Editor,
I was disturbed to read Damian Erasmus' attack on multiculturalism in a letter to the Daily Lobo on Sept. 15. The view that one culture must be superior to others mirrors imperialist and colonial thinking; a viewpoint which throughout history has justified oppression and outright genocide toward cultures viewed as inferior or not fully human.
Historical accounts, most often being recorded and perpetuated by the winners, have left much to be desired in giving space to the nondominant cultures. For example, the notion that no real culture existed prior to the appearance of Europeans in the New World allowed the invaders to justify the colonization and destruction of civilizations that were in fact quite advanced.
This thinking seems to hold sway among members of the Bush administration, who readily characterize whole cultures and nations as evil - a label which then justifies pre-emptive military action, violence against civilian populations and torture of suspected enemies.
These other cultures are said to hate the U.S. because of its democracy and inherent goodness. Absent from this analysis are the years of exploitation - including economic, military and covert interference - of developing countries whose resources have contributed to the current status of Western powers. Our love of democracy has unfortunately not been exported along with McDonald's franchises.
In a world made more precarious by our own government's war on terror and military threats, one step toward future peace and stability is to view other nations and cultures as deserving of the same respect and rights that we expect for ourselves.
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Wendy Courtemanche
UNM student
