Letters to the editor

Shout it loud

Why is it that the term “”racist”” can be thrown around so loosely on this campus? Is this not a community that promotes the development of diversified beliefs? Are we paying tuition out of our ears to be told that there is only one correct way to think?  I’d like to think not. It seems to me that any display of a conservative belief is met with vicious contempt, not only by fellow students but our faculty! Are the dreams Martin Luther King Jr. fought and died for so easily forgotten? I will avoid interjecting my opinions on the recently passed bill, but I would like to stress to all of you that opposing viewpoints are NOT inherently evil or “”racist.”” You all have a voice, so let it be heard without fear of reprisal from spiteful professors and students alike.

Derek Hartzel

History sophomore

Comments from dailywildcat.com

On ‘Mailbag,’ March 26

Point of correction … when I wrote my opinion letter it was not yet known to the public that the Eric Cantor incident was in fact a stray-bullet from an accidental misfire. It was not in any way related to domestic terrorism. I apologize for that error.

Joel Shooster

On ‘ASUA denies PIRG funding,’ March 25

I’m glad that PIRG failed to get on the ballot. Students voted them down last year, and would again this year if they had to vote again. In addition, while some students may support what PIRG does, not every student necessarily does, and they shouldn’t have to go through a difficult refund process to get their money back. Finally, the proposed fee would have paid for lobbyists who would be spending most of their time away from campus. Why should students pay for lobbyists to lobby for issues students may not support? Besides, we have Arizona Students’ Association, and there is more student control in ASA than with PIRG.

Anonymous

PIRG students collected over 2,000 petition signatures in two days. They needed 1,850 to make the March 9 ballot. Due to poor instructions from the elections commisioner, over 300 signatures were voided due to the use of Catcard identification instead of the student ID number. Students for AZ PIRG did not fail, this system failed them. They were then instructed to collect 3,700 petition signatures in three school days. Unfortunately, they voided the use of the near 2000 they already had collected and made them start collecting petition signatures from the beginning, which ultimately failed to happen due to the defeated feeling so many members felt after being let down by the system. This ASUA vote is bad news for the members involved, making them continue to swim against the current. PIRG cannot be successful without Senate support ­— their opinion yesterday is a huge setback for PIRG. The campus wants to see PIRG advocate for the things they know how to change: global warming, hunger and homelessness, higher education and public transportation, but now PIRG is forced to continue to advocate for the formation of a PIRG chapter and not much else.

Anonymous

“”The campus wants to see PIRG advocate for the things they know how to change.””

This must be news to “”the campus,”” which voted against such a fee just last year, on a ballot question skewed heavily in PIRG’s favor. Of course, when such “”mistaken information”” and “”poor instructions”” were transmitted from the elections commission to students, there were no complaints from the organization that stood to benefit. Now that PIRG finds itself being hurt rather than helped by the commission, a cry is heard: “”Injustice!””

John D.

Although PIRG offers some beneficial things to campus, their activities and initiatives are redundant in nature to many things already occurring on-campus, for example ASA, Students for Sustainability, Social Justice League, etc. Additionally, there are plenty of chapters that function with the use of outside funding, i.e. grants, etc. Lastly, they are a recognized club on campus, and as such, they are eligible for the over $150,000 of club funding that ASUA already provides. Though this is a setback for the organization, there are plenty of other avenues available to them and as is evident by their persistence, they won’t be going anywhere. I would rather them focus on advocating and working toward their mission, rather than battling student governmental bureaucracy.

Anonymous