Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

UA 'quite public'

To the editor,

I just wanted to clarify a few points in response to Alodie Feldhousen's comments about Bible Jim. First, I too find much of his preaching and theology to be offensive, but we have to look at the bigger picture for a moment. Alodie commented that "it seems unfair on a private campus we have to listen to such extreme Christian fundamentalists spew hatred," but she is sorely mistaken. The University of Arizona is a state-funded and quite public college campus. It receives millions in taxpayer funding every year and is accordingly required to allow people like Bible Jim on campus as long as they submit the proper requests. Therefore, he is no different than the hundreds of credit card dealers and back-yard bands that frequent the Mall every year. And he's not alone. I've spoken with several religious groups who have come to our fine campus with the goal of enlightening the angry youth to the "truth." There have been Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Wiccans; you name it, they've been here at one time or another. That's the beauty of our country: anyone can believe anything and no one can tell them they can't (at least in theory). What disturbs me the most is that we, as a campus community and a nation, have begun to discriminate against certain groups we disagree with. This is wrong.

I for one, am glad that the UAPD still understands this principle. Bible Jim and his colleagues deserve the same rights as every other group on campus despite our opinions of them. The day we start beating people on the Mall because we don't like what they're saying is a sad day indeed.

Jacob Lauser

Drama theory sophomore