Letters
to the editors
‘Viva la’ difference
Reading
Arrah Nielsen’s column “Gender differences
prevent equality”, April 30, I was struck
by the mismatch between the title and the
message.
While Nielson acknowledges that gender differences
can make for inequality, her overall message
is that they don’t have to, as can be seen
in two places.
First, speaking of “the pervasiveness of
sexual differences,” she writes “This is
not necessarily a bad thing.”
Second, at the end she quotes Matt Ridley
approvingly as saying “Difference is not
inequality.”
I think Nielsen and Ridley are right, though
it may be politically incorrect to say so.
Acknowledging the differences between males
and females in physiology, psychology and
ability is quite compatible with recognizing
— indeed celebrating — their equal worth
and dignity. Viive la difference!
— Shane Andre,
Professor Emeritus,
CSULB
No
money for Israel
Every
body knows that Israel is the number one
recipient of U.S. foreign aid. The annual
generous donation the U.S. taxpayers give
to Israel is about $3.3 billion. This amount
does not include the U.S. funding other
Israeli military projects such as the Arrow
missile systems.
Does any one think where that money goes?
Apparently that money is being used by the
Israelis in many areas, including the army
budget, for building more settlements, and,
guess what, killing American citizens.
On the eve of the U.S. led war on Iraq,
the Israelis committed a war crime against
a peace activist who decided to say no to
the Israeli killing machine, but, unfortunately,
the bulldozer could not resist dropping
a load of debris upon her body.
This incident takes place on daily basis
in occupied Palestine. This time Rachel
Corrie, a U.S. citizen, an idealistic young
woman, who would have graduated from college
this spring, was a victim. Her only crime
was that she tried to stop the Caterpillar
Israeli Bulldozer from demolishing a Palestinian
home. Less than two weeks before Rachel
Corrie was killed, a Palestinian woman,
Nuha Sweidan, nine months pregnant, was
crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer
smashing down a house next door in a Gaza
refugee camp.
Perhaps my words cannot bring Rachel to
her beloved parents, but, I can only say
that she is freedom martyr. She was an angel
who stood in the face of the bulldozer that
tried to kill the olive branch. Photos of
the incident are available on www.palsolidarity.org
Don’t try Fox News. Isn’t this enough to
stop donating money to Israel?
—
Mohamad Arabo,
senior, computer
engineering major
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