Yellow bracelets for the wrong reasons

Donating money to help fight cancer - could there be a better cause to donate money? I, too, was very impressed at all the people wearing the yellow bracelets to show their support, until I overheard one girl saying, "Yeah, my friend gave me this, isn't it cool!"

The truth is people are donating money for all the wrong reasons. Most of the people that wear these bracelets could care less what foundation they are helping; they just want the bracelet because it is now "trendy."

Especially when their yellow shoes and yellow shirt just happen to match. I do believe that some people donated money because they really do care, and those are the people who should be applauded. Hopefully, this fad should die down soon because it makes us all look very bad.

Keith Martin
criminal justice sophomore

Students not the most important part

This letter is in response to Thursday's column written by Moe Naqvi regarding the need for adequate draining systems in Tucson.

Contrary to popular belief on campus, UA students are not the most important aspect of this city. The whine-fest on how awful and stupid Tucson is failed to mention that Tucson contains a very important military base, high-profile companies such as Raytheon, and world-renowned resorts that attract a clientele slightly more important than undergraduates who like pizza and parties. Totally.

Did Paul McCartney move here because there were - gasp! - UA students around? No, I don't think so.

You see, college students from out of town tend to forget that they live here part-time, and that there are actually people around who were born and raised in this city. To many, this city is home. Not a college town. Not the freedom from Mommy and Daddy they have been dying to have for the last 18 years of their life. When you graduate and move on, they will still be here. There are more important problems to deal with than your occasional drenching.

Personally, I think there are much better uses for money in this city right now. Education in Tucson is below standard. There are areas of poverty that need to be cleaned up because they only breed crime (Maybe then cars wouldn't get broken into as much in Zone 1 parking lots).

Maybe with the money we could help Summerhaven rebuild faster. Perhaps we could spend the money on campaigns to lower the teen pregnancy rate.

Maybe the money could be used to help encourage education within the Latino communities of the city.

Maybe the money could be used to support urban renewal and make Tucson a happening party spot so college students can have somewhere fun to go other than the lame bars on Fourth Avenue!

Rachel Lewis
media arts junior

Assault weapons ban expiration lacks sense

It was a shame to see the statements of Danielle Roberts and Alice Trimble in the Wildcat on Friday. To think that lifting the assault weapons ban enumerates your Second Amendment rights while not helping criminals is a slap in the face to common sense.

Seriously, what's next, lifting the ban on citizens from acquiring shoulder-fired missiles? Weapons of mass destruction? Whatever it takes to make the gun lobby happy.

It does not matter if public support is greater than two-to-one for keeping the ban on the books.

It does not matter if a strong correlation exists between the precipitous decline in violent crime and the passage of the ban signed into law by President Clinton.

It does not matter that criminals will have easier access to assault weapons because gun manufacturers are going to glut the market with Tech-9s, Uzis and AK-47s.

It doesn't matter if police officers, first responders and victim's rights groups begged to keep the ban instated.

Frankly, the will of the people just does not matter to right-wing Republicans in Washington.

Josh Silverstein
political science and history senior

Early football games provide big spotlight

Why are Wildcat fans complaining that home football games are being moved to afternoon to accommodate ESPN?

I am enthused for the fact that the UA has been given the opportunity to play in front of a national audience. A true and educated Wildcat fan would know that playing on national television is the only way a program will be able to attract the top recruits who are needed for the Wildcats to become a competitive program.

So all the true Cat fans will suck up the fact that they need to start the tailgating at breakfast and deal with the heat because these are the sacrifices that need to be made for the Wildcats to become Pacific 10 Conference contenders and one day have the Cats in Pasadena for New Year's.

Ryan Calkins
alumnus

Badnarik should be commended for visit

Keren Raz made some good points in her column Friday, but it's important to at least lend credit to the presidential candidate who has visited the University of Arizona, and that person is Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik.

