Sept. 3, 2004

Where is the constructive dialogue?

If, as the Reader's Forum Policy states, "The Letters to the Editor section ... is designed to encourage constructive dialogue among University of California Laboratory employees and retirees ...[and] is a mechanism for conducting reasonable discourse," can someone please explain why there appears to be minimal content recently? Is this "mechanism" functioning correctly?

While it is useful to hear about bicycles and badges, there are certainly larger institutional issues being discussed (especially in the hallways of the Administration Building). Where, for example, are the comments on the 104-page Director's Instruction for risk level 2/3 resumption? There are no CRAD comments? I'm sure many readers would agree the absence of such discussion from the Reader's Forum seems strange based on the number of water cooler conversations taking place.

Has there been a drop in submissions since the suspension of operations? If so, are employees concerned about retaliation?

I note the COMPASS website's frequently asked questions list contains a comment that "retaliation will not be tolerated" and "every employee at the Laboratory is free to express his/her viewpoint." Unfortunately, while I don't mind expressing my own views, I fear there is a growing notion that the Reader's Forum will only publish comments aligned with some sort of "party line." There is obviously Lab policy to consider, and I certainly support that, but I am beginning to wonder if letters are being carefully filtered.

I hope to see more "reasonable discourse" in the Reader's Forum. Constructive dialogue would no doubt contribute to the improvements already made to this institution.

--Erik Shores