Letters

Tuesday, October 13, 1998

Letters

"Lip service" isn’t enough

It astounds me that that after reading my letter to Viewpoint,
David Yagol decided to be Undergraduate Student Association Council
(USAC) President Stacy Lee’s advocate. I say this because he and I
actually agree on most things.

First, as Yagol mentions, there is a desire to distance oneself
from the past. Such an event indicates growth and hope, for most
people who live in the same town all their lives fall into a
complacent funk. Cade McNown once made such a comment about his own
town of birth, Hollister, Calif.

Secondly, as an Eagle Scout I fully recognize the importance of
community involvement. By isolating ourselves, we diminish the
strength of society. I doubt though, that Lee had such an agenda.
She spoke of issues that remain "hot-topics," but do not affect
UCLA, Westwood, or even Los Angeles.

Case in point: although it’s correct that many women do not have
the right

to vote the world over, that is not the case here! She did
bemoan the disappearance of affirmation action, but how is that
relevant? I find many people take up the affirmative action cross
not realizing that its effect on its intended recipients is more
harm than good.

Next, after consulting colleagues who are of second- and
third-year standing, I learned that, believably, this is old hat.
Every year, I am led to think, a new USAC president proclaims to a
new class the same old message.

Therefore, in Yogel’s critical assessment, I think he too missed
the entire point. I hope that he is willing to understand that I am
as committed as he, and that I simply refuse to accept
Machiavelli’s axiom: "The end justifies the means."

In truth, I saw President Lee’s discourse to be a sanctimonious
bit of "lip service," designed to feign the existence of her
involvement in issues that matter. Unfortunately, that is not how
"things should be," but are.

I apologize to my first-years, condensed into overcrowded living
arrangements on campus. I know that most people do not live in an
original triple, like myself. Notice though, that Lee is not
hounding the Housing Office about this shortage, at least visibly.
I apologize to David Yagol as well, because obviously President Lee
is quite indifferent to this matter, which he considers important.
I close by saying that even if Lee does not feel my assessment to
be valid, her silence would be the uniform political method of
consent.

Thomas Soteros-McNamara

First-year

Political Science

Iranian government at odds with Baha’

This letter is in regards to the recent incidents involving the
Baha’is in Iran. The Baha’i Faith is a worldwide independent
religion which originated in Iran and is built upon the main
principles of the oneness of God, oneness of humanity and strives
towards unity and peace. Recently, however, we have received some
disturbing news which I feel obliged to share.

After having endured years of religious persecution and torture,
the deprivation of human rights for the Baha’is has continued up
until the present date. The Iranian government has executed over
200 Baha’is, they have been dismissed from their jobs, monthly
pensions have been denied, properties have been confiscated and
Baha’i university students have been expelled.

Two weeks ago, arrests were carried out by officers of the
Iranian government intelligence agency, the Ministry of
Information, and attacks were made on some 500 homes in all parts
of the country, ordering the people to close their home
universities and prohibiting Baha’i youth from studying past the
high school level.

The wave of arrests and harassment bears the marks of a
centrally orchestrated campaign intended to lend impetus to the
declared policy of the Iranian government to nullify the Baha’i
community and force its members to convert to Islam. At least 36
faculty members of the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education were
arrested between Sept. 29 and Oct. 3 in cities across Iran, and two
death sentences against Baha’is, in addition to the persecutions
that have already taken place, have just recently been confirmed.
These various incidents have become a cause of great sorrow and
concern among Baha’i communities throughout the world and we hope
that by exposing these horrid forms of injustice and deprivation of
basic human rights we will be able to awaken the consciousness of
the world

Shireen Enayati

Third-year

Pre-med

UCLA Baha’i Club

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