Daniel Quinn: Eugenicist or Environmentalist?

My Ishmael

by Mark Daniels

Does Daniel Quinn promote an ideology of eugenics?  According to a Washington Post reporter today, Quinn denied any association with James J. Lee, who took hostages today at the Discovery Channel in Maryland which ended in Lee's death from a gunshot wound.  Quinn reportedly said that Lee's claims espoused in Lee's Environmental Manifesto."are egregious".

Quinn's website posted the following statement:

What's going on at the Discovery Channel headquarters?

Daniel is on the phone with various news representatives because James Lee, the person dominating the news by at the Discovery Channel building, seems to feel he's justified in doing so by something he read in MY ISHMAEL. As those of you who have read and understood Daniel's work know, this kind of activity is neither advocated nor condoned by him. He is appalled and saddened to find that anyone could so misunderstand the message of his books that they feel justified in putting people at risk in this violent manner.

In fact, Daniel says: "He is giving a bad name to the very ideas he's trying to put forward. So instead of putting them forward he's putting them back--making them unacceptable."

More to come...

Rennie Quinn

In an effort to determine if Quinn's ideology promotes eugenics, I plan to read Quinn's book, My Ishmael,  referenced in Lee's Manifesto (pp 207-212}.  Once I have completed my research, I will tell you what I think.

As Reenie Quinn says "More to come....".


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