Another NAME listserv member said, "It bothers me that many who teach desire to opt out of the debates that drive the decisions that shape national and global politics, policies and events...Students coming out of programs that deal effectively with multiculturalism should be able to see the link that exists between the politics of the war with Iraq and multicultural issues."

"I think we need to think about the political history of multiculturalism," added one subscriber. "We need to remember the fight it took to get the movement going. It wasn't welcomed with open arms--many on the right and even the educational establishment resisted it due to political ideology and personal investments in privilege. This fight goes on today...How should students with different identities, which denote different levels of power and privilge, be 'educated' to deal with a world that is structurally unjust?"

One more listserv member tried to put the discussion into greater perspective by using James Banks's three types of multiculturalism: conservative, liberal and critical. "I assume that many on this listserv are critical multiculturalists," said this subscriber. "However, there may be conservative types who appreciate and tolerate diversity but may not question the foundational assumptions of Eurocentricity and there are the liberals who are willing to extend the canon and include 'the other' and still not question the same assumptions. Should we make room for all types of multiculturalists on this listserv and perhaps by doing so promote true dialogue and empathy? I am a critical multiculturalist myself, but in my dialogues with those who do not take the same positions as I do I want to be able to listen to them and hope they would listen to me, too."

Another member expanded on these comments by referring to the ideas of the late Paolo Freire, former Minister of Education in Brazil. "Freire's writings and work on critical literacy and voice help guide us here," this NAME listserv subscriber said. "The most basic definition of politics is the relationship between and among people. So education, like the rest of life, is political. Dialogue and discussion are the cornerstones of a free society."

Another listserv member agreed, to a certain extent. "You are right to imply that articles about political views or events are difficult to interpret in a way that translates into a practical application in a classroom...when these articles are presented or sent up to the listserv, maybe it would be useful if the sender could offer their thoughts of why they are sharing the article on the list and what practical application it might have." The subscriber added, "This has been a very interesting strand, not very different from the dialogue I hear in my classes about the political nature of education."

On the whole, NAME listserv members strongly endorsed the inclusion of political subject matter in listserv discussions. "I believe that if multicultural education is about social justice, advocacy and activism, human rights and civil rights, global and domestic, then I must agree that education is political," this member wrote. "And, while the listserv participants may have varying political perspectives, the multiple perspectives on global world events offered through this listserv are a part of the political and, yes, multicultural dialogue we in the field must engage in...It creates dialogue, promotes alternative perspectives and, given the current political situation, it is our multicultural responsibility to know." These last comments were from Theresa Montano, President-elect of the National Association for Multicultural Education.