I am writing in response to the guest commentary about how the university is discriminating against left-handed people (“UO campus discriminates against left-handedness,” ODE, May 21, 2007). I am left-handed, and this commentary offended me. Left-handed people are a minority by definition only; there is little to no difference between right-handed and left-handed people. While it is easy to say that left-handed people are discriminated against, it’s harder to understand why. Left-handed people are called clumsy when they strike elbows with someone who just happens to be right-handed. I encountered this many times during my middle and high school education. I simply asked the teacher if I could have a different seat so it wouldn’t cause any more problems. Upon entering this university, I either arrived at my classes early enough to ensure I got my preferred desk, or I just accepted that I live in a right-handed world and sat in a right-handed desk at a funny angle.
I used to be angry about living in a right-handed world as well, but I learned to adapt instead of expecting others to change to suit my needs. In the timeless words of Mr. Spock: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” I would not want to be responsible for causing the many right-handed people attending this university the same discomfort that I’ve had for years just so my chances of getting a left-handed desk increase.
Isaac Loewen
University student