Criticism of Socialist Nations for Rights Violations by the Left

Prof. Alan M. Dershowitz’s Op-Ed piece, “Leftist Cacophony for Human Rights Grows Silent on the Beijing Massacre” (June 11), is the last word in utter hypocrisy and falsehood. In essence, it accuses me and other individuals, organizations, and publications, identified by him as being spokespersons for the American left, of a “resounding chorus of silence” insofar as the Tian An Men Square blood bath is concerned. Referring to us all as “perennial democracy-bashers,” he falsely and maliciously charges us with deliberately ignoring the tragic events of June 3-4 in Beijing because of our alleged unwillingness to criticize a socialist nation.

I can only speak for myself but I can say that his assertion that “(my) office told his associate that (I) would have no comment” is an unspeakable lie. My office never received any inquiry from his unnamed “associate” and, indeed, it would have been passing strange if I had ever authorized such a claimed response when I have characterized the slaughter of the students on the “CBS Evening News” as “a massacre.” Moreover, I know that a number of left-wing journals, such as the Guardian and the Revolutionary Worker, were far more condemnatory of the Chinese action than was the President of the U.S.

In the past, Dershowitz has attempted to wean Jewish lawyers away from representing Father Daniel Berrigan because he considered the activist Jesuit an anti-Semite for his political criticism of Israel. He has also encouraged a congressional witch hunt of the National Lawyers Guild because it did not accept his invitation to send an observer to the trial of Anatoly Shcharansky. Lastly, it might be noted that he has never once criticized a single act of the Israeli government, including the shooting of hundreds of young Palestinians on the occupied West Bank and that country’s sale of weapons to Iran or its transshipment of American arms to South Africa.

In the last analysis, he takes the position that, if others don’t agree with his political priorities, they are “democracy-bashers.” This is the height of intellectual arrogance but, when he buttresses his know-it-all-ism with outright falsehoods, he then has lost all right to be taken seriously.

WILLIAM M. KUNSTLER

New York