Alumna Provides Alternative

To the Editors:

I would like to present a different view than that expressed by Jonathan Fox (OC ’89, Alum Suggestions, October 12). Obies, do not think that Jonathan’s suggestions are representative of all alumni. I am a peace activist and I do not agree with his statement that we should try to kill the Sept. 11 “fiends” before they kill us. I abhor all death, and I do not think that war is the proper solution to the events of September 11. Terrorism will not solve terrorism.
While at Oberlin, I studied abroad in Egypt. I then returned to Cairo after graduating to work there. These experiences have been invaluable to me as an American. My eyes were opened to the hypocrisy of American foreign policy and the cultural insensitivity of American tourists traveling in a Muslim country. This is a time for discussion. We will not understand the terrorism of Sept. 11, but we need to start understanding what it means to be American and whether our values are reflected in how we act globally.
I have traveled in Africa, the Middle East, and Central America, and I am never proud to admit my nationality. Please continue the tradition of Oberlin — search for knowledge and wield it as your weapon. Learn different languages, talk to people from different places, and try to understand.

–Heather Henyon
OC ’95