Illogical to compare underage drinking with murder, theft

In regards to the C.M. Mitchel response titled "Underage drinking illegal ÷ akin to murder, theft:" I would have to say that Mr. or Ms. Mitchell's logic is just as absurd as the title.

Yes underage drinking is illegal, and it can be a public nuisance or worse, but to liken it to murder and theft is horribly flawed. Although an intoxicated person can harm others, the danger is consensual, unlike murder and theft. To liken self-intoxication to killing and stealing is narrow-minded and incendiary.

M. J. Williams
pre-business junior

Tucson police akin to Gestapo for enforcing anti-drug laws

The article "Tucson police raids very unlike Gestapo actions," which appears in the Sept. 8 Wildcat, argues that the Tucson Police Department is not Gestapo-like, although all police departments, including the Tucson Police Department, oppress the innocent like the Nazi Gestapo once did. They are guilty of oppressing the innocent by executing legislation prohibiting the consumption of certain goods like marijuana and cocaine. They are guilty of oppressing consumers of illegal drugs because the consumption of these goods is morally permissible. They are guilty of oppressing those who are innocent of committing a moral crime, and until they are jailed those enslaved for consuming illegal goods shall suffer from the triumph of injustice! Until the consumption of illegal drugs is recognized by law as morally permissible, the innocent shall suffer from the reign of bigotry and oppression! Until true morality prevails the innocent shall suffer from the chaos of injustice!

By prohibiting the consumption of certain goods like marijuana and cocaine the government of the United States has monopolized liberty, outlawed free markets, and become a more perfect communism! By policing, punishing and oppressing consumers of certain prohibited drugs the government of the United States has denied the pursuit of happiness, established injustice, and become a more perfect tyranny, the judicial branch a more perfect instrument of oppression totally disgraceful to the civilized world, and the police force a pawn of tyranny all too parallel with the despotic Gestapo and totally unworthy of legal authority! Such has been the reign of tyranny, and such is now the duty to establish anarchy! Such is now the duty to incite a revolution! Consumers of prohibited drugs, unite!

Daniel Greenspan
philosophy and political science sophomore

Police should prevent crime, not focus on underage drinking

This letter is in response to C.M. Mitchel's opinion about the TPD's newfound glory of arresting college students. Where do you or anyone who thinks like you get off saying that murder is the same as underage drinking? So you're saying that when I was underage at the UA and drinking at a party to which I walked, I was in the same boat as a murderer? I DO NOT THINK SO!! Yes, it is illegal for underage students to drink, but why are the Tucson police spending so much money and energy trying to arrest as many students as possible while giving free range for some robber or murderer to make another strike? With the amount of police that are being assigned to these party raids, the city of Tucson is less safe from the real bandits in this town. It is just absurd to me that people think that this will solve the problem of underage drinking. I agree that if you are drinking underage that you should not be driving and you should be arrested if you are. I also agree that if you are underage and drinking and causing noise disturbances than you should be given a ticket. But to try and target every party and partier rather than spending time arresting people that cause real violence is just wrong. This is just another way Tucson and our university are working together to make it worse for our student body to survive in a city that needs to clean the streets rather than the students.

Aaron Vill
alumnus