Cystic Fibrosis Not “Inclusive” Enough: Booted From University Fund Drive

From the National Post in Canada:

OTTAWA -- The Carleton University Students’ Association has voted to drop a cystic fibrosis charity as the beneficiary of its annual Shinearama fundraiser, supporting a motion that argued the disease is not “inclusive” enough.

Cystic fibrosis “has been recently revealed to only affect white people, and primarily men” said the motion read Monday night to student councillors, who voted almost unanimously in favour of it.

Every year near the beginning of fall classes, during university orientation for new arrivals, students fan out across the city and seek donations from passersby. According to the motion, “all orientees and volunteers should feel like their fundraising efforts will serve their (sic) diverse communities.”

Nick Bergamini, a third-year journalism student on the student council, said he was the only elected councillor present to vote against the motion. The decision is an example of campus political correctness gone too far, he said.

“They’re not doctors. They’re playing politics with this,” said Mr. Bergamini. “I think they see this, in their own twisted way, as a win for diversity. I see it as a loss for people with cystic fibrosis.”

The article goes on to quote Cathleen Morrison, head of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

The rationale for dropping cystic fibrosis as the beneficiary is not correct, she said. CF is diagnosed just as often among girls as boys, although the health of girls deteriorates more rapidly, she said. It is commonly considered an illness that affects Caucasians, but that includes people from the Middle East, South America, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

“‘Caucasian’ as we understand it isn’t just white people,” said Ms. Morrison. “It includes people with a whole rainbow of skins.”

Meanwhile, public reaction to the student association decision has been swift, from those who denounced the decision as political correctness to those who facetiously mused about what would qualify as an “inclusive” disease. Others wondered if the student association decision would affect alumni donations to the university.

“The reasoning behind this is totally ridiculous. Eventually cystic fibrosis is a fatal disease. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” said Marie Lunney, a Carleton graduate who has worked as a foundation volunteer. “If I had a choice between donating to CF or Carleton, I’d donate to CF.”

Of course, diseases that affect entirely women (breast cancer, uterine cancer) or blacks (sickle cell anemia) would not get treated this way. As usual, the point isn’t “inclusion,” it’s siding with the “oppressed” against the “oppressor.”

And the irony here: we can’t imagine the vast majority of blacks or Asians thinking that cystic fibrosis is somehow an unworthy cause. Only people who have been corrupted by being on a college campus think that way.

[Update]

Student government at Carleton seems to be on track to reverse the decision.

Interestingly, Carleton students appear to overwhelmingly oppose the action.

Following the controversial Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) council vote to drop Shinerama from frosh events, Carleton students have rallied together to oppose the decision.

A Facebook group called “Students do Support Shinerama CUSA! Because Diseases Don’t Discriminate!” has reached nearly 2,000 members overnight. The group was started by Nick Bergamini, the lone elected council member who voted down the motion.

The question is: have the yahoos in student government learned anything, or do they remain set to do something similar the next time the opportunity arises?