UNM safest place on Earth pre-Occupy movement

Editor,

I’m writing to express my support of the actions of the UNM administration regarding the (un)Occupy Albuquerque protest. It was a safety risk! UNM’s unique location made it one of the safest places on Earth. Never have I ever felt safer than when I’ve been at UNM. I think the Schmidly administration should go even further to protect its children — I mean students — against the homeless menace that has plagued our great metropolis for decades.

First, I would propose that UNM demand that the city move its Central and Lomas bus lines. It’s too hard to tell the difference between good bus riders and evil bus riders; let’s get them away from UNM! And sometimes transients use the bus; yuck! 

Second, I propose that UNM build a security fence around campus where armed guards would be stationed. This would serve two purposes: It would keep transients off campus, and it would create jobs for the fence builders, which would help out the economy.

Third, all UNM students should have to wear the same uniform. This way we know who belongs on campus and who doesn’t just by looking at them. Before classes we could all gather for a spirit rally where we all sing the fight song and pledge to be good little boys and girls until mommy or daddy pick us up after class.

Is this sounding silly yet? I hope so, because not renewing the protesters’ application because we can’t tell transients from protesters is absolutely ridiculous. To end the protest, the administration is feigning concern for the students of UNM. It calls to mind the days of in loco parentis, when college administrators took it upon themselves to look after their students as if the administrators themselves were the students’ parents.

So why stop at the protesters? Why not move the busses away to keep the transients who use them away from UNM? Why not have people bring their leave and earning statements to UNM, so that we know that the right kind of people are on campus? Why not have a dress code so law enforcement could tell who belongs at UNM and who is just a dirty ole’ bum? Why? Because it’s wrong! UNM is the flagship university for New Mexico. It is the center of learning for the state! It belongs to the community at large, not only those who are registered there.

To be sure, UNM officials have a duty to protect their student population, and they do a great job doing it. But at the cost of free speech; at the cost of denying its students the opportunity to learn, not just from their professors, but from members of the local community; at the cost of denying its students the opportunity to take part in a national movement to try to bring to light the source of greed in our nation; at the cost of labeling some people the wrong kind of people to be on campus because of how they look or their economic status.

This is too high a price to pay.

David Luna
UNM Graduate student