McCain a counterfeit

It was with great irritation that I read Matt Gray's endorsement of Sen. McCain's presidential aspirations. It seems another well-intentioned American has been duped by the conniving veneer of a counterfeit maverick. I supported McCain during his 2000 presidential bid, but in recent years he sold out to the same Bush mafia that used dirty tricks to defeat him in the 2000 primary.

For example, instead of backing his good friend John Kerry or remaining neutral, McCain actually campaigned for Bush! Even when Kerry was being swift-boated through a smear campaign engineered by Karl Rove & Co., McCain's condemnation of the attacks could best be described as half-assed under the circumstances.

Gray referenced a recent McCain move to support John Bolton's nomination for ambassador to the United Nations. Anyone who supports a man who tried to fire at least two intelligence analysts because he didn't agree with their assessments is anything but a wise statesman. I applaud McCain's defense of the filibuster option, but seeing that its demise would be a major step toward a one-party dictatorship should be expected of any reasonable American.

I worry about the level of analysis being performed at the Wildcat when Gray commends the senator for supporting a guest-worker program as some act of courage. There are plenty of Republicans (including the president) who support such measures. These plans for legalizing the indentured servitude of Mexican migrants under the guise of humanitarianism will be a boon for Republican special interests. To his credit, McCain may not abide by the goosestep march of loyalty we see in his party today, but merely taking positions erratically that will benefit him politically is not the profile of virtue Mr. Gray ascribes him.

Michael Galhouse
business management senior

Step show a success

I was pleased to read the article on sixth annual Alpha Phi Alpha Ice-Train Classic step show held last Saturday. I can remember the first step show Alpha Phi Alpha put on in the Social Sciences building. I am very impressed by the growth the event has made across campus, in the community and throughout the West Coast.

However, I was disappointed by a quote made from a female attendee who stated, "I guess the team that hosts the event is most likely to choose their own team to win."

Unfortunately, the young woman misunderstood the judging process. At step shows, including this one, representatives from each sorority and fraternity are pre-selected as judges to create a well-rounded panel. This would make it impossible for the hosts to "choose their own team to win."

Felicia Overton
alumna

Fundamentalist Mormons must stop polygamy

I would like to compliment Sara Ransom for organizing the lecture featuring Flora Jessop.

We have members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living in Bountiful, British Columbia, which is near Creston. It also lies on the border between B.C. and Idaho. Actually there are two factions: those headed by Warren Jeffs; and those headed by Winston Blackmore who took his 26 wives and 100 children and other followers with him when Jeffs excommunicated him in 2002.

The government of British Columbia has done nothing to clamp down on this malady of plural wives, "lost boys" and numerous children. They called for an investigation into abuses last July knowing the women and children are too brainwashed or too afraid to come forward to the "outside evil world." It has been a farce from the beginning.

Polygamy is a federal crime in Canada, yet charges have never been laid against the polygamist men and women in Bountiful. Last week, the Bountiful Women's Society organized a summit and invited the media, so they could put their spin on their lifestyle. Only followers of Blackmore attended.

The only way this malady is going to come to an end is through education of the general public and education of those who leave polygamy regarding their rights in a free and democratic society.

Polygamy is a boil that festers on the soil of our first-world nations. That boil needs to be lanced using every "surgical" (legal) method possible.

Nancy Mereska
coordinator Stop Polygamy in Canada

Blondes causing a different kind of curve

A few days ago I saw a tall blonde with large sunglasses trying to figure out how to work a copy machine in the library. She wore a Yale sweatshirt. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't follow the simple directions listed on the machine. Miss Yale wannabe, stop pretending. I used to hate your type but just realized that you are the reason why professors invented the curve. Thanks for making me feel smarter.

Sebastian Santos
junior majoring in Spanish

Times piece should have blamed students

What a bunch of crock! I read The New York Times' Sunday "exposé" on the UA in total incredulity. The students interviewed blame the university for their lack of participation? Sure this is a large school, but that usually comes with more opportunities for exploration. If someone is not going to take the initiative to go talk to their professors during office hours, actually do their homework, talk to an adviser about graduation requirements, or respond to the many public entreaties to get involved in clubs, research and leadership programs around campus, then whose responsibility is it? The opportunities for growth and success are there, offered gladly and openly. If someone chooses not to reach out and take them, they have only themselves to blame - unless we can blame those who didn't open the students' mouths and spoon the knowledge directly into them.

