Column denies smokers' right to take life in their own hands

In response to Kendrick Wilson's Sept. 5 column, "No apology for smokers": Smokers have every right to kill themselves if they want to. This is a free country. Despite the fact that he believes people should be forced to quit, no one is forcing him to start. That's the beauty of what this country was founded on.

By the way, I strongly suggest you run a correction (for a change) on his comment about The Safehouse on East Speedway Boulevard. They aren't breaking any law by allowing smoking, because they sell them. They're like any cigar shop in town.

On top of that, Mr. Wilson completely bashes The Safehouse when it's a well-known hang out for recovering drug addicts and alcoholics. The same people who got their driving privileges taken away for drinking and driving or the druggies who had their needles taken away. Would you rather have them sucking on a cigarette or committing the same offenses that could have killed themselves or others much quicker?

You know, every newspaper I know of strives for accuracy on all levels, but if you're going to let this little muffin write this horrible commentary, tell him to get his damned facts straight or get out of Dodge.

Jimmy Caldwell
Oro Valley resident

Kudos for humorous piece on middle-aged women in college

My husband and daughter are graduates of UA, and I attended for two years. We still read the Wildcat on the Web. When I saw the title of your article, "MAWs: Middle Aged Women," I had to read it, since I went back to school as a middle-aged person. I was almost afraid to hear what you were going to say, but you rewarded me with a very fair and funny piece! I was always aware of the obnoxious, "non-traditional student" stereotype, and I tried to never be one in attire, attitude or behavior, since I too dreaded the appearance of the middle-aged hand in the air, begging "call-on-me-because-I-have-something-so-provocative-to-ask/contribute/share-with-the-group." The inevitable groans, eyeball rolling and sighs from the class were painful to witness.

I finished at Western Michigan University in 1995 at the age of 38, and I can say I made some really good friends who were much closer to my kids' age than mine! I loved school, did very well and graduated cum laude, mainly because I knew more about life than I did twenty years earlier. But all that was for me to keep in my heart, not to dump on my twenty-year-old lab partners! So thanks for the very amusing article ÷ and good luck in your journalism career!

Cathy Brown

Letter criticizing Islam was well-written and supported

I would like to congratulate freshman Silas Montgomery on an excellent letter regarding Islam (Monday, "Islam is not a peaceful religion, but one of religious imperialism"). It was well written, and the statements were supported by several references from the Koran. I am pleased to see that UA is recruiting enlightened students with excellent research and communication skills.

Ralph Fregosi, Ph.D.
Professor of physiology

Left and right ignorantly see Muslims in black and white

In response to Silas Montgomery's Monday letter, "Islam is not a peaceful religion, but one of religious imperialism": How much shallower can the discussion get?

Though I am away 7,000 miles from UA in Lancaster, UK, I have been following the discussion in the Wildcat on the issue of Islam. The discussion tended to wean either to the extreme left or to the right. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground, which is quite characteristic of today's discourse.

First, on the left-wing argument. Their contention is that Islam doesn't preach bloodshed and it's a bunch of rogue elements who are hijacking and subverting Islam. They are only partly right. Any religion, be it Islam, Christianity or Hinduism is judged by not only what is contained in its principal texts, but also by the actions of those who profess faith in that religion.

The sweeping, critical remarks against Islam are due to the inexplicable silence of the majority of Muslims. Go to any nook and corner of the world; you'll find majority of the Muslims supporting actions carried out in the name of Islam. Any religion is prone to such generalizations. Take for instance, Christianity. It evokes contempt among some people because of the missionaries, who set "targets" for proselytization and do not hesitate to spew venom against other religions. So those missionaries become the public face of Christianity and it is judged by their actions and not by what is contained in the Bible.

The main ammunition for the right-wing elements is a few verses from Quran, which are ambiguous at best like the ones quoted by Mr. Montgomery. Those were scripted at a time of intense subjugation by the followers of the other major religion of those times. A Muslim cleric took pains to explain me that neither "infidels" mean nor prophet were intent to convert everyone to Islam. That they have been misinterpreted and exploited by some clerics is the main weakness of Islam. It could be redeemed if the majority of Muslims shun their silence and come out against the actions of the destructive elements among them.

Though I am a staunch Hindu, I have several good Muslim friends, one of whom was even my roommate for one year. This personal statement is only to drive home the point that education can let us grow above these narrow domains and live a harmonious life. It's time for everyone to stop painting things in absolute black and white and adopt a more meaningful stand.

Prasad Boddupalli
computer science Ph.D. student,
UA, Lancaster University