Letters to the Editor

An unfair claim: To the Editor:

In Hilary Moore's recent column on rape ("Perspectives on rape, The Daily Pennsylvanian, 3/1/02), an anonymous male graduate student writes, "If guys are honest with themselves, most of them would know very well (and do know) that technically they have at some time been guilty of rape."

I take great offense at this. While this student may attempt to rationalize his past actions by deciding that most guys have committed rape, it is simply not true.

Rape is obviously a terrible crime, and I do not wish to make light of it, but it is wrong to classify my entire gender as a bunch of rapists.

Matt Cohen Engineering '03 Acceptable costs To the Editor:

While Aliya Sternstein wishes to remember each victim of the war on terrorism ("A textbook for future generations," DP, 2/26/02), she has neglected to mention those freed.

Daniel Pearl was an innocent victim, simply a journalist, whose life was exploited in an attempt to force the release of Guantanamo prisoners and intimidate the world. And yes, roughly 100 Afghans have died, but roughly 28 million have been freed.

To lose 100 lives in "the name of freedom" seems worth the freedom to shave your beard, show your face, wear jeans and khakis, watch television and listen to the radio without the fear of jail or execution.

Without American intervention, Afghan women and men alike would have no rights, none.

Is living a life of constant fear of reprisal really living? We have seen that without war there are more casualties. Roughly 3,000 died on Sept. 11, because we did not fight for fear of taking 100 lives.

So let's make a compromise. The text should read: "In January of 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was senselessly killed in Pakistan, while doing his job. This should also remind us to praise Pearl and the 100 innocent Afghans like him who died in American bombing raids. They and Pearl are truly heroes, whose lives were lost for the brighter future of more than 28 million Afghans -- a future which is free of terror and senseless oppression."

Writing this way insults no one and recognizes both sides.

George Benz College '05

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