I understand if someone feels their environment is unsupportive, but this "no one polices me so I don't learn anything" complaint is ludicrous. I'm distressed that a major newspaper like The New York Times should validate this attitude and use it to malign our school so undeservingly.

Shauna Eggers
management information systems computer programmer

Absolute truth, not relativism

This letter is in response to Rui Wang's brief discussion of "relativism." Many, many intelligent individuals have espoused this philosophy over the years, and recently proclaim it in the guise of "tolerance." How can so many people be so stupid? There is, and must be, absolute truth. There are beliefs that are shared by every major civilization and every person. For instance, I challenge you to find a culture where one person killing another in cold blood is glorified. Also, I challenge you to find a culture where raping is considered a virtue. How about betrayal? Adultery? Lying? Stealing?

In her defense, Wang did discuss the argument I presented today. However, she still considers relativism to be positive. I wholly disagree. It is a negative force that threatens to undermine our society. Relativism is an excuse for people to do anything they want. It is an excuse for people to feel righteous in their own eyes. It is touted as a way to avoid conflict, but in the end it will simply lead to more conflict. If everyone is right, what happens when their views conflict?

Let's say someone believes it is OK to steal and they steal something from someone who does not believe it is OK to steal. According to relativism, they are both right. Yet, the conflict must be mitigated. Thus, there is, and must be, absolute truth. Without it, it would be impossible to function as a society.

Ryan Visniski
political science senior

They don't want us at ... Sam Goody?

I am writing in response to an appalling case of discrimination that occurred during the weekend. The Phoenix rap group Woodpile was banned from doing a scheduled in-store appearance for their current tour, not because of the content of their music, but because they are skin heads. The only problem with this is that they are not. While they may be three Caucasian males who happen to be bald, they are far from racist by any definition of the word. Employees and management at Sam Goody decided base their decision solely on appearance, ignoring both musical content and the fact that they are label mates with persons of multiple ethnicities. I do not know why or how this accusation began, or what anyone hoped to gain by preventing them from promoting their music. I do know for a fact, as a member of a minority, that they are not in any way racist.

Woodpile had a great show Saturday, which a lot of people missed out on because their main promotional event in Tucson was canceled over this foolishness.

Everyone and anyone involved in the perpetuating of this untrue stereotype should be ashamed of themselves. Not only did they interfere with the livelihood of people who did absolutely nothing wrong, they damaged the reputations of some great people who just wanted to share their music with Tucson but were unable to because of this unfortunate event. It just goes to show that anyone can be discriminated against for any or no reason. At least now if Sam Goody's prices don't keep you away as a customer, maybe their ignorant business practices will.

Robert Portley
physiology sophomore

Welcome to the jungle

With increasing temperatures comes mating season at the UA. These days, walking on campus is more like watching the Discovery channel's show Animal Kingdom. A stream of stripper-like women come at you from all directions as if they are walking on the runway of a strip club, polluting the academic atmosphere and reducing women to mere sexual objects walking on two legs.

Bodies are almost naked, brains are shallow and dead and men full of lust and desires set the standards so high for sexual preferences, which is the main criteria for mate selection, that a woman has to work extra hard to meet those standards, hoping that one day she will make it into the desired-by-men club.

All these factors contribute to a tolerated and rather encouraged form of oppression - one in which men are the main beneficiary as the oppressors. So, before lashing out our anger and frustrations at other societies that we like to view as being the ultimate women-abusers and tormenters, let us first check out our own backyards and examine our own oppressed women. And before we try to liberate women halfway around the world, let us first liberate women five feet away that are, directly and indirectly, being forced and pressured into this demeaning life style, one that only suits animals.

Even animals do not go on year-round trying to sexually attract males. They only do it during a brief mating season. On the other hand, our human animals do it almost year round. We, now have a university, a strip club, a spring break year-round, a meat market and a mating ground all in one fine institution called the University of Arizona.

May be the UA should consider changing its logo to "Welcome to the Jungle."

Tawfik Maudah
undeclared junior