Wildcat editorial fails to enlighten readers

The Wildcat Opinions Board on Monday urged us to give our UA troops our full support. However, they did not detail what that means. For those who support the war, it means that one should support the war effort. To those who do not support the war, it means essentially the opposite, namely that one should protest against the war effort to bring the troops home. It's too bad that the Wildcat has decided to foster misunderstanding among the general public instead of helping them to understand.

If you believe in limitations on the government at all (i.e., freedom, liberty, etc.), it is nonsense to believe that you can be against the war, but must do an about-face once the war starts in the spirit of supporting troops. This would serve as a clear message to any administration that no matter how unpopular a potential war is, all they have to do is actually go to war to get support for it. That is undeniably a dangerous precedent. If you consider this brand of blind obedience to be universal, then you must also argue that Iraqi troops should fully support Saddam Hussein since they're at war and have troops too. It would also have justified public support for Nazi Germany once they invaded Poland.

But if you say that this only applies to the United States, and nowhere else, then you have to justify why. Once you start on that track, however, you've stabbed yourself in the foot. You're stuck explaining why we should support the troops, not that it should be done without question.

Patrick Bolger
second language acquisition and teaching graduate student

Celebrity statements Îlack common sense'

I look forward to the Oscars every year in anticipation that my favorite film will come home a big winner. However, I anxiously awaited this year's telecast for another reason. I was waiting to see if our dear liberal friends such as Mrs. Susan Sarandon, Mr. Michael Moore and the others would use their time on television to give the ceremony the respect it deserves, or if they would use it as a stage to spout their liberal ideologies. Mr. Moore, no surprise here, continued his job as liberal mouthpiece to let the world audience know his views when no one really cares to hear them. He was there to accept an award for his work, not to tell us how he feels politically. Soon he will feel the same resentment towards him that Dixie Chick Natalie Maines has brought upon her group.

You can feel whatever you want and say whatever you want, but obviously these two lack the common sense of when to say these things. Mr. Moore obviously knows his First Amendment rights. He executed them just Sunday night by calling the Bush presidency "fictitious." However, he forgot to read up on Article II, Section I of the Constitution of the United States of America, the country in which he resides, which calls for the election of our president by way of the Electoral College. It is pretty funny that he embraces the parts that he likes and ignores the parts that make his argument invalid. If it wasn't for the Constitution, he might not even have the right to speak his mind as he did. I think the title of Mr. Moore's latest book, "Stupid White Men," should have been "Stupid White Man: The Autobiography of Michael Moore."

Pete Seat
theatre arts sophomore

War doesn't mean life should come to a halt

This is in response to Phil Leckman's column, "America must end vacation from reality" that was printed Monday. My response is: Just who does your column refer to? My belief is that most people are not totally

ignorant of what goes on in this war in Iraq; rather, people just want to live their lives as normal.

I'm not sure what Mr. Leckman wants us to do about the news on the war with Iraq. What, are we just supposed to drop what we're doing and glue ourselves to the TV watching CNN 24 hours per day? Do our thoughts always have to be on the war? Are we always supposed to do nothing but talk about it? Frankly, I'm going to do what I've always done and just keep on doing that: live. I'm still going to do what I feel like doing. I'm going to continue with my daily activities: go to school, hang out with friends, play racquetball, go swimming, watch a sitcom, party, play video games, etc. Nothing is going to stop me from living my life.

So the war breaks out during spring break, so what? I have only one whole week during the spring to take a break from school and have fun. I'm not going to pack up my bags from the beach, drive home, and sit in a room and feel depressed about it. Just because I'm not going to let it totally consume my life doesn't mean that I'm totally ignoring the issue. It means I just want to live. And you know what the hard truth is: There's always going to be crap going on in the world. There's always going to be war. There's always going to be terrorism. There are always going to be dictators. There are always going to be Hitlers, Milosevics and Husseins. If not the war with Iraq, there's strife, conflict and tension all over the world: China and Taiwan, North and South Korea, India and Pakistan, Russia and Chechnya, Israel and Palestine, Protestants vs. Catholics in Northern Ireland, Colombian drug lords, etc.

It's always going to be good guys vs. bad guys 'til the end of time. I'm just going to live a normal life the best I can.

Chris Cameron
pre-computer science sophomore

Hayek's nomination not so undeserved

In response to what a Wildcat arts columnist wrote on who he thought would win an Oscar for best actress: Mr. Nate Buchik wrote, "Salma Hayek is an embarrassment and isn't good enough to act in softcore porn." I just wanted to let Mr. Buchik know that if Salma Hayek wasn't good enough, how was she able to get the film "Frida" made, how was she able to get recognized by the Academy and get an Oscar nomination? Yeah she didn't win, but at least she got nominated, she ran against Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger and Diane Lane. Her film was able to walk away with two Oscars, more than "Gangs of New York" and "Adaptation" combined.

I can probably bet that you haven't even seen "Frida." I am probably one of the few that did, and I know why Salma was nominated. She's the first Mexican actress to get nominated for an Oscar in history, and if that is still not enough to make you think twice about what you said, then all I can say is you're a sorry excuse for an Arizona Daily Wildcat employee. Maybe you should put your foot in your mouth and leave it there, that way you won't make another dumb-ass comment about something you obviously know nothing about.

Gilbert Mesa
junior majoring in Spanish

Olson and team Îin a class all their own'

I graduated from UA in 1998. Like many UA grads, I am a hopeless romantic when it comes to Arizona basketball. This past weekend was a good example of the heart, charisma, desire, class and overall competitiveness Lute Olson instills in his kids. Is there any real surprise these same individuals thrive and do so well in the NBA? Lute Olson has the most class of any coach in the nation ÷ and not only does he show it on the sideline during the game; it is also shown by his athletes on the court.

Watching the game ÷ no matter who had the ball down the stretch ÷ I felt confident he would score. Jason Gardner, Luke Walton, Salim Stoudamire, Rick Anderson and Channing Frye are a great starting lineup. They deserve to win this tournament and they will. My hat's off to Lute Olson and his coaching staff; they are the epitome of a class act. In fact, they are in a class all their own. Go Wildcats!

In my opinion, this team is better than the team in 1997 who knocked off three number one seeds. The difference between them is the chemistry this year's squad shows on the court. I know how badly they want to win, and I want them to win equally as bad.

Taylor Patterson
UA alumnus class of 1998

Leisure activities help reduce stress in life

This letter is in response to Phil Leckman's Monday column, "America must end vacation from reality." I must preface the following text by stating that I somewhat agree with Mr. Leckman's assertion that we, as American citizens, will at some given moment be emotionally and intellectually forced to guide our attention away from leisurely activities and toward the issue of war. The events taking place in the Middle East will affect our future in a grand way, and staying informed of the repercussions our country will be dealt is beneficial for everybody.

However, I would like to encourage UA students not to devote 100 percent of their intellectual and emotional energy to those events. Contrary to what Mr. Leckman might think, a good amount of relaxation and diversion is crucial to combating stress. We live in a society that is constantly demanding more of our energy and time than ever before, and when the relentlessness of the urban rat race comes to an apex, some people snap. It is why we sometimes observe an increase in violent acts, and why people are capable of treating each other so badly at times. Such actions can be prevented by occasional "mental vacations."

In sum, we could all use a break every now and then by balancing our daily activities. If war coverage becomes frustrating, March Madness can be a great relief (and is my favorite diversion during this time of year). In between the war updates and mass media nonsense, have fun. It will keep the mind relaxed and the body healthy.

Albert Muniz
geography and regional development junior