Letters to the editor

Academic Senate unprofessional

I find the action of the Academic Senate to be out of line and
unprofessional, as shown in Tuesday’s News article,
“Academic Senate opposes war.”

Rather than spend their valuable time researching or teaching,
about 200 faculty members decided to stage a closed-door, special
meeting to approve a resolution condemning a war that is coming to
an end ““ a war that has liberated millions of Iraqis.

Some members pride themselves in making UCLA the first
university to take a stance on the war. But why is it that no other
colleges have taken a stance? How would a professor teaching the
physical sciences have any expert or relevant knowledge behind the
political and public policy-making process of waging war? That is
up for our leaders in Washington to decide, not professors teaching
at UCLA or anywhere else.

Don’t they know that seven in 10 Americans support this
war? And don’t they support the freedom delivered to the
Iraqi population? Have they not heard the phrase, “Thank you,
President Bush!” spoken by many Iraqis?

Chey Tor Fourth-year, political science

USAC misguided, selfish

After reading the article titled, “USAC may amend
bylaws” (News, April 15), my eyes turned to an adjacent
article on the front page, “State budget cuts could hurt
UCLA’s reputation.”

After reading both the articles, I was bothered by the selfish
motives of USAC. Everyone knows about the bitterness and politics
following USAC around, but that goes with the territory.

The problem is that USAC and its members have flaunted all this
extra money they received from the students and now are diving head
first into the political thicket of the Bill of Rights (giving
money to political and religious groups), instead of using the
money for more productive purposes. With all these budget cuts
coming, it seems like this is a time for aiding existing programs,
instead of furthering political careers by proposing controversial
new programs.

The next step is not to amend bylaws on student group funding,
but to amend budget restrictions and get the money to go where it
is most needed.

Choosing that route is not easy and will take effort from USAC,
but it is the best step to aiding the injured UCLA financial
structure.

Kevin Poff Class of 2005

Professors entitled to their opinions

I read with puzzlement the letter by Howard Chernin,
“Academic Senate polarizes campus” (April 16),
complaining about the April 14 Academic Senate meeting.

He asserts that the faculty is “polarizing this
campus” by passing a resolution opposing the recent brutal
invasion of Iraq and its ongoing dictatorial rule by the U.S.
military, which openly snubs the authority of the United Nations
and the opinions of countries closer to Iraq than London and
Washington.

We simply expressed our strongly held opinion within the
democratic rules of UCLA, consonant with the ideal of free speech.
I suggest Chernin argue about issues, rather than try to stifle
dissent.

I am also sympathetic with the subsequent letter in the Bruin by
David Lowenthal (“Don’t blame our troops”).

As someone present at the meeting, I can testify that no
disrespect was shown to the soldiers, just to our appalling foreign
policy.

Universities are a place to express ideas, rather than repress
opposition.

John Vidale Professor of earth and space
sciences