While I won't be voting for Mr. Badnarik due to his flawed foreign and military policies, it's appropriate to at least lend him due credit for being attentive enough to the University of Arizona community to show up. The sparse crowd of about 70 who showed up in the ILC that Saturday was particularly disappointing.

As for the two major parties however, keep piling the heat on them.

Garrett O'Hara
political science sophomore

Canceling ceremony singles out loved ones

How is it possible that during my college experience I have had my tuition raised, my parking spaces razed and now the final miserable (and downright mean) finale: It turns out I won't be having a commencement ceremony?

So I guess we'll also take out the credits at the end of a Hollywood film, and we'll remove the cherry from my sundae. Taking away the undergraduate commencement ceremony does not just single out the students but it also singles out the students' parents, grandparents and friends. Mind you, some of these loved ones come from around the world.

How can the school that we've been a part of and have given so many sleepless nights over tests and have owed so much debt financially oust the student body that makes up the majority of the UA? What does this say about policymakers and their opinions of the tuition payers who make it possible to attend the UA?

Now, as for this tortilla-throwing tradition, how do tortillas destroy all that undergrads have worked for during their academic careers? How ridiculous does the word tortilla sound? "Tortillas held up last night's Final Four basketball game against ..." Puh-leazze! The only place the word tortilla doesn't sound funny is on a menu. Tortillas cannot be the reason why over 2,000 students and so many thousands of other family members will not be able to see their graduation.

Mind you, these could be first- or second-generation students, only multiplying the devastating effect this has on the minds of soon-to-be graduates. Should the alumni be allowed to ask for donations after this incident?

I certainly hope that mail will fall into a junk mail category at home should this cancellation of ceremonies be true. I keep thinking, this is too much, maybe it's a sick joke, a rumor in poor taste, the beginning of a September fool's day, maybe just an experiment to see how everyone will react. So far, the joke is only on us.

Anthony Sanchez
electrical engineering senior

Leave fear behind, look to the future

Fear: It can make people do things they might not normally do otherwise.

On Sept. 7, Vice President Dick Cheney used the threat of terrorist attacks if John Kerry is elected as president.

Wasn't it this administration that gave the warning that terrorist attacks are likely, if not imminent before the election? Are they not the ones that gave us the color-coded terror chart? Are they not the ones who used the tragedy of 9/11 to portray our president as a leader?

While the Democratic opposition points out the inaccuracies of this administration and supplies an alternative; the Republicans are using fear in order to get votes.

In other words, the ticket of Bush/Cheney has no issues to run on except for fear of the future.

Perhaps it is time to recall the famous words of President Franklin Roosevelt: "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."

It is definitely time to leave fear behind and look forward to the future and handling the issues at hand.

Joe Pyritz
UA alumnus

Tortilla sensitivity taken too far

Dr. Likins, get over yourself! I have been eating tortillas in Tucson longer than you have known Arizona was a state. Since your tortilla sensitivity has moved you to cancel the university-wide commencement, my husband and I (both UA alumni) will be deprived of watching both of our children graduate in one ceremony as we had planned for the past four years!

If a speaker such as Raul Grijalva can't handle the UA traditions, get another speaker. If the lack of diversity bothers you then encourage the throwing of English muffins, pita bread, rice, etc. That way everyone will be equally represented, and the diversity goals of the UA will be met.

The throwing of tortillas at graduation shouldn't offend Hispanics any more than throwing rice at weddings should offend Asians (which last I checked doesn't offend anyone). This entire issue is a thinly disguised effort to control the behavior of the students so that a certain group is appeased.

I wonder if your censorship will apply to Mr. Grijalva's speech. I am certain it will undoubtedly offend more than one non-Hispanic. Have you made certain that he offends no one; that he is all-inclusive and uplifting to all who are being recognized? Have you insured that his language is bland and politically correct? Have you made sure that he shows no disrespect for the apple pie?

I sure hope so because both you and Mr. Grijalva have an obligation to all students at UA regardless of their bread of choice.

Joanna Huff
UA Alumna