Thursday October 4, 2001

Nasim should be punished

I cannot agree more with Tom McDermott's letter regarding former UA student and Associated Students of the University of Arizona senator Ahmad Saad Nassim. For years I have seen his letters to the editor published in the Wildcat and have always thought he was full of bull. There is no longer any doubt, now we all know what a liar he is, and he should be punished. A couple of years ago I saw a picture of Nasim in the Wildcat at an equality rally here at UA. I had to laugh, because I had a sociology class with him, and he would stick his feet out into the aisle and make any female coming by step over his feet. He refused to move them. He obviously subscribes to the same way of thinking as the Taliban, i.e. women are nothing and should keep their faces covered and stay home.

Now Mr. Nasim is sticking up for terrorists by trying to dispute the fact that they danced in the streets and celebrated at news of the tragedy here in the United States. As if that is not enough, he tied a plastic bag around his head and tried to claim that he was a victim of a hate crime. What is wrong with this man?

Cathy Thompson

graduate student

Likins must reject Faculty Senate proposal

The Faculty Senate has recently recommended a dramatic change to the plans for UA employee raises next year. The current plan is for all employees to receive a 5 percent raise with a minimum of $1,500. This ensures that lower-paid staff will receive a raise that will actually contribute to their and their family's well-being. The recent switch of all UA health plans to CIGNA has increased employee-paid premiums for health care, as well as out-of-pocket expenses for office visits and prescription co-pays. The extra $1,500 annually will enable many lower-paid employees to simply keep up with where they are financially this year.

Now the Faculty Senate has recommended that employee raises next year be limited to 5 percent across the board-no $1,500 minimum. This means that the average full professor at the UA-paid $82,000 annually (as reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education)-would receive a raise of $4,100. Yet an entry-level custodian paid $16,000 would receive only $800 - an extra $30 a paycheck. This wouldn't even cover the increase in prescription co-pays for many employees!

Certainly the Faculty Senate can only recommend administrative changes, not make them. I therefore urge President Likins to reject the Senate's recommendation, and I ask the Faculty Senate to reconsider their position.

James A. Parks

research specialist

Spiller column misses the point

I never agree with Cory Spiller's words of wisdom, and I'm not about to start, but I have to comment on Tuesday's column.

While I don't have a passionate stance on handguns, I take exception to Spiller's implication that shooting at bin Laden portraits furthers racism. He says that by taking aim at such a caricature, you are "shooting a man in a turban" and "...murdering a man of dark skin, with a beard...a man that looks...Muslim."

So what, Cory? It amazes me how leftists like yourself want us all to be colorblind, but you constantly bring up race. You seemingly can't help yourself. Part of the national problem that led to the attacks was the politically correct hand-wringing we do to make all races proportionally harassed. I mean, let's face it, OJ's acquittal had everything to do with his race. The jury, like the rest of the country, collectively decided that he couldn't have murdered his ex, because he was black.

Ironically, the day of the attacks, Tucson Police Department Chief Richard Miranda was scheduled to come to the UA to discuss racial profiling. Can you imagine a cop not stopping one of the hijackers on Sept. 11 because he'd already stopped and questioned two suspicious Muslims that morning? Sensitivity has become so chic that American blood was spilled on American soil. But at least we allow all the races the same opportunity to hijack an airliner, right Cory?

No, taking pot shots at Osama pictures doesn't make you a racist, but a turban doesn't grant you immunity, either. Bin Laden's complexion makes no difference to me, and thankfully not to this administration. This issue has nothing to do with race, and implying so is irresponsible. But it's nice to know that in "Spiller World," I could spend the summer on the beach, and loot Cory's house in the fall with impunity; at least until my tan fades.

Scott D. Dreisbach

senior lab coordinator