Missing The Point

I read with great interest your article about the protest events surrounding the speaking appearance of Abe Hoppenstein at Lowell House in the Friday. May 3 edition of The Crimson

While a violent confrontation certainly deserves coverage. The Crimson missed the real story by focusing exclusively on the protests and ignoring other events. The real reason for Hoppenstein's visit to Harvard, a speech at the Institute of Politics Forum, got only one line and the real significance of his visit no mention at all. What's the real story? Hoppenstein's appearance at the ARCD Forum of Public Affairs on Wednesday evening, represented the first time in recent history that a member of the South African government sat at the same public platform with a member of the African National Congress. The ANC is an outlawed organization in South Africa, but here at Harvard on Wednesday night the two sides engaged in real dialogue.

Another example of The Crimson's continuing focus on protest to the exclusion of all other events related to South Africa occurred on Saturday, April 20. On that day, the Student Advisors Committee of the institute of Polices held an all day educational conference on South Africa. The Crimson received five press releases announcing the conference and its speakers on Wednesday. April 17, not only was no advance publicity given but also no reporter came to cover the event. The Crimson obviously thought that the issue of South Africa was important because you printed a front page story on Saturday April 20 about protest activities at other campuses. Why no mention of tat day's conference at Harvard? Isn't Harvard an institution dedicated to education? What about some space on serious efforts to educate students and discuss in a meaningful manner the implications involved in an issue of international concern?

Yes. The Crimson did print a story on Monday, April 22 about the education conference. However, after-the-fax coverage from second-hand-sources is no my idea of a responsible campus newspaper.

By ignoring the substance of these no protest events The Crimson continues present a one-sided approach to the South African issue. Yes, apartheid is moral repugnant and should be eliminated, but there is more to the issue than violent confrontation. There is more happening than student protests. There is constructive discussion on the issue occurring at Harvard to educate those students who have only limited knowledge and want more. Though admirable when they are willing to take the consequences of their actions, the student protesters aren't the only experts on the issue qualified to make statements, but you would never know it by reading The Crimson.

By choosing to cover protests rather than events probing the South African issue's complexity The Crimson's recent flip-flop on its editorial position toward divestment demonstrates that the issues involved are indeed complex and that students can benefit from further examination and discussion of the South African dilemma. The Institute of Politics will be sponsoring two more panel discussions on South Africa--I hope the rest of the Harvard community, it not The Crimson will be present. Peter T. Gelfman '85, '86