Editor,
I read the Daily Lobo opinion section nearly every day. I sometimes question whether you should publish certain things written by students. This is not to say that I don’t encourage free speech; I think everyone should express his or her opinions.
I do, however, feel that some discretion should be used when deciding which letters should be published. Often, when reading the “From the Web” section, I notice opinions that are less educated and more prejudiced. If someone’s writing makes it into the paper, it should be because his or her opinion is backed up by well thought out, educated statements. I usually simply ignore the prejudiced and unsupported opinions, but an article I saw in the Nov. 3 issue couldn’t be ignored.
Victor Murthy’s article “It’s time for UNM’s fat people to change their ways” was, to say the least, tasteless and unnecessary. Obese people receive some of the most extreme prejudice of any group in the United States. Yet this prejudice goes unnoticed and unquestioned by most of us. Yes, obesity is a problem in this country, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to call for a mass cleansing of the population.
What a person does with his or her body is not up to Victor Murthy. Encouraging good health and physical fitness is an excellent idea, but writing a letter simply to bash people because of their physical appearance should not be stood for. Am I the only one who sees a link between the viewpoint in Murthy’s letter and viewpoints in groups preaching white power or religious intolerance? However, my concern is not so much with Murthy’s writing of this letter, but with the fact that the Daily Lobo published it. What criterion does a letter have to meet to make it into the Lobo? Sure, his letter is well written, but the bulk of the text is just a collection of petty insults that, rather than encouraging intellectual consideration of his opinion, encourage bias and prejudice against people who are just trying to live their lives.
Scott Walker
UNM student
Editor’s note: The content of the opinion section is just that — opinion. Letters to the editor are not researched articles written by credible journalists, so readers should take them with a grain of salt. As long as writers make a point and use an accessible line of reasoning, then we will consider printing their opinions. Everyone is encouraged to take advantage of their right to freedom of speech and write in. Please read our letter submission policy on the left side of this page.
