BALSA

It might be said that, rather than reaching out to Palestinian problems in the Middle East, the Black American Law Students Association, like other agencies of the Afro-American elites, have enough problems here at home to engage their energies and resources--problems relating to persistent racism in American life, social justice for the poor in the Reaganite era, and cultural up lift for the anomie segments of the Black lower class. But such indifference by Afro-American elites to the needs and concerns of Third World communities like the Palestinians is moral unacceptable and politically cowardice. I therefore welcome BALSA's decision to consider a resolution endorsing the PLO as the legitimate represntative of the Palestinian people. I also welcome an affirmative vote for it.

Who else, for God's sake, is "the legitimate representative" of the Palestinian people? The majority editorial of the Crimson staff (March 21) defies both common sense and political reality. The terrorist posture of the PLO while far from my preference, is no more fixed in concrete than that of any other national community bidding for status as a state. A political solution to the Palestinian problem requires recognition of the PLO. Martin Kilson   Professor of Government