Opinions: Letters to the Editor

 published on Monday, February 18, 2008

Dazed and diffused

(In response to Thursday's bomb threat against the Schwada Classroom Office Building)

I was very disappointed in the way that ASU handled the bomb threat. Not only was no one around the building notified — or anyone else on campus for that matter — but it seemed that no one was taking it seriously. What is the point of having a text message alert system if you are not going to use it? Especially when in Illinois people were being shot and killed by a former student.

ASU is one of the biggest schools in the nation, and they have no adequate safety procedure in place to keep the student body safe.

Thursday was a drill, but with the way things have been going over the last year, next time it may not be.

Kaila Qualls
Undergraduate

Out of (executive) order

(Both letters are in response to ASU's lack of an off-day Monday in observance of Presidents Day)

Martin Luther King Jr., a really good guy? Absolutely. He was one factor in the fight for African-American civil rights.

However, is this one man more important than every president that the United States has ever had, including President Lincoln who freed the slaves or President Johnson who passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Questionable. Is he more important than all the valiant men and women who fought and died to keep these rights for all? Certainly not. Is he more important than all the hard workers who made this nation prosper with their hard work and diligence? I don't think so.

So why is Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrated at our University if the University doesn't recognize Presidents Day, Veterans Day or Labor Day as valid reasons to give observance to the greatness that is America?

Bret Reese
Undergraduate

While originally an observance of George Washington's birthday, Presidents Day has become a day when we honor all of our presidents who have led our great nation. It's unfortunate, however, that ASU chooses not to observe Presidents Day, as classes will go on as on any normal day on our campus.

We recognize that all of our presidents, whether they're Republicans or Democrats, have given much to our nation with the intentions of making it a better place to live, and for that, we are thankful. Because of their shared sacrifices, our presidents deserve a day of observance and we call on this institution to give them their day.

T.J. Shope
Undergraduate


Cursing is not a crime

(In response to Wednesday's police beat)

Did I read the police beat wrong, or did someone really get arrested for using profanity in what I gather from the article to be his own home? Nowhere in the article does it state that this person threatened, physically or verbally, the "victim," and it appears he was simply arrested for yelling the "f" word at him.

This is a travesty of the First Amendment and I am absolutely appalled that the police would even consider wasting my tax dollars on stifling free speech and arresting people for being potty mouths.

Leigh Northridge
Undergraduate