Students have a civic responsibility to vote

American college students typically have a poor turnout rate at the polls. According to Dana Crudo's article about Tuesday's elections, UA students are no exception. However, the excuses for not voting given by interviewed students are sadly apathetic.

Let's review. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died in combat to preserve your right to vote. Countless women sacrificed their families and their reputations to earn women the right to vote about 90 years ago. Black suffrage started sometime in the middle of the century, thanks to the sweat and tears of many Americans. Also, a whole bunch of college students in the 1960s worked hard to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. It's a shame that today's college students don't seem as interested. Perhaps the issues were too parochial for you, or you're not from Tucson and/or don't plan to stay here after graduation, and you therefore don't really care who the mayor is. Maybe you didn't study the issues and didn't want to cast uninformed votes. Fine; admit it, and prepare yourself better next time. Next year's elections should interest you more. If you didn't know about the elections, try looking around a bit more, reading the papers or listening to the news every so often. The town is peppered with election signs and election day is always the first Tuesday in November. It's hard to miss. Record the date in your PDA or cell phone calendar with a reminder, so you know to vote next year. As for the unregistered students: Do not delay - go to the post office today, get an application and register! You really have no excuse. Various college organizations have been on the UA Mall for many weeks trying to get you to register. Do it now, before you forget again.

Finally, one student claimed that he had class all day and did not have time to vote. Correction: You chose not to vote. I really doubt that you had class from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.! The free shuttle was waiting for you; if you wanted to, you could have fit voting into your day. I voted, and it took five minutes. Add in the transportation time to get to and from the polls, and I'm sure you could have done it if you wanted to.

If UA students all decided to vote, we could make a huge difference, especially in local elections. Don't let other people decide the future for you! If you're a U.S. citizen, you have a responsibility to exercise your constitutional right to vote. If you don't vote, then plan not to complain about the acts of our elected officials because you passed up your chance to express your opinion with a ballot. Register now and vote next year - you'll be glad you did.

Anne Johnson
systems and industrial engineering graduate student

Foreign grad students have so much to offer

Regarding Michael Tolle's letter about his dissatisfaction with the kind of instruction he has been receiving at the UA, I could write volumes about the difference between college education and the kind of learning that goes on in high school and could argue the benefits of self-directed learning rather than the absorption of lectures. I could talk about the professors, instructors and graduate assistantship teachers (GATs) who care so much about teaching that they work 15-hour days (including weekends) preparing material for their students, responding to student work and conferencing with students. I could even tell you where your tuition money is really going (be assured, your money is not being wasted on your instructors). But Mr. Tolle is clearly frustrated and angry and I've no wish to deny the reality of his feelings. What I do wish to address, however, is something Tolle mentions in his last paragraph, something that goes beyond this one student's unhappiness with his instructors' pedagogical practices. Tolle urges the UA to stop hiring international GATs/instructors who, he argues, have difficulty communicating their ideas. He acknowledges that these instructors "may be brilliant," but argues that they lack the ability to get their ideas across to their students. Tolle is half right. They are brilliant. These are dedicated teachers who care deeply about what they do. They have devoted the better part of their lives to learning a language for the purposes of teaching. Many speak two, three or even four languages in addition to their native tongues. But they certainly are not incapable of communicating their ideas, and this would be evident if they had the luxury of teaching students with open minds and respect for other cultures. Instead, they face students who, at the first hint of an accent, assume their teachers don't speak English. They face students who harass them in front of the class and on listservs, and who write scathing, racist comments on Teacher-Course Evaluation reports. In short, they speak just fine. It's just that too many students are unwilling to listen.

Shawn Steinhart
second language acquisition and teaching graduate student Co-Chair, Subcommittee on International GAT Affairs, English Graduate Union

Ramadan an 'arbitrary' religious observance

In the guest commentary "Ramadan's fasting fosters appreciation," Jessie Speer claims that, by obeying the prescription by God to fast, one "experiences the true plight of the hungry." However, the free choice to fast is not a genuine vicarious experience of starvation because starvation is forced, and acting according to some elements of socio-economic problems but not others is arbitrary whether prescribed by God or not. Perhaps a prescription by God to live without a home satisfies certain other elements and should be obeyed. Perhaps one should not enjoy the luxuries of clean clothes, transportation and certain social goods like education and employment. Or perhaps, to teach the lesson of the true plight of those 42 million people with AIDS, God would prescribe that his believers contract AIDS. This prescription by God to fast is arbitrary because it is not a rule one would otherwise follow if God did not prescribe it. The fact that God prescribes one maxim but not another of a like kind leaves no reason to obey the prescribed maxim. It is rather the motivation of obedience to God that compels obedience to an arbitrary prescription, not a desire to vicariously experience the suffering of others from a feeling of love uncoerced by God and completely natural. Perhaps there will be a time when contemporary mythology does not compel obedience to arbitrary maxims to experience feelings of love, a time when there is true love and love is free.

