fudge the guelph socialists




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	LAST UPDATE:TUES MARCH 30 12:32pm Want to know what all the commotion is about? Click here. March 2 I haven't received any replies yet but bookmark this page and check back regularly. Remember, if you have something to add, write to FtheGS@hotmail.com. For those of you wondering why I'm doing this I'd like to emphasize that my intentions are not to undermine the fight for human rights, political activism or the student movement. Instead my hope is increase the number of people interested in human rights or the student movement. The Guelph Socialists, in their strangle hold on dialogue, have alienated many people from becoming involved in these struggles- in may cases leading to backlash. I am not working with any organization or any other individuals. During my involvement with CFRU and The Ontarion I have had to repeatedly listen to countless stories about the GS and their appropriation of political dialogue. Anyone remember the Students in Solidarity? It was frustrating to watch them bully others into steering that organization into just another limb of the Guelph Socialists. The result was a student body that became, understandably, uninterested in the problems of rising tuition. March 3 A printable letter! One clarification: I am a volunteer at the Ontarion and i wrote my column as a volunteer. ************************ Dear Mr.. Stayshyn: Although your piece seems to be eloquent one, it is quite disconcerting to read about the slanderous attack you made on Mr.. Tom Keefer and Mr.. Andrew Thompson. As a part of the Socialist Group on campus, I work very closely with these two individuals, as well as numerous others who work toward the same goals. Also, as woman who has just joined this group, I am writing to educate you on the Socialist community. We are not a group of individuals who sit on the second floor of the University Center "like guerillas, fully loaded with two-syllable bullets like 'sexist' or 'racist'..." with our "... fingers perpetually pointed in every direction but at [ourselves]." Our goal is to educate and work with others, in this case the students, towards a goal we find will be beneficial to all. I am quite discouraged by the fact that you do not work with any group, when you obviously have ideas that you find to be of superior quality than ours. I would enjoy your thought about your own little "Revolution" and how this could be implemented; or do you believe that all problems in the perpetual 'system' can be eradicated by simple compromise? In the meantime, I would be interested in hearing your interpretation of the "Revolution" all Socialists at heart are fighting for. Finally, your article would lead many students and faculty members to fear Mr.. Keefer. Need I remind everyone that he, like everyone else, is simply a person. Associating that much power to someone ends up being detrimental to not only the person in question, but also to the person who somehow sees himself as able to make unfounded comments. This argument is strengthened by Mr.. Birke's editorial about the Student Strike Referendum on the page opposite to your article. I would like to take this opportunity to inform Mr.. Birke that "that Keefer kid" is not in total control of the minds of the students of this university. If this strike motion passes, he is not responsible for controlling students into voting yes for this question. A yes or no answer will be indicative of what the students on campus believe to be right. I find it very frightening that you associate that much power with one individual. In conclusion, I would like to say that I am quite disgusted by the obvious personal attack you made on Mr.. Tom Keefer, as well as Mr.. Andrew Thompson. A journalist and an editor do not have the right to use their newspaper to spread propaganda about individuals they do not like. You have just proven that you do quite well what you have so eloquently accused Mr.. Keefer and Mr.. Thompson of. It's a little ironic, isn't it? You obviously put a lot of work in your article. You also put a lot of work into your WebPages... this must have taken a lot of time. Can your actions be viewed as ethical and not self-serving? Jennifer O'Neill P.S. In regards to your recent update, should I be prepared for backlash against creating "an atmosphere of fear and intimidation at the O"? My political and personal issues do not rest in the volunteers at this newspaper, they rest with Mr.. Birke and yourself. ************** Justin Fucking brilliant column! -name withheld. ****************** March 3, 1999 Editor-in-Chief The Ontarion University of Guelph's Independent Student Newspaper "Letters" Regarding Justin Stayshyn's Opinion Column, March 2 - 8 edition Dear Editor: This is partly a complaint about Mr. Stayshyn's recent column wherein he libelled Tom Keefer, Andrew Thompson and the Guelph Socialists. I am aware that opinion columnists are generally allowed to say whatever they want to say, but I am strongly opposed to such yellow approaches to any form of journalism, and I must OBJECT VEHEMENTLY to the