bennett, miller and their detractors (the background)

some time ago (perhaps it was last week) fliers were posted on campus. the brightly colored 8 1/2 x 11's sported a quote from bill bennett, a conservative radio talk show host and former u.s. secretary of education, in which he spoke of how aborting all black males (or was it just children?) would lower the crime rate. there was a protest that day which, at least to the best of my memory, expressed contempt for self-segregation and the comments made by bennett.

earlier this week (monday, i think) stephen miller, a columnist for our paper, the chronicle, used his editorial space to put bennett's quote in context and express contempt for the actions of the students of the black student alliance, whom he assumed sponsored the protest. (apparently this was an incorrect assumption, but i'm pretty sure they posted the fliers. i could be wrong.)

(bennett was using the statement hypothetically and hyperbolically to demonstrate the irrationale behind an extremist pro-life position advocated by one of his callers.)

needless to say, there has been a wave of letters to the editor condemning both bennett and miller.

well, this is the beginning. i need to go, but i'll continue this later. actually, i'm still trying to collect my thoughts. perhaps they will be more cohesive than if i quickly typed them now.