2 Female Cadets Leave The Citadel

Re “The Predictable Citadel,” editorial, Jan. 14: It is abundantly clear that the anti-military media, including The Times, are willing to tolerate the continued existence of The Citadel only if it becomes a bastion of gender sensitivity. That is not going to happen. War is hell, and The Citadel has the mission of preparing its students for war. That is not quite the same as attending a seminar hosted by Gloria Allred or Anita Hill.

At The Citadel, some students can take it. Others can’t, and drop out. Some of these dropouts hire lawyers and stage press conferences. But if America gets into another war, we will need commanders, and The Citadel will provide them.

T.A. HEPPENHEIMER

Fountain Valley

You are right. The allegations by the women at The Citadel could have been predicted at the moment their admission was mandated by the courts. Your reaction, however, was even more predictable in at least two respects.

The first is your misleading characterization of Shannon Faulkner’s brief tenure at the school. She quit training on the first day and spent the remainder of her time at The Citadel in the infirmary.

The second was your editorial’s call for a “radical change” in The Citadel’s training program. You are quite right that this is what many opposed to the admission of women “feared all along.” Contrary to your implication, however, this was not a hidden motive for opposing the admission of women. Before women were imposed on The Citadel by the courts, many people loudly and clearly opposed their admission on the ground that it would inevitably force the school to change its training methods in a manner they deemed unacceptable. These people, who will no doubt soon be proven correct, were written off as bigots by those who claimed--either through incredible naivete, willful blindness or intentional misrepresentation of their agenda--that women simply wanted a chance to participate in the school as it is. I believe administrators, cadets, alumni and everyone else who opposed the admission of women are entitled to proclaim, “I told you so!”

GREG MAY

Aliso Viejo