Word: warrener
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Though I'm sure by now Thomas D. Warren's opinion piece, "Senior Gift is Apolitical" (April 12) has prompted a spate of replies, out here in the wilds of Berkeley California, the Crimson doesn't arrive until about two weeks after it arrives on Cambridge thresholds, so I'm responding as promptly as possible...
...Warren's fundamental argument, or rather, assumption, is that because contributions to the Senior Gift do not directly offset the use of University endowment interest, even those who disagree with University endowment policy can in good conscience support the Senior Gift. This almost sounds reasonable, until you hold it up next to the following parallel argument: the South African government determines what part of its annual budget will be spent buying police weapons, housing political prisoners, and doing other unsavory deeds, without reference to those tax dollars collected specifically from American companies doing business in South Africa. Therefore, American companies...
...Harvard, like the South African government and other multi-billion dollar entities, plans its budget at least in part by anticipating revenues from various sources. At Harvard, one (admittedly piddling) of those sources is the Senior Gift, and one (not so piddling) is the total alumni contribution each year. Warren himself tacitly recognizes the importance of this latter source when he says "a donation to the Class gift is an individual recognition of the necessity for annual giving and a pledge to further that cause." Warren can't have it both ways: either donations are unimportant for running the University...
Scheim's critical examination of Ruby's testimony before the Warren Commission accounts for some of his book's most remarkable passages. Ruby hinted broadly that he was part of the Mob, that members of the Dallas Police Department co-operated in his murder of Oswald, and that as he was testifying, his life was in grave danger. It is a hair-raising experience to read through Ruby's continued pleading that the hearings be moved to Washington, where he might speak with somewhat less fear of being murdered on the spot...
...Warren Commission, working shortly after Kennedy's death, found that there was no proof that Ruby had connections to the Mob. Like some previous authors, Scheim accuses members of the commisssion of intentionally passing over evidence of Mafia involvement in the assassination, and he finds sparse but suggestive evidence to support his claim. After reading this book, one finds it clear that the Warren Commission's failure to recognize Ruby's ties reflects either spectacular incompetence or sinister motives...