ÎEmpty Spaces' comic guilty of promoting racial stereotyping

This is in response to Jeff Henley's "Empty Spaces" comic strip in Monday's Wildcat. The comic depicts a person made of tires stating, "Why · am I white instead of black · well, mister, maybe it's because I can't dance."

I find this to be very offensive both to Caucasians and African Americans, blatantly implying that white people can't dance and black people can. I feel like this should not define members of a certain ethnicity.

There is so much more that African Americans can offer besides the fact that we can dance. Same goes for Caucasians ÷ I'm sure white people are sick of being depicted as having two left feet.

Mr. Henley chose the easy way out to get the laugh by pulling out the old "race card" (actually, it's not even funny) ÷ instead of digging deeper and finding something else to humor us with. I'm positive plenty of white people out there have some rhythm and I'm sure there are plenty of black people that can't keep a beat to save their lives.

Overall, the bottom line is the comic was simply in poor taste. I think in this day and age, we are far beyond using racial stereotypes, especially inaccurate ones, as a form of humor.

Annette Mpinja
journalism junior

Peace activists not Îcowards,' braver than Îchicken hawks'

To her credit, Annie Feld (Tuesday, "ÎPatriot' ready for war, despite pleas of peace-activist Îcowards'") is a military cadet, and is willing to put her money where her mouth is. However, her depictions of peace activists are mistaken, and her attitude would be more appropriate in a fascist state.

Peace activists are anything but cowards. In fact, they are clearly braver than the chicken hawks (people who advocate war but have never had intentions of serving in the military ÷ meaning most warmongers). Peace activists often risk imprisonment, or even death, for their beliefs. Some even risked their lives before becoming activists, e.g. Veterans for Peace.

A moving example of courageous peace activism was the one set by the White Rose in Nazi Germany. These peace activists secretly distributed anti-war "propaganda," daring to suggest that Hitler was wrong. They risked their lives, and yes, they were in fact executed for not being PC ("Patriotically Correct"). Countless peace activists have been kidnapped, tortured and/or executed overseas for advocating peace. The safe route in these countries is to agree with whatever the government says, even if it appears macho on the outside. It's also the safe route in the United States, though the consequences of activism are usually not as extreme.

Finally, activism has always been a fundamental characteristic of our country, starting with the Boston Tea Party. And democracy without dissent is useless. In the words of Guenther Grass, "The job of a citizen is to keep his mouth open."

So if you're unhappy with activists and dissidents, perhaps you should move to a fascist or totalitarian country where they're suppressed. We have plenty of current allies, e.g. Saudi Arabia, and former ones, e.g. Saddam Hussein, who do so.

Patrick Bolger
second language acquisition and teaching
graduate student

Key-jingling tradition at football games began as Îkey play' cheer

At the risk of sounding like an "old- timer," here's my two cents about the key tradition. Way before sitting in our present football section for alumni, Section 18 ÷ which, before becoming priority seats was known as Section 102 ÷ I was in the UA Band and my buddies were students who stayed in the stands to watch the "Best Band in The West." The jingling of keys started when the UA football team was faced with, gee, guess what boys and girls, a key play! Duh.

As this group of people, now numbering around 50, graduated from the UA, we began sitting together. And, as the section expanded, so did we ÷ but so have our traditions. The key jingling is one of them. It began to cheer on the team, no matter how grim the season, when either the offense or defense was faced with a "key play." So, that's one of our traditions.

The UA has many others, such as the best pre-game tailgate parties in the world with satellite TV, and the annual crowning of Homecoming Queen at halftime of Homecoming ÷ but hey, it's not negotiating peace in the Middle East. It's football, and we love it ÷ and our 'Cats.

Julieta Gonzalez
Classes of 1973 and 1995
UA News Services

Hussein is a deadly threat who needs to be delivered to justice

In response to Jessica Lee's Oct. 1 column "According to Bush, I am a Saddam lover," I just have to ask: What are you thinking?

You and others like you continue to speak out against military action against Hussein, yet you yourself openly declare him to be "one of the most horrendous dictators currently on the planet." I didn't hear you complaining when President Bill Clinton ran his publicity stunts in Kosovo, the Sudan or even Iraq ÷ all precisely calculated to draw attention away from his personal scandals and failures as a leader. But suddenly, Saddam's transgressions, which include denying inspectors access to search for weapons of mass destruction for years on end, can be overlooked. His efforts to aid known terrorists mean nothing.

Despite your comments against Saddam, you claim that we ought to "stop the war before the war." I have news, Ms. Lee: The war against terrorism began last year, and we didn't start it. However, Congress did pass a joint resolution last year supporting the president, though many of our Democratic representatives in the Legislature seem to have conveniently forgotten about it. Besides that fact, thanks to the War Powers Act, our elected president, George W. Bush, can deploy troops to any location without any Congressional mandate, and it would be completely and utterly legal. Granted, Congress can call our forces back, but they've never had the courage to do so, not even with the first time war was made without a formal declaration: the Korean War.

War is a necessary evil, as is government. But if we are unwilling to defend our nation and disable threats to the lives of our citizens and all those around him like Hussein, then we invite another attack on American lives, and this we cannot allow.

I openly support your right to have and share your opinion, Ms. Lee, but just because you are allowed to have it does not make it right. Please try to keep in mind that if you were in Iraq and had printed an article equally critical of their chief executive, you would most likely be dead. It is my opinion that Saddam Hussein should be removed from power before he can endanger any more lives. Certainly a man who surrounds himself with innocent children so that he will not be shot at or bombed deserves to be delivered to justice.

Justin Hogg
computer science senior