use of and "independent student newspaper" to air personal grudges in a derogatory manner with no factual evidence supporting such spurious babble!!! And I object too because I am acquainted with Tom and can testify that he has never once forced his views upon me or my children. As a matter of fact, Tom never pushes the socialist agenda upon me when we do occasionally meet and chat. Frankly, I enjoy his articles, I find Tom articulate, intelligent and he puts forth an engaging argument that, in my view, enhances discourse about global and economic issues both in Canada and in the world in general. Speaking of the Guelph Socialists, I only know two of them, but have never witnessed them behaving as Stayshyn accuses. Yes, Tom is a young man full of bravado - but I like his bravado because he uses it constructively by taking a stance in what he believes in. And truly, no matter the political pursuasion, this world needs more people like Tom who will take a stand to protect people's rights. Finally, I was involved with the Guelph Coalition Against the Cuts - a group which was co-founded by Tom, and I can testify that the group had excellent representation from all walks of life, was never dominated by a socialist agenda - and furthermore, this group was 'taken over' by another interest group. I must ask if Mr. Stayshyn's libellous rant was undertaken because Tom is running for a CSA position, because the timing of this column was far too coincidental. Stephanie Dearing P.S. - This is a copy of a letter written to the Ontarion. You have my full permission to print it on your website. **************** on with the tale... it begins before i even become part of it... in a highschool, in guelph... with a conflict between a fellow named Dave and another fellow named Tom. There had always been much conflict between these two fellows and their respective groups of friends... mostly about politics and partly about personal views. Dave is a gentle fellow for the most part, but has a ferocious temper when pushed too far. He is also bald by choice, covered in tatoos, dressed in leather and wears big boots. There was a time when you could have called him a skinhead (not a Nazi, just a skinhead) without much objection. But those were different times. Tom and Dave were not friends. In fact, they were basically enemies. Tom even went so far as to threaten to burn down Dave's house (this is hearsay, mind you) where Dave's daughter was staying, so that Dave could not "breed his hateful racist Nazi lies". Anyhow, over the course of time Dave moved away, partly to get away from the undeserved reputation he has gotten in Guelph, no thanks to Tom. One day, Dave came back to visit his friends in Guelph. We were meeting for a drink at a downtown bar. Dave met up with a bunch of friends of ours who were regulars at this bar. When I showed up to meet them, I was informed by one of the bartenders that trouble was brewing in the bar. Apparently the Guelph Socialists were also at this bar on this evening and had come up to the bartender to inform her that there were "Known Nazis" in the building and asking for their removal from the premises. In order to document the incident, the GS's had also taken pictures of the "Nazis" - namely Dave and the rest of my friends, on the bar premises (which is illegal without asking permission of the owner of the premises and the photo subject). The GS's had been harrassing Dave and my friends from across the room and generally making a disturbance. When I heard this from the bartender, I rushed into the room where the conflict was brewing. Dave had left in a fit of anger, not wanting to blow his cool in front of his attackers. After all, what can you say when someone is yelling "racist" at you... Anyhow, I pieced the story together from my freinds and waited for Dave's return. When he returned to the bar, the harrassment continued... becomg a shouting match between the GS's and my friends. Eventually, the GS's were asked to leave... they wre harrassing patrons and not buying anything. Long after they had left, I went into the washrooms. In the women's washroom there was much grafitti - things like Nazi sympathizers go home - you're not welcome here Fuck off and die Nazi scum and similar grafitti and even a (bad) piece of artwork were found in themen's. I was horrified, i was running for Senate at the time and my face was in these pictures the GS had taken throughout the evening. WAS this going to go across campus? In the Ontarion, in the Peak? I could only imagine what this was going to do to my reputation... and for what? The GS's so called Nazi's were me and my friends... a bunch of goths and ex-goths of mixed ethinic backgrounds and cultures, religions and sexual orientations... But how could that help us in the face of so called social activists screaming NAzi, racist, and homophobe? Anyhow, to wrap up the story, nothing ever made it into the student media and I am now a student senator, with a rather large dislike for the GS and what they have turned the idea of student politics into. Over the course of my involvement with student government and the