Letters to the editorCivil faux pas
Editor:
Mahtab Darvish's letter ("Jailbird president," Oct. 16) unfairly
criticized York Chang. Darvish apparently believes that Chang is unfit to
be USAC president because he was arrested due to his efforts to demand
affirmative action.
I wonder if Darvish feels the same way about another president - South
African President Nelson Mandela? Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years
because of his resistance to racism and apartheid. His presidency now
represents the beginnings of democracy in a land that formerly wallowed in
shame.
But by Darvish's logic, Mandela should have had the "civility" to go
along with apartheid. His grassroots efforts to raise international
awareness of apartheid were "ridiculous." And, his willingness to go to
jail for his cause "tarnished" his reputation.
Instead of launching personal attacks on Chang, we should appreciate his
commitment to justice. He should be commended for using student government
to promote access to education rather than his own career intentions.
His efforts also help combat the divisive stereotype of Asian Americans
as a "model minority" who are so hard-working and successful they have no
interest in civil rights or political activism.Scott Kurashige
Graduate Student
HistoryServe up the civility
Editor:
Mahtab Darvish, last year's candidate for external vice president,
criticized York Chang and the other Students First! candidates for last
week's pro-affirmative action rally. She states that it's an embarrassment
to the campus for the USAC president to be arrested for his involvement in
this fight for justice.
I'm sure people across the state and country (including our esteemed
regents) watching us on all the major networks were just laughing their
heads off at UCLA, the school with the "jailbird president." I'm sure
nobody realized that the 3,000 marchers were supporting something important
like affirmative action.
Troublemakers like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Manong Vera Cruz,
Abbie Hoffman, Rosa Parks, all of the Chicago Seven and even our "founding
fathers" were just being silly challenging the status quo. "All laws are
all good, and no one should disagree with any law," says Aaron Ulrich,
dripping with sarcasm. Do you agree with that? Or do you realize that
sometimes rules have to be broken?
You say militancy is not the answer. What, pray tell, is your solution
to re-establishing affirmative action, stopping reg. fee hikes and gaining
student power? (Assuming, of course, you care.) I'd love to hear it; it'll
make me feel so absurd for supporting those activist folks. It's pretty
simple - if we don't stand up for ourselves, who will?
Oh, just one more thing burns me. You said, "Let us grow up and conduct
business like every other successful person does - with civility, integrity
and intelligence." Mahtab, you go ahead and civility us some lower fees and
equal access.Joey Gil
Second-year
Microbiology and
Molecular Genetics
With much help from
Aaron Ulrich
Transfer Student
Linguistics
Double standard
Editor:
I'd like to turn the tables on Aaron Howard ("Simpson verdict turns back
tide of American judicial racism," Oct. 13) and ask him, "If O.J. were
white, would you still celebrate his acquittal? If the same evidence had
been in existence, but the race of the defendant and victims were reversed,
would you still have felt vindicated? In your eyes, would it still be
"just?"
Howard is fooling himself if he thinks the Simpson verdict was based
solely upon lack of sound evidence. After he passionately described the
past 300 years of persecution and racism against African Americans, how
could he be naive enough to think that the members of the Simpson jury
ignored that history, especially after Johnnie Cochran's inflammatory
closing statements?
If the jury had considered the evidence thoroughly, rationally and
without racism, it would have deliberated for more than a half-day. Nine
months of documentation could not have been pored through over a long lunch
break.
After the verdict was announced, the Los Angeles Times ran an article
that quoted an African American man as saying he didn't care whether
Simpson was guilty or not. He believed Simpson deserved to be released
simply because he was black.
Unfortunately, this is not a unique opinion. What scares me, Mr. Howard,
is not that African Americans are in positions of power, but that anyone
who holds beliefs such as this man's may one day be deciding my fate.
For many people, justice was served with the Simpson verdict. But it
wasn't justice for two murder victims or for their killer. It was justice,
however twisted, for 300 years of discrimination and mistreatment toward
African Americans.
Guilty or innocent, O.J. Simpson has become a bizarre symbol of justice
for slavery and black oppression.Elaine Howell
The Anderson School at UCLA
Team building
Editor:
I would like to inform Aaron Howard, ("Simpson verdict turns back tide
of American judicial racism," Oct. 13) and anyone in the black community or
any community, that there are many viewpoints amongst whites - just as in
any group of people - and many whites agreed with the jury's acquittal of
Simpson.
The Rodney King verdict was an outrage and resulted in multi-ethnic
protests. I, a white male, attended rallies immediately afterward. I was
outraged at the LAPDand their history of brutality. I am sorry if Howard
did not notice our presence, but we were there.
The Simpson verdict is another complex dilemma. Certainly, it has
exposed racial tensions. Certainly, racist whites wanted to lynch Simpson
before they heard any evidence. Many whites, however, never saw Simpson as
a black man. They just saw someone accused of murder and believed the
prosecution's case.
I am not blind to institutionalized racism and the injustices that have
been thrown upon blacks, but linking all whites together is also unfair and
inaccurate. As I have been on the side of many liberal causes throughout my
life, trying to build bridges, to learn from all human beings, I have
consistently faced struggles in being accepted by some individuals of
color. These few that stereotype whites must evaluate this attitude.
Building bridges is a team project, and we all have work to do.
L'shana tovah. To a year of peace.Jason Seymour
Fifth-year
Political Science/English