final
      judge,
      ‘‘the
      Alpha
      and
      the
      Omega,”’
     
     
      but
      I
      guess
      not!
      Society
      of
      today
      is
      based
      on
     
     
      secular
      thought
      and
      materialism,
      not
      on
      humil-
     
     
      ity.
      I
      never
      thought
      there
      was
      more
      than
      one
     
     
      God
      but
      some
      of
      the
      religious
      right
      have
      taken
     
     
      upon
      themselves
      to
      help
      relieve
      God
      of
      some
      of
     
     
      his
      or
      her
      responsiblities.
      If
      we
      are
      to
      continue
     
     
      on
      a
      path
      into
      the
      twenty-first
      century
      where
      we
     
     
      believe
      in
      equality
      for
      all,
      don’t
      you
      think
      we
     
     
      should
      spend
      less
      time
      bickering
      about
      others
     
     
      and
      spend
      time
      improving
      ourselves?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      P.S.
      I,
      myself,
      am
      not
      cured
      of
      this
      social
     
     
      disease,
      but
      am
      trying
      and
      hope
      to
      acquire
     
     
      remission
      in
      the
      near
      future.
      @
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CAMPUS.COMMENT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      while
      in
      university?"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2.
      ‘‘Without
      proper
      parliamentary
      debate
      of
     
     
      the
      C76
      that
      includes
      the
      opinions
      of
      the
      party
     
     
      opposition,
      Mussolini,
      Hitler,
      and
      Stalin
      would
     
     
      be
      very
      proud
      of
      the
      way
      Bill
      C76
      will
      be
     
     
      branded
      onto
      the
      masses.”’
     
    

    
     
      --Gerard
      Nowlan,
      4th
      year
      Arts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3.
      Idon’t
      give
      a
      shit.
      I’m
      leaving
      the
      country
     
     
      after
      graduating,
      so
      as
      far
      as
      my
      loan
      goes,
     
     
      they
      can
      eat
      it!
     
    

    
     
      --Pierce
      Butler,
      3rd
      year
      Arts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4.
      Itseems
      funny
      that
      it’s
      so
      hard
      to
      geta
      loan,
     
     
      yet
      we
      are
      now
      expected
      to
      pay
      it
      back
      imme-
     
     
      diately.
      Six
      months
      is
      reasonable,
      how
      can
     
     
      anyone
      expect
      graduates
      to
      be
      handed
      jobs?
     
    

    
     
      --Wendy
      Poirier,
      3rd
      year
      Sociology
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Do
      you
      know
      what
      Bill
      C76
      is?
     
     
      If
      so,
      what
      is
      your
      opinion
      on
      it?”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1.
      ‘‘T
      think
      it
      is
      ridiculous
      to
      expect
      someone
      to
      have
      a
      full-time
      job
      within
      weeks
      of
      graduation
     
     
      or
      even
      six
      months.
      Where
      is
      the
      money
      supposed
      to
      come
      from?
      Who
      can
      actually
      save
      money
     
    
   
   
    
     
      --Jillian
      MacCallum,
      3rd
      year
      Biology
      major
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Gerald
      Nolan
      and
      Pierce
      Butler