CSA and Senate, I have found immovable barriers in communication and progress, namely the Guelph SOcialists. I feel they have given student activism and student involvement a bad reputation. That's my story. Best of luck with your cause. PErhaps when i have a little more time i will write to you with the story of the day Tom Keefer accused me of apathy in the UC courtyard for telling him i did not want to attend some protest and our subsequent screaming match ( or my standing there at 5'3" and being talked - literally- down to by Tom's 6'3").til text time. ********************* To whom it may concern, I would like to compliment (sp.) Justin Stayshyn on the succinct, brave and necessary review of the GS (Guelph Socialists) and the role they play within the UC. Most of the people within the GS are entrenched in a very narrow political agenda that always ends in the cries of revolution and protest. For them, words such as negotiate and compromise have ceased to exist. Mr. Stayshyn begins his opinion piece by stating certain GS members regularly "...shoot their load onto the pages of The Peak". The Peak, Guelph University's second campus paper has gone through a great deal of internal conflict due to the GS and its sympathizers. Their primary modus operandi has been to push out people with different political opinions and personal beliefs by using intimidation and false accusations of harassment - A clear example of how the GS will exploit and take over functioning organizations to meet their own needs. As for firing two syllable bullets like sexist or racist again I must concur with Mr. Stayshyn because from time to time, those bullets have been fired at me. I am a strong believer for change within the system and organizing student protests and strikes when necessary, but because my beliefs are not as strong or as radical I have been slated a Neo Conservative. Last year I was accused of collaborating to overthrow certain socialist members of the CSA. Much like anything else the GS has to say, this erroneous accusation came with no evidence and was based solely on hearsay and conjecture. It saddens me to see these people (certain GS members) are now running for CSA executive positions. I personally believe that these people in WILL NOT represent the majority of the student body. At most Tom Keefer and his associates are there to satisfy their own personal and political agendas, and pad their own resumes. br> Sincerely, Chirag Tiwari Peak Co-Chair 97/98 ****************** I enjoyed your article and I plan on checking back to your page often enough to read the posts. I'm new to Guelph so I can't really offer much opinion on the GS, but I am interested in the appropriation of activism as I'm concerned about social issues and want to become involved but have become extremely wary of "activists". So I hope you're not taking too much flak from people for doing this. ********************** Justin here: I'd like to recommend that people also write letters to the Ontarion. If you are intimidated by the strong arm tactics of the GS's "litigation" or "cement-shoes" departments I would suggest you say in your letter that you don't want your name printed. ******************** (this was sent Tuesday) Justin,I would like to set up a time meet and talk with you about what you wrote in the Ontarion. I would hope that as a "responsible", "objective" and "professional" writer/member of this community, that you have the guts and/or decency to sit down and talk with me.Please reply with a time or place. Middle of the day or late at night works best for me. Weekends are also good. Tom. ************************ (this was sent Thursday) Justin,Your claims that your actions are aimed at creating some kind of "community dialogue" about activism really fall to pieces given your refusal to meet with me or talk with any other member of the GS before or after you wrote your column. Your unwillingness to take responsibility for the impact of your actions also underline the cowardice and insecurity that seem to define your character. I remain very willing to discuss matters of the GS, student activism, and your article and website with you at anytime that you might want to broaden your horizons beyond the slander, lies and unsubstantiated third hand information which are standard fare for what you pass off asyour opinion. You might also want to look at what kind of allies you're making by running crap from neo-nazi apologists attacking me on your webpage. The claims of "Dave" to the contrary, Joy Struthers and Jen Vicary well known local neo-nazis- were hanging out with "the goths" that night in the Albion. Jen and Joy have openly talked about anticipating the coming "race-war", having visited and hung out with Heritage Front members including the likes of George Burdi, Wolfgang Droege, and Ernest Zundel, and were in cahoots with a neo-nazi group known as G.A.S.H. (Guelph Aryan Skin Heads). They have terrorized, assaulted, and queerbashed people of color, Jewish people and queers in this community. (and yes, I do have the facts, pictures and eyewitness acounts to back this up, an no, I'm not