Letters to the Editor

Black Students from ’68 Work to Erase Media “White Out” With New Film

To the Editor:

While it is important that Christien Tompkins’ column “White Out” (Feb. 7, 2008) correctly points out the key role played by the black students in Hamilton Hall during the Columbia 1968 Strike, it is just as important that those students themselves be heard after all these years. We have produced a short documentary film on the subject, Vala4You that features actual Hamilton Hall veterans and arrestees as well as today’s student activist participants in the recent hunger strike dealing with the same issues—Harlem expansion in particular. The film will be aired during the 40th Commemoration of the Strike, April 23-17, 2008 where many Hamilton Hall people will be present to view it and be honored.

We look forward to efforts underway to rectify this longstanding shut out of the black students who forged the way to achieving a peaceful—and successful—demonstration, in that the “Gym Crow” gym was never built.

Participants in the building takeover are working hard to erase the media “white out” and to start getting credit to those who were on the front line then. We ask that the Spectator give credit to those of us on the front line of trying to tell the story as well.

Sherry A. Suttles, BC ’69,
Vala4you Executive Producer
Kamau Suttles,
Vala4You Producer/Director
Feb. 10, 2008

Article on Gaza Fails to Mention Important Facts of Israel’s History

To the Editor:

In his column (“Gaza Under Siege Once Again” Feb. 25, 2008) David Judd describes the “brief moment of hope” experienced by Palestinians in Gaza when they destroyed an Egyptian border fence last January. What he failed to mention was that less than two weeks later, Louai al-Aghwani, a Palestinian who crossed into Israel via Egypt, blew himself up in a shopping center in the southern Israeli town of Dimona, killing one women and injuring eleven other innocent civilians. That horrendous attack was just the latest in a string of events clearly showing that until the Palestinians are ready to reign in terrorism, Israel has few options for maintaining security other than to physically isolate the Palestinians.

Furthermore, Judd’s summary of the history of Israel is riddled with half-truths and whole lies. Yes, Israel received 55 percent of the land west of the Jordan River (the Arab state of Jordan comprises 80 percent of “historic Palestine”) but the uninhabitable Negev desert occupies much of the apportionment. Although the Arabs received most of the usable land, they proceeded to reject the Partition Plan and invade Israel with seven Arab armies in an attempt to destroy it. Not once in its history has Israel ever started a war, and to portray it as a militarist, expansionist state is pure sophistry.
Fundamentally, Judd’s arguments do nothing but encourage violence to continue. By attempting to excuse any Arab wrongdoing in the conflict, he is merely creating an unconstructive narrative that casts Israel as the sole villain, and makes peace more difficult to achieve.

Jon Hollander, CC ’10
Feb. 25, 2008