Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 17, 1993< TAG: 9304200403
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
TURNABOUT ISN'T ALWAYS FAIR PLAY
DURING the "Year of the (Liberal) Woman," the media often argued that justice can never be achieved without more (feminist) women in power. Anita Hill was mentioned, as if her very name ought to wither all further discourse. Presumably, if we chumps cannot gaze upon Ms. Hill and feel the crushing weight of patriarchy, we have no conception of justice.The left believes that the symbol of justice blindfolded is a sham. The ruling class will always define justice in terms of its own interests; authority and oppression are synonymous. Fairness merely demands an inversion of the existing power structure so that formerly oppressed groups may exercise their biases; turnabout is fair law. "Justice" becomes merely a more palatable injustice. There is no concept of right that transcends class and gender.
That the wisest and most virtuous ought to rule is an idea as old as Plato. However, leftists equate victim status with virtue and wisdom. Conversely, one is wicked, incapable of the proper sympathies, for having held power in the past. Therefore, oppressors possess only one right under "just" law: the right to swallow what they have been dishing out.
During her recent visit to Virginia Tech, NOW president Patricia Ireland commented on the issue of gays in the military: " . . . [S]traight men are afraid they're going to be sexually harassed like women have been for years." And if they are harassed, Ms. Ireland implies, who cares?
Stalin could have justified his purges using just such logic: There is nothing wrong with stamping out the bourgeoisie. It's about time they got theirs. Maybe now they'll know how it feels. JILL BARRETT DUBLIN