Jordan River Forum

Don't forget violence against others No one can deny the wrongness and the terrible consequences of the violations against Iraqi prisoners. No one can defend it, and I do not believe anyone is trying to defend it. However, to condemn us as a people and to condemn our entire political system based upon the behavior of a small number of Americans at Abu Ghraib is also wrong, very wrong. And now we have the anti-American left joining forces with the pan-Arab media as well as those in Europe, who still hate our guts, excoriating America. Their memory serves to emphasize every American error but never mention or criticize any of the many human atrocities coming from the Arab world or from anywhere else for that matter. In every Arab prison, for example, torture, rape and degradation are accepted as "standard operating procedures." When the Syrian dictator Assad destroyed Hama and killed more than 10,000 of his own people, or when Hussein used poison gas on the Kurds and created 300,000 anonymous graves, the pan-Arab media said nothing. When Americans were burned, mutilated and dragged through the streets of Fallujah, or when two Palestinian gunmen in gangland fashion brutally murdered a pregnant woman and her four children, the pan-Arab media greeted these brutalities with silence. And when 3,000 of our people were murdered in New York City, they danced for joy in the Arab streets. This continuing self-flagellation demeans us all as a free society. Let our system work. Let our rules of law bring to justice whoever should be brought to justice and stop portraying us as the worst nation on earth. And of course, the real "kicker" is that if we were to eliminate all immigration laws and invited anyone and everyone to migrate to our country, we would be inundated with millions upon millions of people moving here, to this hateful country, to seek better lives for themselves and their families. Go figure. Robert Goldstein
Bloomington resident Abuse photos reflect government's ineptitude I am writing this letter in response to Brian Adkins' wrong-headed article, "The U.N.'s sugar daddy" (IDS, May 10). Mr. Adkins rightly condemns the possible wrongdoing of some at the United Nations in regard to the oil-for-food program, but he is dead wrong on a number of issues. I have seen numerous stories on this issue and it is now being investigated. Also, although this is an important story, it pales in comparison to the enormous damage done to America's credibility by the prison abuse scandal. This is not the work of a "few dimwits," as Mr. Adkins states. New photos produced within the past days show the same pattern of abuse by other soldiers. What it shows is a pattern of abuse that is not only widespread but condoned. This will impact our image around the world for decades. It shows the staggering ineptness of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld who, in March of 2002, stated the Geneva Conventions were not germane to the detainees we had. What kind of signal does that send to lower ranks in the military not to mention the poor souls in captivity in Iraq? What happens to them at the hands of their captors now that this story is out? The Bush administration has made one wrong decision after another in the war with Iraq. There were no weapons of mass destruction and no real coalition, further isolating ourselves in the world and being woefully unprepared for the war's aftermath. The Bush administration is not only arrogant and reckless but also dangerously inept. I submit to Mr. Adkins that he should really think about the consequences the prison abuse has on our reputation and the war in Iraq. President Bush has changed his argument for the war from WMD to "closing Saddam's torture chambers." This is a statement he says at every campaign event. How can he say this with a straight face with what has transpired under our supervision? Erik Boice
Ph.D. student Violence only the tip of the iceberg As if repeated images of abuse in Iraq by members of our military were not horrifying enough, now we must see endless repetitions of the chilling moments leading up to the grisly beheading of an American civilian. It's surprising that the media doesn't show the whole gruesome video and surprising that the press retains some tiny shred of decency. The incident is everything our leaders call it -- brutal, barbaric, cold-blooded. I cannot imagine what the family must be feeling. Moreover, I can't imagine how humans could perpetrate such crimes under any circumstances. Our military members photographed the utter humiliation of Iraqi prisoners in poses orchestrated to be of greatest offense to Muslims, forcing total abomination in the eyes of that faith. I heard a commentator say that these images will "serve as recruitment posters for al Qaeda." Indeed, the murderers specifically mention the abuse as a factor in their own abominable action, calling the abuse "satanic." Just as our military orchestrated the photos to have a specific impact, this murder is designed for maximum impact on Americans. No, American abuses did not cause this murder. The perpetrators chose their actions. Our military nevertheless contributed to the conditions leading to this young man's death. Sadly, this incident will fuel American enthusiasm about the war. Bush will milk it to maximum effect, working Americans into a vengeful frenzy. As with images of the Sept. 11 tragedy, this incident will be tastelessly manipulated to aid Bush in the election. And more death will be the result. Americans and Iraqis alike will feel totally justified. Both countries' citizens will be thirsty for bloody revenge. We're no different than they are in that respect. One would think that such likemindedness would bring harmony, but no, it will bring death and political manipulation in both countries. Elizabeth Bridges