going to send you them over the internet.) (Incidently- and I point this out for the sheer irony of it all- when the offices of the youth centre Change Now were broken into and vandalized with racist graffiti and the letters "G.A.S.H." one of the neo-nazis left a portrait of Mickey Mouse with racist graffiti (but no goofy) scrawled on the door.) Yes, I was at the Albion that night, (but once again you got your facts wrong as I was there as part of a pan-canadian gathering of folks at the founding conference of a meeting for the National Radical Student Paper- and not with the GS). When I found out that Jen, Joy, and a bunch of their friends were in the bar I stood with my fellow activists and demanded that they leave. We alerted the bartender to the situation and informed them of the fact that known neo-nazis wearing racist patches were in their bar and that we weren't going to stand for it. There was some shouting back and forth, and then Jen, Joy and their erstwhile friendsleft. Before you associate yourself with events, movements and actions that you know nothing about, you might want to check your facts with sources that were there. On the other hand, if your red-baiting leads you to publishing crap from neo-nazi apologists, then maybe you should keep your page up- you do seem to be very good at handling criticism, and you might well need all the friends you can get. First they came for the communists....Tom. ******************* Just like herpes making a renaissance on college campuses when we were sure it died with the 70s, the menace we know as the Guelph Socialists just won't seem to go away. It seems like they've been around forever and don't really do anything but flare up every once in a while to cause discomfort to the "oppressive establishment" of the hour. This seems like a harmless enough endeavor, but it just seems so pointless. I really wish they'd come to terms with the fact that their cause is a farce and their place in life is to be mocked. I hope they realize that this isn't a bad position to be in at all. In fact, history reveals that the role of the fool has been vital to a sense of community, from court jesters to the village idiot. We can unify as a society by pointing our collective fingers and jeering at the silliness of their actions. It makes our individual struggles seem a little less meaningless ("well, my life sure does suck lately, but at least I haven't stooped to the level of joining the GuelphSocialists�"). I'm not telling the little commies to go away, I'm just giving them some friendly advice, to get a grip, and stay away from the Peak. Jennifer Bilanski New York City Former Co Chair of the Peak 94/95 ************ Thanks for posting my story. I realize it looks a little unprofessional but I appreciate your leaving it as written. I was in a flurry when I wrote it. As for a letter to the ontarion, I do think I will compose one, although it won't be in time for this week's edition. Then again, I forsee quite the letter war for the next few weeks. Best of luck with the backlash... cheers, **************** Justin, I did not give you permission to post my personal comments to you. In fact I explictly asked you not to. I have no intention of having my comments on your webpage give any kind of appearence of legitamacy to the kind of bullshit attacks that are already there. Kindly take down the two private email messages that I sent you, and do not post this one either.Tom. ****************** From: "Kris Pheasant" cancergirl69@hotmail.com To: FtheGS@hotmail.com Subject: post this Date: Sat, 06 Mar 1999 13:22:50 PST From: Kris Pheasant that's an 'okay' picture?yikes, thank god you didn't put a bad one up! btw, nice to see that you are losing friendships over this 'cause'. hope it was worth it. [Note: Kris Pheasant is the Chair of The Peak and is a candidate for the Operations and Finance position in the University of Guelph's CSA(Central Students Association).] **************** Dear Justin, Although I don't agree with the GS-mode-of-activism I also don't agree with pointing fingers at them and with people advertising what they believe the GS's have done wrong. (or vice-versa.) I find it especially awful that the names of people who have been deemed Nazis are being posted for all of the world to see. Everybody has faults and everyone has shortcomings, but personally, if I meet one of these women, I want to be able to form my own opinion of them without being influenced by what others have perceived them to be. What if there was a misunderstanding and innocent people are being branded as Nazis? It's a scary thought. In order for any positive action to take place I believe that methods of peaceful consultation must be undertaken in which everybody's egos are not involved. Nobody benefits from pointed fingers and accusations... those actions are just a breeding ground for anger and resentment, which are feelings that are definitely not beneficial to our world. And also, why stoop to insulting the picture on the web page? Come on people... what is the issue here.... looks? Appearances? Is this what is important? In order to have a forum in