Mock wall misrepresents border issues
I just read Brenna Goth’s article: “”Mock border wall blocks Mall,”” and am amazed to hear that this project was actually approved! As a prior UA student, I would have been outraged if my route across campus was significantly impeded by a demonstration by a special interest group. The worst of it is the completely flawed logic of the concept: The groups responsible are equating illegal immigration to students crossing campus to get to their classes or go to lunch! As is obvious, UA students are authorized to move across campus at will. There is no parallel between illegal border crossing and a student walking to class. Did the campus staff who authorized this demonstration also fail to detect this logical fallacy? What does that say about our institution of higher learning? Why is our university condoning such a sensational misrepresentation of the issue? I only wish that I was still attending UA so that I could participate in any effort to protest this ridiculous demonstration.
— Erik Nelson, Former UA student
Online Comments
On ‘Outcry over ‘Asians in the Library’ misguided’ (March 21):
Thank you Kristina for this article — you have put into words what I have been thinking all along; you can’t fight stupid with stupid. There is no question as to the offensiveness of her video, but I am equally disappointed in the resulting threats made to her personal safety. Her words and actions are not just a reflection of herself but of the need for better cultural awareness within the education system, including at the university level. Some white UCLA students responded with their own video, saying that Wallace’s sentiments do not represent theirs, and that in fact, race is not discussed often at their school. Clearly, if ethnic diversity were encouraged as a topic for friendly discussion among students on campuses today, bigoted views like Wallace’s would be more successfully challenged.
— Sharon Xie
Broadcasting her racism to the world was the mistake … she may have been ignorant and childish but she was also racist. Why are her statements being marginalized and watered down to equate a mere mistake? I don’t think people, including Alexandra, are accurately identifying what the mistake was in the incident. How is a person mistakenly a racist? You don’t mistakenly think bigoted thoughts … thoughts are, by their very nature, intentional. She outed herself as bigot in very public and inappropriate way and is suffering the consequences of both her racism and stupidity … and the lessons that people may want her to learn will only happen if she has the capacity to learn them.
— Sonja Carlson
On ‘Guest Column: Mock wall aims for understanding’ (March 23):
No, the border is not prevalent for most of Tucson, because most of Tucson abides by the law, which the US government has every right to enforce. These people setting up the wall are stupid and naive and somehow believe that a government doesn’t have the right to protect its sovereignty. Countries are nothing without borders, and quite frankly, I find it offensive that these people are, in a way, advocating the destruction of our country.
— Kevin Wos
I am sick of people conflating antisemitism with anti-zionism. They are absolutely NOT one and the same. Finally the UA Wildcat publishes a piece written with a critical, analytical eye. Dare I disclose my own Jewishness, but here I go: Critical Anti-Zionist Jews for Peace. I stand in strong solidarity with this article. Well-written, and fantastic work on the border wall interruption.
— Brooke Willock
