Chechnya and Palestine comparison misleading
In response to Stephan Vitvitsky's Sept. 28 column ("Tragedy of Chechnya"), I find the parallel used to link the situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians with that of the Chechens and the Russians to be misleading and unfounded. Making the assertion that [Russia] "turned Chechnya into a Palestinian-like atmosphere, with constant checkpoints and random searches," cheapens both the conflict in the Caucasus and the Middle East by attempting to encapsulate complex and multifaceted issues into a cute sound byte. This attempted link conveys a distorted and incomplete depiction of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The situation in the Middle East requires a vocal and vigorous discourse that should not be mired by such cheap shots. I hope that in the future more care and consideration will be taken when addressing these subjects.
Alex Zerden
LA '07
