THE EDITOR,
Re: "Wong stands by decision to eat shark fin," News, Oct. 17.
Even as public consternation over Alice Wong and her consumption of shark fin soup might die down, we should try to constantly remind ourselves that this was a very small reminder of how, in the larger context of human history, intransigent ethnocentricity has been the root cause of most of the disharmony, conflict and warfare that dominates that record.
Individually and collectively, we continue to demonstrate an inability and/or unwillingness to make the compromises and adjustments that would not only benefit our own particular needs and interests, but also those of everyone else that shares space on this small, increasingly endangered planet.
UBC Professor Philip Resnick has stated this point in a precise and logical way: "If all that matters is gender, ethnic origin, racial background, sexual orientation, age, religion, etc., what possible reason do we have to think of the larger concerns that unite us as members of the same society? The mindless promotion of diversity can be as dangerous as its wholesale denial."
Ray Arnold Richmond
