Senseless violence takes best friend's life

Dear staff and students: Randy Turner died on Friday morning at 1 a.m.

So? Who is he? He's my best friend. You may have heard a blurb on the news or read a snippet in the newspaper about him. "Tucson's 20th homicide victim for the year," says KGUN 9. "Man, 23, shot dead at motel," according to the Arizona Daily Star. I'm here to tell you that my very best friend is dead. In this world of 6 billion people walking around doing things, my best friend is nowhere anymore. And it's not even about me. I saw his mom last night. She's a wonderful, beautiful woman. She was so distraught. To see her pain - a mother who so loved her son, a love reciprocated - was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. That poor woman. I held her so tight.

Some of you may have known him, whether it be from going to high school with him or meeting him at a party. I knew him because we were inseparable buddies. He was so smart and so compassionate. Don't get me wrong, the dude could kick some ass if needed. To the world, he may have pissed you off or he may have made you laugh from the silly things he did out of the blue. Most of all, he never hurt anyone.

I can't even pretend to be able to explain his monumental significance to loved ones in these few short paragraphs.

But, hopefully you will at least begin to understand what he meant to all of us - his mom, his fiancˇe, me, and other loved ones. In an effort to symbolically memorialize him, I got a tattoo (he loved tattoos) of him. He would love it.

I know that I will never find a friend as good as him ever. I can't even believe that I will ever be able to accept another as a best friend ever. I am dealing with some overwhelming emotions right now. In my life, I have never lost anyone I cared about. I just lost someone I cared about. I just wanted to let you know that Randy Turner is dead ...

Michael D. McFarland
business management senior

Slavery wrong but no one entitled to 'fruits' of slave labor

This letter is in response to Monday's commentary by Laura Winsky. First, my dad's entire side of the family was persecuted in Indonesia and put in a concentration camp before he was exiled from the country altogether. He has seen his share of suffering and was definitely treated unjustly. Me? I was born in America - the first generation of my family to have natural-born citizenship here.

I've led a comfortable life, no better or worse than any other American around me. My dad worked hard, and I've been well fed, clothed and sheltered through all the years when I couldn't provide it for myself. I am in no way entitled to this "debt" of suffering that may have been carried on from my father.

Yes, slavery was wrong; yes, there were generations of people who have suffered; but no, no one else is entitled to the fruits of their labors. I didn't do a damn thing to deserve any money.

If it's "acknowledgment" that you want, tell me why it's got to be money? That makes me wonder if you even care about slavery at all. I swear, some people will use any excuse they can to get their piece of the pie. This whole column is full of desperate, self-pity founded in selfish "laziness."

Mike Demey
aerospace engineering senior

Slave-wage reparations 'debate isn't necessary'

This letter is in response to Laura Winsky's March 25 commentary on slave-wage reparations. Ms. Winsky, I have several comments I would like to make about your column.

First, I would like to make clear that I find it absolutely ridiculous to suggest that the current Caucasian-American population (none of whom have ever held slaves) owes anything to the current African-American population (none of whom have ever been slaves). Anyone who ever held a slave, or was a slave, is dead. It seems to me that any rewards or punishments due are not in our hands.

Secondly, I would like to point out that it is against our system of laws to punish people for actions that were legal when they were committed. The owning of African slaves was perfectly legal in many states during much of the 19th century.

The fact that it was subsequently made illegal does nothing to change that. According to American laws, it is only legal to punish slave owners for slaves owned after they were freed. As an example, I think you would agree that abortion may someday become illegal in the United States. Should this happen no one would suggest punishing doctors for operations performed while they were legal.

And finally, I can only say that, thankfully, this debate really isn't necessary.

I think I can safely say that you and I will never see slave-wage reparations occur, and one editorial written by a notoriously liberal college student is not going to change that.

Yates French
physics freshman