Editor, After reading Scott Darnell's rhetorical column about fear and hate of Iran on Thursday, I have to wonder if he also believes that we won the Vietnam War and that O.J. Simpson was innocent. There is no question that we must take a strong stance against the development of nuclear weapons by Iran, but how we go about it requires new thinking.
Editor, According to the recently released report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global warming is "unequivocal," and the most likely culprits are people. It is time to open a second front in the battle against global warming by stressing the need for sustainable population growth.
Editor, It's nice to hear that CBS and MSNBC took the appropriate action by firing Don Imus for his recent on-air racist remarks. But I don't feel they went far enough, as the current mavericks of the talk-show radio networks continue to fill the airwaves with hateful and divisive rhetoric and stereotypes.
Editor, A Bush administration official told CNN recently that White House aides, with President Bush's blessing, are actively trying to hire a new point person to help pilot the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "There's an urgency to get this done," the official said, referring to the administration's new security plan for Iraq.
Editor, Let me get this straight. Some say that Americans who want to bring U.S. troops home from the failure in Iraq hurt the morale of these troops, but that extending their tours to 15 months would not hurt their morale. According to President Bush, there isn't a civil war in Iraq, just pure evil.
by Peggy Spencer Daily Lobo columnist Dear Dr. Peg, My girlfriend told me I have stinky feet. She thinks it might be a fungus thing and wants me to get it taken care of. I don't notice it, but she said that her socks even stunk when she washed them with mine.
Editor, The treatment of radio personality Don Imus stinks. It's a typical one-way street. Let's recap - African-Americans can perform rap songs on the air and in live performances referencing women as "hos" or "bitches," calling each other the n-word and talking about killing cops.
Editor, While attending a lab last week, I realized where this University's priorities are focused. The lab instructor said that each student was to reuse a single pair of latex gloves for dissections. When asked why the class was instructed to reuse our gloves, the instructor said that the department cannot afford to allow students to constantly change dirty gloves.
Editor, The unanimous approval by the Board of Regents to increase tuition is absurd. Maybe if its reasons were a bit better, it wouldn't be. First of all, how does raising tuition help in hiring minority faculty? Does it cost more to hire minorities? I don't see how refraining from raising our tuition keeps the University from hiring minorities.
Editor, I salute the UNM Humanist Society for holding a blood drive Tuesday. Supporting efforts such as donating blood falls loosely into what, as a Catholic, I would call a corporal act of mercy. While donating blood is not specifically enumerated, activities like visiting the sick and feeding the poor are expected to be performed by Catholics as part of our faith.
Last week, Iran ended its 13-day hostage-taking of British sailors when it finally agreed to send them back to Britain. During the ordeal, Iranian leaders acted as all other Islamic fundamentalists we've seen since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, parading their hostages in the global media, creating a facade that the hostages were not being harmed and making demands on the Western world. It's a picture we've become far too comfortable seeing.
Editor, I would like to address the issue brought up by Ann Kostecki's letter printed in Tuesday's Daily Lobo. I believe there has been some miscommunication about what our organization, the Student Action Network, is about, stemming from the article in the Daily Lobo on April 5.
Editor, In a speech given in New Hampshire in late 2006, Gov. Bill Richardson said, "One thing the Bush administration has never understood is that diplomacy and military power are not alternatives to one another, but rather complementary sources of strength.
Editor, This is in response to a letter on Tuesday from a disappointed student, uninterested in voting in the ASUNM elections today. Student apathy regarding ASUNM's lack of proper representation is understandable, but it is not acceptable. There is a reason ASUNM has been ineffective for so long.
Editor, The Student Fee Review Board is the most important body a student has the privilege to participate in. Ashley Fate and Louis Jeantete are both presidential candidates looking to lead the students at UNM, but do leaders abandon their responsibility when pressure presents itself? When the board finished the departmental hearings, deliberations were scheduled by all members, and the schedule of each member was needed before the date could be chosen.
Editor, I am writing to express my extreme disappointment in the actions of a current ASUNM senator and elections commissioner. According to the ASUNM Constitution - Article VII, Section 5B - two senators are assigned to the Elections Commission as voting members.
Editor, The past couple of weeks have seen the most accessible ASUNM election in the six years that I have attended this University. Thanks to multiple forums and the hard work of several of the candidates - notably those on the PAC slate - the students of UNM have had more opportunities to interact with their representatives than ever.
Editor, The article in Wednesday's Daily Lobo about the Student Fee Review Board proves the fears voiced by some ASUNM senators: "There is a certain bias for the ethnic centers." It is obvious they are the recipients of special treatment, and the proof is in the numbers.
Editor, Making community service a requirement has its obvious pros and cons. Even though the Service Action Network has the best intentions in mind, it may not be the way to go. While doing community service is something everyone should try, it should not be forced.
Editor, On Tuesday, the UNM Humanist Society and the Atheists and Freethinkers of New Mexico will hold a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the SUB Plaza in observance of Gift of Life Day. Gift of Life Day is the secular community's response to the National Day of Prayer on May 3.
Solutions by The State News
