Letters

Wednesday, 5/21/97 Letters

Newspaper, university hold double standard Why revise history?
April 24, the day the genocide of the Armenians began in 1915, was
responsibly observed on the UCLA campus, with participation of
academia and the public, faculty and students, and the survivors.
In its April 25 page one coverage of weeklong activities,
remembering the first, the incontrovertibly documented genocide of
the 20th century, The Bruin, supporting the revisionists,
disqualified the historic truth and deepened the still-open wounds
of the unredeemed survivors by writing: "Commemorating the Armenian
genocide Thursday, approximately 150 students, faculty and staff
silently marched across campus to honor and remember the 1.5
million Armenians they believe were killed between 1915 and 1923."
Yet, on its May 6 front page, The Bruin, in this case ignoring the
revisionists’ views, gave the victims of the "horrific Nazi
genocide from 1933 to 1945" the unquestionable credibility and thus
ameliorated the survivors’ unceasing pain admirably. The question
to The Bruin and, perhaps, to the regents, the history departments,
the academic senates of the University of California should be:
What is your authoritative validation source of historic events?
Hopefully institutions of higher learning like UCLA should beg
exception to the great-power economic pipeline’s directions. The
fact of the genocide-Holocaust of 1915 is incontrovertible.
Worldwide documentation of the time and following calamity
overfloweth in academic institutions (for example, Harvard), in
governmental holdings (for example, the National Archives in
Washington), survivor testimonies, leading newspapers (for example,
the New York Times’ horror-laden headlines). All that and more is
there for the open-minded, the curious, the uninformed, the
misinformed and for those who want to learn from the lessons of the
past, lest "man’s inhumanity to man" recycles. Another point to
consider: both history departments – Armenian and Jewish – have
recognized chairs on this esteemed campus, as is symbolized by the
plaques at Bunche Hall. Therefore; if confirmation of facts is
necessary, it is not difficult to obtain. Ramela Grigorian Fourth
year President, Armenian Students Association Fighting the gangs on
the home front Americans fought a monstrous war to defeat
jack-booted Nazi hoodlums. Adolf Hitler and his "gang" trampled the
civil and human rights of millions. One would think Americans would
not permit Nazi or Ku Klux Klan thugs to overrun our neighborhoods
here at home. However, why are we tolerating terrorism’s and gang
activity’s reign in Los Angeles? In 1988, Karen Toshima of Long
Beach was walking in Westwood Village with her date, of Monterey
Park. Vicious gangbangers from South Central L.A. conducted a
shootout on Broxton Avenue, and Toshima, an innocent bystander,
fell dead. This terrible incident, along with others, still
adversely affects the environment in Westwood. More recently,
gangbangers had a shootout near Westwood and Olympic boulevards. A
teacher in his class at the Figueroa Elementary School was terribly
wounded by a stray bullet from a gunfight by gangbangers in the
street. Two trials seeking to convict the thugs resulted in
dismissals. It appears the principal witness was intimidated by
gang threats that he would be "iced" if he testified against the
culprits. This sorry precedent can only encourage gangbangers
throughout our entire area. Our civil rights are further
endangered. In 1994, there was a shocking number of drive-by
killings in Venice-Oakwood, a short bicycle ride from UCLA. There
were at least 17 killings and 54 people wounded. In 1997, four
people have been gunned down and six wounded in Venice-Oakwood.
Now, we have some fatuous "peace brokers" trying to maintain a
"truce" between the gangs. To "broker" a so-called "truce" between
vicious gang killers is like begging someone like Hitler to
champion world peace. Freedom and peace are not up to killers to
maintain. Just as the world came to realize that there could be no
truce or appeasement of Hitler and his gang, we must recognize the
same in defending our civil rights against gangbangers. Civil
rights encompass the right to walk to school, sit in class or go to
the local store without fear of being gunned down. Citizens must
realize that the struggle against gangs is really a civil rights
fight. Killer gangs are no better than the Nazi or Ku Klux Klan
thugs. Write to Professor Cruz Reynoso at the UCLA Law School. He
is a U.S. civil rights commissioner. Petition Attorney General
Janet Reno to demand, as a start, that Venice-Oakwood be declared a
civil rights zone. The Justice Department, together with local
authorities, must help prosecute gangbangers who violate our civil
rights. We need civil rights counselors to go into our public
schools with the message that our civil rights are too precious to
entrust to a "truce" between street gang killers. Your help is
vitally necessary. Alex Cota UCLA alumnus Previous Daily Bruin
stories: Jewish plight remembered during Holocaust Memorial Week
Previous Daily Bruin stories: Support Angela Davis and academic
freedom Previous Daily Bruin stories: Ex-gang members discuss
community peace