Wildcat needs to steer clear of 'sexist' language

Ariel Serafin's Wednesday story on the Tunnel of Oppression ("Oppression issues seen in tunnel") provided students in my English 101 class with a stunningly ironic example of sexist language as used in a report about efforts to raise awareness on the harmful effects of "prejudice throughout history." Serafin said, "The rooms ... were manned by tour guides and actors."

The verb "manned" reinforces oppressive sexist language and could have been replaced with the word "staffed." I would like to refer the Arizona Daily Wildcat staff to the University of New Hampshire's "Guidelines for the Use of Nonsexist Language" so that we can rid our campus newspaper of "language that reinforces sexism," and therefore the stereotyping and oppression of both genders.

Kathryn Ortiz
English graduate teaching assistant

Bush didn't get congressional declaration of war for Iraq

In his letter "U.S. fighting a legal war that isn't 'unwinnable,'" Tom Mosby states, "Congress actually voted to authorize the Iraq war, which means it was a legal action. I don't have a dictionary handy but I'm pretty sure legal is the opposite of illegal."

What Mr. Mosby fails to realize, however, is that Congress, just like every other branch of government, is limited by the U.S. Constitution. The president may only exercise the powers of commander in chief granted to him under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution after he has been called into the actual service of the country by a congressional declaration of war as required under Article I, Section 8.

The resolution voted on by Congress and referenced by Mr. Mosby above did not include a declaration of war. Given Congress's failure to declare war, the president's actions in Iraq have been as illegal as they get. Mr. Mosby not only needs to reference a dictionary, he also needs a few remedial classes in basic civics.

Terrence Bressi
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory engineer

The U.N. is anti-Americanism

Alex Gutierrez's letter regarding Kara Karlson's column was way out of line ("United Nations' goals not befitting of global 'terrorists'"). Karlson's column brings to light an issue that no one seems to know much about. The claim that Ms. Karlson uses loaded language and has selective memory is very harebrained; someone should clue in Mr. Gutierrez that the Wildcat writers are limited to 750 words, not allowing for a complete report on the many other corrupt activities that go on at the United Nations.

With all the effort that the left is putting into the fight against the U.S. troops in Iraq with abuse allegations, you would think they would at least care a little bit about international forces from the United Nations who force little girls to have sex for a cup of milk. The United Nations has been the worldwide leader in corruption ever since it was founded, from the hundreds of instances of rape by peacekeeping forces to the oil-for-food scandal that made Kofi Annan's son rich to raising anti-American sentiments across the globe.

The United Nations is a terrorist organization and we all need to realize that so guilty parties can be punished and the rest of the world can get back to attempting to live peacefully.

Alex Hoogasian
political science junior

Wildcat comic 'brilliant,' tells it like it is

In response to Marisa Engler about Michael Irish's comic ("'Ignorant,' 'obnoxious' comic does disservice to football team"), I would like to say that I think his work was brilliant. College football is about one thing: winning games. I think the only disrespectful part of the comic was that about Richard Kovalcheck.

I feel that the comic was sincere to Eben Britton (waterboy) and Blake Kerley (equipment manager). They probably feel the same way because what he said about them was true. Also, if it were not for this comic, the majority of the UA would not even know who these guys are.

As for Kovalcheck, he is a terrible quarterback and this comic portrays that. If he were not "warming the bench" we would not have beat UCLA. I don't know if Engler noticed on the front of the sports page in the Wildcat on the same day the comic was printed there was a similar strip with the UA's top three football stars. I believe this is what inspired Irish for his comic. Perhaps Engler did not see that, or perhaps she does not have a sense of humor. After all, comic strips are funny.

By the way, big props to Willie Tuitama.

Jonathan Jana
public administration senior

Don't blame students for low debate turnout

Please do not complain about low student turnout at the apathy debate ("Students apathetic over debate"). Instead of blaming the students, look at the event.

How did you advertise for the apathy debate? I did not see it. Granted, there was the three-paragraph blurb in the "Quick Hits" section of the Wildcat the day of the event; however, since I prefer to wait until after my classes to read the Wildcat, it was too late to attend the event. Besides the Wildcat, where else did you advertise? I live in the residence halls; therefore, I am always on campus. Most of my day and night is spent on campus, but did I see this event advertised anywhere else? No.

This message is to any organization. If you want students to come to your event, advertise it. If students do not know about an event, they will not show up. There are many ways to do this: fliers, handbills, telling everyone you know about it, messages on Facebook.com or reaching out to other organizations and inviting their members to the event.

If turnout is still low, evaluate the type of advertisement that was used. At the event, ask people how they found out about the event so you can determine the best way to advertise the event in the future. Evaluate yourself before you jump on the "blame the students" bandwagon.

Julie Gunderson
microbiology junior

Discrimination tarnishing the 'sanctity of marriage'

I would just like to say I completely agree with Alan Eder's column on gay marriage ("It's discrimination, stupid") 110 percent. It is a shame that I have to witness the creation of a second class in my lifetime. As someone who always grew up being taught to love everyone, I think it is completely unacceptable and wrong what our government is doing. The 2004 "Moral Values" campaign is perhaps the greatest lie and hypocrisy in American history since the days of Jim Crow.

However, I think Democrats should be ashamed as well for not doing enough to stand up for gays and lesbians. They have simply played a background role while groups like God Hates Fags, the Moral Majority and Pat Robertson's 777 club have been courting the Republican Party. Truth is, none of these groups know a thing about Christ, and what they are preaching is against everything the Bible stood for.

I think social conservatives out there should know that most of the states implementing gay marriage bans already outlaw it. This is simply a cheap and disgusting campaign tool for Republicans to win votes in the "Good Ol' Boy Network." I remember when I was once a Republican how anti-gay so many people were. This was especially in the College Republicans. I was just so disgusted by it that I left the party entirely and registered as an independent.

The greatest freedom in society is the right to marry. Marriage is one of our most important foundations and it is what makes us human. When we take away that right from a certain part of society then we're the ones who're really destroying the sanctity of marriage.

While homosexual marriage may not be traditional, neither was interracial marriage or interfaith marriage. There was a time when it was considered unnatural and untraditional for black people to be free. We need to accept our mistakes in society and correct them.

Joel Shooster
political science sophomore