What is offensive to some makes others happy

This letter is in response to the accusations made against the library by Nik Turner (letter in Monday’s Arizona Daily Wildcat). While Turner may have indeed seen sexual acts taking place in the library, is he proposing we live in a police state where people are not free to do anything, whether it be morally wrong or right in his high and mighty opinion? Should the library staff size be doubled or tripled and positions be added to catch couples in the act? Turner would be wise to step down off his high horse and realize that what offends him is what makes other people happy. While 9/11 is about much greater issues, one thing it was and still is about is the price of freedom. Sex in the library and all other things that some like, some hate and some just don’t care about are not things we should fix. Anyway, the library has a hard enough time finding books and assessing late fees to really think that it could prevent anything outside its core mission.

Michael Jose
UA alumnus

No ‘wrong’ time to protest

In response to Michael Sistak’s letter regarding right and wrong times to protest, I’d like to share my concern over what exactly the political science department is teaching him. If you’re against something and you believe passionately in what you are doing, shouldn’t you voice your opposition on the day you know it will be best served? We are not a nation of overly sensitive thick skulls; we won’t cry. We may have cried five years ago, but we have now returned to our normal and ideal state of being annoyed, pissed off, confused, divided, distracted and, above all, happy about the little things. We can hear a protest and disagree with it but appreciate its right to exist. We can take solace in the fact that paternalism is safe with Sistak, Clear Channel Communications and the people currently trying to “”save”” Africa.

Niall O’Connor
UA alumnus

Greeks don’t pay for friends, tests

In response to Sam Feldman’s opinion regarding greek test banks in Wednesday’s edition of the Arizona Daily Wildcat, I am disgusted by the flagrant use of misinformation presented therein. Feldman wrote that “”students in Greek Life pay to have friends.”” What Sam, clearly a non-greek, does not understand is that we greeks pay dues not for friendship, but to fund the various activities that we host and in which we participate.

Social gatherings may be one form of the activities in which fraternities and sororities are involved, but others include those of philanthropy, academia and recreation. It is through each of these activities that brotherhood or sisterhood is acquired – not through mere dollars.

In closing, greeks do not pay for friends; nor do we pay for the tests of friends. Feldman’s opinion simply appears to be one fueled by a common misconception held by those who oppose Greek Life for one reason or another. Despite that, however, one would hope that a writer for the UA student newspaper would have more maturity than to attack a system that contributes to the community in more ways than it does for itself.

Larry Muth
psychology sophomore
Delta Lambda Phi fraternity member

Fringe groups are hurting Democratic Party

Despite the fact he is a Republican, I agree with Mike Sistak’s letter that goes after the groups exploiting 9/11. I also would like to add on to it, saying that groups like Refuse and Resist and the ones that are claiming President Bush is responsible for 9/11 are nothing but fringe groups that are so out of touch that they think the Democratic Party is too conservative. Not one respectable Democrat I know supports the things they do. This year Democrats need to be as careful as possible, and when idiots like Refuse and Resist do this crap, it hurts us as a party and makes us less credible. These are the same radical morons who threw eggs at soldiers during Vietnam. They are the same people who do not represent the voice of the Democratic Party and only represent 1 percent of this nation at best. To all those people who think Bush is responsible for 9/11, you are also the ones responsible for putting him back in the White House. You guys go off at the mouth and say ridiculous things, and in the end it hurts the Democrats more than the Republicans and average voters get scared and vote for the party that is causing all the problems.

Joel Shooster
political science junior

Ginsburg address missed the mark

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s address to the law school missed the mark. Her opening statements praising creation of the “”Rehnquist Center”” at the law school were disappointing at the very least. She praised what she called its mission of addressing issues the former chief justice was passionate about. And, just what would those issues be? The elimination of American Indian sovereignty? The repression of women? In a callous effort to attract “”conservative”” money, the law school has effectively dealt an enormous slap in the face to American Indian students. Perhaps no court in the modern era was as detrimental to American Indian sovereignty as Rehnquist’s. And now, we are going to put that name up on the school. Good luck attracting American Indian applicants. Justice Ginsburg had the perfect chance to denounce Rehnquist’s approach toward American Indian issues. She blew it.

Geoffery Stauffer
first-year law student

Free speech should always be protected, even at football games

I was alarmed at the co-authored letter written by President Robert Shelton and Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Erin Hertzog in today’s issue of the Wildcat. A red flag went off in my mind at the end of the letter when it was stated bluntly that extreme or hateful speech would not be tolerated here on campus. Of course it is unbecoming for an educated person to espouse ignorant and offensive remarks. What some students decided to scream at the Brigham Young University game is inappropriate and Shelton and Hertzog were right in saying they would not condone it. It should be made clear the remarks said towards the visiting team do not represent UA values. In this regard, the letter was needed and justified.

When the letter starts talking about certain expressions not being tolerated is when I get a little scared. It’s important to know that those students had a right to insult the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just like “”Bible Jim”” has a right to shout crazy things on the UA Mall or the Ku Klux Klan is allowed to assemble freely. The First Amendment is not something to be applied only to things we agree with. Much like it is unbecoming for students to endorse hate, it is also unbecoming of institutions of higher learning to in any way restrict, block or otherwise make “”intolerable”” the freedoms of speech.

As educated people, we must uphold the rights of the First Amendment and zealously protect every result of such protections. When Shelton and Hertzog speak of not tolerating such speech, does this mean disciplinary action is taken towards students who do? What measures will be taken toward Wildcats who say controversial or extreme things deemed intolerable? Who decides what is and what is not allowed? Will our university become an unsafe place to express opinions freely?

Brian White
journalism sophomore

Cartoon erroneous, embarrassing

I will admit, I had not picked up an Arizona Daily Wildcat to read until Wednesday afternoon, but trust me, I have my reasons. Now, I got through the watered-down world news, the stories about the silly things the greek kids do and how they do them, through the sports page and so on in search of something interesting. I finally got to the comic page, the one place I was hoping to find something of worth this year … and I was let down again. First off, I don’t know if I am even naming the comic right because the girl’s handwriting was atrocious, but Katie Waters’ comic “”P.C. Toons”” was not only nonsensical, but she spelled “”feminist”” wrong. Waters, it is not “”femanist.”” Please, learn to proofread or use a spell-check. If I am just missing something and it was some witty play on words or purposely spelled wrong to make a point, my apologies. Perhaps I just do not understand your humor, but I have a feeling it was just a mistake.

Kristen Ferguson
junior majoring in French