Last Sunday, in addition to the normal 60 or so council members, large numbers of black students, members of the Harvard chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, attended a long and unwieldy council meeting on the constitutionality of the impeachment process. The word race was not mentioned once during the meeting, but its influence was felt in every section of the room. Some council members uttered disparaging words under their breath; others sighed in exasperation. But more than anything else, I experienced a keen sense of disappointment. I keep thinking that there must be more important things for Dr. Counter to attend to. I understood why he and other black students were present, but I was upset that they deemed their presence necessary.

Burton has said that this debate is all about "lemonade and buttons." To a large extent, he is correct. Questions of campaign spending and student group relations have been framed in such mundane terms. Perhaps Burton has a simplistic view of his "offenses," perhaps not. But this discussion should not involve race. It has been said that the council plays too many political games. My hope is that they refuse to deal the race card.

Kamil E. Redmond '00, a Crimson editor, is a history and literature and women's studies concentrator in Eliot House. She is a former vice president of the Undergraduate Council.