Letters

Re: the McCormick Tribune Campus (BD&C, 12/03), I am appalled that such a flagrantly horrendous example of the built code environment would be featured in your magazine. This is the most egregious example of noncompliant stair and ramp construction I have seen in 18 years. This mocks every national model building code in existence. The architect should be censored, the code official fired, and you should print a retraction and apology for including and exhibiting such a hideous example of life safety as a paradigm of anything other than a code nightmare. This is an insult.

Henry Brunett, Director of Code Compliance, Hayes Large Architects

Recently, in Austin, anti-growth activists have pressured the city into instituting a moratorium on construction of large retail buildings and forced "big-box" retailers into not building in the city. I would expect your 12/03 editorial to include this in your reasons to be "frightened" about the next boycott. This parallel makes transparent the hypocrisy of those that decry Mr. Danze's activism, but not that of the Left.

Wesley C. Griffin, Austin, Texas

I normally look forward to BD&C editorials. However, you missed an opportunity to have a real discussion about ethics in your recent editorial. What if someone came to your firm and asked to have a museum built to honor Saddam Hussein. It is perfectly legal but would you do it? In every business we have to decide if money comes before principle. In San Antonio, Browning Construction Co. had to face this decision when they were asked to construct an abortion center in which innocent human life would be destroyed. I hope in the future you can be more factual and even-handed in your treatment of controversial issues.

Joe Rumler

It's unfair of you to compare the building of a mosque to the building of an abortion clinic. The building of a mosque, a place for Muslims who practice Islam, to worship God, is in no way comparable to the building of an abortion clinic, except maybe to people ignorant of the teachings of Islam.

The majority of Muslims in the world are law-abiding, peace-loving people, and it saddens us to have to constantly defend Islam. I would hope that in the future a little more responsibility is exercised in choosing your comparisons.

Sam Issa, Mechanical Engineer

Mr. Danze's actions certainly do raise questions about what we are willing to do to make money, what compromises we are willing to make, and how far we will go in rationalizing our efforts or looking the other way while atrocities take place. Mr. Danze and his supporters clearly decided there is something they won't do for money, and that is to cooperate in the taking of innocent human life. At cost to their own businesses and with little expectation of succeeding, they chose not to lend support to this enterprise, and banded together to be more effective, which isn't "undue harassment" and "illegal conspiracy." If only the contractors who built the concentration camps in Nazi Germany had been as principled and courageous as Mr. Danze.

Martin Notzon, AIA, HOK, Houston, Texas

Your editorial was in very bad taste. Stick to building design and construction issues.

Stephen W. Heptig, AIA, Heptig Architects, Spring, Texas

That must be some facility at $620 per SF ($6.2 million & 10,000 SF)!

Edgar L. Rapp, AIA, E. Lynn App Architects Inc., Englewood, Ohio

I believe businesses should take an active part in anything that affects our society, even the controversial items. We've had enough of being politically correct and keeping our personal views quiet because it's not the business thing to do.

Peter Hetherman, Hetherman Design Construction, Winter Garden, Fla.