Letters to the Editor

Visit the Mormons

I did not agree with the recent article on Mormons (Oct. 25). Could you please print the address to the Mormon institute building (3925 15th Ave. N.E.) for those who may be interested in following up on the article?

Amber Cannon

freshman, music performance

Dorms for everyone

While I agree with your editorial (Oct. 30) that it would be easier for returning students to find housing off-campus, sometimes it is not just a matter of deciding to move out. There are students who have constraints over where they can live, whether from scholarships with the obligation of staying in the dorms as long as they are receiving aid, or parents who control their finances while in school and do not want them to leave the dorms. I've been in a triple before, and it doesn't seem like it's that hard on the people I've spoken to. There are two roommates, so you have a better chance of at least liking one of them, and with two roommates comes two people who are also new to this school to hang out with. For many people, one year is more than enough in the dorms, and they move out after their freshman year or during their sophomore year (as I did). However, I don't feel that Housing and Food Services should punish students who decide that dorm living is for them by putting them in triples or telling them there is no room. I think that the UW should look into starting to build more housing for these incoming freshmen. The problem with housing is not just on this campus, it has become a problem at almost every college across United States which does not seem to be going away.

Jaime Harrington

junior, psychology

Selfish government bureaucrats

Your Oct. 29 staff editorial claims that the passage of Initiative 747 would lead to government spending cuts that "no one wants cut." Although you may have interviewed all 5,900,000 other Washingtonians to reach this conclusion, you failed to ask me before making this all-inclusive claim. I, for one, want to see government spending cuts. Even in areas that may directly affect me. When families and individuals face hard times, they must make sacrifices. It's time to start asking the government to make sacrifices, instead of families. Politicians will not reduce bloated government unless they are forced to, and Eyman is no scalawag for forcing them to. I do not want my tax dollars partially regurgitated to me in the form of some government program after a bureaucrat has taken his salary out of it. I know how to use my money to benefit myself more than Gary Locke does. So don't ask me to be more concerned about the state's fiscal bottom line than about my own bottom line. You may call that selfish, but how selfish is it of the government to leech off my money?

Alex Chang

junior, business

Anti-American

Since you have so graciously titled Richey Kemmling's resolution to the student senate "Pro-War" (front page, Oct. 24), I feel that it is only appropriate to title the most recent resolution to the senate "Anti-American." Thank you to the eight students and one super senior who signed it, for proving how unpatriotic and unreasonable the liberal left can be.

Hilary Patten

junior, Chinese studies

Kondescending Kemmling

If the College Republicans want any respect from their opposition, they should elect someone to speak for them that isn't such an arrogant simpleton. Richey Kemmling (The Other Side, Oct. 29) is the stereotypical republican: forever condescending to those with different political views, and willing to label anyone a radical that has anything negative to say about the American system. I'll admit that those of us on the left have a tendency to ignore the benefits of our system (particularly the benefits that the business world bestows upon us), but I think that it is much better to concentrate on the evils of our system than to ignore them. For example, if it wasn't for the efforts of naysayers on the left, everyone working for a corporation (except for those at the very top), wouldn't have labor laws protecting them and would most likely be making far less money and would have far worse job security (thus wouldn't be able set much money aside to send their kids to college). And while many corporations do give money to universities, their philanthropy is at least partially motivated by the need to appease those that criticize corporations and their practices (hence, no corporate detractors, less private funding for the schools). Just something to think about while ignoring your local protestors.

Matt Czajka

sophomore, premajor

Shame

I find myself completely ashamed to be a member of the UW community due to the campuswide anti-war sentiments. Does this group of people realize how many thousands, if not millions, have died in order for them to have the right to feel this way? These protests and sentiments insult the memories of my grandfathers who fought in World War II. They insult the memory of my father who fought in Vietnam.

I am sickened at the fact that they fought for people that now have no respect for the country that gives them this inherent freedom. To the protesters I ask: What would have happened had there been no retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941? Where would the world be today? The terrorists attacks of Sept. 11 were devastatingly worse than those of Dec. 7, 1941. This was an unprovoked attack on innocent civilians. Should America just sit back and hope that it does not happen again?

America cannot be silent on this issue. We has chosen the right course of action. The U.S. Congress is in full support of President Bush's decisions. For those who committed this unspeakable crime, justice must and will be served.

Spring Oakes

senior, speech communication

Let the juniors and seniors live (here)

I am the ASUW senator who represents Hansee Hall. Your Oct. 29 article on the WAC revision incorrectly listed me as an RHSA representative, as well as doing your readers a disservice by badly paraphrasing one of the points of contention I raised during the Oct. 26 meeting. My argument was not simply, "Juniors and seniors are about to graduate." My argument was as follows: UW should concentrate its housing resources on those students who are more likely to graduate, and upper classmen have higher retention rates than freshmen; therefore, UW should continue to give upper classmen housing priority.

Adam Martin

junior, business, Hansee Hall senator, ASUW