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The Pope's opposition to "optional" celibacy demonstrates his commitment to the preservation of the visible church. Now stripped of many of its traditional supports, the church is not likely to withstand much more liberalization. For good or bad, its only hope for survival is unflinching authoritarianism. A religious system that does not dictate certain types of behavior and forbid others has little reason for continuing to exist.
G.L. Smith
Mayetta, Kans.
Remembering 'Nam
As a former Marine grunt, member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and now a political activist, I was pleased with both Coming Home and The Deer Hunter [April 23]. There are many subtle lessons in our Asian experience, and it is my fervent hope that the generation now coming of age will be exposed to all of the views concerning it.
Jake Brisbin Jr.
San Antonio
Americans are hung up on success. Now, after losing our first war, we say that losers must be wrong—hence our continued tendency to wallow in guilt. The humbling Viet Nam experience might be the lesson that teaches it is possible to lose, as we did, and at the same time be the good guys, as we were.
Thomas M. Kando
University Park, Pa.
George Orwell said of the English that they remember only their military disasters and defeats; the same is true of Americans. Think of Valley Forge, the burning of Washington, the Alamo, Custer's Last Stand and Pearl Harbor. America is not going to "forget" Viet Nam.
Mark Thrasher
Burbank, Calif.
Black and White
As one of the demonstrating students in your photo of the racial unrest at Cornell University in April 1969 [April 16], I was disappointed that you made no effort to explain the fundamental reasons why those troubled events occurred.
For most of us at Cornell, our campaign for black studies was not negative, bitter or antiwhite in any way, but many white faculty were dismayed by these demands; to them such studies were not even a legitimate academic topic. When the most emotional black students and the most emotional faculty began to dominate debate in their respective circles, violent confrontation became unavoidable.
All participants in this sad affair were losers. We failed to demonstrate that temperate, reasonable and ethical people of different races can work together to overcome historical wrongs and animosities, and unite in common pursuit of a just society.
Thomas W. Jones
Boston
On the Road with Bwana Brown
Hooray! Let's hear it for the safariing Jerry Brown [April 23], who doesn't sneak around in his private life or feel that any political decision once made is irrevocable. What a historic achievement it would be to have a self-made woman like Linda Ronstadt presiding over the White House.
Andrea Mackiewicz
Abington, Mass.