Wrong war, wrong place, wrong time

President Bush decried Sen. Kerry's characterization of the Iraq war - "wrong war, wrong place, wrong time " - as the wrong message to send to our adversaries and to our troops. VP Cheney echoed the same charge in debate with Sen. Edwards.

I submit that Sen. Kerry's characterization sends precisely the right message at the right time to both our adversaries and to our troops in Iraq.

To our adversaries it demonstrates one of the greatest strengths of a functional democracy: the freedom to dissent, the freedom to criticize one's government, including the president, the commander in chief, without fear of having one's head severed. It offers a powerful example for our adversaries and for world's emerging democracies to emulate.

To our troops it sends a reassuring message, that John Kerry, commander in Vietnam himself, fully recognizes what the troops and their commanders are painfully aware of: The Iraq battle has gone awry, and a change of strategy, tactics and leadership, is called for.

President Truman demonstrated his recognition of a similarly dire situation in Korea when he removed Gen. MacArthur, turning around the war there.

Credibility is crucial to leadership and when a sitting president loses it, the wisdom of the people, endowed with freedom to vote, must follow the courage of Truman's example.

To turn the Iraq war around, the people must evict the current resident of the Oval Office on Nov. 2.

Dr. Thad L.D Regulinski
professor emeritus

'Anti-Semitism' an abused term

I sincerely hope Jennifer Picard's Sept. 30 letter entitled; "Holding finals on Saturday is a form of anti-Semitism" was meant as a joke. While I have heard many people carelessly use the term anti-Semitism, this one has to take the cake. It is shameful and it is disrespectful to take such a serious term and throw it around as many in America, including and especially American Jews, have come to do.

It is important for intellectuals to notice and dismiss incorrect claims of anti-Semitism, while paying careful attention not to dismiss instances of true anti-Semitism. This becomes harder and harder to do as people redefine anti-Semitism to mean anything that they may not like or agree with.

Then of course you have the problem of being labeled an anti-Semite if you question whether something is actually anti-Semitic.

Ms. Picard, is it anti-Muslim that finals are held on Friday? Or am I an anti-Semite for applying your same reasoning to the Muslim religion?

Armand Navabi
alumnus

Kerry dominated Bush in debate

I would just like to comment on the first presidential debate. I felt that Kerry clearly was the stronger candidate of the two. I will admit that before the debate, I was really disappointed in the strength that Kerry showed against the president.

However, the debate showed that Kerry does have his feet firmly planted into his positions and his mind on a clear track to what needs to be done for this country. Bush really was allowing himself to be dominated by Kerry. Bush even felt that he was losing the debate when he made the plea at the very end, saying vote for me in his conclusion.

David Gordon
philosophy senior

Republicans need to stop crying about Michael Moore

I am getting very tired of these Republicans at the UA complaining about the appearance of Michael Moore! Some are even claiming that he is anti-American and anti-Semitic.

First, it is not anti-American to protest the government in America. It is the most American thing you can do. The idea that a person has free speech and has the right to protest peacefully is one of the main ideas this country is founded on. That's all Michael Moore is doing, speaking his mind, and protesting the Bush administration peacefully.

Tell me, was Martin Luther King and other notable social activists in history called anti-American because they protested the American government? No, of course not, they were called heroes.

Second, Michael Moore was raised in a very religious family and spent the majority of his schooling in a parochial schools. If you're offended by Michael Moore, it's simple, don't listen to him and don't support him. That's all you have to do.

Also, ASUA is not even sponsoring it! The $27,500 will be paid for by the ticket sales! Actually I heard that so many tickets have been sold that they are going to make a profit from this event.

For this reason I'm not sure why you're signing this whole petition for balance, protesting that ASUA needs to sponsor a conservative speaker of equal name recognition.

Actually, if ASUA does sponsor a large name conservative speaker, then the ASUA would have to then sponsor another large name democratic speaker, I mean you got to be fair and balanced right?

Instead of protesting the Michael Moore visit, and focusing and trying to make something not happen, focus on trying to make something happen.

For example, take all this anger, energy, and baby tears, and try harder to get a notable conservative speaker to campus. I know it's hard work to find a Republican that's not greedy and won't demand $100,000 to visit, not mentioning any names, but I have faith in you Republicans. You can do it!

Jeff Graves
political science freshman

Link between marijuana and violence laughable

Frankly, I don't know which is worse: that a UA football player - a student at this university - is dumb enough to smoke marijuana in public less than a month after he was caught doing it the first time (definitely a MENSA candidate), or that marijuana is illegal in the first place.

With regard to Sgt. Mejia's statements about marijuana and alcohol leading to violence, I can only laugh. An infinitesimal number of drunk people (students included) will get in fights.

As far as marijuana goes, anyone "in the know" recognizes that when a person is high, the last thing on his or her mind is fighting. High people don't fight - they call Dominoes.

As an aside: kudos to Kendrick Wilson for recognizing and pointing out the disconnect present in Keslar's arguments regarding the politics of fear. Kendrick: The Wildcat needs you.

Joseph Jaramillo
computer science senior

Students should not be held to different residencies

What Ms. Traylor seems to miss with her letter yesterday regarding voting is that four years is a long time for many people to spend in any community. She ignores the fact that many of these students decide to stay in Arizona permanently, and contribute to taxes and the community while they are here.

Her test for residency also makes no sense. If someone takes a job in another state but is unsure if they are going to stay there permanently, should they not vote there?

Are they not going to be affected by the laws passed during that time period? Take for example Proposition 200. If it passes, it could affect everyone's right to receive public benefits in the state of Arizona.

Why should students be held to a different standard of residency than everyone else? The answer, as affirmed by the Supreme Court, is that they should not be treated differently.

Rachel Bash
second year law student

College Republicans should foot bill for other speaker

I am writing in response to Jesse Lewis' article "Republicans Protest Moore Visit" Tuesday. What struck me as I read this article is that the UA College Republicans are actually demanding that ASUA give them money to bring in a speaker with an admittedly conservative bias, while Moore's appearance will be paid for solely through ticket sales and not ASUA sponsorship.

The College Republicans' petition for ASUA funding is ill conceived because it attempts to achieve balance in speakers by getting unequal funding that the Young Democrats are not receiving.

If the College Republicans want a conservative speaker, they should make an effort to raise their own money and pay for one instead of expecting UA students to foot the bill for them. It would display genuine student activism and initiative that is often times lacking in student groups on campus.

Gabriel Soto
alumnus

Draft definite possibility due to administration

Upon reading the column written by Laura Keslar in the Monday's Wildcat, I felt it was important to offer a different view.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as our continued presence in these regions have stretched the capabilities of our military considerably. This administration has been forced to bring in troops from the Korean peninsula and other locations around the world, as well as calling up large numbers of reservists, in order to fulfill the amount of troops needed. Perhaps even more disturbing is the news from several sources, including Paul Bremer, that even these troops are not a sufficient force to protect Iraq.

While no politicians want to talk about a draft during an election year, it seems as though our present course leaves the government with little choice. So when a Democrat says a vote for Bush wins you a free ticket to Iraq, what they mean is that the Bush administration's policies have stretched our military to the point that a draft is a definite possibility. Tessa Lee
psychology freshman