Peoples

It has often been aid that the peoples' perception of justice is as important as justice itself. Many respectable people perceive Bork as a judge who would not provide "equal justice for all." For this reason alone, Bork should not be confirmed regardless of his individual merit. This rule clearly applies to judges of all political persuasion, as the voters of this state decided when they recently denied reelection for three Supreme Court justices. Since there are so many qualified conservative candidates for the Supreme Court, the President's selection of Bork, knowing in advance that a major controversy would erupt, seems to have been a calculated maneuver to divert attention from the Iran- contra affair.

James Pinkerton used his superficial learning to unsuccessfully mask his bigotry toward Islam ("A Young Religion Sharpens Its Sabers," Commentary, Oct. 9). Indeed, Islam is centuries younger than either Judaism or Christianity. However, to attribute Osama bin Laden's brutality to that relative historical youthfulness is preposterous and dangerous as well. Bin Laden does not represent Islam. His voice is favored and amplified by contemporary history due to the colonial relationship the Arab peoples have had and continue to have with the Western powers.

Re "It Was Reagan Who Tore Down That Wall," Opinion, Nov. 7: Oh, please. Dinesh D'Souza's Reagan adulation goes way too far. In reality, it was the peoples of Eastern Europe whose persistent pressure on their governments forced them into opening toward the West. To suggest that President Reagan was the "true" originator of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika is utterly absurd. As D'Souza himself writes, Reagan turned 180 degrees to support Gorbachev long after glasnost and perestroika had been established.

Re "A Snail-Like WHO Needs a Shakeup," Commentary, May 25: Laurie Garrett seems to have missed the point of the World Health Assembly. The World Health Organization exists to promote "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health" by providing guidance, technical advice and operational help to countries over the daunting range of health problems they face. To suggest, as Garrett does, that the WHO's role should focus entirely on responding to disease outbreaks is to miss the vital importance of much of what the organization does.

As America ended a weekend celebrating the anniversary of the beginning of this country's violent overthrow of the tyranny of a foreign power, you published an editorial (July 8), "Too Many Contras," which arrogantly sniffs at the efforts of the peoples of Nicaragua, Angola, Afghanistan and other countries to throw off the Soviet-supported Marxist dictatorships in those nations. With only a few minor changes, your editorial could have been published 209 years ago, entitled, "Too Many Minutemen," suggesting that their presence would only justify more redcoats, lamenting the "terrorist" attacks on the British, condemning French assistance to the colonists as "mischievous," and encouraging the Continental Congress to attempt to negotiate its independence from the British Empire (in cooperation with neighboring nations, of course)

I wish Howard Rosenberg's column "Bomb-Suspect Reporting Sets an Ugly Record" (Aug. 1) was front page news. I am disgusted by the total disregard for peoples' rights to privacy and to be innocent until found guilty. Richard Jewell fits the profile, all right. He fits the profile of an easy story. Single, lives with his mother--right there the sharks smell blood. Pudgy too--the kind of person people love to hate. In other words, someone without the clout to fight back. A coward's target.

Re "Rebuilding a Hawaiian Kingdom," Column One, July 21 I have no problem in honoring the traditions and practices of native American peoples of the continental U.S. or Hawaii. However, everyone in the United States is required to obey federal, state and county laws and regulations, and no one should think he is above these. Should someone commit a murder in "Bumpy's town," would the perpetrator be stoned or killed in the ancient ways? Could Bumpy's town become the Las Vegas of Hawaii by disregarding state and local laws?