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French nuclear testing
- Subject: French nuclear testing
- From: uid no body <nobody@town.hall.org>
- Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 19:32:34 -0400
- Apparently-To: webmaster@town.hall.org
- Reply-to: wilson@chem.ucla.edu (K. R. Wilson)
wilson@chem.ucla.edu (K. R. Wilson) sent the following
comment about http://www.town.hall.org/travel/france/embassy/:
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I find it surprising that a non-profit entity which purports to engage
in public service work would take a political stance on the issue of
French nuclear testing and cut off a link with the French Embassy.
This is an inappropriate use of the Internet for several reasons:
1) It prevents people like myself from getting in touch with the French Governement to let them know my opinion on the issue.
2) It prevents other people from accessing cultural and other, e.g., scientific, information from the appropriate branch of the embassy on matters exclusive of the nuclear question.
3) It impedes communication with others in the French Government, because there is an assumption, unstated, that the entire French Government, or at least the Embassy staff, is in favor of the French position on nuclear testing in the South Pacific. (This, I can assure you, is NOT the case!)
4) Last, yet most important, is that it constitutes a form of censorship in that it prevents one from hearing the other side (i.e., the French Governement) of the argument. Anyone or thing calling itself "progressive" is engaging in hypocrisy when it tries to silence that person or thing which holds an opposing viewpoint. This still applies, despite the fact that you offer the service to the French Embassy free of charge.
In the scientific community, we always try to keep political issues and controvery separate from our work at hand. The effect is that we make more progress in our work and have a better chance of convincing or persuading the other side on matters of political disagreemnt. This is so because we have become acquainted with the other side on an interpersonal level on matters where we do share common beliefs. It is then not quite so difficult to communicate openly and effectively on more contentious topics and arrive at some mutually agreable position.
For these reasons, I strongly suggest that you reverse your decision and open the gates of communication with the French Government (Embassy). I think that by doing this you will stand a better chance of seeing your viewpoint adopted by the French.
Yours sincerely,
K. R. Wilson Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 90095-1569 wilson@chem.ucla.edu
No
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