Letters

Coaches waste both talent and fans’
time

Peter Dalis, please wake up and smell the stench that Bob Toledo
and Steve Lavin are brewing for the football and basketball
programs. Neither of these two so-called coaches have the
leadership skills the players deserve. Both programs have had
outstanding athletes, but instead of having them shine, these two
coaches have wasted their talents.

Dalis, before you leave, please do us all a favor and replace
these two coaches and stop the hurt of all UCLA fans.

Sal Guerrero Los Angeles

Diversity classes must be optional

Regarding Cindy Mosqueda’s submission, I don’t see
what the big deal is regarding a diversity requirement
(“General
education reform is long overdue,” Daily Bruin,
Viewpoint, Nov. 20). If you want to take a class on diversity, take
it. Take 10. Major in a related field for all anyone really cares.
But don’t force it on the general student population. I
learned more from interacting with other races and cultures at UCLA
than I could have possibly learned in some class to fulfill a
diversity requirement. College is about discovering life lessons on
your own. Diversity and cultural understanding are life lessons
““ it’s not chemistry or a hard science.

For all those trying to push a diversity requirement as a GE
““ it’s clear it’s primarily a funding issue. If
all students have to take a diversity course, then funding will
have to increase for those departments. At least be out in the open
about your motives ““ people respect you a lot more when you
don’t spout leftist propaganda about understanding each other
and instead phrase the debate in believable terms.

After all, if you were really in favor of diversity, then the
current semi-diverse opportunity to choose your classes
shouldn’t be constricted and narrowed by additional required
courses which will limit the availability and option of taking more
courses each student is interested in or desires to take.

Ethan Greene Alumnus Class of 1999

Shapiro’s quotes are misinformed

In Ben Shapiro’s column, “Effects
of campus liberalism far-reaching“ (Daily Bruin,
Viewpoint, Nov. 20), he says that many professors justify the Sept.
11 attacks by saying that “America has been asking for
it.” He then goes on to imply that I am one of those
professors.

He quotes me as attacking the supposed callousness of American
policy. He thinks that in my view, that alleged callousness
justifies what was done to America on Sept.11. “Despite the
death of millions in the Middle East,” I supposedly said,
“we opted instinctively to turn a blind eye.” This is
given as an example of the “perverse and twisted thought
process” that professors have “stuffed down the throats
of students with respect to the Sept. 11 attacks.”

The fact is, however, that I never said anything of the sort
““ even if I was misquoted as saying something like that in an
earlier Daily Bruin news story. As for the substantive point, let
me say this as clearly as I can:

I do not think that anything America has done in the Middle East
justifies what was done to us on Sept. 11. As it happens, I
personally favor a very strong anti-terrorist policy. What the Bush
administration is currently doing in Afghanistan strikes me as the
very least that needs to be done.

The whole idea that America is just getting what it deserves,
and that America should therefore just sit on its hands and allow
terrorist groups to operate with impunity, is not just something I
categorically reject, but I view that idea as profoundly immoral
and utterly out of touch with political reality.

These issues are hard enough to deal with as it is. The least we
can expect is that people who write on this subject take the
trouble to get their facts straight.

Marc Trachtenberg Professor Political
science

Fighting evil isn’t new to U.S.

Nick Trebat’s belief that America is hypocritical about
what he deems terrorism simply shows he does not understand
America’s goals or objectives (“U.S.
terrorism critiques are selective,” Viewpoint, Daily
Bruin, Nov. 21). Our objectives are very simple: to root out and
neutralize evil and the threat it is to America.

The belief that the Sandinistas did many wonderful things and
enjoyed the support of the people has been shown to be a complete
lie by the fact that since their dictatorial regime was stoped,
they have been rejected by the people in three consecutive
elections.

The Sandinista’s were allied with communists across the
board, and it was right for the United States to oppose their
regime. It is similarly right for the Untied States to oppose the
regime of the Taliban, who have harbored and helped those
terrorists which have attacked America.

There is no hypocrisy: America fights against evil regimes.

Daniel B. Rego Alumnus Class of 2000