Time to Stop Vacillating

To the editors:

Your editorial (“Bestowing An Undue Honor,” Nov. 21) was a compelling and sensible refutation of the reborn invitation to poet Tom Paulin. Claims that Paulin’s remarks, advocating violence and murder against Israelis, were misconstrued or taken out of context are unpersuasive. Let’s hear Paulin say, without ambiguity or wiggle-wobble, what he thinks should be done to bring peace to the Middle East.

Charles L. Geshekter

Chico, Calif.

Nov. 21, 2002

The writer is professor of history at California State University, Chico.