Thursday, February 6, 1997Let it snow
I am disappointed in Michelle Navarro’s assessment of the Snow
Event in Sunset Village ("A Snowy Sunset Quad" Feb. 3, 1997). She
tries to present a negative portrayal of what was actually an
excellent example of cooperation and teamwork among residence
halls.
What Navarro neglected to report was that Sunset Village was
approached for $200 as was every residence hall on the hill. When
Dykstra Hall was not able to receive sufficient funds from other
halls, Sunset Village offered additional funds to expand the
program so that it would reach a larger and more centralized
audience. The decision was made to bring the event to Sunset to
accomplish this goal of bringing the community of residents
together.
I want to commend Dykstra Hall Program Assistants Kristen Perry
and Juliet Kim and Sunset Village President Telly Tse for working
together to create this event for the residents on the hill. What
is important is the fact that the Sunset Village government offered
help when it was needed.
Let’s look at the snow event for what it really was  the
residence hall community working together to provide a better
atmosphere for the residents of on-campus housing.
Ben Geer
External Vice-President, Dykstra Hall
Sophomore
Mechanical Engineering
Unfair comparison
I was infuriated to read MacLane Key’s letter (Feb. 3) which
attempts to drum up support for his anti-choice position by
comparing the results of abortion to the Holocaust: To equate a
mother’s difficult and personal decision whether or not to bear a
child with Hitler’s relentless assault on European Jews during
World War II is not only deeply offensive to the victims of the
Holocaust but also greatly demeans the historical event itself and
the lessons we should draw from it.
Regardless of one’s position on the abortion issue, to exploit
the murder of six million Jews in one of the most devastating
events of the 20th century for cheap political gain is shameful.
The torturous and dehumanizing treatment of Jews as they were
persecuted, and for many, eventually gassed in extermination camps,
was unique in the racist ideology which underlay it. The complicity
of ordinary people with the elaborate and methodical killings was
used to further Hitler’s motivations. It is important that people
understand the particular social, economic and ideological roots of
the Holocaust so that such a tragedy is not repeated. To refer to
the "holocaust" of abortion is not only grossly inaccurate, but it
has the disturbing consequence of simplifying and making light of
these horrific events of half a century past.
While I respect Key’s right to hold a position on abortion
different from my own, it is important that in a forum of public
debate the integrity of history and the memory of those who paid
the ultimate price are given their proper respect.
Darrin Hurwitz
Senior
Political Science