Letters to the Editor

Hijackers

As a member of UC-Berkeley's 2000 graduating class, I feel compelled to chime in ("Struggle for the truth," May 28, and "The courage of a few," Letters, May 30). The majority of students did not protest Madeline Albright at our graduation. In fact, only a few students protested. The bulk of the objectors were members of the community, who gathered outside the stadium. We were forced to wait in line for an hour and a half to get into the graduation. While in line, we were screamed at, insulted and verbally assaulted by many of the protesters. One woman had the audacity to call my friend, a history/poli sci double-major, a "spoiled, ignorant brat" for questioning the (faulty) data on the poster that she shoved in our faces. Inside the stadium, protesters yelled over Albright's speech, annoying and angering the vast majority of graduates. If you disagree with Albright's politics -- that's your prerogative. However, hijacking someone else's graduation celebration is inappropriate and disrespectful -- not only to the speaker, but to everyone (and their families) who worked hard and sacrificed to get to that graduation. I think that Fadia, our valedictorian, did the right thing. She didn't yell over Albright, or refuse to listen to her. She respectfully and logically explained her position and beliefs. That is what mature, reasonable people do when they disagree about important issues. As you can tell, I am more than a little resentful that my graduation was hijacked by (mostly) non-students because of their political beliefs. I hope that the UW's class of 2002 doesn't have the same frustrating, disrespectful experience I had.

Michelle Geri

second-year law

Middle school liberals

Being very conservative, I usually think the ultra-liberal slant is the worst thing about The Daily. However, yesterday's (May 29) paper really showed off the horrible editing, making it a tough call. I've known the writing and editing was bad, but I didn't think it could deteriorate further. Also, I hope Kevin Jones doesn't get paid to write that poorly.

Here's an excerpt from his article on the Ave. (note that this is one sentence): "Although store facades, bus shelters and the like occasionally get a fresh new look occasionally, the utilities under the Ave. have been untouched for decades, and the Ave. Project will involve a massive replacement and rehab of water and sewer mains." Now, I wasn't an English major, but if that's a good, publishable sentence, then Dan Quayle is a spelling-bee champion.

To the editor, good job not catching that sentence, and for the two articles which end in mid-sentence. Two articles! What is this, a middle school paper? Boy, you must really take pride when you kick back and open up a Daily thinking, "Ah ... I edited this piece of crap."

Scott Loveless

UW staff

Who's who?

I read with amusement Emily Sisson's letter advising Richey Kemmling to read the book Blinded By the Right, by David Brock, to find out what resentful and close-minded people were really like, i.e., the people Richey would consider his ideological buddies. Apparently, Emily hasn't paid much attention over the last month or so, as Brock's (who has admitted to lying in print several times) book has been shown to be essentially a work of fiction. It is filled with all sorts of imaginary encounters, articles never written, conversations not had and events not attended, and these well-documented lies have been noted by the notorious right-wing cheerleaders from The Washington Post, The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Slate and Wired, as well as mainstream left-wing journalists like Christopher Hitchens, Will Harper and Steve Kettmann, among others. I suspect Sisson's smug, "gotcha" tone and willingness to believe whatever thoroughly discredited nonsense that reinforces paranoid left-wing fantasy springs from ... resentful close-mindedness about conservatives, perhaps?

Brad Jacobsmeyer

'01, business administration, economics

Just a third-string QB

I'm curious -- why are Mike Cane and Mark Bergin so upset about the Seahawks signing Ryan Leaf? There really isn't much of a risk with this one. He is a third-string quarterback. I know he is a Cougar and we all hate everyone from Wazzu with a passion. And I don't think Ryan Leaf is a great human being, either. But he kicked our ass in the Apple Cup while taking his team to the Rose Bowl, barely losing to the eventual co-national champions. He is also a hell of a lot more durable than Brock Huard, who could never take a hit. This is probably Leaf's last chance, and he knows it. Do you guys really think he will cause problems as the emergency quarterback, where he knows he will get no slack? And even if he does pop off, Holmgren can cut him and be done with it. He isn't making much money, and the Seahawks have to have a third quarterback. Leaf is better than most. He has a cannon for an arm and can move, unlike Huard. So the Seahawks upgraded with very little risk.

Steve Larsen

freshman, premajor

No gambling

The risk-free pickup of Ryan Leaf was understandable ("Leaf blows," May 29, and "New stadium, same old Seahawks," May 28). He doesn't have a "multi-million-dollar contract" anymore and has not had any temper tantrums of late. Besides, what the hell was that reporter doing inside the Charger locker room? The tv station probably hired him just to incite Leaf and piss him off. It's not like the Chargers, Tampa Bay and the Cowboys were conducive offensively. There is lots of pressure on you to pass well when a loser named Jermaine Fazande, who is also a converted fullback, is carrying the ball for you. There was also a terrible coach named Mike Riley to guide him to the promised land. Mike friggin' Riley.

Leaf threw 58 touchdown passes over his college career, almost 20 per year. This was in the Pac-10. These guys you mentioned played in Division I-AA football. Neill threw nine touchdown passes in a schedule that included Cal Poly, Eastern and Western Washington, Sacramento State, Sam Houston, Northwestern State, Montana State, St. Mary's, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Weber State and Idaho State. Would you rather face USC or Weber State? If Leaf could slice through the Pac-10 like that, he must have been doing something right. We all know what he is capable of. There is no guarantee he will even make the team. If he is really that bad, then just cut him during the roster-downsizing period and take the Michigan State kid instead. We've got nothing to lose. We already have five QBs signed. Just give him one last chance before he retires.

Jason Tam

freshman, premajor

Doin' it Dawggy style

I would like to give a standing ovation to the people who have worked on the Radio Station Task Force during its course in the past four years, and congratulate everyone on accomplishing our goal. With SAF and tech-fee funding, as well as support from other groups, local business and the administration, our dream of establishing a radio station at the University will soon be realized.

As a founding member and a former chair of the task force, I would like to encourage the entire UW community to look into this new program, and help it to expand into a great station. We will be looking for help from the student body, the ASUW and the local area to show how important this project will be for the future of the University.

Look for Rainy Dawg Radio next fall quarter on the Web at www.rainydawg.com, and listen to the "Sound of the Huskies!"

Marcus Lee

senior, political science, program on the environment