Letters

I would once again like to invite members of the UB community to volunteer as English-language tutors for new emigres from the former Soviet Union. Emigres continue to arrive and are in great need of one-on-one conversation with Americans. You don't need to know any foreign languages, just have a friendly manner and an interest in people. Please call Julie Lewitzky at 883-1914, MWF 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely yours,

Emily Tall
Associate Professor of Russian

Hatefulness has no place in academia
To the Editor and Academic Community:

In light of several recent displays of hateful racist, sexist, anti-gay graffiti, and other intolerant behavior on campus, the University Committee for the Promotion of Tolerance and Diversity feels compelled to respond. An important part of the committee's charge is to seek ways to unify the campus community of students, faculty and staff and to address intolerant behavior. We are deeply concerned that individuals who create graffiti motivated by hatefulness may have an ultimate aim to cause harm to a human being. Such hatefulness has no place in our academic community. One of the deepest values we hold as an academic community is the tolerance of diverse views and lifestyles, until they infringe on the rights of others.

The committee is dedicated to the principle of free speech upheld by the university. Everyone on campus has a right to express his or her personal views, even when those views seem rigid or intolerant to others. Moreover, it is essential to the nature of the university that it serve as an open forum for the discussion of all ideas, even when those ideas are threatening to some of its members. Nevertheless, we must strive to conduct the discussion in a way that is rational, calm and open to other points of view. Each of us must be willing to state our views publicly, to take responsibility for our views and to listen to criticisms of our views. Only in this way can discussion serve the educational purposes to which the university is dedicated.

Individuals responsible for hateful graffiti and intolerant acts that violate the rights of others should realize that every effort will be made to apprehend them. Individuals also need to be aware of the consequences of their acts. Criminal charges for aggravated harassment and criminal mischief can be lodged against anyone writing on property belonging to UB. Harmful acts against individuals, including graffiti, are actively investigated by Public Safety and are tried by the Student-Wide Judiciary. Incidents of this nature can result in both criminal and administrative charges, leading to suspension from the university.

The committee invites all students, faculty and staff to provide information, express concerns or make suggestions to us that will assist us in addressing problems of intolerance. In particular, we ask all members of the university community to help us create an environment of mutual respect in which we can freely discuss our differences, even when those differences are painful or divisive. We must use our differences to learn from each other. To further these ends, the committee is planning to organize town meeting forums and related campus events in which all views can be expressed in a civil manner and in which mutual tolerance can be enhanced. All of us must work together in order to build a better and tolerant community where difference is accepted and celebrated.

Responses to the call for suggestions should be forwarded to:

Telephone 645-2982 or fax 645-5966.

Respectfully,

The Committee

Donna S. Rice, co-chair Michael Stokes, co-chair Madison Boyce Barbara Campbell Timothy J. Conroy Sinette Denson Alexis DeVeaux Brian K. Doyle Michael Gendrue Stuart Goldberg Nick Goodman John Grela Jorge Guitart

Maria Elena Guiterrez Sung Kim Yolanda King Lynn Ilon Terrell Monroe Frank Schimpfhauser Toni Schunke Toby Shapiro John Staley Helen Stevens Shirley Walker Betty Williams Manuel Wong Lana Zink

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