Neighbors Back Soka

The Times asserts that Soka University’s plan to enlarge its student body is opposed by “most” of Soka’s neighbors (“Ahmanson Site Suggested for Soka,” Times Valley Edition, Dec. 12).

How does The Times know what “most” of Soka’s neighbors think? Has it conducted a public opinion survey or systematically and objectively interviewed a majority of Soka’s neighbors? Or is it merely a presumption, a guess?

Based on informal conversations I have had with many of Soka’s neighbors, I feel comfortable in asserting that “most” of Soka’s neighbors welcome the presence of an enlarged university. Can The Times prove me wrong?

No--making my point that in the absence of hard data, neither of us can prove what “most” of Soka’s neighbors think. The difference is that The Times, writing for the public, is morally obliged to write impartially, to write according to a canon of journalistic norms and ethics that ensures accurate and fair reporting.

ALFRED BALITZER, Honorary president, Soka University