Letters to the Editor

Leap in logic

This is in response to Betty Johanna ("Smoking 'em out of their lives," Letters, May 15). Johanna claims that perhaps the UW College Republicans want people dead because they were handing out free cigars to club members at an event.

Nice logic ... however, if you carry that same logic elsewhere, you can claim that VOX, because they hand out free condoms, want people to contract AIDS and other STDs from having sex before marriage. You can declare that the anti-war people want the United States to back down and be attacked at a moment's notice by terrorists because they aren't pro-war. You can say that since the Democratic Party is primarily pro-choice, they are gung-ho about murdering innocent babies.

You get my drift? I am a College Republican (CR) and I was at the CR Smokeout. No one was forced to do anything and if people can't say no to smoking if they really don't want to, then they've got bigger problems. I didn't smoke anything, because I don't smoke. I don't accept free condoms from VOX, because I'm not going to have sex until I'm married. I accept the fact that the anti-war people and I disagree, but I'm not blaming them for breaking down my homeland's security barriers.

I think it's a huge conclusion to jump to, to say that because someone hands out a free cigar, they want the other person dead. Have a great day.

Debbie Pettitt

sophomore, political science, communications

Apathy, schmapathy

Watching all of the election signs go up always reminds me of how uneducated students really are about politics on campus. I was discussing with some of my peers that we have no idea what the people voted into ASUW really do while they are there. And moreover, none of us actually care. We are here to earn a degree so that we can move on and start a career. The politicians who run aren't outstanding students, but really future politicians.

Unfortunately, the apathy on campus spreads much further than just the ASUW. One stunning example was a message board near the copy center in Odegaard that was titled, "What can we do to fight apathy." Ironically, there was nothing posted there.

It is inevitable that a university with around 35,000 students is going to have no real sense of unity or community. A community can only develop with a lot of commonality, and with this many students, commonality is found only in small groups of people.

What is more important than worrying about apathy in a general sense is looking at the University from a more divided perspective. Each group needs to be supported and have its own cares and structures. Whether this group is an academic department or a club, these are the venues which make it possible for students to make a difference and be heard. As long as we have these supportive structures, we can combat apathy generally by creating interest more specifically.

Katie Watt

junior, chemical engineering

Break the mold

Why is there a lack of student involvement in extracurricular student activities at the UW? Is it because the students are too busy focusing on their academics? From what I see, students plainly don't care, or believe that they don't have time for it. They do not realize the vast potential for growth and learning associated with involvement in student activities. Personally, I have been very involved in student activities since the beginning of my undergraduate studies here and now in my graduate studies. I have done things I would have never imagined and have grown exponentially as a person because of it. I highly recommend that students try to break the mold of just focusing on studies and get involved in a group that interests them. I know there are a lot of very talented individuals that would benefit from getting involved. Find an activity you believe in or are interested in and try it. You might become the next great student leader or you must just have some fun. Student groups are always looking for volunteers. Get involved and make a difference!

Curtis Lu

graduate student, electrical engineering

Debate debate

Paul Mitchell's column "Opinion opinion" (May 15) got me thinking. Paul stated his belief that many people have a lack of understanding about both sides of any given issue. I completely agree!

I'm wondering if The Daily has ever run a written debate? Why not run one now? Ideally, two opinion articles regarding the same topic would be run side-by-side for about a month. In that month, the first week could posit the general arguments by each side, the second and third weeks could be responses and counter-arguments to the opposition, and the fourth week could be the conclusion to each argument. Topics could range from the serious (i.e., fetal-tissue trafficking) to the fun (i.e., the best place to eat on the Ave.)

Exploring both sides of an issue is the only way to truly comprehend the entire matter. Can you do it, Daily?

Mary Basinger

junior, business, creative opinion

Bush's record of secrecy

It recently surfaced that Bush had some kind of advance warning of Sept. 11, although exactly how detailed the information was remains to be seen. I find this disturbing because I believe Bush and his cabinet have already established a pattern of secrecy in many matters of public interest.

Enron provides a particularly striking example, although not the only one. Bush's single biggest campaign contributor stole $30 billion from the state of California and shredded the documents, and when Dick Cheney was asked by Congress to turn over records of his meetings with the company, he refused.

Other news stories consistent with this pattern include Bush's sealing of 60,000 pages of documents from the Reagan administration, and the Pentagon's censoring of news related to Afghanistan and our other efforts abroad.

The American public deserves to know what Bush knew about the attacks, when he knew it and what was done about it.

Matthew Kahle

graduate student, mathematics

Spread the good news

In response to Rebecca Stefan's article, attending the last Jorge's Revenge sketch-comedy performance certainly elevated my spirits after I was unable to purchase tickets for Kids In the Hall. Before then, I really underestimated the quality of UW student-activity groups that involved the performing arts. Perhaps The Daily should do a story on the University's various talented performing arts troupes rather than cover the same old depressing news.

Elisen Johannsen

freshman, pre-major