Letters

QUOTE/UNQUOTE "jake Tapper'ss A Conversation with Jim Wright left me with a better understanding of what's going on at Dartmouth than I've had for years." PATRICK RUTTY '88

Dogma of Dinesh

Wow. I WAS SHOCKED TO REALIZE that for the first time ever I was applauding Dinesh D'Souza's insight and wisdom on something, anything ["Radical Islam," Mar/Apr]. His concise look into the current administrations "Islam policy" was excellent.

I can only hope that his conservative ties today are as strong as they were back in his Dartmouth Review days, and that his policy-changing conclusions make it through to the Wizard of Crawford and his winged monkeys. Kudos, Dinesh.

San Francisco

"RADICAL ISLAM" IS FLAWED BOTH in its analysis of the roots of Islamic radicalism as well as its policy prescriptions. For example, D'Souza claims it is a "myth" that radical Muslims oppose freedom and democracy. Hence, one would expect that Sayyid Qutb, whom D'Souza aptly identifies as the "leading theoretician of Muslim radicalism," was a supporter of both freedom and democracy. Yet, in a 2004 essay, D'Souza described Qutb thus: "Qutb insists the institutions of the West are antithetical to Islam. The West is a society based on freedom whereas Islam is a society based on virtue. So to Qutb democracy is a form of idol worship." (Our source is www.dineshdsouza.com/articles/Letfreedomring.html.)

More Troublingly, D'Souza argues that the establishment of Islamic societies ruled by sharia would fulfill the "essential meaning of democracy" as long as Muslims voted for such an arrangement. Never mind that sharia codifies discrimination against women and non-Muslims, whereas democracy is fundamentally premised upon political equality.

Similar errors plague D'Souza's new book, The Enemy At Home, which argues that the "cultural left" was the primary cause of the 9/11 attacks. One wonders whether the "cultural left" of Chechnya, Somalia, the Philippines, Thailand and India is causing the jihad attacks in those nations.

New York City

D'SOUZA'S LATEST BOOK RESOLVES the "intellectual crisis" he discusses in DAM by blaming rationalism, broad-mindedness, tolerance, freedom from bigotry, aversion to authoritarianism—what he calls secular liberalism—for the mass murder of 9/11. To discourage future attacks, D'Souzas logic demands that our nation become an irrational, closeminded, bigoted, intolerant autocracy.

green cheese of which the moon is made.

San Francisco

I FIND D'SOUZA'S COMMENTS Offensive. To declare Al Qaeda primarily a combat training enterprise and to deny the USS Cole attack was anything less than a terrorist action is ridiculous. D'Souza gratuitously concedes that there were civilians killed on 9/11 but the Muslims "intended to destroy symbolic targets." Tell that to the families of those killed.

D'Souza defends the radical Muslim leaders, claiming they're well educated, technology literate and supporters of democracy. His solution to win the war on terrorism is to make alliances with "traditional" Muslims.The United States has alliances with Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Jordan, yet their leaders are conspicuous by their silence.

Dartmouth used to be immune to outside social and political pressures. It's apparent that todays political correctness, diversity and liberal thinking dominate. This generation has become afraid of the truth for fear it will insult someone's culture, ethnicity or religion.

"Radical Islam" is an insult to my intelligence. Many of us see the Muslim world as an anachronistic society that wants to take civilization back to the Dark Ages, where women have no rights, killing Nonbelievers is okay and suicide brings you 72 virgins. We don't have it wrong, Dinesh. We have it right.

Palm City, Florida

D'SOUZA CONTENDS, "TO FIGHTTHIS war better it is necessary to understand it better, which requires challenging some of the core ideas put forth by the Bush administration and frequently endorsed, in one variation or another, by many people across the political spectrum." There are reasons, and those mentioned as "all wrong" have merit!

Of the three ideas D'Souza characterizes as incorrect—terrorism as the problem, Islamic radicals seen as backward Muslims and radical Muslims' opposition to democracy—give me a break! Yes, they are grossly misunderstood and there is much to reconcile. This is exactly what we are trying to accomplish. I like Churchill's advice in 1936 after Chamberlain came back from Munich: "We can't make peace with people who don't want it."

The real problem in this war is that we maybe losing because we are actually trying to fight it with this in mind. I liked the subtitle of D'Souza's book: "The Cultural Left and Its Responsibility for 9/11."

Wellington, Florida

The Wright Way

I GREATLY ENJOYED THE INTERVIEW with President Wright [Mar/Apr]. His honest and heartfelt thoughts are good for the entire Dartmouth community to read. The very same evening I was able to listen to President Wright speak at an event sponsored by the Dartmouth Club of Chicago. I strongly encourage everyone in the Dartmouth community to take advantage of the opportunity to hear Jim Wright share his thoughts. And I want to second the suggestion of another alum that it would be very helpful to include a video of one of Jim's speeches on the Dartmouth Web site. I feel this would help alleviate many of the concerns that arise through other sources of information we receive.

