Opinion

Favoring athletics program sounds like discrimination

Editor, What is a conflict of interest? I am the president of Black GPSA and the tutorial coordinator at African-American Student Services. I was appointed by the president of GPSA to the Student Fee Review Board this past October. However, within a week of my appointment, I was called into my boss's office and told that the director of African-American Student Services had implied that my presence on the committee would present a conflict of interest.

Cholesterol: the good, the bad

by Peggy Spencer Daily Lobo columnist Dear Dr. Peg, In a recent TV commercial, the makers of a certain drug claimed that their medicine raises good cholesterol by up to 14 percent and lowers bad cholesterol simultaneously. Their ad slogan is "down with the bad, up with the good.

Abortion not an example of hate-driven behavior

Editor, I am writing in response to the letter from Benjamin Sanchez in Monday's Daily Lobo about the failure of the U.S. to realize Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. I was impressed with his supporting arguments, showing contemporary examples of dehumanization due to attributes and characteristics of a group.

Editorial: America not same country it was during Vietnam War

The U.S. has changed since Vietnam. It may seem like the public took a long time to turn on the war in Iraq. In Vietnam, however, tens of thousands of troops had to die before protest became widespread. The majority of the country supported the draft. Richard Nixon was elected president twice - even though he failed to end the war - and actually increased the number of troops fighting.

Divisive pro-war sermon is not Christ's message

Editor, Yesterday while I was driving, I heard a sermon on the radio delivered by a man who claimed to be "following in the footsteps of Jesus." I heard the word "war" at least 10 times during that sermon. The term "army of God with Jesus as the commander in chief" was also used.

Iraq deserves an apology from the U.S. government

Editor, This letter is in regard to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. If the problem was simply to remove Saddam Hussein from power and liberate the Iraqi people from oppression, this could have been done 17 years ago. The current president's father, George Herbert Walker Bush, urged for sanctions to be put on Iraq so the Iraqis would overthrow Hussein.

Dissatisfied U.S. citizens must voice their criticism

Editor, New Mexico's congressional delegation has no idea why New Mexico's National Guard troops have only 33.8 percent of the equipment and support they need. Perhaps borrowing and spending $8 billion every month in Iraq might have something to do with it.

Occupation in Iraq a mistake

by Matthew Chavez Daily Lobo columnist The White House and its dwindling allies continue the struggle to pull redemption from the charred rubble of Iraq. Nothing unsettles the Bush administration more than a legacy of trillions of dollars spent and hundreds of thousands of grisly deaths with no strategic gain to show for it.

Schmidly isn't focused on academic excellence

Editor, President David Schmidly's guest editorial Feb. 20 asking for the help of the UNM community to improve the school clearly showed that he does not understand the central issues plaguing UNM. Or, it showed he has no desire to deal with these issues.

Columnist should check facts before writing article

Editor, I wanted to say I'm a big fan of Mike Smith's weekly column - it's the most entertaining in the paper - but I think there were some inaccuracies in last week's article. First of all, I highly doubt Los Alamos National Laboratory has manufactured tiny black holes in its laser-fusion experiments.

Student fees not allocated in fair and proper manner

Editor, Do you know how your student fees are spent, who is spending them and why? The Student Fee Review Board is a committee of students selected by the ASUNM president and the GPSA president. It allocates about $8 million in student fees to departments across campus.

Closing North Golf Course might stop dog problem

Editor, The article in Monday's Daily Lobo on the possible closing of the North Golf Course does not mention one big use by the public. I know - I have lived right next to the course for six years. It is dogs. People bring their dogs from all over town and feel at liberty to let them run without leashes.

Ed toons

King's dreams of humanity still far from being realized

Editor, During this month-long celebration for African-Americans, I can't help but think of one of America's greatest citizens, Martin Luther King Jr. I often listen to his famous speech, "I Have A Dream," and sometimes, chills run through my body. The reason for this response is not the magnificent voice or intonation of the words, but the truth of what was said and the hope for a better nation.

President's salary takes money away from students

Editor, Ever-increasing tuition costs might lead one to think the money is going toward student and faculty resources, such as computers, student housing and maybe even a raise for our passionate teachers. You would be wrong, though, because it's going to our recently appointed president, who is bringing in $587,000 a year, which includes a $42,000 car allowance and a $45,000 housing allowance.

UNM has too few options for on-campus child care

Editor, I am a UNM student and the mother of two children under the age of 2. As any other student, at times I need help with my classes in order to get the grades I desire. CAPS is the best resource for help at UNM. Last week, I needed help with chemistry homework.

Don't stop at cell phones; ban all distracting devices

Editor, Let me say that while banning cell phones while driving and banning all tobacco products and skateboarding on campus is a good start, it's not enough. Let us consider cell phones. The dangerous factor is not limited to having only one hand available while driving, but also includes the distraction of talking.

U.S. leaders use MLK to justify awful crimes

Editor, Amadou Diallo, a young African immigrant, was killed by four New York Police officers in a hail of 41 bullets on Feb. 4, 1999. All the officers were cleared of the charges. Sean Bell, a young African-American, was killed by five New York Police officers in a hail of 50 bullets on Nov.

Skaters deserve respect from UNM's community

Editor, Perhaps it is the distinct click-clack of a skateboard riding over the seams on a sidewalk that reminds me of childhood summers. Or, perhaps it is the memory of that beat-up skateboard at the door that always meant my brother was home. Or, perhaps it is the surge of pride I felt when my daughter asked for a skateboard for her birthday - a gift I never would have asked for as a little girl.

Retirement of coaches a huge loss for University

Editor, I want to join track and field member Karl Kalm in mourning the resignations of track coaches Matt and Mark Henry. For five years, I have had the privilege of working with them as the academic adviser for the track team, and it has been a delightful experience.