Report on review of techonology sale by Clinton is false
Your article "Inquiry adds no Clinton charges" (Sept. 26) is false and inaccurate in several respects.
First, given the nature of the House Select Committee on National Security's nondisclosure rules, Rep. Norman D. Dicks, the ranking Democrat, is unlikely to have told The Sun anything about the substance of testimony by witnesses in "secret sessions" concerning Clinton administration wrongdoing.
Moreover, Defense Department officials have publicly testified before other committees that they were pressured by superiors and political appointees to make decisions harmful to national security.
Second, "the consensus of all nine members of the committee" most definitely does not mirror "what many Democrats have been saying for months: The satellite technology issue relates to policy decisions that date to Reagan administration, not to criminal wrongdoing." The Reagan administration never granted a satellite waiver. The Clinton waivers are the subject of ongoing criminal probes into national security violations by the firms involved, including President Clinton's $1 million donor, Loral Chairman Bernard Schwartz.
Third, I told The Sun reporter nothing about the ongoing work of our committee. The inferences drawn in your article are directly at odds with the formal statement issued by our committee, to which I referred him: "The Select Committee has reached no conclusions about what the evidence will or will not show."
Rep. Christopher Cox
Washington
The writer is a California Republican who is chairman of the House Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military-Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China.
Civil rights movement still needed on streets
Regarding George F. Will's Opinion Commentary "Throw civil rights movement in to history's dustbin" (Sept. 27): Mr. Will declares that the civil rights movement has come to an end because of what he calls the "racial spoils system" of preferences. He objects to the president's panel on race relations.
I'm sorry to observe that without preferences, the pendulum of the "spoils" reverts to the good ole boy network though takebacks.
While throwing the "civil rights movement into history's dustbin" may appeal to an ivory tower talking head, here on the streets of Baltimore and its environs, another reality exists. Racist epithets invade my life daily with reminders that racism is very much alive.
While living in a colorblind society should be our goal, our advocacy should be directed to the welfare of the underrepresented.
It is in all our best interests to focus on a problem that has haunted us through the years.
Kirk Fairfield
Towson
Story mischaracterized St. John's, ex-student
Dan Thanh Dang's story "A sin at St. John's" (Sept. 29), is like all newspaper accounts of events at St. John's College: patronizing.
Like other reporters who have tried to describe the aspects of life at our school, Ms. Dang shows a mystifyingly low level of understanding of the mentality and way of life that makes St. John's what it is.
What's more important, however, is that Ms. Dang carelessly characterized a good person, my friend, as a criminal whose actions tore apart the fabric of St. John's. It's absurd. Lynette Dowty's plagiarism has done nothing to hurt St. John's or tarnish the degree of its alumni; she hurt only herself. Our education belongs only to ourselves, and we know the meaninglessness of measuring our accomplishments against one another.
Lynette is a bright, wonderful woman who made a stupid, stupid mistake. She will suffer for this for the rest of her life, mostly because she loves St. John's, loves what it taught her and knows that her plagiarism will always overshadow her accomplishments.
Your public humiliation accomplished no good.
Jesse Berney
San Francisco
L The writer is a member of St. John's College, Class of 1997.
Complacency, sex focus prolong Bosnia suffering
The United States and the world should be ashamed to once again be sitting idly by while the Serbs rape, brutalize and massacre those in Kosovo.
The great Republican Party is too interested in its infantile pursuits of President Clinton's sexual escapades to be concerned. Democrats too concerned with the elections to act decisively.
News agencies are too interested in the higher ratings that come from sex to allot much time to such tragedies as Bosnia, where innocent people are being forced from their homes and killed because of their ethnic background and religion.
The worthless North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance and the impotent United Nations leadership should all hang their heads in shame for their lack of resolve.
The evil government of Yugoslavia is no better than the governments that support terrorism, but no cruise missiles are launched to send them a message.
The U.S. bombed terrorist installations after the embassy bombings that killed a handful of Americans. Does it take an unfortunate American to die in Kosovo to galvanize our country into taking action?
The Serbs know that the West's threats are weak and meaningless. Nothing will stop them short of force.
Alan McAllister
Severna Park
Newspaper should resume spelling bee sponsorship
Back on April 26, 1966, I wrote to thank you for sponsoring the Baltimore area's portion of the National Spelling Bee, which stimulates and encourages schoolchildren's interest in learning to spell.
Now, when I read about The Sun's Reading by 9 campaign, I question why the spelling bee was discontinued in Baltimore, the city that reads.
Jeanette Shenk
Baltimore
Religion notes missed in weekend newspapers
Please restore the religion notes section to the Friday or Saturday newspaper. This format provided many of the Baltimore-area churches and synagogues an opportunity to share events and special happenings that lifted people above and beyond current conditions.
Christine Morris Dorer
Towson
The writer is publicity director of Towson Presbyterian Church.
Angry over lawmakers' blast at peanut-free zone
The response of lawmakers from peanut-producing states about banning peanuts on certain flights with allergic passengers ("Government tells airlines to create 'no peanut' seating," Sept. 4) is a sad and disheartening reaction to government. The greed, insensitivity and ignorance that motivates these politicians is beyond belief.
I have a daughter who is fatally allergic to dairy products. One drop of milk could send her into shock or death. Most people do not understand what it is like to live with such a condition. It completely affects the lifestyle.
The fact that people and organizations are striving to make life safer for people with allergies should be congratulated, not belittled. The statement by Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama calling the action "bureaucratic nonsense and distrust" the most mean-spirited sentiment I've heard in a long time. Isn't it the role of government to protect people, to keep them from harm? Has it now been only reduced to protecting business interests? I would not vote for any politician who speaks out against the peanut ban. I can only imagine their stand on other issues.
Vicki DeFries
Baltimore
A vote for anti-incumbency in this November's election
Some people believe that the talk of impeachment has gone too far. I believe that it has not gone far enough. I have not heard or seen any sign of leadership, integrity, honesty, intelligence or concern for this country from any elected official. My recourse is to impeach all incumbents in the general election.
Larry Johnston
Hereford
Pub Date: 10/03/98