Evanston; Illinois

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR INDE-pendent-minded interview with President Wright. A frank exchange of views, as they say in the world of diplomacy.

At some point I hope our president will discard the simple belief that his problems with disgruntled alumni are due to a failure to communicate. The thousands of alumni voting for petition candidates are motivated by a well-founded concern for the direction of the College and for the quality of its leadership.

Hanover

I WAS SADDENED, BUT NOT SURprised, by "A Conversation with Jim Wright." Although Jake Tapper '91 did an admirable job of asking pointed but polite questions, Wright embraced the single recurring theme that we alums would have embraced all his positions if only we had understood them better,

There is another possibility: We poor dummies out here may have understood exactly what you communicated, and reached the conclusion that you're wrong in what you're trying to do. Not always, but often enough and on big-ticket items such as free speech and governance.

That doesn't make a given dissenter on a given issue a "cynic" or a "serially dissatisfied" or "suspicious" person. It may just mean you're wrong,

Wright, I'd feel better about the future of the College if I believed you were capable of understanding and accepting that simple point.

Herndon, Virginia

I THINK THAT JIM WRIGHT HAS BEEN a damn good president.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

THIS IS TO EXPRESS CONCERN THAT a liberal education has taken on a new and different meaning. Even before Jim Wright s acknowledgement of same, I've read and noted that college faculties everywhere are loaded with liberals, some of the bleeding-heart variety and others merely radical. Some faculty members are discreet enough to leave their bias behind while others demonstrate it freely in the classroom to a point where it often affects students' grades.

In my days at Dartmouth it was a struggle to differentiate a conservative from a liberal. The polarization and divisiveness today is a concern of mine. There seems to be little we can do to constrain the Ward Churchills of our academic world. The ACLU might argue that we shouldn't, but I feel differently. I would be concerned about sending my grandchildren to a campus where their ideas and their grades are influenced by the political bias of the faculty.

Leawood Kansas

WELL I'LL BE DAM-ED. THAT WAS the best, most incisive interview of a college lege president—any college president—I have ever read. Where were the usual Softballs? ("But sir, can you explain why you seem to be so popular with the student body?") Where was the pandering? ("But sir, you've raised so much money; how can you possibly top that?") Where was the overt political diatribe? ("And sir, can you tell us how little help higher education has got from the Bush administration?")

The questions that were asked were right on target, they were tough and Jake Tapper was not reading them off a list. If he was not satisfied with an answer, he went back for more. President Wright is also to be congratulated for walking into the lion's den and breaking the typical college presidents mold: a 1,000-watt smile and a sack full of edu-speak platitudes. At an alumni speech he gave here in Boston I was surprisingly half-turned around by President Wrights unexpected forthrightness and by his willingness to himself bring up and directly confront the major issue burning in the hearts of many alumni. With this interview, count me now as someone who is completely turned around. I probably still won't agree with everything he does, but at least I will be comfortable that he is going about his job in an genuinely open-minded manner.

Boston

THE INTERVIEW BY TAPPER QUOTES President Wright: "I'm not sure that the board of trustees and the Alumni Council and the alumni governance task force ever effectively communicated what it was they were trying to do." That is the understatement of the year. I was urged to vote so many times but could not figure out who was trying to do what to whom. It seemed there was a struggle with reactionary forces, but which side were they on? Were they trying to rewrite the constitution? Are there focused mailing or e-mail lists of special interests that were brought to bear on the results? If so, can you make the rest of us aware of this?

At my class reunion my wife and I were most impressed with the president and all the amazing improvements in the College—and the student body. If the president was providing leadership on this constitution issue, whatever it was, he should have spoken out about it and written a letter about it in DAM! Is the issue too hot for anyone to personally identify with? Does anyone wish to explain what with about and what has been lost with its failure? Why were so many resources put into this, if it was so unimportant that we forget about it already? I think we are all due an explanation.

Kirkland Washington

WHILE PRESIDENT WRIGHT'S Comments about josie Harpers letter to TheDartmouth sidestepped the issue, the letter—with due respect to Ms. Harper and the NCAA—indicates that political correctness has gotten out of hand.

While acknowledging the sensitivity involved, history and tradition should not continue to be dismissed as inconsequential. Lets have less focus on a nickname and logo and more on something much more important—making sure we don't have a repeat of the highly embarrassing brawl that took place after the Holy Cross football game last fall.

Williamsburg, Virginia

THE MARCH/APRIL ISSUE OF DAM was more interesting and useful than any I have read in years. It began a meaningful discussion of both the greatest single problem facing our nation today and also of the greatest issue facing Dartmouth.

Jake Tappers frank interview with President Jim Wright was quite helpful to an alumnus like me who has been more than a little disconcerted and turned off by the seemingly intense conflict within alumni ranks over the past two decades. Perhaps a similar uninhibited interview with the successful petition candidates on the board of trustees can be published in a future issue. Voter participation on the recent constitutional questions, while greater than in past alumni elections, was still an appallingly low 38 percent. This is especially discouraging in light of the intense campaign waged by both sides. If nearly two-thirds of eligible alumni did not care enough to cast a vote, then an institution such as Dartmouth that prides itself on turning out informed, participating members of our society should be very concerned.

