Ignorance shouldn’t be celebrated
As a senior, I have read The Daily Aztec for four years and was unaware that the State of Mind section had regressed to the humor attempts of the Koala. The column “McCain’s Palin is paling in comparison” (Tanya Dracolakis, Sept. 10) is both the most humorous and most disturbing published piece I have ever seen. To demean the position of vice president to that of an intern is ridiculous. It is laughable in its absurdity, yet it is also disturbing in the columnist’s knowledge of our political system to compare the policy and advising role of the vice president with that of an intern. While they may be on the same level within pop culture, comparing Al Gore to Monica Lewinsky is comedic. Sen. Joe Biden certainly had no qualms about potentially leaving the senate to run alongside Sen. Barack Obama. Perhaps he too should be offended by a chance at the vice presidency. Tanya Dracolakis states that she had no knowledge of Gov. Sarah Palin before she was picked to run alongside Sen. John McCain. I would think that such an admission should serve as a sign that she is ill-qualified to write a column about the woman.
8212;Jeff Leieritz,
political science and business management senior
Good looks don’t count for much
Regarding “Choosing Sarah Palin is an insult to women,” (Oct. 8) I just want to say thank you, Ruthie Kelly for publicizing what I have been saying for the past month and a half. Gov. Sarah Palin is no less than an abomination and an insult to powerful women, especially politicians and those in the public eye. It is absolutely ridiculous that she labels herself a conservative feminist 8212; like there is such a thing. Palin getting elected as vice president would be the worst thing that could happen to women in this country. Winning second place in a beauty pageant and playing high school basketball are not qualifications for being vice president. Being the governor of the most unrepresented and least cosmopolitan state in the country could be a qualification for Palin 8212; if she had done that well. We’re not voting for “Miss Congeniality” and “Most POW Experience” on Nov. 4. Voters should choose the smartest and most qualified candidate, not the one that they relate to the most. Keep up the good work!
8212;Christina Hickman,
Asian studies senior
Palin has earned her nomination
In response to Ruthie Kelly’s article, “Choosing Sarah Palin is an insult to women,” (Oct. 8) I am sorry, but I respectfully disagree with you. As one of the few Republicans on campus, I find it increasingly ridiculous that everyone is still talking about her “lack of experience.” Kelly stated in her column that “She’s spent fewer than two years in office as the governor of one of the nation’s least populated states after being mayor of a town with fewer people in it than the amount of people attending San Diego State.” What you neglected to include was that before she was governor of Alaska, she served two terms on the Wasilla City Council and two terms as the mayor of Wasilla 8212; that is 10 years as a mayor and governor alone, not counting her city council terms. Gov. Sarah Palin led a city and then a state; she did better as governor of Alaska than the 11 governors before her.
She was the first governor ever to negotiate a $40 billion energy deal for the natural gas line, and the first governor to get her constituents windfall profits checks back from the oil companies. She is the most popular governor in the nation, with an 80 percent approval rating. Palin may not be as experienced as Sen. John McCain in the world of politics, but that’s all right, because the vice president isn’t supposed to lead our country. She’s there to support the president, or not, depending on the issue, and to be groomed to become president in the case of the president’s death or to run to be elected after the president’s term is complete. It’s acceptable for the vice president to get on-the-job training, but it is not acceptable for the man running for president to get on-the-job training, especially during such hard economic times as these.
As for Palin being an insult to women, I’m not insulted. I’m proud to see her running alongside McCain, and I don’t understand why feminists are so up in arms about her. Just because she’s pretty and has an accent doesn’t mean she should be disqualified for being able to run for vice president on the Republican ticket. If this were Sen. Hillary Clinton as a vice presidential candidate, neither Kelly nor anybody else would be calling her an insult to women 8212; because she’s a Democrat.
When Kelly said: “She is the physical manifestation of the stereotype feminists have worked for decades to overcome 8212; a woman who got where she is based on looks instead of intelligence and diligence,” Kelly is making a huge assumption. Who’s to say that she got anywhere based on her looks? Kelly doesn’t know that for a fact. As I illustrated before, she knows what she’s doing. People don’t elect a mayor for two terms and then elect them governor just because they’re pretty.
Palin worked hard to get where she is today and I think it’s anti-feminist of Kelly to discredit her hard work just because she doesn’t wear a pantsuit. Being a female and wearing a pantsuit doesn’t automatically make you qualified. What’s wrong with a skirt and lipstick?
8212;Alexandra Whitt,
English sophomore
Morality and fairness aren’t mutually exclusive
I strongly believe that your column, “Same-sex marriage is about civil rights,” (Ruthie Kelly, Oct. 7) is misleading and skewed. In your first sentence, you make the mistake of saying that if you’re a “fair-minded” person who is also a “churchgoer” that you are in a bind about making a decision on Proposition 8. If one supports Proposition 8, this does not mean that they are not a “fair-minded” person. They can be open-minded, but they can also have standards and morals that guide their decisions. For example, my moral compass tells me that murder is wrong 8212; does my objection to murder mean that I am not “fair-minded?”
