“Defends hazing
It seems that every time I read an article in the News-Post about college fraternities or sororities, the tone of the article is decidedly negative. “Frat member floats kitten in punch,” (April 15, 1983) continues that unfortunate tradition.
As a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, one of our nation’s oldest and most prestigious sororities, I am continually dismayed by attempts of the media and other outsiders to disparage the Greek System. I am specially incensed at vitriolic attacks on our practices of “hazing,” which non-Greeks fail to realize serve numerous valuable functions that I would like to briefly enumerate.
First of all, hazing strengthens the mettle of pledges by preparing them for the many trials they will surely face in later life. Secondly, hazing builds loyalty to the pledge class and to the overall organization. Last, but not least, hazing is the final stage of the all-important weeding-out process.
Charges that actives are to blame for accidental injuries which sometimes occur during pledge hazing are totally without foundation. No active ever forces any pledge or initiate to do anything in a sorority or fraternity — an individual is free to depledge at any time.
Charges that hazing and other related activities are detrimental to the academic performance of pledges obviously come from individuals who don’t realize that the primary education in a college or university environment doesn’t come from reading a book or sitting in a classroom, but rather from dynamically interacting with one’s peers.
No one ever hears non-Greeks laud the accomplishments of those within their ranks, yet the proud Halls of American History are lined with men and women who were members of fraternities and sororities. No matter what the press may say about us, I’m still proud to be in a sorority, proud to be counted among our country’s very best.
NANCY L. HAIGWOOD
10265 Ridgeline Drive, Gaithersburg
I’ve subjected the email that FoxNews correspondent Cathering Herridge was waving around to scanning electron microscope (SEM) — or was it a Transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
I get confused on the difference. I also zoomed in on it using a big screen tv — and I have bifocals.
As best as I can make out it is titled “HOT News.” It is from Bruce himself. He wrote it to his friend Patricia Fellows, who had left for SRI. This is the email that recounts how one fellow in his examination found that it matched most closely what another fellow had made. The media reports that the FBI suggests that it was an attempt to deflect suspicion. The email is a little confusing, and one might interpret it as meaning the stuff made by the one fellow linked to USAMRIID at Ft. Detrick rather than at Battelle. Hurried writing in emails or internet posts can be like that.
If there were less compartmentalization among scientists and investigators — and the public spent more time informing itself about Zawahiri’s effort to infiltrate US and UK biodefense establishment — there would be less sensitivity about this email.
Ivins always argued passionately that Al Qaeda was responsible for the mailings. See WSJ.
A bioevangelist theory, IMO, was always mistaken. The investigators on the one investigator squad were just not in a position to judge the quality of their sorority theory. Besides, it was their job to develop the best possible case under a bioevangelist theory. Which they seem to have done.
But let’s assume for the sake of argument that the FBI is not as confused as it seems and they were just caught off-guard by Dr. Ivins’ suicide. And they are making this up as they are going along — using intense surveillance, electronic and otherwise, in the hopes of bringing this case to a successful resolution.
While we wait to have some more shoes dropped, consider this: Who are the FBI undercover operatives? Where’s Waldo? In an investigation this well-funded, surely the DOJ has more imaginative use for its resources than paying GS-11’s to follow other people around to public libraries. They must be doing some really cool stuff with undercover agents and electronic mikes spiked through bedroom walls.
Remember: look around. Look to your left. Look to your right. If you can’t spot the undercover FBI operative, it’s probably you.
And if you don’t know where Aafia Siddiqui has been for the past 5 years, you may not be read into the case.