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Editor: 

I have just read on the BBC’s Internet site that certain people are calling for a boycott of businesses of the city of Berkeley because of the resolutions passed by the City Council about the bombing of Afghanistan. I read the motions passed and for what it’s worth, from the other side of the Atlantic in England the motions look in no way traitorous, disloyal, or in anyway threatening to the United States. 

On the contrary, they are intelligent, humane, far–sighted and dignified, and the council are doing a service to your nation by making such views public. I have written to the council in support of their position. 

What happened on Sept. 11 was an attack on freedom, democracy and the sanctity of human life, the bedrock of your society and mine. 

Only by truly protecting these values can we ultimately triumph against the evil people that launched the attacks.  

Actions taken by the United States and allies in response to Sept. 11 must always keep these values at the forefront, or we will have already lost the battle against those who attack us by degrading our lives and society ourselves. 

Freedom of thought and speech, a plurality of views, and universal respect for human life without reference to race, religion or color is what makes our society better than those who wish to destroy it. And America has always stood at the forefront of protecting those values. 

Here in England views on the war are mixed. They range from total support for unrestricted bombing, to a wish for all military intervention to end now. But what matters is that we are having a debate, and even our prime minister Tony Blair has now accepted that all views are valid, as the discussion and dissent shows our democracy is alive. 

I urge the people of Berkeley to keep up your brave stance. I hope that your city isn’t hit too hard economically by any ill-thought-out boycott in already–troubled times. But to be honest, your stand, coming from inside America itself, is worth more than any amount of money. By keeping the moral, human, and freedom-based core of America alive at this time is a gift for generations to come both at home and abroad. 

If that core is extinguished now, and a uniformity of opinion that eliminates all dissent and respect for life takes over, then America, and the world will be irrevocably stained and dehumanized for ever, whether we catch Osama bin Laden or not. 

Keep up the struggle, for your own nation, and the rest of us in the world. 

Toby Chopra 

London