Letters to the Editor

Authors of top 10 list will not be punished

Regarding "Editors of Nass to Apologize" (Monday, Feb. 16, 2005):

I'd like to clarify a statement included in today's article about the Nassau Weekly's "Top 10 Holocaust Movies" list. I did not tell the 'Prince' reporter that "discipline was not out of the question" in this case. What I did say, with reference to "Rights, Rules, Responsibilities," is that there are certain kinds of speech acts, verbal or written, that would lead the University to consider disciplinary action — but that the "Top 10" list is not in that category of speech.

"Rights, Rules, Responsibilities" makes clear that "Respect for the rights, privileges, and sensibilities of each other is essential in preserving the spirit of community at Princeton. Actions which make the atmosphere intimidating, threatening, or hostile to individuals are therefore regarded as serious offenses. Abusive or harassing behavior, verbal or physical, which demeans, intimidates, threatens, or injures another because of his or her personal characteristics or beliefs is subject to University disciplinary sanctions." Offensive language, as defined above, directed toward someone in particular could be in violation of our policy; words or ideas not directed at any particular individual do not constitute a violation of the rules, although members of the University community certainly may experience such expressions as objectionable and hurtful.

The boundary dividing free expression from harassment is crucial, particularly within a university community. Hilary Herbold Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students

Dealing with pain through humor

Regarding "Editors of Nass to Apologize" (Monday, Feb. 16, 2005):

We want to point out the difference between humor in a painful situation and laughter at one. How often is it that we observe someone being hurt, and don't even notice? Sometimes we may even laugh. Did you ever watch the Three Stooges?

What if we are the ones getting hurt? All of a sudden there is a role reversal. We become angered that someone or something would inflict pain upon us.

Take the Holocaust. Six million Jews died in the single worst atrocity to befall the Jewish people in its long, colorful and often tragic history. How could we not notice? We would certainly not laugh or say we don't care. Some people do not know about the Holocaust. That is a problem. Others choose to deny it. That is worse.

Then there are people who know about the Holocaust. Many choose to relegate it to the fringes of their focus. The enormity is too much to bear. A select few choose to face it, confronting the lessons and applying them to their own lives and the way they interact with the world.

For some people this is done through humor. Humor is not necessarily laughter. It can be a way to deal with pain. Rob and Jacob are both caring people. They are also highly intelligent.

Yet some things are so horrendous that humor fails. When Dean Herbold says the list was "undeniably offensive" she is correct. If you cannot be sensitive to your own people's wounds, you cannot appreciate other people's sensitivities.

We must take courage from the fact that two young college students are willing to confront such a tragedy, even if this is not the appropriate means. And we must at the same time help them to find an outlet that will not cause so much pain to others. Rabbi Eitan Webb Director, Chabad on Campus, Princeton, N.J. Arlene Pedovitch Interim Director, Center for Jewish Life.