Comments on: Harvard Group Seeks Posthumous Degrees For Gay Students Expelled in 1920 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/02/29/42507 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Thu, 23 May 2013 18:50:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Karel http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/02/29/42507/comment-page-1#comment-118718 Karel Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:10:29 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=42507#comment-118718 I think this is much like the Alan Turing situation, where a posthumous pardon for the great mathematician and war hero was recently refused by the House of Lords, for what I think was a good reason. In Lord McNally's words, "rather than trying to alter the historical context and to put right what cannot be put right, ensure instead that we never again return to those times." What Harvard did cannot be put right: better to remember, and ensure that it never happens again, rather than try to rewrite history. I think this is much like the Alan Turing situation, where a posthumous pardon for the great mathematician and war hero was recently refused by the House of Lords, for what I think was a good reason. In Lord McNally’s words, “rather than trying to alter the historical context and to put right what cannot be put right, ensure instead that we never again return to those times.” What Harvard did cannot be put right: better to remember, and ensure that it never happens again, rather than try to rewrite history.

]]> By: Soren456 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/02/29/42507/comment-page-1#comment-118689 Soren456 Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:51:14 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=42507#comment-118689 My own suggestion is that the law school create a chair in Gay Family Law. This is a contemporary response to a then-contemporary response to homosexuality; it is about as far away from that earlier outrage as is possible today. My own suggestion is that the law school create a chair in Gay Family Law. This is a contemporary response to a then-contemporary response to homosexuality; it is about as far away from that earlier outrage as is possible today.

]]> By: Blake http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2012/02/29/42507/comment-page-1#comment-118680 Blake Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:42:58 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=42507#comment-118680 What exactly are they trying to achieve by having these degrees awarded? If their goal is increased awareness, perhaps the activists could focus on ensuring that learning about this dark mark is a part of some sort of freshman orientation regarding diversity. I just worry that any sort of posthumous degree could allow future generations to whitewash the whole story: "Nothing to see here. No injustice committed here. We're also in the first state with Gay Marriage, etc. etc. etc." What exactly are they trying to achieve by having these degrees awarded?

If their goal is increased awareness, perhaps the activists could focus on ensuring that learning about this dark mark is a part of some sort of freshman orientation regarding diversity. I just worry that any sort of posthumous degree could allow future generations to whitewash the whole story: “Nothing to see here. No injustice committed here. We’re also in the first state with Gay Marriage, etc. etc. etc.”

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