Your comments about Gary Becker's late wife is a reflection of your lack of knowledge about her. I knew and went to school with her at Columbia University in early 60's. She was an accomplished economist and a professional woman. As such, I believe she would have resented your not very elegent comments about cooking and cleaning. In order to score some low level ideological points, I believe, you and a few other contributors to these comments have gone too far. After some thirty years, I met her with her husband several years ago at the AEA meeting in Boston. She excitedly introduced me to her husband as a fellow-Iranian and a fellow-economist. I sensed a great deal of pride on her part and in a brief discussion that we had I came away with the impression that she was happy and in very good spirits. Unfortunately, having discovered a dear friend after so many years, I neglected to maintain regular contact with her. Today, very sadly, I discovered from Pen-l postings that she has taken her own life. Disrespectful comments about her in these postings only reaffirms my conviction that lack of taste, human sympathy and civility is not the monopoly of the far-right. Humanely yours, Shaheen Fatemi, An old friend of Guitty Nashaat(the late Mrs. Gary Becker) Department of Economics The American University of Paris 31 ave Bosquet 75007 Paris Tel: (33) 1 40 62 06 40 Fax: (33) 1 47 05 33 49
