Editor:
During the past several days, Loyola has been the site of several timely events concerning the Sept. 11 attacks and the proposed regime change in Iraq.
I am indebted to those who organized these events, and I hope we have more.
My one suggestion is that we have a more balanced presentation of the controversies involved.
This is not to say that any of the participants should change any of their views in the name of balance.
They should say what they think.
Rather, I think it would be a good idea to structure future events in such a way that the pros and cons of each question can be debated with civility, tolerance and openness, while not glossing over the very real differences involved.
There also should be time for questions from the audience, ordered in such a way that they are questions and not diatribes.
It seemed to me that the recent presentations, on the whole, tended to be quite critical of the role of the United States in the current conflicts.
There is room for these criticisms.
They should, however, be paired with arguments in favor of the role of the United States.
John Stuart Mill, by no means a right-wing fanatic, argued in his essay, "On Liberty," that citizens should be able to hear a variety of conflicting arguments, ones made by advocates who truly believe in them.
This, Mill argued, is the best way to keep citizens not only informed, but thoughtful as well.
This is a university.
One of its central missions, I believe, is to expose its members to such a clash of ideas.
If not here, where?
Therefore, I suggest, especially in view of the important issues facing the nation and the world at the moment, that we attempt to structure events in such a way that thoughtful and well-informed advocates of the opposing sides of these issues engage in debates that will give the rest of us a chance to think through the issues.
The famous political philosopher Leo Strauss once said that when you have two strong, opposing ideas to be considered, you become forced to think for yourself, even if for just a moment.
I hope we can do more of this in the not too distant future.
Roger White assistant professor political science
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