UA student Ītouched' by idea for official university thongs

I was very touched Monday when I read the article on page 11 about the sensible people up in Princeton. Never before had such an idea gained my compassion as much as selling officially licensed thongs. Just the thought of it makes me weak in the knees. They would go perfectly with a nice pair of jeans, or perhaps even the famous UA shorts. Whoever is missing the boat these days by not wearing thongs will surely benefit a great deal from this bookstore buy. And think about the economic benefits as well. Most women here at the UA take advantage of these lovely undergarments everyday, so why not bring Wilbur to the masses and turn a quick buck? Just another great example of the great minds up at Princeton who give our society so great a gift as officially licensed collegiate thongs.

Christopher D. Voorhees
comunication senior

Campbell's column pointless; racism is not an issue at UA

This is in response to Steve Campbell's Monday column on education eliminating racism. This column has some method to it, though not at this school. Maybe you should submit this racism article to the Alabama Esquire where the Ku Klux Klan still commits acts of violence. You say that there is plenty of ignorance in American schools. I couldn't agree more, especially when reading your column, Mr. Campbell. We are now in the year 2003, where there are successful people of all races, religions, and ethnicities. I would love to speak to anyone who still bitches and complains about racism deterring them from a job. I am Jewish, but complaining about the Holocaust isn't going to get me anywhere.

Racism is going to exist no matter what. People are most definitely not born with racist thoughts. Considering I sit next to people of different color and ethnic background in nearly every class of mine, I would say that there is little racism that exists here at UA and most of the West Coast.

All that you have done by writing your racism article is make anyone who is not a white Protestant stick out like a sore thumb.

Chad P. Schneider
marketing senior

Congress uses Dream Act to contradict immigration laws

The illegal immigrant (a.k.a. "non-citizen") Dream Act, if passed by the U.S. Congress, will be the oddest law on the books. It will be a U.S. law that rewards illegal immigrants for breaking another U.S. law, namely the Immigration and Nationality Act (and various amendments passed over the last 40 years). I'm sure the intentions are good, but realistically, what kind of precedent does that set for America and its legal system? Does it mean that some laws are OK to break if you have enough lobbying? Why have any immigration laws whatsoever if they not only won't be followed and enforced, but will actually be subverted by the very U.S. Congress that passes them?

However, Congressional hypocrisy isn't the only contradiction that results from the passage of the Dream Act, because the act also contravenes the mantra of the various immigrant advocacy groups (more aptly described as ethnic chauvinist groups ÷ LULAC, La Raza ÷ which means "the race", etc.). We Americans have been told by these advocates that these illegal immigrants are simply here to do the jobs Americans won't do. Last time I checked, Americans were quite happy to be employed in occupations that require college degrees; after all, most college students don't go into massive debt to merely experience binge drinking and sexual variety (these assumingly are just bonuses), but rather primarily to learn a profession. To me, the better solution for this whole immigration fiasco is not to reward illegal immigrants (and thereby foster the corruption of their homelands by providing a profitable safety valve), but instead to try reverse immigration. For example, instead of having Mexicans come to America and have us change our laws to suit them, why doesn't Mexico change its laws to allow us "gringos" to buy land in Mexico and become dual citizens so that we can improve Mexico's government by full participation in it. Just think of all the improvements that could come if we Americans could become Mexicans: We'd vote in workers' rights (i.e., over-time pay, workman's comp, etc.), women's rights and produce racial equality for the multitudes of Mexico's Meso-Indians. Think of all the international investments that would pour into a functioning Mexico with its many resources, as well as all of the diversity and multiculturalism Mexicans could experience with our presence in Mexico. Sounds a lot better than turning America into Mexico, doesn't it?

Wyman Darrell Nedd
UA law student

Society ignores crimes of seedy upper-class whites

Though I find it ridiculous this need be said, a couple of letters to the editor regarding the wrongful arrest of Dr. Kunnie necessitate a reiteration of the obvious: Race is still a discriminatory factor in our society!

Without getting into the specifics of the Dr. Kunnie incident, more African-American males are in prison than are in college, inner city communities are still disproportionately darker skinned and poverty stricken, and the narrow focus of our police force and our media sources are still clearly locked onto the criminal activities bred in such environments, while ignoring some of the more vicious and real crimes being perpetuated by a seedy whiter upper-class called corporate America.

I'd like to see George Bush falsely arrested because he matches the description of Kenneth Lay-type CEOs who steal millions and billions each year from poor and middle-class Americans, or because he matches the description of a short and fairly uniform list of international terrorists who have killed millions in Southeast Asia, South America and the Middle East.

But we all know that George W. Bush could never be falsely arrested, because unlike Dr. Kunnie, he doesn't just meet a description, he's a verifiable criminal.

James Houseworth
UA alumnus