Letter on Powell Missed Point

Jon-Peter Kelly, in his letter the The Crimson (April 26) seems to miss the point of the protests against General Colin Powell's selection as Commencement speaker. Kelly writes of the gay community," [t] they are saying that Gen. Colin L. Powell's presence acts as an affront to homosexuals more than it does as a source of pride and admiration especially, but not exclusively, for Blacks at Harvard" (italics added). This is not precisely why I, as one member of the diverse "gay community," oppose Powell's selection.

Kelly seems to be engaging in some sort of moral or ethical calculus here: he argues that Powell's achievements as the first Black person to be chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff outweigh the General's belief that bisexual, gay and lesbian people should be kept out of the military. I am not prepared to weigh the concerns of one oppressed group against the concerns of another.

Powell says that sexual orientation is not a "benign characteristic," whereas skin color is "benign." This is patently offensive. His bigoted views about sexuality are not more important than his remarkable record of achievement; the two issues are separate, at least to me.

Would it be appropriate to invite a Latina if she were virulently anti-Semitic? Is it acceptable to invite a man who uses a wheelchair even though he is a self-proclaimed racist? Asserting that Powell's achievements outweigh his bigotry is exactly the type of divisive behavior Kelly condemns in his letter: "it is counter-productive if victims of discrimination lash out at other victims."

There are many people of color who have made tremendous achievements, who would be ideal Commencement speakers, and who not capouse views that deny the right of an oppresses group: California Representative Maxine Waters, Nelson Mandela, Professor Anita Hill and Coretta Scott King are just a few examples.

For the Corporation and the Board of Overseers to select Powell, given his public denial of the equality of bisexual, gay and lesbian people, tells the world that it is still acceptable to deny our rights.

Discrimination advocated by a Black man is no less painful, no less hurtful and no less damaging than discrimination advocated by anyone else. We should be united in standing up against oppression, instead of pitting ourselves against one another. Steve Hoey '93