The Roots of Terrorism

The bombing of the World Trade Center shocked Americans coast to coast. It shouldn't have. We set the stage for this tragedy by refusing to condemn terrorism on other shores.

To turn those who communicate with bombs and guns into folk heroes - such as Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) - encourages others to follow in their footsteps. Both groups have proudly claimed responsibility for repeated acts of terror. They have raped, tortured, and murdered Israeli Jews and Arabs. Yet Americans, from our comfortable distance, validate the PLO, an organization founded on murder. In short, we succeeded in rewarding terrorism.

For terrorism to take root here was only a matter of time. For it to end, demands that we remove our blinders. Beth Birnbaum, Brookline, Mass. `Summer of Service'

Regarding the editorial "The Call to Service," March 5: While I applaud the purpose of the Summer of Service program, I see no reason why it should cost $15 million to train 1,000 participants and to oversee the program to a successful conclusion.

Since the participants will receive a total of only $1 million in cash benefits, the remaining $14 million presumably is earmarked for administrative expenses. In other words, it is expected to cost $14,000 to deliver every $1,000 in cash benefits. Surely there are well-qualified organizations that could administer the Summer of Service program at a fraction of the cost. Patricia P. Wilson, Chicago Science or fiction?

The Television page article "Today's Problems Tomorrow," March 2, is informative and insightful. I have enjoyed the genre for years, but as a scientist, I have noted a large component of mysticism and magic in science fiction. In many of these stories, technology is merely a new fairy tale.

Although such stories can be fun to watch and read, I am concerned that many Americans regard science and technology as a magic black box, and many students regard mathematics, physics, and chemistry as courses to avoid. Improvements in the quality of life, however, will require a well-educated populace that comprehends the basic principles of science and technology. Such education requires a dedicated effort by students and adults - a point seldom made by TV shows. Edward T. Stephenson, Bethlehem, Pa. MBAs for women

The article "Business School Just for Women," March 1, is of special interest to me because I had the privilege of being taught by one of its graduates who later founded the Women's Program in Management at the University of Baltimore, where I completed my Master's in Business Administration degree (MBA).

Also, the book by the deans of the Simmons Graduate School of Management, Margaret Hennig and Anne Jardim, "The Managerial Woman," is a well-researched book and is still valuable today, years after its publication. In the article, Deans Hennig and Jardim say, "We're looking at outcomes...." They may count my former professor as an outstanding graduate who is making a sure contribution, not only to the education of women, but to the men in the MBA program at the University of Baltimore and to research. Oveta Popjoy, Baltimore