which ideas can be expressed and shared, I think we should leave out the finger pointing as well as the shots at other's self esteems. Jennifer 1st year student ******************* Justin here: Ok so it looks like a lot of people are checking this site out. if any of you have comments please!!! write in. ************************ Justin, I recently visited you webpage, and well, I felt it was quite one sided. Which doesn't mean I think it is a bad thing. However, I do take everything I read with quite a bit of hesitation. I do feel that you have the right to post whatever you want, and that is why I believe strongly in the internet. I was very disappointed to read postings by Tom Keefer which asked you not post his emails to the web, but you did anyway. I wonder if this is a peek into the type of integrity that you hold, and if not, how about some justification for your actions or even just a reply on your page about it. I can only speculate why you would do this. kp justin replies: Thanks for the letter. Worried about my integrity? How kind of you. I posted Mr.Keefers letters in an attempt to expose the nature of his kind of discourse and debate. Why does he want to meet with me? Why not just write a letter to the Ontarion? "Your claims that your actions are aimed at creating some kind of "community dialogue" about activism really fall to pieces given your refusal to meet with me or talk with any other member of the GS..." Isn't it interesting what he considers 'community dialogue' I did go to the ontarion's volunteer meeting Wednesday only to be told that my article was 'offensive and oppressive' (not by Tom) I walked out. You see, this isn't a popularity contest. It isn't about me, nor is it about Tom Keefer (I really cannot emphasize that enough). It's an attempt to give those that have been silenced a chance to speak out. *************** Re: A Limp Wrist and a Pulse, March 2nd Ontarion I'm sure that Justin Stayshyn will now be targeted and vilified in posters around the city, snickered and pointed at around campus, and generally find himself the target of much unwanted 'attention' by local revolutionary cells of our unique brand of campus neo-Stalinism. In his denunciation of the deceptively named 'Guelph Socialists', he sets a long overdue precedent for a truer Guelph student activism - offering the opportunity for opposition and discussion to be fairly and openly heard regardless of training, indoctrination, or adherence to a party line. ****************** < ******************* Please take note: this is Kris Pheasant here, writing from my own REAL University of Guelph email account. I had chosen, although I had many thoughts and opinions on the matter, to NOT write to you, Justin, about your column and your web page. I felt I had said my piece at the Ontarion meeting which you stormed out of (before hearing all that people had to say about your column) Unfortunately, it seems that someone decided to write something anyway, and pass it off as my words. Please immediately remove the segment on your web page that is passed off as written by me. I wrote no such thing, and find its presence on your webpage alarming and slanderous. Your attempt to single me out from the other CSA candidates is dishonourable, and may do me harm, but most certainly does your forum for what you view as a noble pursuit harm. How do you personally account for the accuracy of your submissions? There is no way to do so, as has been proven.Thank you.(the real) Kris Pheasant (and you can call me to confirm this: reach me at the Peak) *************** Here is the address of the person who sent the first one: From: "Kris Pheasant" cancergirl69@hotmail.com I suggest you write to hotmail telling them someone is using your name. ***************** Just found out that Kris Pheasant does indeed use that hotmail address. Either she gave away her password to someone who doesn't like her or she is a liar. Um...Kris admitted to being at the volunteer meeting where a good friend of mine mentioned some problems we were having. So, Kris if your looking for the person who is using YOUR hotmail account here are three clues: one. they were at the volunteer meeting. two. the person knows your password three. they're really stupid. **************** Ok I know people are checking this page and I know you aren't all in the GS. So ask that you continue to write to me or the Ontarion. Like all the big politicians the GS knows that the momentum can't last and they're relying on people forgetting about this. They have always used the migratory nature of the university culture and it's very short-term memory to their advantage. Many people I've run into in the street have said "Oh I have so many stories about the GS!" Well they don't count unless everyone knows them. Special note: To all the people who have been buying me drinks and congratulating me in the streets I thank you for your support. I will keep this page up cause it seems that people from all over Canada have been checking it out. ************************ A NEW LETTER hello justin. i don't know why keefer and all the other GS slogan-fucks are so upset