Daniel Greenspan
philosophy and political science sophomore

Wildcat should celebrate other world religions

While it's great that the Wildcat has had a number of articles exposing us to Ramadan, I was wondering why not one article covered the recent Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur (the day of Atonement) or Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), which are the holiest days in the Jewish calendar. The Wildcat has had numerous photos of Muslims praying and information on how to learn about Ramadan, but not one article has appeared in the Wildcat on anything remotely related to Judaism or Jewish religious practices. It seems this is outright discrimination and should not be tolerated by the large Jewish community at the UA. When I was a student it was the same - the Wildcat ran whole inserts about the Joys of Islam and UA Islamic students, but not once have I seen the Wildcat dedicate similar coverage to Jewish observances or Christian holidays, for that matter.

If the Wildcat is going to cover religious activity, it should give equal coverage to all the faiths practiced by students at the UA, including Jews, Mormons, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and even Pagans and Buddhists. Only by covering a myriad of faiths will society become more tolerant through knowledge, which is the goal we supposedly aspire to at the university.

Seth Frantzman
UA alumnus

Athletes should count their blessings, not loot

Are you as shocked as I am to hear that one of our men's basketball players was caught stealing? What a case of not appreciating what one has been generously given. An ok player (perhaps not even that) with a full ride to our beloved UA caught stealing six dollars in merchandise - if he's willing to throw his free education away like that, please have someone contact me so I can get a little of that money to help me out. I'm sure there are some other students out there who need some of that money also. Upstanding students that just want a good education and not a free meal.

Nick Harrison
psychology and business junior

Western civilization flawed; philosophically superior

This is in response to Carrie Brown's letter "Fascism has foundation in western civilization." The founding fathers clearly expressed their belief in the undeniable truths that men are created equal and have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I ask Carrie Brown which of these "western" natural rights is considered fascist? How are they immoral or racist? Explain why the right of men and women to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should not be universal. Clearly, at times, western states have failed to consistently uphold these principles. Fascism arose from a conscious rejection of freedom and individualism. That is an indictment against the nations and people that violated these principles; it in no way negates the basic truth of the natural rights of man. Few people could honestly question the right of people to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

From these basic truths, the right of free people to engage in free and open enterprise follows. Capitalism values freedom over the whims of a bureaucrat deciding what defines the public good. It is ironic that Brown condemns capitalism for failing to promote basic human rights in other countries. This is advocating that we push the western notion of natural rights on other civilizations. The U.S. should promote liberal democracy abroad, but it would be hypocritical to suggest that we promote individual rights while neglecting economic freedom. Freedom to trade and pursue one's own economic goals is absolutely fundamental. We have seen grotesque atrocities committed during the last century in the name of a centrally managed economy. I doubt I will ever be considered wealthy. Capitalism makes no guarantees that all will prosper equally, but it does guarantee that all will have the right to pursue their careers as they choose.

Sam Schofield
applied mathematics graduate student

Greeks make positive contributions to Tucson

I read the Wildcat every morning and it is so disheartening to constantly see what a negatively biased view is presented of the greek system. While there have been incidents that are unacceptable and embarrassing, the paper neglects to show anything positive that the greek community does. The Sigma Kappa Sorority was at Reid Park several Saturday mornings ago walking in the Alzheimer's Walk. Each woman raised at least $50 for the cause. On Oct. 30, the greek community put together a carnival for children with safe trick or treating and fun activities. Letters from parents have been pouring in, all of them positive, thanking the greek community for such a fun experience for their children. I understand that people are more willing to read about negatives than positives, but you are actively promoting the degradation of the greek community. Please make an effort to attend to the good, not just the bad.

Thank you.

Jen McCullough
pre-communication freshman

Eastern civilization cause of human rights violations

This is in response to Carrie Brown's letter regarding the horrors of western civilization. I find it amusing that someone so eloquent and educated could have such a twisted understanding of the facts. She states that "the Holocaust came about in this 'moral' western civilization;" yet the Holocaust was met with horror and disbelief in the same United States that "incinerated hundreds of thousands" with nuclear weapons.

The same president who ordered those attacks (Truman) gave the Japanese ample time to surrender before the first attack and after it as well. He was also adamantly opposed to their use during the Korean War. How soon we forget. I'll admit that capitalism isn't perfect, but it is the eastern civilizations that Ms. Brown speaks of when she says "Capitalism is the reason the United States fails to hold its trading partners accountable for abusing the human rights of their own people." From the gulags of the Soviet Union to Tiananmen Square to the mass graves of Iraq, most eastern civilizations do not enjoy the freedom and equality that western civilizations do. Furthermore, how does Ms. Brown propose we begin the process of holding these nameless "trading partners" responsible for their actions? Economic sanctions? U.N. resolutions? Invasion?

Economic sanctions have just worked great, if your idea of success is the starvation of children. U.N. resolutions are just about as effective - how many resolutions condemning Israel will be passed today? Invasion? Based on her letter, I would almost believe that given a Stinger, she might take potshots at low flying A-10s. I don't think the military of the United States is on her Christmas card list. In conclusion, while I am in disagreement with Mr. Flesch's basic argument and feel that America is the greatest country on the planet in part due to its multiculturalism, I find Ms. Brown's spewing of thinly-veiled communist statements extremely distasteful and I invite her to leave the hippie compound and take a shower.

Andrew Tuohy
political science senior