Yee-haw! Gun debate out of hand

I couldn’t believe I was reading an actual headline in Wednesday’s Wildcat: “”UA debates campus gun bill.”” It isn’t (unfortunately) quite shocking that the Arizona State Senate would propose a bill allowing teachers to carry guns on campus but to hear that the ASUA actually brought this issue to discussion is disturbing. Our professors are skilled researchers and academics, not militia, and it is incredible to suggest that it should be their responsibility to protect students — not to mention how ridiculous the idea is (and image it brings to mind) of our scientists, philosophers and French professors going around campus packing heat. A university should be a progressive environment, not one that caters and concedes to fear mongering. Rather than training teachers to be cowboys, how about training people to recognize signs of distress in students (and teachers) in order to catch ahead of time, and possibly prevent, the type of emotional and psychological deterioration that is always well documented after the fact in the cases of school shooters around the country.

Louise Chapin le Hir

Reppin’ it for the UA

Many thanks to the Arizona Daily Wildcat for reporting on the desperately needed Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (“”Obama invests in higher education””). The editorial, re-published from The Brown Daily Herald (“”Leaning on the Senate about student loan changes””), is spot-on. As an intern with the Arizona Students’ Association, we worked to successfully lobby members of Arizona’s House delegation, including Southern Arizona Representatives Gabrielle Giffords and Raul Grijalva, both of whom supported the bill. We also met with staff members of U.S Senator John McCain who can, as a member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which must approve the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, and also step up and be a strong voice for Arizona’s universities, students and families. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act would stop government subsidies to big banks and invest in education that would provide more help covering college tuition and expenses and create better opportunities to prepare for good jobs. The passage of this bill is crucial to the recovery of our country’s economy, and indeed Arizona’s.  

Ken Strocsher

Political science junior

Pass the Doritos and technology

Tom Knauer’s Feb. 9 article “”How the iPad and junk food could save UA’s budget crisis”” gave a brilliant look at how the state and university can actually get some money, while helping consumers make better choices. After all, cheap junk food and redundant products are seemingly common in the United States. A larger tax on extraneous technology and unhealthy food would undoubtedly cause a shift toward healthier food and smarter consumer choices.

For those of you opposing taxes, I must question your logic. After all, how is a tax increase of about 10 cents going to hurt you financially? What is wrong with giving to your country? Take care of the society you live in, and it will take care of you.  

Tom Knauer is definitely onto something. A healthier and more financially smart citizenry is exactly what we need, along with more money for the state and the universities. Thank you for your inspiration, Tom.

Gregory Gonzales

Philosophy freshman