about your column. i've been in guelph for almost four years and your words are some of the kindest i've ever heard directed their way. although i don't talk to very many people in a day (4), i think i've witnessed enough to understand the general dislike, if not hatred, of this group and how they act. regardless of whether they deserve it or not, they're a farce. the reaction to your column suggests to me that they are unaware of this. also, you chose the wrong cartoons. from what i've seen and read, keefer and company are more like a pack of wily coyotes armed to teeth with ACME's "How to Build a Student Movement" line of products. i have some stories that are several years old. do you want 'em?jake P.S. MEEP MEEP!! ************* FINALLY MY REPLY TO THEM IN THIS WEEK'S ONTARION: The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about. So imagine my despair when I opened to the letters section of last week's Ontarion to find no more letters about my utility, my Party affiliation or my "breath-taking pettiness." As a columnist for the Ontarion I've criticized the justice system, the police, city council, Steven Spielberg, The Mercury, President Rozanski, the Christian Right, the pro-life movement, and The Pope of Rome. I've even called for the systematic murder of all homophobes. Can you guess what got me (and the Ontarion) threatened with a lawsuit? Comparing the activism of a couple of Guelph Socialists to Mickey Mouse and Goofy. If they had grounds for their threatened defamation suit I would have been forced to submit to a written apology. Mickey's got two professors for parents and Goofy's father's a lawyer. But with my loose change bank account and the majority of the Ontarion's funds going towards printing and payroll for its employees the best we could do for a lawyer is Lionel Hutz. So I learned a valuable lesson about being a member of the press: don't fuck with the silver spoons. Further I was accused of everything from conducting a witch-hunt to McCarthyism to "contributing to the invisibility of women in activism." In the interest of redeeming myself of the latter indictment I'd ask that all the people who felt left out please send me a list of your names (FtheGS@hotmail.com or www.oocities.org/Athens/Rhodes/6368). I'd be happy to assign each one of you with your very own Disney character (after hearing many of your criticisms of my column I can foresee a fight brewing over who gets to be Dopey). I'm left wondering if many on the left believe their ideas are on such fragile ground that any dissent from other lefties will cause a quick collapse? For people who are constantly espousing the virtues of 'diversity' your ultimate goal seems to be the uniformity of ideas. I've always believed that people on the 'right' had their heads up their own asses. But in Guelph it seems that some lefties, in the interests of 'solidarity,' have their heads up each other's asses. The biggest threat to the left on campus isn't attacks from without but stupidity from within. The column was never supposed to be about Mickey or myself. It was about the University Centre's second floor and the culture of identity-anxiety that permeates everything that takes place there. 'Anti-oppression' is too often treated by people on the second floor as an enlightened state of being that you either have or you don't-- like a genetic condition. Perhaps I'm mistaken but I've always understood it as a journey and not a destination. People should ultimately be defined by their actions not by their political identities. But with that in mind, y'all can kiss my oppressed faggot ass. Justin *********************** an update - an article written by tom in the peak God Damn Commies....... What's really going on with Justin Stayshyn's attacks on the Guelph Socialists?** by: Tom Keefer As someone who�s been a lively subject of debate in the Ontarion�s letter pages since Justin Stayshyn�s column attacking the Guelph Socialists several weeks ago, and as an active socialist in this community for the past six years I�d like to respond to some issues that have been raised in this �controversy�. While I don�t think that there are many readers of the campus press who need to be convinced that Justin Stayshyn�s attacks on the Guelph Socialists are based more on ego-tripping than on any real desire to �increase the number of people interested in human rights or the student movement� (as he states on his webpage), the attacks made on myself and other members of the Guelph Socialists have been made on the public record and as such they need to be addressed. While I will not dwell on the many comments brought up by other writers pointing out Justin�s many inconsistencies, I hope to raise a number of points regarding this issue that have yet to be touched on. The first thing I�d like to suggest is that it was no accident that Justin�s column attacking myself, Andrew Thompson and the Guelph Socialists came when it did. The week before the article appeared, I, as a writer for the Peak, approached Scott Birke, Editor in Chief of the Ontarion asking to interview him about the ongoing staff problems at the Ontarion. As is explained further in other articles in this issue of the Peak, at this time the three women editorial staff at the Ontarion were bringing forth complaints to the Ontarion Board asking that something be done about the oppressive work environment and the sexist behavior of Mr. Birke. The week after I informed Scott that I was working on writing a story about what was going on at the Ontarion, he chose to print an article (written by a good friend of his) comparing me and others on the second floor to dangerous �guerrillas� with �fully loaded two-syllable bullets like �sexist� or �racist.