LETTERS: Speaking up to solve problems

To the Editor: As both a member of a minority group and a Pittsburgh resident, I would like to address her comment that "If you think everything is copacetic now, in Pittsburgh recently, a white policeman was acquitted of murdering a black man." This display of ignorance is both offensive and completely erroneous. In the case Land refers to, a police officer named Vojtas (a Caucasian) was charged with involuntary manslaughter after the death of motorist Jonny Gammage (an African American). Murder is premeditated; manslaughter is not. Land should get her facts straight before accusing people of any race of a crime as serious as murder. And Vojtas was found not guilty -- a decision with which anyone is free to agree or disagree, but not until she has all the facts. Land also wrote that some blacks might be afraid of living with whites as whites have, in the past, killed blacks. Suppose for a moment that her logic is valid. Should I, then, be afraid of living with blacks, as most violent criminals in this city are black? Land is attributing the crimes of a select few to an entire race. She needs to learn how to avoid such fallacious generalizations. I am a proponent of free speech, and I think we should all be encouraged to voice our opnions. And while Bailey might not have been able to solve all the world's race relation problems in one column, at least he made an effort. That is more than I can say for most people. It is extremely easy to criticize those who go out on a limb and express an individual view which may be unpopular. I applaud Bailey's attempt to address an issue that is of the utmost importance to the University, and I hope the dialogue that ensues will be one of logic and reason instead of pure emotion and irrationality. I want members of the majority culture to listen to my thoughts. In return, I will offer the respect of listening to theirs. Lisa Hernandez College '97 Author responds To the Editor: As the author of the Vision article "Black Republicans: An Ideological Oxymoron?" I would like to respond to Kristopher Couch's discussion of my article and to the issue of black conservatives in general ("The new black conservatives," DP, 11/22/96). If Couch had read my article more closely, he would have seen that nowhere do I say black Republicans are an ideological oxymoron, much less call into question their "blackness." However, it is undeniable that black Rpublicans are still on the fringes of the poitical spectrum and lack core support within the black community. My article tried to examine the reasons why this is. Black Republicans and black conservatives comprise a small but vocal minority within the black community and have strong opinions about the issues that affect their community. Although they may be "villified" by some, I certainly do not villify them and I did not villify them in my article. Although I am appreciative of the discourse Couch's column tried to give rise to, such dialogue could have been achieved without misrepresenting my views. If Couch's column is truly Nothing But the Truth, as its name says, in the future he should ensure that its content better reflects that title. Malik Wilson College '99 Unequal coverage To the Editor: Have the editors of the DP's Basketball Preview supplement (11/26/96) ever heard of Title IX? Do they realize many members of the Penn community follow the women's basketball team? When last year's supplement came out without any information about Penn women's basketball team, I assumed there would be two separate supplements, one on the men's team and one on the women's team. I was wrong. Upon picking up this year's supplement, I was sure the editors would have learned from their sexist mistake. Again, I was wrong. In the 24 page supplement, there was a single one-page article about the women's basketball team. There was no team roster, no section with player profiles and no information about opponents the women will face this season. This repeated ommission of the women's basketball team from the DP Basketball Preview, along with abbreviated coverage during the season (Where are box scores for the women's team?) diminishes the integrity of the DP. More importantly, it demeans the efforts of the women on the team and frustrates those who follow women's basketball. The DP has the opportunity to spark interest in the women's basketball program by informing readers about the team, and the obligation to provide those of us who are already fans with the information we seek. The DP's continual failure to provide thorough women's basketball coverage is simply inexcusable. Holly Shere College '98 Story appreciated To the Editor: I would like to thank the DP for covering our club's 10th anniversary ("Club Dojo kicks its way to a decade at Penn," DP, 11/20/96). The faculty, students and administration of Hill House also deserve credit for our group's success. Long ago, the administration at Hill had the vision to foster the formation of special groups and activities. Our club is unique to the house, with the majority of new members residing there. As students move on to Superblock or off campus, they continue training at Hill. Our classes are held four days a week and are open to all Penn students and faculty. I must clarify a few points in the article: Ryukyu Kempo is our main art and is Okinawan in origin, not Japanese. We do include Japanese sword fighting (Kenjutsu). However, I cannot take credit for the sword classes. These are taught by one of my senior Black Belts, Peter Hobart (College '91), who studied sword techniques while pursuing a master's degree at Cambridge. We have had four women reach the rank of Black Belt, and presently Amy Sonstein (College '92) is one of our senior instructors. I have been fortunate enough to train with three of the most revered martial artists alive today: Professor Remy Presas, Professor Wally Jay and Grandmaster George Dillman. They are true pioneers in the field of self-defense. They have agreed to come together for a "Weekend with the Masters" on campus, April 5, 1997. This will be the first time such an event has been held on any Ivy League campus and it is an incredible coup for the Penn community. I hope martial artists from throughout the Ivy League will join us this April as Penn gains prominence in yet another field of study. Charles Terry Ryuku Kempo Club Shihan College '90

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