The underlying issue involves a moral choice. Also, you don’t have to be a “churchgoer” to oppose Proposition 8. There are many individuals, for example, who look at the anatomy of the human body and use that as their main opposing point to why same-sex couples should not marry.
In addition, Kelly makes the mistake of stating that “allowing same-sex couples to be legally recognized as married by the government does not infringe on anyone’s religious freedom.” I know that statement to be false as well. There was a recent California Supreme Court case, Benitez v. North Coast Medical Group, in which the California Supreme Court held that doctors were required to provide insemination services to homosexuals despite the doctors’ religious beliefs, and despite that they could refer the lesbian couple to another doctor who would provide them with the insemination service. I chose this particular court case because it happened in Vista, close to home, but there are numerous other cases I could list that deal with the same scenario of religious freedoms of individuals being infringed upon.
Society has made a moral choice on how they want to define marriage, and Proposition 8 is required because judges chose to impose their views on homosexuality upon the citizens of California, even when the citizens approved with an overwhelming 61 percent, the proposition that mandated the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman into our statutory law in 2000. Please do not make the mistake of saying that a “yes” vote on Proposition 8 would “destroy” marriage when California citizens have already proven that statement to be false.
8212;Kristen Steeve,
advertising senior
Common sense is not racis
m
In regard to Allan Acevedo’s recent column, “Racism goes unseen,” (Oct. 7) in the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s arrests of more than 1,150 illegal immigrants, 150 of them had already been deported in the past. Additionally, more than 300 of the 1,150 illegal immigrants had previously been convicted of crimes.
Acevedo claims that deporting these people is “inhumane” and “racist.” How is it inhumane to deport criminals who have come to this country illegally and committed crimes while being here? There is absolutely nothing racist about deporting illegal immigrants and criminals. To even entertain an idea such as this is foolish and downright absurd.
Acevedo also argues that illegal immigrants are being blamed for and will be blamed for the current economic situation. That is funny because I have not seen or heard anyone blaming illegal immigrants for the failures on Wall Street, the credit crunch or the declining housing market.
Through all of Acevedo’s misconceptions and foolishness, there is one thing I do agree with him on: “We are in desperate need of comprehensive immigration reform.” Yes, we are. We need to close our borders and send as many criminals home as possible. If people want to come to this country, they need to do it legally. And if you’re going to come to this country illegally and commit crimes, it will not be tolerated. You will be sent home and asked not to return to our fine nation to cause any more havoc.
8212;Anthony Podley,
business management senior
Recent slaying demands action
The tragic murder of Luis Watson on San Diego State’s campus, if not related to drug dealing, may have its genesis in the free-wheeling proliferation of mini-dorms in the College Area. We are told by the police that four men left a party at 2 a.m., ending up outside of Peterson Gym across from Cox Arena. The location is far from any residential area, but close to the congruent fraternity structure. The news stories by this time should have information as to where the party was held, whether these young men had high alcohol readings in their blood and what their ages are. The police and news reports are leaving out or deliberately withholding very important facts about this case and where the SDSU Police patrol cars were at the time of the murder.
In spite of publicity on part of the college to publicize the negative influence of beer and drugs among the student population, the community proliferation of mini-dorms where alcohol, drugs and sex reign 8212; not to mention the filth and eyesore exteriors of these dens of iniquity 8212; has contributed to the demise of family units in the island of homes bounded by 54th Street and Faber Way.
It will be only a matter of time until a rape, overdose or violent murder takes place 8212; and then the community will finally recognize the evil action of the San Diego City Council in its impotence and unwillingness to stop the commercial rooming house use in the zone. On any given weekend night, students are roaming around this island of Kublai Khan pleasure domes, searching for open parties. Shrieks of excitement and loud music is wrecking havoc on remaining family holdouts until the wee hours of the evening. Capped houses, if successful in noise control, do not stifle the lust for alcoholic products served within the ignored mini-dorms.
This island of homes, with its diminishing family occupants, will gradually become an alcohol, drug and sex zone with so many mini-dorms that complaints will grow weaker and weaker. SDSU may be forced to reduce its alcohol advertising with pressure not from within but from the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It still seems to glorify Louie’s Suds & Sun Pub and beer garden near the entrance to the campus. There is an urgent need for better use of SDSU Police to patrol the adjacent area of campus extended to 54th Street mini-dorm sites, the elimination of Louie’s Pub, better alcoholic beverage control surveillance of beer parties in mini-dorms, greater liability for the owners of the residence halls, and having the San Diego Grand Jury investigate how the city failed to implement the controls of the single family zone in allowing commercial rooming houses to flourish. The proliferation of crows in the neighborhood as a result of food trash and increase of rats make it imperative that San Diego County Vector Control immediately play its role in fighting disease inroads from vermin. Must we wait for more tragedy to strike? I say action is needed now.
8212;Dr. Norman Mann,
DDS, local resident
