Editor, After reading all the letters debating intelligent design versus evolution for the past couple of weeks, I want to comment on what I feel is the most pointless argument in favor of intelligent design. It is, to paraphrase, "I can't possibly imagine how all this complexity I see in the world could have come about through random events, and therefore, God did it.
Editor, I am referring to the article titled "UNM gets C on sustainability exam" published in the Daily Lobo on Oct. 30. The surveys that were compiled, which ultimately gave UNM its C rating under "Administration" concerning sustainability, were never seen by myself or discussed in any of the Sustainability Task Force meetings.
Editor, Shay Talley's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Monday, while lucid, is also demented. While sporting logical fallacies - I smell three right off the bat - Talley's argument suffers mostly from its internal contradictions. Did you spot them? For instance, the question, "What do we do with the intelligent design we observe in nature?" can be answered simply: Appeal to the authority.
Editor, As a UNM student and a member of the UNM community, I was severely disappointed to learn that the North Golf Course may soon no longer be an open space. I cannot begin to express how important the golf course is, not only to families living in the area, but to UNM students and many Albuquerque residents.
Editor, This is in response to President Bush's "we're at war" speech aimed at Congress a few days ago. President Bush's obsession with his search for his ladylove "Dulce Iraqueña Aceitosa" under the guise of fighting terrorism, including the illusive Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorists, is similar to that of Alonso Quixano de la Mancha and his fight against "ferocious giants" - the illusive windmills - under the guise of searching for his ladylove Dulcinea del Toboso.
The North Golf Course is a misnomer as it hides more than it reveals. While golfers use it, the stretch is also a crucial place for community members - be it for walking their dogs, jogging or to just have neighborhood picnics. But all this may change if the Board of Regents has its way.
Editor, Does the prospect of endless war bother anyone else but me? I remember the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as vividly as anyone else. I watched the whole thing unfold live on television. I remember the talk of war followed shortly after by a full-fledged invasion.
Editor, I am deeply distressed with everybody on this campus who thinks there is a constitutional right to breathe. That's correct. All you people whining about smokers ought to get it straight: There's no such thing as the right to breathe, so just get over it.
Editor, Regarding the debate about intelligent design, and specifically Mark Erasmus' letter printed in the Daily Lobo on Friday, the question is not whether intelligent design is real science. The question is what do we do with the intelligent design we observe in nature? Michael Behe and William Dembski are not necessarily interjecting religion into the debate, but they are addressing the elephant that is sitting in the middle of the room.
Editor, It is time to put the intelligent design debate to rest. Proponents of intelligent design aggressively market their viewpoint as real science, insisting it is not religion-based. One leading advocate, Michael Behe, writes, "The conclusion of intelligent design flows naturally from the data itself, not from sacred books or sectarian beliefs.
Editor, In response to Don Schrader's letter to the Daily Lobo on Thursday, the mere thought of drinking my own urine is absolutely disgusting. And I also don't think it's very sanitary to wash my body and hair with my own urine. Stagnant urine in a toilet smells very bad, so imagine how someone would smell after washing themselves in their own urine.
Editor, I am writing in response to Ward Abbott's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Tuesday claiming that the smoking ban is not based on scientific proof of threat. This is an extremely uninformed opinion of a former staff member that needs clarification.
Reading all the recent reports concerning incompetence and seeming criminality in the administration, you may have noticed President David Schmidly and other administrators sound hauntingly like attorneys, politicians or government spokespeople. And indeed they do, because like these other groups, they often need to avoid speaking the truth because it might be embarrassing, yet for a variety of reasons are loathe - unlike the White House - to tell outright lies.
Editor, For at least 9,000 years in Mexico, 5,000 years in India and for centuries in other places, millions have drunk their urine for health. Writers from England, France, Germany, India, Israel, the Philippines, the Netherlands and the U.S. have praised the practice.
Editor, In response to the letter by Isaac Padilla published in the Daily Lobo on Wednesday, I want to say that it is absurd to assume that all white middle-class people feel affirmative action is negative. For hundreds of years, the African-American family structure was dismantled as a matter of practice.
Editor, The column by La Mont Chappell II in Monday's Daily Lobo contained claims that sparked debate among the students and staff of the African-American Student Services. The column claimed that affirmative action is out of date, institutional racism no longer exists, affirmative action was a temporary measure to level the playing field, students admitted by affirmative action will invariably fail, students admitted by affirmative action cannot compete with their peers, middle-class minorities are born with the same privileges as middle-class whites, and middle-class minorities do not need affirmative action.
Editor, In 1988, I completed the analysis of 604 surveys on the UNM North Golf Course for the North Campus Neighborhood Association. At that time, President Richard Peck was interested in turning the Barren Fairways into a driving range. In 1988, we still had a pair of burrowing owls living on the Barren Fairways.
Editor, Like most UNM students, I received an e-mail from President David Schmidly about the upcoming vote on the UNM/CNM campus in Rio Rancho. I understand why Schmidly would want this vote - growth for UNM is a good thing to him. I was, however, amazed to see that Schmidly asked students for this positive vote.
Editor, I did not want to get involved in the perpetual debate between evolution and creation, but I think the proponents of evolutionary theory are hypocritical. What gives them the right to impose evolutionary theory on their students while simultaneously demanding that creationist theory be banned from the classroom? The scientific method is clearly based on observation, and from what I've seen, all species reproduce according to their own kind.
Editor, The Mountain West Conference Championship cross country meet last Saturday showcased the best athletes UNM and New Mexico have to offer. Jeremy Johnson, an All-American and MWC cross country champion, is an outstanding individual. He is a great student, starting a graduate program in math this fall, and a terrific athlete.
Solutions by The State News
