I am writing this letter in response to the many letters that have mentioned the College Republicans, an organization that I proudly serve in as state chairperson. In these letters, the UNM College Republicans were attacked for discouraging free speech on campus unless they agree with their ideals.
Critical consciousness - to think globally and act locally - is the incense that burns inside the shelters of hope. We smell this incense when we call upon our government and ourselves to act in a way that respects this earth that can, as Gandhi put it, "provide for everyone's needs, but not everyone's greed.
How many times in the last several weeks have you heard or read sentences that begin, "If we've learned nothing else since Sept. 11, we've learned ...?"
At the Daily Lobo, we have many of our own unsung heroes - about 100 of them - who put in endless, thankless hours to produce this publication for UNM community. It would be impossible to name them all, but everyone on the advertising, classifieds, accounting, newsroom, copy editing, production, Web and delivery staff deserve all the thanks in the world for their hard work this year.
It might have been nice to be able to speak dispassionately about the state of civil rights after Sept. 11, to theorize about the possible side effects of hastily-passed anti-terrorist acts and the burgeoning police state as if these matters have no direct effect on me, to comment disinterestedly on the over 1,000 immigrants being held indefinitely without trial.
I read Maceo Carillo Martinet's Dec. 4 column, and it grabbed my attention when he referred to the Afghan mujaheddin anti-Soviet militias as the precursor of the Taliban.
I'm deeply saddened by the turn of events in Israel in the last several days. I also am deeply concerned by the statements and actions of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He has repeated for the last three days that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is to blame for "everything."
It may be too much to ask that there be peace on earth this Christmas. After all, peace is bad for the economy and your paycheck is dependent on the military industrial complex. The United States, the bastion of consumerist Christmas, is the world's leading trader of arms, and without constant war, our holidays would be less spectacular. Your sleigh, so filled with goodies headed toward Israel and Colombia and Taiwan, is using U.S. tax dollars to make arms manufacturers rich.
There's an old Chinese painting that shows three wise men standing around a vat of vinegar. Each man has dipped his finger into the vinegar and tasted it. The first man wears a sour expression. The second is frowning at its bitterness. The third man is smiling.
Never in my getting-to-be-long life have I seen such a pathetic claim of victimization as expressed in Sari Krosinsky's column from Monday's Daily Lobo. My God, give it to the psychology department as a case study in human pathos.
As bombs drop, marines move in, and a company makes headlines by "playing god" in a sterilized lab, our collectivized fear is cushioned in blankets of self-congratulatory speeches. Bush, Colin Powell, and several others have recently commented on our "heroic mission" in Afghanistan as bringing freedom to Afghanistan women.
Enough with the whining about the bicycle racks already. While I sympathize with those who have the horrible misfortune of having to lock their precious modes of transportation out of their sight, welcome to the real world!
From the letter "Never underestimate the power of human stupidity." I was introduced to the mind of UNM staff member John Bauer. He became obsessed with rationalizing instructor Bob Anderson's affiliation with this University.
When I was about six years old, I called myself a girly tomboy. Somehow, the description still fits.
It's that time of the year again. It's one week before finals and the campus is teeming with frazzled students who have bags under their eyes that could pass for carry-on luggage.
I am writing regarding the lack of security around campus parking lots. During the first week of school, my vehicle was broken into and several items of value were stolen. I filed a report with the campus police and have yet to hear anything about my valuables
This is a response to Bob Anderson's letter earlier this month as to whether Albuquerque has an emergency evacuation plan.
Once again, the powers-at-be at UNM act to penalize students for the University's own narrow vision. Yes, it is a shame that bicyclists are parking their bikes in such a way that they impede access to others.
While I empathize and understand the frustration that students who are challenged physically may have with bicycles locked to railings and benches, I see the problem more as one with the removal of pre-existing bike racks than rogue students with bikes bent on making others' lives more difficult.
There is good news for people who care about equality. The American public is becoming more accepting of gays, lesbians and bisexuals. A recent study from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that three-quarters of survey respondents say they would support anti-discrimination measures for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals when it comes to issues like housing and employment. A majority also says they wouldn't mind an openly gay, lesbian or bisexual teacher or doctor.
Solutions by The State News