�� Sound like a pre-emptive strike to anyone else? On the matter of �socialist domination� that Justin sees as such a problem: while it is true that the forty or so people that have been members of the Guelph Socialists over the last several years have been active in a wide number of activist groups� including the Guelph Coalition against the Cuts, the organizing committees for various days of Action, Students in Solidarity (the group which occupied the President�s office and took over the BoG meeting in 1997), Occupation Press, the Student Activist paper, TAO communications, the Noam Chomsky organizing committee, as well as in working in student service based groups such as the Peak, the Ontarion, the CSA, and CFRU� it is ludicrous to suggest that these organizations are dominated or controlled by the Guelph Socialists. The fact that Justin isn�t aware of this can be attributed to a number of reasons, not the least of which being that he has not belonged to, or even attended a single meeting of any of the activist groups listed above. An indication of just how far detached he is from reality is underlined by his attack on Andrew Thompson for being one of the �largest mouthpieces� of socialism on this campus. Unfortunately for Justin, his argument and loses a bit of steam when one realizes that Mr. Thompson has not been in Guelph and has thus not been a member of the Guelph Socialists (and thus not much of a �large mouthpiece�) for the past year. If as Justin would suggest, over the course of several years of activity, socialist ideas have become more widely disseminated on campus through the actions of the GS, (so that more students see and act upon the links between racism, sexism, homophobia, colonialism and class oppression) than great, that speaks to our effectiveness of our activism as revolutionary socialists. But if he is upset about there not being more run of the mill, liberal, status-quo views out there, I do not understand why he does not do something about it. Just because the Guelph Socialists are the only explicitly political organization active on this campus, does not mean that we are responsible for the fact that the young Tories, Liberals or NDP are incapable of organizing a student club on campus. Of course if Justin was truly interested in promoting debate on issues of human rights and student activism, one would expect him to participate in projects working to realize these goals. But instead it appears that he finds it much easier to hang back �guerrilla style� and fire away at those trying to create social change. All in all, what Justin�s opinion column attacking the GS amounts to is an attempt to misrepresent and attack activism on campus by painting it all as a front controlled and manipulated by omnipotent socialists. His attack ties in with an attempt by the Ontarion to cover its ass as it drives away progressive volunteers and oppresses it�s staff, and his comments in no way raise ideas, options or solutions for increasing the involvement of students in their community. The activist community, the Guelph Socialists included, is by no means perfect, and I would be the first to admit that activists including myself have made their share of mistakes. The point is that we try to learn from those mistakes and see them as part of an ongoing process of engagement and involvement in our communities. If my years of activism have tought me anything, it is that honest and open dialogue, critical debate, and learning from the results of ideas put into action are the only ways to create a set of truly liberatory politics relevant to students today. It is unfortunate then, that Justin�s writings in his column, website, and letter to the editor fall so short of the dialogue that he claims to be in favour of creating. His writings consist of sweeping accusations based on heresay, his comments contain no supporting evidence, and the recurring theme of his argument has to do with the relationships of certain socialists to Disney characters rather than the discussion of any real issues. As a supreme irony Justin�s bloated self agrandizement and desire �to be written about� in the letters page of the Ontarion removes possible space for creative and generative discussion on how student activism can actually be made more relevant to the students at this university. Once again, it would appear that the Guelph Socialists �dominate� and �monopolize� discussion on campus, only this time it is because of the shit storm that Mr. Stayshyn has created himself.