Gar Lipow: During the Truman-McCarthy era, while many University presidents collaborated, many other defied it. And it was not just acting Presidents. I am a strong believer in structure and institutions shaping actions. But there also cases of individuals long embedded within institutions unexpectedly defying them - on occasions far more serious than the Truman-McCarthy era, dying as a result. Though not a substitute for mass resistance, such individuals can make a huge difference in particular cases. Anyone who was ignoring this truth who retorts that it is obvious or banal will be laughed at.
Me: Now we are back to the McCarthy period. Even here, I doubt that "many others defied it" is accurate. In any case, soon we will be back to the Cambridge of C.P. Snow. I suppose we could go all the way back to the University of Bologna in the 1300s and find at least one good man. And, "such individuals can make a huge difference in particular cases." (Change this up a bit, and you have a good commercial.) Indeed they can, but this wasn't my point was it? I am sure that there were white people who every now and again prevented a lynching in the south. Great for the person who didn't get lynched. Not very relevant in terms of the societal structures that gave rise to the lynchings in the first place. D _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
