Opinions: Letters to the Editor

 published on Monday, March 17, 2008

Money well-spent

(In response to Jamey Sackett's column on March 6 titled "How is that supposed to add up?")

Jamey Sackett doesn't seem to be able to research something fully, as he has never quite given anyone the whole story. This is especially true in the article in which he states that, according to Wikipedia, the U.S. defense budget is $699 billion compared to its nearest competitor, France, at $73 billion.

Now, one fact left out of this article surrounds the question "What does the U.S. defense budget pay for?" Well, some areas it pays for are the CIA, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, Veteran's Affairs, etc.

Also, conveniently not mentioned, is the size of our nation. We have over 9.8 million square kilometers compared to France's 674,843. While we have less than a 10 times larger defense budget, we have more than 14 times the area to protect. The only countries that come close are Russia, China, and Australia. China is fourth, Russia seventh, and Australia 13th.

Mr. Sackett goes on to state that this defense budget is only to protect us from other humans and that clearly we are evolved enough to realize that all "disagreements can be settled without bloodshed." This is utterly ridiculous.

Yes, some of us have realized that. However, there are obviously nations and people in this world who are led by people who haven't come to this realization. There are people who will spend their entire lives trying to kill not only the American way of life, democracy, and freedom, but anyone who stands in their way.

This has been shown on many occasions. Hitler tried to take over the world and killed anyone who did not agree with him. Saddam Hussein tried to gain territory and slaughtered people, even his own people, in doing so. The USS Cole was attacked, the World Trade Center was bombed, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were run into with airliners, the Iraqi terrorists are fighting the new Iraqi government rather than trying to go through the legal democratic methods. Some of us are above killing, but not all of us, and until that day comes, a defense budget, and a large one at that, will be necessary.

While there may be a bit too much money spent on the United States defense budget, it is nothing like what Sackett is trying to lead his readers to believe. He needs to learn to report on an entire story, instead of writing political propaganda and passing it off as news.

Brett Reese
Undergraduate

Firing back

(In response to the editorial on the March 6 titled "Up in arms" and the subsequent letters to the editor)

Having spent early March reading the letters to the editor, I felt I had to write in, because I have a request to ask of the pro guns-on-campus letter writers: Please stop being so full of yourselves.

I have just about had it with every Tom, Dick and Harry writing in and accusing the editorial board of being a bunch of cowering, ungrateful testosterone-deprived ninnies who can't appreciate their fellow students rushing in and saving their lives with concealed weapons.

Maybe I wouldn't take so much offense to this if it weren't for how you all portrayed yourselves — as dashing, highly trained Jack Bauer protégés who are far better self-taught peacekeepers than unathletic donut-chomping police officers.
Seriously. Get a grip.

William Schwartz
Undergraduate