MySpace uproar out of place in recent A.S. elections
As a San Diego State first-time freshman, the Associated Students election was a new experience for me. Being that elections have an extremely important impact on the growth of SDSU, I followed the election coverage and voted.
Last week, two cover stories in The Daily Aztec were about A.S. reprimanding the presidential and vice presidential candidates because of alleged active MySpace campaigning. Not one of the candidates posted bulletins or blogs that pertained to this election whatsoever. The fact that these responsible student leaders are being reprimanded for comments from their friends is completely absurd. Every student with a pulse knows what MySpace is and its dynamics. Making such a big deal about a simple, arbitrary comment is absolutely inane.
Granted, candidates “(have) the opportunity to ? delete messages after they are posted,” according to The Daily Aztec, but in the defense of the candidates, does anyone truthfully think they saw these comments as campaigning? No. They saw them as compliments. This is the main goal of an election candidate: to gain votes and popularity. They have done nothing wrong.
Students can wear badges and actively campaign for their friend, but they can’t leave an innocent MySpace comment. I fail to see the rationale behind this. If anything, the election board should outlaw candidates shoving pamphlets and fliers in students’ faces near Storm Hall.
MySpace is not going to win an election for a candidate. MySpace is not going to be a deciding factor for whom people vote for. MySpace is a hobby. I could run up to a candidate during the middle of the day on campus and scream “I voted for you!” That is absolutely no different than leaving that exact same sentence on a candidate’s MySpace.
SDSU students need to be concerned with the election issues, not MySpace. The “Big Bad MySpace Monster” has overshadowed the issues and candidates’ platforms; this shows an even greater need for school-wide political stability and not mindless reprimands.
-Ben Potts,
undeclared freshman
Don’t discount socialism because of the French
Veronica Rollin’s column, (“Socialism spoiled the French,” April 4) is flawed to the point of propagandist rubbish. Rollin notes that American teenagers possess valid complaints about their job prospects, yet there is no parallel in France, where it is unheard of for teenage students to attend school and work. However, the issue primarily involves recent college graduates. Rollin also suggests that France’s industries are in danger of “going under” – an absurd claim when The Economist recently reported that France’s economy has been booming, rapidly pushing through more international mergers and corporate takeovers than any other country this year. Moreover, she generally asserts that socialist economic policies have spoiled the population of Europe.
It’s all very well to criticize France; the French apply one of the most dysfunctional social welfare systems in Europe. But, French economic bungling should not be used as a model to denounce socialist policies in the rest of Western Europe, as Rollin does. Rather than allowing businesses to acquire temporary, expendable employees, France needs to decrease student welfare with a mind to expedite university graduation. The subsequent increase in competition will serve capitalism far better.
-Kris Petersen,
political science senior
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