Make a smarter statement
The sub-heading from your Nov. 12 cover article, “Students provide educated opinions about possibility of U.S. war in Iraq” was un-convincing. Not because of the copy that followed, but rather the picture that accompanied the article. The photo captured a student (supposedly) holding a makeshift sign stating “WAR IS STUPID.”
Now, I’m not in full agreement with the move to go to war with Iraq, but this over simplified statement on a rudimentary sign does absolutely nothing to suggest that Oregon students are actually providing educated opinions on the matter.
To the protesters: Bring a more substantial vocabulary to the table if you want someone to take serious notice.
Gene Willis
first year graduate
general business
Letter lies about Bush
For a history major, Zachary White’s letter to the editor (ODE, “Bush shows heroism in stand against Iraq,” Nov. 19) is a series of historical falsehoods.
First, White claims that President George W. Bush puts the safety and security of the American people in high priority. If this were true, Bush would be waging a war on al-Qaida, not Iraq. Investigations by the FBI, the CIA and Czech Intelligence have found no substance to rumors of an Iraqal-Qaida connection. Furthermore, the CIA made a statement that Americans are more vulnerable to terrorist attacks now than they were prior to Sept. 11, yet Bush continues to push for war in Iraq.
White also plays upon the tiresome comparison of Saddam Hussein to Hitler. No one denies that Hussein is a brutal dictator, but that did not stop the U.S. government from supplying Hussein with weapons during the IraqIran war. It also didn’t stop Vice President Dick Cheney, when he was CEO of Halliburton, from making a $23.8-million deal with Hussein so that he could afford to build weapons of mass destruction.
All this going on while humanitarian aid to Iraq
— food and medical supplies that the people of Iraq desperately needed — were withheld because they may have a dual purpose.
As far as historical accuracy goes, the comparison made by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s government carries more validity than the one made by White.
Levi Strom
senior
sociology, political science
co-founder, Students For Peace
Make it legal and tax it
In response to the column, “Smoke-filled Logic,” (ODE, Nov. 11), I find the argument hard to swallow. The author says that Ballot Measure 20 “assumes that smokers can and should be penalized for choosing to do something that society looks down on.” Isn’t that the way our entire legislative system works? Society deems some act unfavorable and then creates laws to limit it.
True, there are other behaviors in addition to smoking that raise general health care costs. His comparison of smoking to overeating is valid, and I would be in strong support of a McDonald’s tax as well. What he fails to address, however, is that smoking is not only harmful to the smoker, but to whoever happens to be nearby. Tobacco smoke is a pollutant that is offensive to the general public, and some people are allergic to it.
I don’t smoke cigarettes, though I do enjoy cigars and recently bought a tobacco pipe; I love good beer, I think marijuana should be legal, etc.
While I strongly oppose any absolute prohibition of these substances, I strongly support keeping them in their respective places (e.g., alcohol out of cars and tobacco out of enclosed spaces) and taxing the hell out of them to pay for health plans, hospitals, schools or whatever else the budget is failing to maintain. Buying cigarettes at the old price is not a “basic right,” as he claims. No one is born a smoker. If they don’t like the tax, they can quit and do everyone a favor.
Harvey Rogers
senior
environmental science