Military dedication here at home
To the editor,
Reference Lora Mackel's commentary, "Where have the flowers gone?" ( Sep. 1), Ms. Mackel poignantly gushes that she had to travel all the way to West Point (not "Westpoint"), NY to witness the awesome dedication many believe is missing in American youth. Whoa, sister!
That same dedication and spirit is alive and well right here in Wildcat Land in our Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC departments. Our cadets show up for physical fitness (PT) at 0600, work out like hell for an hour, then head to their other classes. We conduct labs to teach tactics, rappelling and survival skills to prepare our cadets for their summer camps and ultimately to credential them for commissioning as military officers - all of whom contract in advance for an eight-year commitment. Our ROTC departments aren't quite as pompous and ceremonial as the service academies, but we absolutely require the same amount of commitment and dedication from our cadets. Incidentally one of your fellow Daily Wildcat writers is a contracted ROTC cadet and will attest to this.
Our Wildcat ROTC alumni are serving proudly and making routine decisions every day in Bosnia, Kosovo and other places that would paralyze a corps of lawyers and diplomats. I invite anyone to attend our morning PT sessions and training events to see some of that awesome dedication right here at home.
Other than that, everything else in Ms. Mackel's commentary was right on target and very well said. It is indeed a cultural disgrace when people don't care enough to vote for those who will set our national policies and laws. Ever wonder why such a high percentage of military personnel vote?
Captain Dan N. Clark, Ed.D.
Army ROTC Enrollment Advisor
Department of Military Science
Comic strip useless
To the editor,
I think it's time that Mr. Hagler gave up on his Faustian obsession and made an attempt at another comic strip. I've found his latest offerings both uncouth and classless. They neither contribute to the artistic side of drawing, nor the political genre in which comic strips are usually employed. I for one, would think that he would take the daily opportunity to reach thousands of UA students as a chance to convey a coherent thought or carry a social discourse, but instead he has decided to spew mindless dribble! To quote my favorite advertisement, "Do you ever get the feeling that some people just stop trying?" Heck, even 'Pickle' in all it's drunken debauchery had a message to it: eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we graduate! (at least as far as I could tell). C'mon, Hagler, stimulate our minds, not our senses of disgust or injustice!
Jacob Lauser
Tusconan
Gay community cohesive
To the editor,
My sympathies to Mr. Hansen on his unforgivable attack six months ago and my compliments to the Wildcat for the positive press that the gay community has received over the past year.
It is somewhat disturbing that the Aug. 31 Wildcat article attacks the UA gay community for the issues that UA members presented during the protest march. A protest march is an opportunity to meet for a common purpose or cause and to increase awareness of the issues that affect the cause. This is what a protest march is all about. The community came together for a protest march, not a memorial service. I disagree that the UA gay community is not a cohesive one. UA students, staff and faculty have maintained a total of eight campus organizations that provide services and resources to lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered persons. In the three years that I have been with the university only one of these organizations has ceased to exist. Not a bad track record for organizations that are supported by student, faculty and staff volunteers.
UA students and faculty leave the university for three months every summer and the volunteer organizations must begin anew each fall. In spite of this obstacle the Tucson gay community (including many campus members) experienced political successes this past summer with a Gay Pride March as well as the Stop Dr. Laura protest. It sounds as though Pride Alliance is experiencing the same challenges that organizations deal with year after year.
If Mr. Hansen feels that the UA gay community has let him down, he may be pleased to learn that hate crimes issues are being addressed by community members (including UA students and faculty) who are protesting a "homosexual panic" defense in the re-trial of hate-crime offender Richard Bell. Perhaps more man/woman power is coming from non-university folks, but, so what, enjoy the support and visibility. If it isn't happening on campus, let us not take the wind out of the sails of community members who are making it happen.
I don't believe that the gay community needs to grow up. I think instead that the Tucson gay community needs to continue to connect people with opportunities for advancement towards equal rights and stop criticizing each other for what we perceive as failed efforts. Hopefully the many battles that are taking place in Tucson will one day have a positive impact in our state capitol where our war for civil rights will ultimately be fought.
Neal Dorschel
UA Staff
