Slingshot is a progressive
newspaper based in Berkeley, California, that, since 1988, has covered
radical direct actions and political activism. The newspaper is distributed around the world.
In a letter to the newspaper a reader
complained that ACT-UP San Francisco was listed in "The Slingshot Organizer,"
an activist handbook/calendar. The letter claimed that ACT-UP is
"very right-wing" and said some truly slanderous comments that were quite unkind.
In response, "Astrogirl," a writer for Slingshot, assured the readers that ACT-UP
would be removed from the next Organizer.
However, no one was prepared for the onslaught of letters
supporting ACT-UP/SF, who will continue to be listed in the Organizer.
Here are two of the letters written to Slingshot, more to come.
ACT-UP SF slams Slingshot
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To Slingshot
I don't agree with everything that ACT-UP SF stands for and think that they have some of their facts wrong, but people have a right to know that they exist. You're not doing the people who buy the organizer a favor by censoring ACT-UP SF. Shouldn't your readers be intelligent enough to make up their own minds on the matter? Rupert Murdoch would be proud of your decision. It should at least be clear that ACT-UP SF is sincere. They have a number of HIV positive people in their group -- These people aren't suicidal; they think that AIDS drugs aren't the answer and their survival rates would indicate that they might be onto something.
I think it reflects negatively on Slingshot that when you approach a complex and controversial issue like AIDS treatment/prevention, you ask, "What is the acknowledged politically correct position on this?" rather than "What's actually going on here? Perhaps I should try to find out for myself instead of listening to PR flacks and other establishment lackeys." What if Greenpeace thought that biotechnology and genetic engineering was the solution to world hunger? Would you go along with that too? So much for independent thinking, eh? Who needs it anyway when the "left" (whatever that is) already has a pre-packaged opinion for you to pick off the shelf and take home. Let's hope for better judgement in the future.
Ian R.
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Dear folks at Slingshot.
I was just informed thatyou have decided to remove ACT-UP SF from your listing of radical community groups on the whim that someone has decided that because they don't like them the easiest way to get rid of them is by slander. It is a common practice in radical left/anti-authoritarian circles that if someone or their ideas are disliked we can purge them by using slanderous language. We've all heard it done before... "He's a misogynist"... "she's really classist"... "They're racist"..."Homophobes"... etc. Even when there is no supportive evidence proving their heinous guilt we all jump on the shunning band wagon because the language appeals to our lefty sensibility of defending the perceived victims. This is a self destructive practice we all need to think about and try to avoid. Before the accusation is made -- be right!
A better way for the radical left to deal with the AIDS debate instead of slandering it would be to simply acknowledge that the debate exists and that people be encouraged to learn as much as possible about both sides of the debate before deciding where they stand. I'm sure there are people of many persuasions who are challenging the HIV=AIDS=death paradigm, just like there are people from every political persuasion who believe that HIV does cause AIDS. The AIDS debate is not a left or right issue, it's a scientific debate and a public health issue, and it's the general public who will ultimately decide the outcome.
Robert S.