In October 2003, the Justice published a column containing an allusion to the very worst of American racial epithets. That event and the tumultuous weeks that followed--remembered as the Dusty Baker Incident, referring to the former Cubs manager at whom the racist insult was hurled--seem now as mythical as a cautionary tale, one in which this publication failed to fully grasp the severity of its gaffe, and in which the campus's condemnation was appropriate in its vehemence. But the method of that response--and its aftermath--buried the issues at hand instead of resolving them.With the last class of students witness to the controversy about to graduate, we would have hoped the campus's wounds had healed. But nearly four years later, it appears little has changed.

As community members and as a fellow publication, we are profoundly embarrassed by the hateful satirical advertisement for a "BlackJerry" personal assistant that appeared in Gravity Magazine last week. Just as we were astounded by its blatant racism, we can barely comprehend how its editors--knowing fully the campus's intolerance for hate speech--thought the advertisement's publication would ruffle no feathers. This should not have happened.

But it did, and emotions are justifiably high. We share our peers' frustrations, which in turn have shed light on an even starker dilemma: The racial dynamic on this campus is far more than strained; it is broken.

That notion was staggeringly apparent at the discussion moderated by the Brandeis Black Student Organization Sunday night: Passions filled the room. And senior members of BBSO, who hoped progress had been made in combating racism here, expressed a renewed disillusion. They rightly said that the advertisement crossed the line between satire and hate speech, and that actions were necessary.

The first arrived when the Union Senate overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning Gravity, one which moved to punish the group, prevent future racial insensitivity in campus media and promote cultural understanding. In some passages there is potential for progress. But elsewhere, and in the resolution's overall tone, we see a familiar theme reemerging, one that disastrously marked past controversies, including our own.

We see in the resolution an antagonism that leaves little room for reconciliation. It rightly wants students to comprehend the damage that has been wrought. But rather than attempting to understand why these recurring and frequent instances of racism occur, it simply hopes to suppress an indeterminate ignorance:

--- It proposes to "mitigate cultural ignorance and insensitivities on our campus" through dialogue events and displays to recount past instances of racism in campus media. But with summer fast approaching, members of Gravity and the Intercultural Center need to hold an open forum this week. Undoubtedly and necessarily, much of it would focus on the hurt caused. But the event must serve not merely as a forum for anger and defensiveness, but discussion, understanding and self-criticism.

When students return in the fall, the audiences for such events will undoubtedly narrow, and students should focus on the source of their frustration. To ensure that "BlackJerry" marks the last time racial tensions reach a boiling point, members of every media group must voluntarily and independantly hold open conversations with every segment of the community. And these groups--including this newspaper--must work to diversify their staffs, with cultural groups equally aiding in this endeavor. The media best serves their readership by proportionally representing it.

--- The resolution's attitude toward campus media troubles us greatly. It proposes the Union stop funding publications that contain "cultural ignorance or insensitive remarks," and create standards and consequences for publications they deem prejudiced or hateful toward any group. We worry that such measures would create a chilling effect in which organizations would fear broaching sensitive issues--the very effect that plagued this newspaper in the years following the Dusty Baker Incident. Racism has no place in campus media, but issues of race cannot become taboo. Campus media must continue to regulate themselves independent of the Union.

--- Finally, the Union's document demands that the editors of Gravity both apologize publicly and all resign. Ben Douglas '08, the magazine's editor in chief, rightly did the latter last night, and we hope students appreciate his gesture. (He intends to remain on Gravity's staff, and while we feel it would not be necessary, leaving the magazine of his own volition might help repair its reputation.) The creator of the "BlackJerry" advertisement should also choose to resign, but the Union cannot force him to do so, and should not even recommend it. A government has no business dabbling in the personnel decisions of any club, let alone a media organization.

Most worryingly, a passage in the resolution moves that the Union consider dechartering Gravity. It must not. Colleges allow for mistakes, and while this one was astonishing, it was nonetheless a product of ignorance and shortsightedness, not hate. Gravity's members must understand the enormity of their error in coming weeks. It will take years to redeem the magazine's reputation, and that task is a more than appropriate punishment. Ultimately, it will be up to Gravity, its peer publications and this community to transform the debacle into an educational experience.