I decided not to press charges, not police

I am writing in response to the article in Tuesday's Wildcat about the incident involving "Brother" Jed Smock. I am the woman he pushed, and while the police did give me the opportunity to press charges, this particular evil agnostic chose to "turn the other cheek" and be satisfied with the police simply telling him that this type of behavior was unacceptable. The article implied that the police made the decision not to press charges when the decision was in fact, made by me.

Elizabeth Webster
political science senior

Legalize marijuana, liven up old people

No one really knows what's best for the students better than aging snowbirds who get all the prime seats for basketball games. But I have a solution that will make the AARP members happy and the students happy. The Solution: Weed. First we can give all the old people weed and tell them the game is at Hometown Kitchen Buffet. Second, we can bring weed into the game and smoke it while we sit in the seats of "60 Minutes" viewers and get high. What this will do will not make us mad when we find out that our cars have been broken into and/or stolen while we legally smoked green drugs in the real student section. That is why we should join together as a Tucson community and legalize grass, for if not for us, then at least for old people.

Emily Kaleugher
animal sciences sophomore

Departments subtly increasing costs

Are departments at the UA beginning to go bankrupt? In one of my classes, we were told the licenses for the software we use expired and were not renewed due to financial problems. I don't want to be caught off -guard being handed a bill to buy software that should have been paid for when I enrolled here. The least I could appreciate is knowing the punch is coming before it hits me again.

Steve Wright
computer engineering junior

Don't give evangelist attention, encouragement

In regard to Tuesday's "Evangelist incites angry student response on UA Mall": It's sad that the biggest showing of student support on the Mall is to cheer and jeer our newest celebrity. This campus proselytizer has gained quite a following in the past few days, not because of the usual calls toward Jesus but because of his hateful remarks and slurs.

While I agree that his words are insulting and racist, the huge crowd that continues to surround him shocks me. While some speak out against Mr. Smock, most rubberneck like I-10 motorists at a car crash. Instead of fading away like he should, he is back with more as the onlookers multiply.

All this crowd is accomplishing is validating his comments and showing him that people are willing to sit and listen to what he has to say.

While I'm not saying that the audience supports his message, they are still encouraging him. If you don't like what he is saying, don't listen.

He can't spread his message if no one is listening. If you want entertainment, watch TV. If you want to stop hate, join the countless activist groups on campus. But if you want this guy gone, then just walk on by.

Lauren Miller
journalism sophomore

Tunnel powerful, moving experience

The Tunnel of Oppression was a very moving experience for me. As an African-American, all of the images depicting the discrimination, violence and stereotypes my race has endured were very intense. I could do nothing but cry because it is a part of my reality. I applaud the efforts of all involved with the tunnel for trying to bring about change. It is greatly appreciated. I'm sure there are many others on campus who echo these sentiments.

Lucy Brown
astronomy freshman

Don't create climate of fear on border

While we understand University of Arizona Police Department's responsibility to disseminate information from the State Department to protect student, faculty and staff safety, we are concerned that reports such as the Jan. 31 travel warning from Sgt. Eugene Mejia create a climate of fear of the border, perpetuate stereotypes of Mexico and Mexicans and hinder cross-border collaboration.

A broader perspective shows that the recent kidnappings of U.S. citizens in the Mexico-U.S. border region are part of a larger story that involves the increasing militarization of the border and neoliberal reforms that have exacerbated the economic inequalities between our two countries. Beyond the drug trade mentioned in the travel warning, our southern neighbors suffer many negative consequences of U.S. demand for goods and services. To cite a few examples, tires from the United States fill up Mexican landfills and cities; industrial waste generated by U.S.-owned maquiladoras remains on the Mexican side despite laws that it should be returned to the United States; and productive citizens leave families behind to provide cheap labor in U.S. agriculture, industry and individual homes.

These are realities that border residents must live with, day in and day out.

But they are not reasons to fear the border or its residents. Instead, they should serve as a wake-up call that although the border may feel far away from Tucson, we are all implicated in the complex situation there.

We encourage all University of Arizona students, faculty and staff to think beyond the climate of fear, to read the original report from the State Department and to get involved in any one of the many organizations (Border Action Network, Humane Borders, Borderlinks, to name only a few) working to make the border region a place of coexistence and equality.

Joanna Stone, Brian Burke, Wendy Vogt, Daniela Diamente, Andrea Sturzen

anthropology graduate
students

Diversity debate boils down to respect

In regard to Mr. Justin Kunzelmanns letter about how the white, Christian American male is the most hated person on Earth, I'd like to respond: Cry me a river. As a member of "the most hated" category of human on Earth, I have to say my experience has been markedly different. I've managed to make friends with people from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Africa, Europe, Thailand, India and many places in between. Strangely, they haven't assaulted me verbally or otherwise on account of my race or ethnicity. Perhaps it's because I treat them as equals instead of assholes. All the talk about diversity boils down to one thing that an unfortunately large amount of people don't grasp: respect. Like the crappy Aretha Franklin song says, it means a lot to people when they're respected. So to the Mr. Kunzelmann's of the United States and the world, instead of complaining how the "minorities" are swooping down and taking everything away from you, consider the way you treat people. You may find that the negative response you receive is due to your own need to shove your beliefs down other people's throats in some misguided ploy to save them from themselves. You never know, you may actually learn something from these people, if you stop talking long enough to listen. You may find that when everything is boiled down in terms of race, religion and ethnicity; your crap stinks as bad as theirs. Put that in your pipe and smoke it while I go finish cooking my burritos.

Paul DiMaggio
first-year medical student

UA ladies need to work out more

I think the girls on this campus are letting themselves go. They should work out more. I was in Chicago recently, and the girls there are only 10 pounds heavier than girls here. It used to be that the girls here were at least 15 pounds lighter than Midwest girls. I am ashamed to call myself a Wildcat if the girls can't continue to keep up our standards of excellence. What, like education is a priority? Please. We all know why we come here. Two words ... butt shorts. God Bless America, don't let the terrorists win, ladies.

Nik Turner
alumnus

Paintballing a sport, not a spineless prank

I would first like to state that I am truly sympathetic to the victims of the assaults. My brother was assaulted in much the same fashion, so I know what it's like. The second thing I'd like to state is that the people who fired the markers at the victims are not paintballers. Paintballing is a sport! A paintballer is one who can be defined as one who has a sense of respect for others and the sport itself. People who use their markers to fire upon people do not deserve the title of paintballer. They are merely spineless, senseless individuals who have nothing better to do with their lives than intentionally hurt others. By using the term "paintballer," it would be the same as to call a gunman a "marksman." The difference is that a marksman respects the sport of shooting as a sport and nothing else. A gunman is an individual comparable to that of the shooters in this incidence. As a paintballer myself, I notice all of the bad publicity we get because of people like this. We are frowned upon because of incidences like this and that of the bambi hunting incidences in California. These days when people say they are going paintballing, others think of the sport itself as a prank. Paintballing is a sport, not a prank.

Hayden Evans
paintballer