LETTERS: U. shouldn't invite Jiang to visit

To the Editor: A.M. Rosenthal in his op-ed column September 23 in The New York Times says, "Deng Xiaoping was responsible for the massacre at Tiananmen Square? Mr. Jiang, as Mr. Deng's chosen heir, carried on in his tradition. He began and supervised a human rights crackdown that lasts to this day. On Tibet, Mr. Jiang in his eight years of power before and after Mr. Deng's death showed himself at least as murderous as his mentor and master. He added a touch of his own -- promoting and enriching Chinese officers and officials particularly effective in the Tibetan genocide." According to an article in the September 1997 issue of Marie Claire, China has a forced abortion/sterilization policy, that is applied to women who exceed their allotted child limit. Performed with minimum anesthesia and non-sterile techniques in rural areas, many women die or become permanently disabled. In China, it is legal to abort a 9-month-old fetus. According to an Amnesty International report dated August 1997, President Jiang's police and courts sentenced about 17 people to death every day last year, executing at least 4,367. In nine instances, the offenders were under 18 at the time of the crime. In one case of a summary trial for murder, it took just six days from the crime to execution of the accused. According to a July 1997 State Department Report on religious freedom, Chinese authorities guided by a policy directive of October 1996 are persecuting Chinese Christians (officially numbering 19 million) through raids, demolition and closing of their unauthorized "house churches," extortion of "fines," beatings, lengthy interrogations and reform-through-education sentences. Yet, the supposedly atheistic communist government kidnapped the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet -- 7 years old at the time, and the youngest prisoner of conscience in the world today -- in May 1995, claimed ignorance about it, then only recently admitted to having him in custody for his own "protection," after having appointed their own choice of a Chinese boy for Panchen Lama. The list goes on and on. So the University of Pennsylvania is trying to get Jiang Zemin to visit? Wait a minute, I think someone's getting Halloween and April Fool's Day confused. Mari Watanabe, M.D. Cardiology Department, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania A personal AIDS story To the Editor. This letter is a reaction to the inconsiderate, ridiculous protest exhibited outside of the AIDS Awareness Speech given by Rebekka Armstrong at the Towne Building October 21, ("'Playboy' playmate exposes her personal experience," DP, 10/22/97). In a pamphlet distributed by the protesting Women's Group, they propose the question "Is Playboy the best source of information about AIDS?" Maybe they should have actually heard the speech before they protested. No, Playboy is not the best source for information on AIDS, but a young woman suffering from the disease is an excellent teacher on the risks we face today in regards to AIDS. It doesn't matter if she is former playmate or not, she is suffering from a horrible disease and she wants to tell her story and maybe, save lives. Sex had nothing to do with why she got AIDS; rather, it was from a blood transfusion. The Women's Social Action Committee should be ashamed of themselves, they intimidated a speaker who was trying to work for a good cause. Also featured on their pamphlet is the question "Would you invite the tobacco industry to talk about lung health? Yes, if they describe the dangers of smoking, and yes, if they describe what exactly is in cigarettes. Are we attacking sufferers of disease because of their prior careers? Are we attacking a woman because she is courageously telling a horrible story? Hey, if you don't like Playboy, that's fine. But don't protest someone who is trying to teach students about the hazards we face in the real world concerning AIDS, one of the most serious epidemics of the decade. Demetrios Hadgis College '99 Penn condoms not affected by recall To the Editor: The makers of Lifestyles condoms just issued a recall of certain kinds of Lifestyles with specific expiration dates. The condoms in question were found to deteriorate earlier than their expected shelf life of 5 years. This is a voluntary recall issued by the company and not mandated by the Federal government. In other words, the condom maker is being pro-actively responsible and not covering up the problem. The condoms we sell at the Student Health cashier's window, and which we give out in the Health Education office and at FLASH workshops, are deemed safe and do not fall under the recall. Our expiration dates are currently for 2002. If students still prefer to avoid Lifestyles, they can get free Trojans in the Health Education office as an alternative, and they will soon be able to get free Kimono brand condoms at FLASH workshops. The Reality condom is also available at all the above venues, free in all cases except at the cashier's window ($1 each). The recalled condoms are as follows: Lifestyles assorted colors with spermicide: exp dates 10/97 through 6/98 Lifestyles plain condoms with spermicide: exp. dates 10/97 through 10/98 Lifestyles ultra sensitive with spermicide: exp. date 10/97 only Lifestyles extra strength with spermicide: exp. dates 10/97 through 4/2000 Lifestyles vibra-ribbed with spermicide: exp. dates 10/97 through 4/2000 Power play with spermicide: exp. dates 10/97 through 2/2000 Prime with spermicide: exp. dates 10/97 through 2/2000 Intensity assorted colors with spermicide: exp. date 11/97 Students who want more information should contact Ansell Americas, the manufacturer of Lifestyles, at 1-800-883-3434. Kurt Conklin Office of Health Education Penn Student Health Service