I am writing with reference to the article by Sandra Bruneau that appeared in the Status of Women Supplement of the April 1997 issue of the Bulletin, under the title "Whither Jill? A Reply to Andrew Irvine on Affirmative Action."

I am happy to see the issue of affirmative action being discussed and consider the Bulletin a highly appropriate place for such discussion to take place. I think, however, that the variety of strongly held feelings about the issue requires those who address it in public fora to pay particular attention to the accuracy of their citations of the views of other participants in the discussion, whether they agree with those views or not. I am sorry to say that Dr. Bruneau’s contribution fails conspicuously in this regard. I am familiar with the article by Andrew Irvine that she cites and have to report that she seriously and repeatedly misrepresents its contents. She does so, moreover, in a way that, if allowed to go uncorrected, could do real harm to Professor Irvine’s standing in the academic community.

I think that at the very least the Bulletin owes Professor Irvine a public apology and a correction of the misrepresentation of his research. Ideally, I believe it should provide him sufficient space, at least equivalent to that devoted to Dr. Bruneau’s article, in which to provide his own account of his research and its implications. To do so would both redress the injury done his reputation and advance the process of open and constructive discussion of the issues involved.

Daniel Bryant
Pacific & Asian Studies, University of Victoria