Violence unnecessary
How did it progress from “could you please sit down” to a brawl? Maybe it was the homophobic slurs he tossed around, or perhaps the refusal to consider his fellow fans. Whatever the cause, the fight that broke out in Section 117 at Mac Court last Thursday night was saddening in many ways.
Why in the presence of violence such as this do people declare they “haven’t seen a good fight in ages” and that they want to “see some blood”? Are the young people of our society so insecure they feel the need to prove themselves using violence? Is the only way to enjoy a sporting event to verbally harass the crowd and the opposition?
Competition is one thing, abuse and violence is another. T him up, Ref.

B. Cichosz

freshman


pre-psychology

Don’t accept OSPIRG bid
I disagree with several of Eric Pfeiffer’s key points in endorsing OSPIRG (“OSPIRG: A model for citizens,” ODE, Feb. 20).
To begin with, he asks us to “accept the fact that you go to school at a liberal arts university.” This is a moot point. Nobody is going to argue that we attend a fundamentally conservative university. Most of us were drawn to the University of Oregon because of its politically active and environmentally aware campus.
However, this does not justify blindly sending money to OSPIRG. If I attended Oregon State, I would not accept my incidental fees’ being sent off campus to a pro-gun-owner lobbying group just because OSU is a somewhat conservative school.
The argument that students who disagree with a particular group should be allowed to withdraw their money into a general-fee surplus is ludicrous. We do not need a ballot every year asking which groups we support. That reduces the process to a popularity contest. All student groups — whatever their political orientation — should follow the letter of the law. That is the real issue.
Finally, I cannot help but wonder if Pfeiffer’s glowing endorsement is politically motivated. If Jacobson also backs OSPIRG, then it seems to be an olive branch to “liberals” who might otherwise vote for Schatzel/Stolle.
Adjusting one’s image to appeal to moderates didn’t work in the 2000 presidential election, and I hope people would not be so easily fooled now.

Richard “Pete” R. Hunt

junior


journalism

Information about Jesus not scarce
The assertion that we know little about Jesus Christ because of a “scarcity of reliable sources” is almost laughable. Several different biographers (some of whom knew him personally, and all of whom draw on eyewitness accounts) wrote very detailed accounts of Christ’s character and ministry within a few decades of his walk on earth. Indeed, there are very few historical figures from the ancient period about whom more is known.
The only thing “unreliable” about these sources is that certain people don’t want to believe what his biographers are telling us about him.

Ted D. Smith

documents reference librarian


Knight Library