To clarify some misconception that Todd Gitlin possesses, as evidenced in his letter, "Star Wars" (July 2), I feel the other side should be represented.
Gitlin states that "the failure of its previous experiment inadvertently reveals how absurd that . . . the Strategic Defense Initiative is going to provide a foolproof shield against nuclear attack. . . ." If Gitlin has ever experimented with any new idea or technique, he would clearly understand the importance of obtaining data from failed missions. The idea of "learning through our mistakes" is a powerful and important concept that makes us work harder toward "100% reliability."
