Abortion display on UA Mall inappropriate

While a great deal of us are accustomed to the random losers holding up pictures of dead babies, I was disgusted to come across a circus of anti-abortion dogma on the UA Mall yesterday. Pictures of Holocaust victims and hate crimes were used to draw direct associations to abortion.

To suggest that sanctioning of abortions is analogous to giving the nod to the Holocaust is more than a little absurd. Now rape victims who were forcibly impregnated and chose to confront their intense mental and physical pain through abortion can join Adolf Hitler and the Ku Klux Klan in history’s big book of atrocities.

It is nothing short of shameful that the UA agreed to host an event for an “”issue”” that simply boils down to basic human rights versus those who would oppress others

simply to project morality on them. I dread what may be in store; I think I see the anti-gay-marriage van pulling up, too.

James Matthews
ecology and evolutionary biology senior

Pedestrians, bicyclists need to heed traffic laws

Everyone knows that wheeled vehicles, bikes included, are required to yield the right of way to pedestrians. This does not place all responsibility on riders or drivers. Essentially pedestrians are given the “”right of way,”” not the right to do what they want and impede the flow of traffic. As such, pedestrians do not have the “”right”” to cross a road wherever they want and expect traffic to bow down before them and stop.

This is called jaywalking and is illegal. The only “”right”” that pedestrians are granted is to not be run down when in the roadway. As such, every pedestrian still has the responsibility to look out for his or her well-being by looking for traffic before stepping into the street. I assume that the fact that campus pedestrians made it to a university means you had responsible parents who taught you this, though most people’s actions suggest otherwise.

This should hold true for bike paths. I have seen pedestrians hit by bikes, and it is just as bloody, gory and life-altering (or ending) as being hit by a car. As such, it is unfathomable to me that people would jeopardize their lives by stepping onto a bike path without looking – often in front of traffic – or by walking in the middle of the street.

Earlier, I passed a guy being responsible waiting for a break in traffic, and the girl he was with became impatient, grabbed him, and said, “”It’s their job to watch out for you.”” Way to displace responsibility to others and jeopardize his life.

Few know that the McClelland/Speedway underpass is a “”walk your bike”” area because someone was hit by a bike and killed there. Take responsibility for your own life; don’t displace it. Look both ways, and don’t walk in the middle of a bike path.

When it comes to my life or yours, I choose mine. This does not mean that cyclists do not share comparable responsibility, but rather that pedestrians do not behave responsibly either.

James Lusk
senior majoring in political science and physical education

Graphic abortion display nauseating

I am writing in response to the graphic depiction of the aborted fetuses displayed on the UA Mall. I was looking around

marveling at the snow on the trees when I came across the ridiculously large

anti-abortion display, which showed photographs of what appeared to be aborted fetuses,

marring the otherwise beautiful campus. It honestly made me want to slap my cheeks and scream like Kevin from “”Home Alone.””

Where do you draw the line, UA? It seems that in an effort to welcome all viewpoints to the campus, the UA has overlooked a

fundamental issue that every

university should strive for – to avoid using its

campus as an ipecac substitute to remove its students’ stomach contents.

Next thing I know, I’m going to be standing in the shade of an 18-foot photographic depiction of a herpes-infected penis (erected by some extremist abstinence advocacy group) trying to keep down a Nathan’s hot dog I had just purchased, cursing myself for making such a dubious culinary decision.

In the future, I just ask that groups of all backgrounds and beliefs show a little more maturity and discretion when conveying their thoughts. Please.

Aaron Ho
molecular and cellular biology sophomore

Macs far superior to Windows PCs

With all due respect to Alex Hoogasian (“”Macs ‘useless’ to most computer users””), what is his angle? Is he trying to incite some sort of fanboy flame war in the Arizona Daily Wildcat? Or is he some kind of shill for Microsoft?

I spent 18 years using various Windows operating systems, and while it did the job for me, I tired of fending off viruses,

spyware, random crashes, reinst alling Windows for the umpteenth time and playing system administrator every weekend.

I took the plunge with the Mac two years ago and haven’t looked back. They’re quite capable machines, and they’ve been able to handle everything I’ve thrown at them – music, photo editing, Internet browsing, inane physics labs, computer programming, pointless papers and yes – even games.

For being a politicial science major (a senior, nonetheless!), I would have expected a better argument out of Hoogasian!

Juan Carlos Lopez
computer engineering senior

Basketball ticket blitz a ‘fiasco’

After this morning’s fiasco with purchasing tickets for two highly awaited games (Arizona State University and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) I have decided it is not our loyal fanbase that should be faulted for not filling the student section at games, but the completely inept and worthless job Zona Zoo and the athletics’ ticket department have done selling these tickets.

After an advertising blitz that border-lined as harassment, the university’s servers were not up to the challenges of selling an anxious, loyal and excited student body their tickets. Fifty-seven minutes, two sets of UNC tickets, two sets of ASU tickets and multiple other server crashes leave this fan wondering what exactly we are waking up early for.

Zona Zoo has chosen to sell tickets like Stalin sold bread in communist Russia: no rhyme, no reason and long lines. Well, UA fans are not taking it sitting down; we want our people’s revolution and quality servers!

Alas, just as this young Wildcat fan’s hope was dwindling, the server comes through with two tickets: one to ASU, one to UNC at 7:08 a.m. Go ‘Cats!

Joshua Offenhartz
pre-business sophomore

LGBT community needs bolstered UA support

I just want to echo the sentiments that Sam Feldman has expressed regarding the need for an LGBT center on campus (“”LGBT center necessary, not too costly””). Not only is it a positive step for the gay community, but it is a necessity for the school in general.

While Pride Alliance has been an amazing program for the student body, unfortunately it no longer has the resources to adequately serve the LGBT community in all aspects. While I have tremendous respect for some of the people who run it, like Sam, I am annoyed that it focuses on the extremes of the gay community and not on the general populace.

Frankly, it is damaging when stereotypes are promoted. Call me crazy but last time I checked, drag queens and transgendered individuals were two separate things. Drag queens are people who dress as the opposite sex for laughs and for show as well as money. Transgendered people are individuals who live as the opposite sex because it is who they are on the inside.

Frankly, I think it is insulting that we give so much attention to drag queens when it has nothing to do with transgenderism. By doing that, you are equating the two and demeaning transgendered people as promiscuous pole dancers who like to act foolish and put on public shows.

Students may have negative opinions about the LGBT center now. However, I feel that this is simply because they do not know all the facts yet. I also believe that opposition to it is not out of homophobia or even “”homonausea,”” but rather a misunderstanding on the needs of the LGBT community at large.

When this center becomes a reality (and it will), I believe the overwhelming supermajority of students will be glad that it is there and will support its continued existence. Let’s not forget that Tucson and this university have had a long history of tolerance toward the gay community.

I ask all students – gay, straight, male and female – to take a second look at what is being done here and understand that in the long run, when you lift up those who are constantly at the bottom of the barrel, you lift yourself up as well.

Joel Shooster
political science junior