Alcohol directly connected to rape

First, I would applaud the Wildcat's efforts in bringing sexual assault awareness information to our student population. In conversations with reporter Jennifer Amsler I wouldn't be able to count the times that we spoke on the topic of the relation of alcohol consumption to sexual assaults on college campuses across the nation, not just the UA. What disturbs me is that we still have students not making the connection as to why UAPD pays so much attention to illegal alcohol use by our student population such as the quote by freshman Shawnee Snyder stating that we should focus our attentions "towards solving rape cases and less on underage drinkers violations."

Experts, including those here at the UA, are stating fact when they say, "Alcohol acts as the No. 1 date-rape drug." Any organization that keeps facts on the topic can support it. The UAPD is no different. Yes, we will continue to focus on violent crime on campus to minimize our students' potential of being violent crime victims. But, there is no way we can do that and not pay attention to the factor of alcohol and how it increases our students' potential for victimization.

Sgt. Eugene V. Mejia
UAPD spokesman

Christians not sole definers of truth

This letter is in response to Ryan Visniski's jingoistic and ill-contrived letter about Absolute Truth. In his letter to the editor he challenges readers to find practices that promote actions he deems as immoral in every culture.

The practices he presents as examples are "killing in cold blood," adultery, lying and stealing. It was very easy for me to find examples of these practices condoned in our own society. To begin, "killing in cold blood" is acceptable to the majority of Americans in war. It is hypocritical in any rationale to be for "the preservation life" when it comes to abortion yet supportive of the death penalty or war overseas. War is nationally sanctioned "killing in cold blood." Another flaw with Ryan's logic is that it is culturally centric. Adultery is a Judeo-Christian term for sex out of wedlock.

Human sexual relationships should never be controlled by these moral guidelines because, surprise, not everyone is Christian! I could go on and say the ever-glorified Bill Gates made his money by stealing ideas from others and the United States has a long history of betrayal, but it is not necessary. Moral superiority should have no place in society; yes, people should be able to voice their opinions, but I would prefer to have my personal freedom unregulated. Live and let live is the call of relativism.

Justin Barker
geography junior

Wildcat didn't cover med school

Maybe it was a heavy news day, but it seems the Wildcat may have missed the news that the plans for a UA-based medial school in Phoenix were canceled on Friday. The politics that surround the issue are interesting.

Basically, the funding is available (as a major contribution from ASU President Mike Crow), but there is a significant amount of academic/political infighting between prospective medical school board members in Tucson and Phoenix about just how the school should be established. ASU is giving the largest share of dollars and wants to create a curriculum that is designed to support research-based physicians. ASU is basically in bed with TGEN's goals to create a major medical research/biotech center downtown. The UA wants to replicate the Tucson medical school curriculum and create a school that, like the current Tucson campus, is very committed to community medicine and training doctors that will serve the most Arizona residents.

It might be a lot of work to dig all this up, but I just thought Arizonans might be interested in a fight between Tucson and Phoenix about the future of the state's economy and health care.

From your earlier coverage, it seems like everyone at UA is blaming this on legislative budget issues. Although this is true, from talking to less-biased people around the medical school it seems like the money is there, coming in most part from ASU; but the people on the medical school board at UA are not agreeing on the curriculum.

Ian Musil
alumnus