Letters to the editor
Sign up today to vote
Empowerment — you must seek
it because it will not seek you. To
day’s college students hold within
their grasp a phenomenal power —
the power to vote.
As a student, I know too many
other students who choose to for
go empowerment by not register
ing to vote. Many college students
are neglecting to participate in our
democracy. However, of those stu
dents registered to vote, more than
80 percent did vote on election
day. As you can see, once college
students empower themselves
through voting, they will hold a
substantial ability to instigate po
litical initiatives that affect higher
education.
Including tremendous voter reg
istration efforts by the Oregon Stu
dent Association at college cam
puses all over Oregon — including
the University — last year, students
must continue their efforts to be
come active members of our society
by registering to vote.
It is not enough just to register to
vote, but all students who care
about the political issues that affect
our daily lives should actually vote.
Currently, in Oregon during the
Special Legislative Sessions, deci
sions pertaining to higher educa
tion are being made. It is imperative
that legislators realize the voting
power of college students and rec
ognize the needs and priorities of
higher education.
Until college students put forth
the effort to show their concern for
decisions that could have tremen
dous effects on higher education,
legislators will continue to feel lit
tle obligation to listen to college
students on other important issues.
Register to vote today!
Michael Sherman
sophomore
political science
Rorick’s commentary
spreads hate
I am responding to Aaron Ror
ick’s “Taxing a pound of flesh”
commentary (ODE, March 12). I
thought that maybe somewhere
hidden in his article was an opin
ion about the tobacco and alcohol
taxes. However, I found it very of
fensive that Rorick used the rest of
his article to express hateful
thoughts against a group of people
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in our society who are struggling
with weight issues.
I think that it is problematic that
Rorick uses health issues to point a
finger at and target a group of peo
ple to tell them that they are wrong
and that they are sinners. Further
more, if Rorick wants to make a
valid statement about taxes, he is
intersecting church/religious issues
with government and tax issues.
I guess I just don't understand
how one person can be so hateful
and at the same time proud of his
hurtful statements against a group
of people who are already strug
gling. Eugenics is not the answer.
We can't just kill off people in this
world that we don't feel are as good
as us. It might be more productive
to spread awareness and accept
ance rather than hate.
Kristina Young
senior
anthropology and women’s studies
Founders didn’t mention
Christianity
Although Tara Carleton, like
many conservative op-ed writers of
late, would like to assert that this
country was founded by Christians
for Christians, this is not the case
(“Welcome to the land of forgotten
purpose,” ODE, March 11). If we re
sist the tradition and temptation of
rewriting history to suit our person
al beliefs and inspect history objec
tively, this becomes clear.
One of the primary concepts of
our nation is that state and religion
are kept separate. Carleton's com
ment that our nation was founded
on the Christian faith is simply not
true, in even the widest sense.
In the founding documents of
our country, there’s no mention of
Christ, Jesus or Christianity — if
one examines them objectively,
the absence of Christianity is clear.
The closest thing to it would be
the Declaration of Independence
mentioning “Nature's God,” and a
“creator,” but this is vague enough
to fit any religion.
Scott Britt was accused by Car
leton of being un-American for crit
icizing the president. His actions
weren’t un-American, rather the
epitome of what our country stands
for, the First Amendment.
It’s truly un-American, not only
in the racist conflicts it earns sup
port for, but also in the way we ca
sually ignore all that our predeces
sors fought and died for: To secure
a land in which church and state
are separate, in which freedom of
religion is more than just a catch
phrase, and in which liberty truly is
a basic right for all.
William Moglia
senior
German and international studies
‘Druggies’ don’t deserve
financial aid
Would you want your represen
tative fighting to repeal a section of
a law that prohibits convicted drug
gies from receiving student finan
cial aid tax money? I'm aware that
some students use the financial aid
specifically to purchase drugs to
deal on campus.
Representative DeFazio co-spon
sored Barney Frank's bill, HR 786,
which would repeal a section of the
Higher Education Act allowing
convicted druggies to once again re
ceive financial assistance. There are
many deserving people. Why
should tax money support druggies
and dealers to go to college?
Druggies, in pursuing the repeal
of this section of the law, claim that
over 43,000 students have been de
nied assistance (or delayed) this
year alone. Some people deserve
help; some don't. It's that simple.
Although I came to respect Repre
sentative DeFazio because of his in
tegrity, he's now lost it.
John E. English
Springfield
Twinkies or cigarettes —
which is more dangerous?
Aaron Rorick’s March 12 com
mentary on taxing junk food rather
than cigarettes as a way to generate
state tax dollars is an exercise in
comparing apples and oranges
(“Taxing a pound of flesh,” ODE).
Yes, a diet heavy in junk foods (es
pecially when combined with inac
tivity) can lead to obesity and dis
eases associated with it.
Yet smoking cigarettes is still the
number-one cause of preventable
premature death in the United
States. To calculate whether obesity
or smoking is a “lesser health evil”
as justification for indulging in one
or the other is just silly.
Perhaps a light hearted reading of
his commentary as a tongue-in
cheek piece would be fine and
laughable — unless, of course, you
are overweight, in which case it is
quite insulting.
Annie Dochnahl
health educator
University Health Center
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