MIT Harassment Hndbook Constitutes Fascist Policy

   By Anders Hove
   
   Columnist
   
   As soon as I saw the front cover of _The Tech_ last Tuesday morning,
   with its graphic pictures of the booklet-burning melee at Senior
   House, I knew what I wanted. I had to get my hands on a copy of
   "Dealing with Harassment at MIT."
   
   That same day, I stopped by Balkan Subversive and Revolutionary
   Literature on Brattle Street. After winding my way into a back-room of
   that cramped, dusty, and dark underground crypt, I managed to locate
   Radovan and ask him for his volume of "Dealing." But Radovan recoiled
   in shock upon hearing my request; how dare I even breathe the name of
   that evil manifesto!
   
   To my relief, however, someone -- a Mossad bagman, no doubt --
   clandestinely slipped a copy into my mailbox later that day. Imagine
   the Institute's angst if they knew one of these top-secret books had
   fallen into my hands.
   
   As I soon learned, "Dealing with Harassment" is the single most
   dangerous document to come out of the 'Tute's Star Chamber since "Jim
   Tewhey's 10 Best Ways to Plant Rutabaga." As if to warn of the filth
   contained therein, the cover boasts an Ionic column, the most phallic
   of flourishes. The truly dark secrets, however, are inside. Take this
   appalling statement for instance: "Behavior that _might_ be found to
   be harassment includes ... rape." Fascists! Now I can understand how
   "blocking handicapped access repeatedly" could be harassment, but
   rape?
   
   The most shocking element of this sinister policy is stated twice,
   once in the preface, then again on page 18. The Institute warns that
   we members of the community should not try to test the bounds of
   freedom of expression and freedom from harassment. (UA Presidents take
   note: nothing here about testing the Bush Fund, yet.)
   
   Thus the Institute outlines its cynical plot to use ideological
   justifications to both prevent and subvert the noble activities of
   free-rapists, free-wheelchair-ramp-blockers, free-gropers and their
   brothers, and -- well -- mostly brothers in the fight for liberty!
   While this sort of terror was once completely arbitrary, imposing
   itself only on select administration bureaucrats, now it will be
   extended to the entire community.
   
   The outrageous page 18 continues: "People who are offended by matters
   of speech or expression should consider speaking up promptly and in a
   civil fashion." Imagine the disruption that will ensue when people
   start questioning the offensive things other say. "People who learn
   they have offended others by their manner of expression should
   consider immediately stopping the offense and apologizing."
   
   This is clearly more than just a guide to victims of harassment. The
   unwritten implications of these abominable statements is that soon
   MIT's already iron-fisted Campus Police will be replaced by TP's,
   legions of still more repressive Thought Police who will unleash the
   Institute's famous fire hose on insensitive non-apologizers all across
   campus.
   
   We have all heard what administration sympathizers have had to say
   about this guide. They tell us that the administration was only trying
   to offer an olive branch to the community. They tell us that words
   like "might" and "under some circumstances" are proof of the
   moderation of the writers of this handbook. They say that the book's
   length, 68 pages, shouldn't even deter those who could never bring
   themselves to pass a HASS-D. Still more, we are told that if the
   Pentagon were to produce a handbook saying that, under certain
   circumstances, stealing the U.S. nuclear launch codes _might_
   constitute espionage, we would burn that booklet too.
   
   Well they may be right. Someday, when the Navy boys are off in Las
   Vegas for a another nice Tailhook party, I'll drop by for those codes,
   just to test bounds of free expression. Until then, I intend to keep
   burning every harassment guide in sight.
   

----
Copyright 1993 by The Tech. All rights reserved.
This story was published on  Tuesday,  November 9, 1993.
Volume  113, Number 56
The story was printed on page  7.
This article may be freely distributed electronically,
provided it is distributed in its entirety and includes
this notice, but may not be reprinted without the
express written permission of The Tech.  Write to
archive@the-tech.mit.edu for additional details.