Bakery a victim of Village’s poor
design
It looks like Butterfly Bakery is the latest victim of Westwood
Village’s chronic problems (“Saying goodbye to a
Westwood landmark,” News, Feb. 5). I see the core problems as
bad planning, preservationism and the not-in-my-backyard
syndrome.
UCLA should have been surrounded on all sides with high-rise
apartment buildings to begin with ““ the current housing
shortage forces some students to commute from as far away as Santa
Barbara and Anaheim. And then Westwood was planned with inadequate
parking and tiny street blocks, so it cannot accommodate big-box
retailers who offer the great selection and affordability preferred
by most consumers. As a result, Westwood does not have the critical
mass of resident students necessary to support a true
“college town” commercial area, and it also lacks the
giant anchor tenants which sustain successful shopping centers and
redevelopment zones.
Westwood desperately needs renewal, not another 20 years of
stagnation. But whenever a developer tries to tear down an aging,
rundown hovel to put up a high-density mixed-use project with
affordable housing units and a big parking garage, they are
attacked by packs of rabid preservationists who fail to comprehend
the consequences of forcing thousands of UCLA students to live and
shop farther away. Thus, most developer capital is fleeing.
Meanwhile, like many UCLA students, I have better things to do
than hunt for a precious metered parking space in gridlocked
traffic and pay exorbitant prices in dark little stores with high
overhead and limited inventory.
Edward C. Hsu Second-year, UCLA School of
Law
Ayloush, CAIR do not support terrorism
Let me start by stating how privileged I felt when, last week, I
saw Mr. Lazar holding a sign with my name on it in protest of my
appearance to speak at UCLA. I have never been personally picketed
and frankly, I never believed that I was worthy of such an honorary
recognition. But then again, who am I to decide? After all, it is a
free country.
What I have an issue with is Lazar’s attempt of character
assassination against me and the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, the organization which I represent.
In a letter to The Bruin, “Bruin misrepresents
protest’s intention,” (Feb. 2) Lazar implies that I
condone the suicide bombing of innocent Israeli women and children.
CAIR, and I personally, have strongly and repeatedly condemned such
attacks and all others that target innocent civilians. If Lazar had
bothered to actually listen to my recent presentation at UCLA, he,
like over 50 other attendees, would have heard me make that
position clear. As for CAIR, one only needs to read CAIR’s
many statements posted on our Web site to verify its position.
Lazar also implies that I have referred to all Israelis as
“Zionazis.” I have never made such generalizations
against Israelis or any other ethnic or national group. I routinely
cooperate with many Israelis who are vocal supporters of human
rights for Palestinians.
Lazar’s most ridiculous and defamatory comment is his
baseless accusation that CAIR “has been linked to various
terrorist groups.” CAIR is the most trusted and largest
American Muslim advocacy organization. It closely works with our
nation’s elected officials, media and law enforcement
agencies to provide them with the Muslim community’s
perspective on issues. CAIR regularly works with and trains police
officers, FBI agents, sheriff deputies, school principals, teachers
and students, interfaith leaders and groups, civil rights activists
and others. CAIR officials have met with the president, senators,
congressmembers, governors and local elected officials. Our annual
banquets, across the nation, are gathering places of
“Who’s Who” in politics, media and interfaith.
CAIR’s principled stance against all forms of terrorism is
well documented.
Mr. Lazar’s letter is a typical practice of extremist
pro-Israel individuals. Instead of debating the issues, they resort
to character assassination. To falsely claim that CAIR or I support
terrorism is an intimidation tactic, designed to silence anyone who
dares to criticize Israel’s racist and oppressive practices
against Palestinians. I hope to see Mr. Lazar with his poster at my
next speaking engagement. Mr. Lazar, I will not be silenced.
Hussam Ayloush Executive director CAIR Southern
California