Letters

QUOTE/UNQUOTE "Poor Dinesh D'Soiuza. With his new book he jumps on the dot-com bandwagon just as it disappears into a. giant pothole." ROBERT LAFSKY '71

Second Opinion

I was dishearted to find former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop 37, M.D., parroting the weary line of insurance and pharmaceutical companies that every country that has tried single-payer universal health coverage ("national health insurance") says it doesn't work ["Koop," Jan/Feb]. Single-payer works extremely well for members of Congress, veterans and the armed services. And its paradigm, Medicare, is endorsed by the good doctor, who would like to extend the coverage to young persons as well. Why shouldn't the average citizen who pays the freight for these programs with his tax dollars enjoy similar benefits?

Our present system of private managed care must eventually collapse under its own greed and mismanagement. Koop's panacea, a return to fee-for-services, has failed in the past and will continue to fail because those in greatest need are least able to pay the fees.

Angels Camp, California

Men of the Mountains

I'd heard that Dartmouth had a great contribution to the 10th Mountain Divisions heritage ["Mountain Men," Jan/Feb] but never knew more than a one-sentence description. Many thanks to the 119 Dartmouth men who served in the 10th and the six who died in that service. They have set high standards that I hope, as an alum and officer in the 10th Mountain Division (Light), I have and will continue to live up to.

10th Mountain Division Artilleryeee2007@hotmail.com

As a former member of the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, I was particularly pleased by Edward Nickerson's article on the 10th Mountain Division. By coincidence, the very week that my copy arrived my wife and I had seen a production in New York of Shakespeare's JuliusCaesar. It was performed in modern dress, placed in an anonymous totalitarian country. When Brutus s army arrived to fight the battle of Philippi, I was startled to note that its shoulder patches were the identical crossed bayonets of the 10th. Presumably the property manager, rummaging through Army surplus supplies, was attracted by the Roman X formed by the crossed bayonets.

Rowayton, Connecticut

NOTE: Fritz Schmidt '45 of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,and Duncan A. MacLeod 50 of Canton,Massachusetts, were members of the 10thMountain Division whose names did not appearin our Roll Call—The Editors

Who's the Success?

It comes as no surprise to me that the alumni magazine of one of the most liberal colleges in the country would feature a socialist judge ["Father in Law," Nov/Dec 2000]. The hero of this entire debacle isn't Thomas Penfield Jackson '58 and the U.S. Department of Justice. The hero of the story should be the success of Microsoft throughout the world.

Pinehurst, North Carolinaftj1@webtv.net

You Go, Girl!

Mindy Chokalingam's insights and perceptions ring with subtle truth ["Badly Drawn Girl," Jan/Feb]. Great stuff.

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Sizing Up D'Souza

One of the requirements of "prosperity" today seems to be an indifference to the content of transactions, as long as they make money or show power in some way. Granted, Dinesh D'Souza '83 ["Geek Chic," Jan/Feb] is one of the most "successful" figures Dartmouth has produced in recent years, but only if we measure success without regard for contentor history. D'Souza's journalism at The Dartmouth Review in the early '80s was obnoxious to Dartmouth and sometimes to journalistic integrity. To this day I find myself having to defend Dartmouth against the charge that it is what The DartmouthReview represented.

Wilmette, Illinoist-scherman@neiu.edu

Poor Dinesh D'souza. With his new book he jumps on the dot-com bandwagon just as it disappears into a giant pothole.

Great Falls, Virginialafsky@earthlink. net

The Neighborhood Pig

Re: "Animal House" [Jan/Feb]: I lived downstairs from those characters, and I have to say, as dirty as most pigs are purported to be, our neighbor actually kept itself quite surprisingly clean for an animal whose pen covered about two or three square feet. We members at the "Beach Hut" were kindly enough invited to the final roast, which was quite good. After a few bites you got over the reminiscence of the food having been your former neighbor.

Gresham, Oregon

The pig storywas priceless. The best part for me was the ending, where the author realized his pleasure in enjoying the meat outweighed his love of the pet: It is not that I am against pets; just that I really like meat and sincerely believe that people are natural carnivores. There is nothing wrong with slaughtering and eating a pet if it is done in a humane manner.

Williamsburg, Virginiaambrose@widomaker.com

Campus Vs. Cyberspace

In response to the opinion by Mark Pruner '77 ["Lost in Cyberspace?" Jan/Feb]: Dartmouth has had many opportunities in the past to expand in size, but fortunately the school's leaders have recognized that it thrives as a small residential college. This allows undergraduates to interact with fellow students, graduate students, faculty and staff in a variety of settings, including academic, athletic and social. While Dartmouth should continue to promote the use of computers to augment classroom instruction, the focus needs to remain on the actual student, not the virtual one.

Atlanta, Georgiawiskatl@bellsouth.net

In the Groove

I'D LIKE TO THINK THE CLASS OF 1976 might have had some influence on Professor Renza's appreciation of Dylan ["The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind," Jan/Feb]. Classmate Michael Denning compiled a discography of the singer/songwriter's work, which won a library award the year we graduated. Much of the campus went into a major Dylan fever in 1975 when Blood on the Tracks was released and resurrected the master to icon status. Nice to know Renza is still mixing it up.

Mt. Desert, Maineckl@ecology.coa.edu

More on the Makeover

As a former freelance art director, I realize that every change in editors leads people to make some changes, but as the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. What's wrong with just turning out & Dartmouth AlumniMagazine with (horrors!) no design considerations at all except for an attempt to make the magazine really readable, especially to us old folks with fading eyesight?

Weston, Connecticut

At long last, an alumni magazine zine that tips us off to what's really going on at Dartmouth. And the new layout looks terrific. I hope you'll keep surprising us.

New York, New Yorkchwren@nytimes.com

Write to Us We welcome letters. The editor reserves the right to determine the suitability of letters for publication and to edit them for accuracy and length. We regret that they cannot be returned. Letters should refer to material published in the magazine and include the writer's full name, address and telephone number. Write: Letters, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 80 South Main St., Hanover, NH 03755 E-mail: DAMletters@dartmouth.edu Fax: 603-646-1209