2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the editor
Issue date: 10/19/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Personal Responsibility, not Social Engineering
Mr. Downs, when did I say that smokers should not be responsible and pick up their cigarette butts? When did I say that smokers should not show courtesy? Oh, that's right, I didn't. There is already a law against throwing cigarette butts on the ground -- littering. So, why do we need another one? Also, those who you say "have taken responsibility by not smoking," good for them. That is their personal choice. Also, instead of smokers moving downwind from non-smokers, how about you move upwind?
I rarely even smoke on campus, but to tell me I can't smoke outside...whatever. Rules like this one are nothing but social engineering and are creating a dangerous precedent. Secondhand smoke outside is no more dangerous than automobile exhaust, particulate matter in the air or dust from a construction site.
This ban is not going to stop people from smoking on campus because there are not enough police to enforce it. Maybe we could set up a separate group of students who want to be informants, and they could wear special arm bands so that we could recognize their authority. Better yet, a policeman per student. Then we could add certain colognes to the list, since the smell is so annoying - patchouli please!
Stephen J Gilbert
Senior
Landscape Architecture
Republican slogan refreshing
I would like to thank the college republicans for sharing their catchy slogan "Life's A B****, Don't vote for One." It's wonderfully refreshing (and so true) after having observed hate-filled platitudes from socialists for so long; stop signs spray painted with anti-Bush logos, adds reading "general Patraeus or betray us," books on how to assassinate the president, flag burning, and my personal favorite, the labeling of our troops as mass murderers before their day in court; they were of course later found innocent.
To Mr. Lammers I say, would you like some French cries with your waamburger ? I would also like to add to the slight felt by those offended by the College Republican's slogan, in the form of a quote from the savior of the free world, Winston Churchill: "If you're not a liberal when you're 20, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative when you're 40, you have no brain."
Jordan Pease
Senior
Horticulture
Traveler perpetuates ignorance about WWII
I'm writing in response to Jason Crawley's comment in Monday's issue of the Traveler. The comments I made about the image of a man wearing a swastika on the front page of the Traveler "contributed to the already growing ignorance about what took place during World War II" in this way: The symbols on that man's vest stand for a group of people that were responsible for tens of millions of deaths during WWII.
Those symbols should evoke emotions of disgust and anger in everyone. The fact that our student newspaper presented the picture in the way it did gives the impression to a potentially unknowledgeable viewer that it's not that big of a deal to wear that symbol and endorse what happened.
The lack of the paper's recognition of such an evil symbol suggests that they, among others, are not knowledgeable about what happened throughout World War II. I would like to thank the newspaper on their apology to the picture without an explanation. However, next time you decide to give an apology do not try to slide the blame elsewhere. Furthermore, the next time you put a picture in the paper do not expect people to understand what you're trying to imply just by looking at it. You're a newspaper; write about it.
Just because a certain group of people may be here three days a year, does not mean minority students have anything to fear from Neo-Nazis on campus. Ask around, I'm pretty sure nobody's too concerned about it, if they even know what Nazis are. And by the way, no one bases their decision to attend the UA on the front page of the Traveler, so trust me I don't think you're going to "lure those students to our school under false pretenses."
Alex McKnight
Junior
History Major
Mr. Downs, when did I say that smokers should not be responsible and pick up their cigarette butts? When did I say that smokers should not show courtesy? Oh, that's right, I didn't. There is already a law against throwing cigarette butts on the ground -- littering. So, why do we need another one? Also, those who you say "have taken responsibility by not smoking," good for them. That is their personal choice. Also, instead of smokers moving downwind from non-smokers, how about you move upwind?
I rarely even smoke on campus, but to tell me I can't smoke outside...whatever. Rules like this one are nothing but social engineering and are creating a dangerous precedent. Secondhand smoke outside is no more dangerous than automobile exhaust, particulate matter in the air or dust from a construction site.
This ban is not going to stop people from smoking on campus because there are not enough police to enforce it. Maybe we could set up a separate group of students who want to be informants, and they could wear special arm bands so that we could recognize their authority. Better yet, a policeman per student. Then we could add certain colognes to the list, since the smell is so annoying - patchouli please!
Stephen J Gilbert
Senior
Landscape Architecture
Republican slogan refreshing
I would like to thank the college republicans for sharing their catchy slogan "Life's A B****, Don't vote for One." It's wonderfully refreshing (and so true) after having observed hate-filled platitudes from socialists for so long; stop signs spray painted with anti-Bush logos, adds reading "general Patraeus or betray us," books on how to assassinate the president, flag burning, and my personal favorite, the labeling of our troops as mass murderers before their day in court; they were of course later found innocent.
To Mr. Lammers I say, would you like some French cries with your waamburger ? I would also like to add to the slight felt by those offended by the College Republican's slogan, in the form of a quote from the savior of the free world, Winston Churchill: "If you're not a liberal when you're 20, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative when you're 40, you have no brain."
Jordan Pease
Senior
Horticulture
Traveler perpetuates ignorance about WWII
I'm writing in response to Jason Crawley's comment in Monday's issue of the Traveler. The comments I made about the image of a man wearing a swastika on the front page of the Traveler "contributed to the already growing ignorance about what took place during World War II" in this way: The symbols on that man's vest stand for a group of people that were responsible for tens of millions of deaths during WWII.
Those symbols should evoke emotions of disgust and anger in everyone. The fact that our student newspaper presented the picture in the way it did gives the impression to a potentially unknowledgeable viewer that it's not that big of a deal to wear that symbol and endorse what happened.
The lack of the paper's recognition of such an evil symbol suggests that they, among others, are not knowledgeable about what happened throughout World War II. I would like to thank the newspaper on their apology to the picture without an explanation. However, next time you decide to give an apology do not try to slide the blame elsewhere. Furthermore, the next time you put a picture in the paper do not expect people to understand what you're trying to imply just by looking at it. You're a newspaper; write about it.
Just because a certain group of people may be here three days a year, does not mean minority students have anything to fear from Neo-Nazis on campus. Ask around, I'm pretty sure nobody's too concerned about it, if they even know what Nazis are. And by the way, no one bases their decision to attend the UA on the front page of the Traveler, so trust me I don't think you're going to "lure those students to our school under false pretenses."
Alex McKnight
Junior
History Major
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Devron Osborne
posted 10/19/07 @ 4:15 PM CST
In response to Jordan Pease's letter from October 19, I can understand how someone who exalts conservative viewpoints would conclude the correct response to hate filled politics is more of the same. (Continued…)
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