By Carl Scheidtmann
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 25, 1998

Columnist needs correction

To the Editor:

Memo to Bradford Senning and all the other yahoos who have been parading about campus in protest to Nike: find something better to do with your time. I have been biting my tongue the past few months so as not to wrestle the natives on this Nike issue, but Senning's article, "Likins needs correction" (Feb. 19), put me completely over the edge.

The proposed Nike agreement is what we call a business deal, not a stand on whether or not Phil Knight supports abortion rights, underpays his employees or thinks nicotine is an addictive drug. The fact that our athletes wear Nike clothes signifies that our school has joined the elite status in athletic performance and is worthy of such a deal.

The simple fact that the Nike corporation has a factory in Vietnam with underpaid employees is more of a testament to the state of the Vietnam economy and its rather loose (if any) labor laws. The Vietnam government is the problem here, not the Nike Corporation.

The truth here is that Nike is boosting an economy that is anything but stable by offering people jobs who may otherwise not have one.

If people are taking a stand on the Nike issue because of its policies, how about not drinking Coke (pro-apartheid) or watching Regis and Kathie Lee (sweatshops) or eating McDonald's (rainforests) and, of course, no more Oprah (anti-beef). The list goes on and on, so if you take a stand on this issue, I would also suggest making an inquiry into everything you eat, wear and watch because I am sure most major corporations find a way to piss you off or offend you somehow.

So instead of lashing out against the U of A trying to find another source of revenue so they don't have to raise tuition and/or ticket prices, why don't you put on the new Phish album, kick off your Birkenstocks, roll some more doobies and take a shower for a change.

Carl Scheidtmann
Journalism Junior