Letter to the Editor

“Illegitimate” voice in MICA publication

Recently, the Moderate, Independent and Conservative Alliance (MICA) put out an issue of The Imperialist that generated a great deal of controversy, offended a number of people and caused them to come up against the authority of the Vassar Student Association (VSA). The most discourteous article, and the reason for the freezing of MICA's VSA funding, was entitled “Race and Freedom.”

In my mind, it is odd that anyone would be offended by either MICA or The Imperialist. MICA has shown, by virtue of The Imperialist, that it is an illegitimate political group on campus, and lacks the gravity to cause grave offense or concern. These people lack legitimacy. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the manifestation of its efforts, it has more in common with a comedy troupe than a political organization.

The Imperialist is the public face of MICA, ostensibly a campus group devoted to all political leanings except liberal. At Vassar, these people are undeniably in the minority. As such, they have a responsibility, whether they acknowledge it or not, to challenge the majority's views, present counter-arguments and be a compelling alternative to liberal politics and ways of thinking.

Unfortunately, what is published in The Imperialist largely amounts to slightly funny jabs at hippies and liberal politicians or rambling discussions about how hard it is to find a date when you don't believe in abortion. I can find far better jokes in any South Park episode. It is easy to discount the gems of political comment if they are bordered by articles entitled “Lack of Sack” or “Why Hippies Suck.” What I am looking for in The Imperialist is a compelling, well-written argument that forces me to rethink my position on politics, challenges my views and forces me to honestly consider what it is that I hold to be true. This form of argument is sorely lacking in The Imperialist.

The withdrawal of funding would not have been an issue remotely pertinent to freedom of speech; the VSA would have been simply refusing to support a magazine devoted to humor that is in questionable taste and offensive. It reflects poorly on the VSA to do so, just as it reflects poorly on the people of moderate, independent and conservative political leanings to affiliate themselves with a group concerned primarily with cheap jokes.

I want and even need serious conservative literature coming from an on-campus source. I am surrounded by liberals everyday, and it requires little effort to engage in a conversation about how much Bush sucks. Neither does it require a great deal of intelligence to discuss political views with someone sharing the same opinion. What does require intelligence is defending and examining my own views in light of a contradicting opinion. Please, for my good and for Vassar's good, do not allow us to become lazy. Challenge us and offer serious intellectual criticism.

—Joe Rozek ’08