Understanding the Muslim world is something that Americans fail to do at our peril, and DAM can be extremely important to alumni in helping to provide that understanding. Despite repeated denials by many politicians and others currently in positions of authority, I believe that indeed we do face a fundamental clash of civilizations that is seriously exacerbated by religious extremism. Our great challenge will be to find ways of addressing that reality intelligently while avoiding impulsive, ideologically driven, knee-jerk reactions such as the tragic misadventure in Iraq.

Mount Desert,Maine

JAKE TAPPER'S "A CONVERSATION with Jim Wright" left me with a better understanding of what's going on at Dartmouth than I've had for years. Given Wright's stated frustration over a lack of effective communication with alumni, I suggest that such an interview be conducted annually.

Dinesh D'Souza's article was also enjoyable and predictably thought-provoking I think D'Souza misses the point in debunking "Myth No. 2"—that the Islamic radicals are "backward" Muslims—arguing that the radicals are technologically savvy, well-educated capitalists. This may be true, but the real source of the so-called myth is that Islamic radicals, though they certainly paint themselves as Muslim, seem to fall perilously close to one or the other end of the religious spectrum. They are either cultural Muslims with little to no regard for a true faith or they are fanatic zealots who have lost sight of the moral underpinnings of their faith. It is the misidentification of the amoral former group with the religion of Islam and the truly Neanderthal ideology of the latter set that earns them the deserved "backward" epithet.

Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Halls of Remembrance

I WAS TRANSPORTED BACK 40 YEARS by the bright and friendly graphic of Bradley and Gerry halls by Mark Danielson ["Curtain Call," Mar/Apr]. Gerry was at the heart and soul of my Dartmouth experience as a psychology department undergraduate and a psych department post-grad research assistant in the summer of 1968.

I think of my first moment in the building, attending a Psych 1 lecture by Rogers Elliot and then changing my major from economics on the spot. I think of Vic McGee and his glee at showing us a time-sharing computer for the first time. I think of arguing the merits of The Graduate with Bob Kleck and I think of John Lanzetta guiding me, with humor and wisdom, leading me to a life in California, for which I will always be grateful. To me those buildings were always beautiful—drafty halls or not—and I'm happy to have the drawing as a memento.

Los Angeles

What's In a Name?

I ASSUME THAT THE NEWLY FORMED committee to develop a "policy for playing against athletic teams with potentially offensive mascots" ["Campus," Mar/Apr] evolved from the recent brouhaha regarding the Fighting Sioux of the University of North Dakota. For the edification of some, at the time that many schools were struggling with "improper" nicknames (remember the Stanford Indians?) the tribal leaders of the Sioux Nation were queried as to the appropriateness of the Fighting Sioux moniker and overwhelmingly supported it. Who is offending whom?

I would offer the committee a number of mascots that are clearly potentially offensive: Demon Deacons (antiChristian), Fighting Irish (blatant ethnic slur), Blue Devils (anti or pro Satanism), Commodores/Cadets (warmongering), Lady Vols ("lady" anything places females in subservient position), all the cute animals such as Black Bears, Cougars, Badgers, etc. (anthropomorphizing nature) and Hornets/Wasps (some people die if stung).

Ah, diversity! Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Is it not time the College got out of the politically correct business and back to that of education?

Holland, Vermont

POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE MASCOTS? How about our own Big Green? Think of all the people who are dissatisfied with their physical stature—what an affront! And when Dartmouth plays Cornell those afflicted with color blindness may not be able to tell one from another! Is this deliberate discrimination or just an oversight? Political correctness has sunk to a new low, although I suspect there will be more stops along this ridiculous path.

Gladstone, New Jersey

Nordic Wisdom

IN EUROPE OUR SIX-WEEK SUMMER vacation is of great value. It supports family life and promotes happiness and well being. After reading "To Be a Lazy European" [Jan/Feb] I find it strange that some Americans seem to see this differently. It is true that we have lower incomes, have smaller cars and houses, pay more for most goods and services, and cannot afford to waste as much energy. But in the United States you have more than 700 citizens out of 100,000 in prison, while the highest number in the Nordic countries is about 70 in Sweden and about 35 in Iceland. While lack of vacation days in the United States is certainly not the only reason for this, it's something to think about.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Quote/Unqquote "To discourage future attacks, D'Souza's logic demands that our nation become an irrational, close-minded, bigoted, intolerant autocracy." JOSHUA NOSSITER '79

Quote/Unquote "Potentially offensive mascots? How about our own Big Green? What an affront!" JOHN LANDIS '69

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 all letters cannot be published, nor can they be returned. Letters should run no more than 200 words in length, refer to material published in the magazine and include the writer's full name, address and telephone number. Write: Letters, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 7 Allen Street, Suite 201, Hanover, NH 03755 E-mail: DAMletters@dartmouth.edu Fax: (603) 646-1209