Star Offers His Brilliance, Again

Marriah Star approaches the difficult issues of cultural identity and academic merit with characteristic sensitivity and introspection ("Leaving History Behind," Editorial, Nov. 13). His well-thought-out arguments in turn cut to the very essence of the matter and explore its subtle connotations. His call for a focus on good periods of history, while ignoring the "had parts," is a brilliant solution for the problem of recurring loose ends in our society.

Selective amnesia is certainly the most mature and healthy approach. I also applaud his perceptive observation: "ethnic groups tend to have a myopic view of history, remembering their own history and nothing else." The pedestrian observer might peruse a typical high school history book and conclude that all types of students, ethnic or otherwise, must learn their share of mainstream US history.

Mr. Star has looked beyond this mere fact, in the process extrapolating the underlying motives and tendencies of all minorities. I wish I knew by what process he achieved this triumph of social classification. Perhaps by quizzing all his ethnic friends on the particulars of land grants in the 19th century, or, more appropriately, the good Revolutionary War. It seems likely we won't discover his methods with the great minds you can never really know. Jesse G. Lichienstein '98