Ph.D. Student Fight athletics fee - don't donate Of course, you're right. Students are not responsible for the mistakes of the athletics department. You will pay for them, though, anyway. Why? Because the department has more power than all 30,000 of you combined. The fact that other Big Ten schools already have a fee doesn't mean it's a good idea. It only proves that schools elsewhere already are as craven-hearted as IU wants to be. Sports stopped years ago. This is business. IU football and basketball are minor league sport franchises. If the "market" applies to all those high salaries, why doesn't the same market apply to expenses? It's apparently not enough that they have a salary cap and friends in high places. Now the athletics department wants the taxing power, too. As long as you are a student, the athletics department can make you pay. But it can't make you do anything after you graduate. Your best recourse: fight business with business. Pledge, as a group, to withhold all future donations to IU until the fee is removed. Donald Gjerdingen
Professor, IU School of Law Campaign for a fiscally responsible budget In response to Jerard Ruff's May 13 column, opposition to the $30 student athletics tax, I mean "fee," is not an issue of being "of" IU versus being "at" IU. The athletics department (not unlike the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District) has put itself in a bind through mismanagement and seeks more revenue to bail itself out. Should students pay for the athletics department's mistakes? I say no. Perhaps $30 is not a large sum of money, especially considering the overall cost of a college education. What is important here is the principle at stake. Do we set the precedent that a department in trouble can simply go to the board of trustees for a "small" fee rather than behave in a more fiscally responsible manner? The way this fee was passed (the day before graduation, when many students had already left town for the summer) was underhanded and cowardly. After backing down in the face of student protests, the trustees waited to sneak the fee in when few students would be able to speak against it. Need I remind you of the blockbuster story in the April 1 IDS (a story which also made the Indianapolis Star) which revealed that the athletics department had misreported its financial status? They claimed they were running a surplus, but were actually running a deficit. This raises serious questions about the athletics department and should have put the brakes on any potential athletics tax. Raising objections to the trustees' decision to tax the students to make up for the financial mismanagement of the athletics department does not indicate a lack of school spirit any more than disagreeing with the policies of the Bush administration indicates a lack of patriotism. In reality, campaigning for a more fiscally sound athletics department budget should indicate a good deal of school spirit. Scott Tibbs
Alumnus Kruzan coverage should be level-headed I was dismayed at your coverage of Amy Kruzan's appointment to the governor's cabinet, an important policy position. Your headline of the article left the impression she was appointed because she is married to Mark Kruzan, our mayor, as did the article itself. You failed to recognize and acknowledge her strong professional credentials that qualify her for this position. Not only is Amy Kruzan a graduate of IU-Bloomington, but she also earned her masters degree in social work from IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and served as legislative coordinator for the Family Social Services Administration, a major state government agency. Not to mention these qualifications in your article is very poor journalism. You only reinforce the notion (still prevalent) that women to do not rise to prominent or powerful positions based on their own merit but based on their relationships with men. I find that implication insulting, particularly knowing the competency that Kruzan brings to this important position. I had hoped for a greater sensitivity to women and a higher standard for reporting from the IDS. Katharine V. Byers
Program Director for Baccalaureate Social
Work Program at IU-Bloomington
IU School of Social Work Dutch care about more than drugs and sex In her May 13 article "Sea Change," Kieran Dunn wrote: "I spent three days down in Amster's Dam ... I have come to the conclusion if the topic does not concern drugs, sex or a combination of the two, then the people simply don't care" I am pleased Kieran was able to experience the liberal Dutch drug policy in a way Americans can only dream of at home. What I do not understand is why he calls my hometown "Amster's Dam." It could be a certain substance clouded his topographic knowledge, perhaps it is meant humorous, or it could be that the stereotype of "the American" ignorant of anything non-American holds truth after all. I do care about sex and drugs, but I would like to let Kieran know there is at least one person in Amsterdam that cares about other things, too. I assume Kieran is aware that Dutch soldiers are part of the coalition's effort of pacifying Iraq and previously shared command with Germany over the U.N. stabilizing force in Afghanistan. The fight against terrorism requires solidarity. Though Bush is not the only one to blame, his actions have contributed to a divide in Euro-American relations. It is true though, I too cannot stand President Bush. His Middle East policy holds the risk of becoming a disaster. The reconstruction of Iraq is hardly a success at this time and a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seems further away than ever. His domestic policy of advocating discrimination of gay couples is criminal in my opinion. Despite my aversion for the president, I recognize a need to stand by the United States, even when I don't agree with its policies. After all, America is much more than its current president. Perhaps Americans can appreciate the efforts of the Dutch government in bridging the trans-Atlantic gap. I see no reason for anti-Americanism and would like to ask Americans to refrain from broad and generalizing statements about Europe and its citizens. Peace to the people of Indi's Ana (in a non-anti-war kind of way). J.J. de Vlieger
Amsterdam, The Netherlands