Discussions of Columbia crash should omit politics

On Feb. 4, Yanev Gerowitz wrote rightfully, "Very quickly could this journey of scientific discovery have became a politically charged situation." In fact his letter titled "Columbia crew members deserve moment of silence" is a testimony to his previous statement.

Mr. Yanev, the Israeli-American, as he refers to himself, quickly seized the tragedy as an opportunity to blast Islam and Muslims. In his letter referring to the shuttle Columbia's explosion he states, "Sadly the first idea that popped into my head was that this was an act of hatred from an extremist Islamic group." [Read article]

As big stories go, the piece in yesterday's Arizona Daily Star hardly competes with the debate over Iraq or the latest from North Korea. But in a year dominated by tales of war and woe, the news that a potentially divisive group of local businesspeople, developers, and environmentalists had agreed on a plan to protect 55 desert species was a welcome respite from budget cuts, terror alerts, and shuttle disasters. While the agreement ÷ part of a group of proposed regulations drafted as part of Pima County's Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan ÷ might not look like much, it serves as a reminder that compromise and negotiation can reap fruit in even the most stubborn disagreements. [Read article]