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Editor: 

I’ve been re-reading John F. Kennedy’s book, Profiles In Courage, and in the first paragraph he wrote: “This is a book about the most admirable of human virtues – courage. ‘Grace under pressure,’ Ernest Hemingway defined it. And these are the stories of the pressures experienced by eight United States Senators and the grace with which they endured them – the risks to their careers, the unpopularity of their courses, the defamation of their characters, and sometimes, but sadly only sometimes, the vindication of their reputations and their principles.” 

It may be – years from now, when tempers have cooled and fears have subsided – that Berkeley will appear in history as the single voice of conscience in a wounded and angry nation. 

It may be – years from now, when prolonged conflict has sapped our strength and optimism as a country – that the United States neglected wisdom in its haste for vengeance. 

No one knows what the future will bring, and so I am writing now to say that I admire the courage and compassion you showed in your resolution to stop the bombing of Afghanistan. 

Chris Oei  

San Francisco