Letters to the EditorDartmouth Cancels Meetings Sirs, For last weekend the regular annual series of Class Officers meetings was scheduled. This has all been canceled supposedly due to the recent terrorist attacks. Obviously there would have been some problems for some prospective attendees in traveling to Hanover for this worthwhile event. It seems to some, however, that the decision was hasty and not necessarily necessary. It will be very difficult or impossible to reschedule such a huge event considering the demand on the facilities with the number of other happenings on the Dartmouth agenda. It is interesting to note that the same weekend included the Annual Meeting of the Association of Alumni on Saturday the 15th in Alumni Hall was to be of a different nature this year since there had been an outside nomination for the Presidency of the Association and several changes to the rules or Constitution of the alumni group which would open up the nomination of candidates as Trustees. There are some who think that the administration was fearful as to the outcome of that meeting, this being indicated by a revision of the schedule at the last minute. The question has been raised as to whether this had a bearing on the cancellation which would allow the Association meeting to be rescheduled at a time when not so many alumni would be in attendance and the outcome be more easily controlled. Of course, those in power want things to be controlled, not unpredictable.
Like Father, Like Son Sirs, I was watching an interview/call-in show with W. F. Buckley the other day (C-SPAN) and he mentioned your paper as the conservative voice at Dartmouth. I pulled you up on the Internet and I find your paper quite interesting. William Omara
Sirs, Yesterday's news of ghastly terrorist attacks against various American targets has reached me here in Slovakia, where I am participating in an international meeting of economists and other social scientists. In the face of such a monumental tragedy—indeed, especially under such circumstances—those of us who have confidence in God, who is the just judge of the living and the dead, can now turn to Him for solace and hope, as well as assurance that there shall come a day when all wrongs will be made right. Sincerely, Rev. Robert Sirico
The case for large-scale, decisive U.S. military action in response tothe Sept. 11 massacres is two-fold: justice and self-defense. Justice consists of treating people as they deserve. It is exercised byrewarding and encouraging the good in others and by punishing anddiscouraging the bad. The murder and maiming of innocent people-more than 6000, on Sept. 11th—is the paradigm of that which is bad. The only just response is punishment, commensurate with the heinousness of the attack. To strike back with force is not "blind vengeance" that "sinks to their level." Such characterizations ignore the context created by the terrorists' action. The difference between initiating violence against an innocent person and using force in response to attack is obvious. Would we condemn the woman who uses force to fight off a rapist as no better than he? Of course not; most of us would not even dignify such a question with a response. It is not rage that warrants military reprisal. It is clear-eyed reason: honest recognition of the vicious nature of the slaughter of thousands as well as recognition of the threat that it represents to all of us. American military action is justified by our most basic conviction that respect for human life is good and that destroying innocent human life is bad. These diametrically opposite attitudes toward life cannot co-exist. When some have declared war on innocent life—in their holy proclamations and in a series of ever more hideous deeds—those who respect life must rise to its defense. If we do not, we invite only more scenes like those that have seared our hearts in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania. We have given peace a chance, and it hasn't worked. For years, the U.S. has responded to terrorists attacks (on our embassies, on the USS Cole) with token gestures designed more to look tough than to destroy the enemy. We have fooled no one and achieved nothing. Our limp response has only emboldened an enemy who is more diabolical than we had realized. My expertise is not military, so I cannot prescribe the exact course that our government should take. It must be sufficiently massive to eradicate the terrorist' threat, however. This objective might not be easily or quickly accomplished, as political leaders have been warning. So be it. This is not reason to fail to do all we can to eliminate this threat once and for all. As we mourn the thousands whose lives were so brutally extinguished, much of our grief stems from the knowledge that their lives were wrongly taken. These people did not deserve to die; their families do not deserve to suffer. Those who did this, do. Military action is never undertaken with relish. It is incumbent on our government, however, charged with the defense of Americans' lives and liberties, to undertake decisive reprisals today with righteous resolve. Our cause is just. If we truly honor the victims of these massacres and if we truly cherish our lives and liberties, we must destroy those who have already destroyed so much. Dr. Tara Smith
I was watching and old interview/call-in show with W. F. Buckley the other day (CSPAN) and he mentioned your paper as the conservative voice at Dartmouth. I pulled you up on the Internet and I find your paper quite interesting. My son is an '04 and he is somewhat politically apathetic, yet leaning somewhat to the right. I am a regular reader of the Daily Dartmouth so last year I asked him about all this racial unrest on campus. His response was "Everybody's cool with everybody up here...It's just a handful of weirdoes and the administration getting all bent out of shape..." I would just like to tell you people at TDR that you are doing a greatjob of balancing things, but you too should not get "bent out of shape." Being exposed to this liberal extremism is part of a student's growing process. As a matter of fact, such views can cause one to rebel and become very conservative. It worked for me. William Omara
Yesterday's news of ghastly terrorist attacks against various American targets has reached me here in Slovakia, where I am participating in an international meeting of economists and other social scientists. There will be ample time to analyze these events for their political and moral significance later. What strikes me, however, from this distance from my homeland, are the individuals and their families affected by the violence and disregard for human life that these actions demonstrate. The drive to commit such crimes can only be deemed diabolical at its core. In the face of such a monumental tragedy-indeed, especially under such circumstances-those of us who have confidence in God, who is the just judge of the living and the dead, can now turn to Him for solace and hope, as well as assurance that there shall come a day when all wrongs will be made right. Please join me in prayer and mourning for the victims and their loved ones; let us pray, too, for our country and the world, that we may all seek the path of peace, of reverence for human dignity, of life, and of freedom. In light of this national tragedy, we are brought face to face with how dimly the light of human dignity and liberty shines in our world. Such an event reminds us of the necessary diligence required of every citizen as we struggle to promote a society-indeed, a world-that is both free and virtuous. Sincerely, Rev. Robert Sirico |
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