Monday, October 19, 1998
Letters
Shepard’s murder should inspire more rage
Why aren’t more students enraged over the recent savage beating
of hate? Why are we even debating whether the murder of Matthew
Shepard (the University of Wyoming student killed because of his
sexual preference) is or isn’t a hate-crime? What else could have
motivated this killing? It’s just another refusal to recognize
homosexuals as a legitimate minority with legitimate rights to be
treated as human citizens.
We, as a society, are dragging our feet on this issue. Must we
wait and wage through decades of battles and scapegoating in order
to gain equal status for gays and lesbians  the same equal
status that women, African Americans and other minorities fought
for decades ago? The static role of the nonprogressive Christian
sects has to be recognized. Why do conservative Christians continue
to hold on to archaic, obscure judgements? Fear and paranoia.
Fifteen years of Sunday school taught me to ‘hate the sin, but
love the sinner.’ What brainwash and b.s. that is. How would one
separate an individual or break off behaviors from personality? The
majority of fundamental Christians hold the existence of gay and
lesbians in direct opposition to their beliefs. And these
‘god-like’ people perpetuate hate in their half-ass
condemnations.
To allude to the pop group Hanson, ‘Where’s the Love?’ Certainly
not with the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. which planned
to picket the funeral of Matthew Shepard. This is an extreme
example, but how many other churches have remained silent and
condoned radical Christian behavior, or allowed incidents such as
this to pass with no outrage? How many other churches have
justified this inhuman crime because of the victim’s sexuality?
Until Christian groups realize that their homophobic fears are
irrational and until they cease both direct and indirect
persecution of ‘select’ citizens, more atrocities such as the
murder of Matthew Shepard are certain to continue.
Let us adopt a new banner: ‘Hate the paranoid, love the
accepting.’
Or better yet, let’s not hate at all.
Charlie Knudtson
Third-year
American literature and culture
A toast to alcohol consumption
I would like to raise my glass to Mark Dittmer for his article
‘Musings from an inebriated state’ (Viewpoint, Oct. 13). It was
such a pleasant change from the tired complaints of inequality that
keep reappearing in the Daily Bruin. Finally, someone is in touch
with the nighttime activities engaged in by all that encompass this
university, from freshmen to faculty.
In response to his wondering why anyone would find his article
interesting, I have the answer. First, it’s damn funny. For once I
laughed after reading the Viewpoint section instead of crumpling it
up while exclaiming ‘Whatever.’ Second, it shows his high degree of
integrity as a journalist. Instead of basing his article on past
experiences, or collecting information from secondary sources, he
did his research first-hand. That is the sign of a competent
journalist.
Finally, Dittmer dared to tell all about his encounter with the
deviant world of drunkenness. With all those obscure ‘Done 4’ ads
in the Bruin and the careless treatment of alcohol by those in the
Greek system (hence their latest attempt for a makeover), it is
becoming harder to enjoy the benefits of a Long Island ice tea
without feeling a little guilty.
Dittmer’s article shows that when done responsibly, inebriation
is indeed a good thing.
Donald Bendz
Fourth-year
Sociology
Diversity at UCLA is nothing but talk
I just want to personally thank Alicia Roca for shedding some
light on the reality of diversity here at UCLA (‘Real learning
means looking past race,’ Viewpoint, Oct. 15). From the moment I
stepped onto this campus three years ago, diversity has been shoved
down my throat. At freshman orientation the counselors raved about
the broad diversity here at UCLA.
On campus tours, the guides herald UCLA as one of the most
diverse campuses in California. One can barely go through the week
without hearing praises of our happy little melting pot.
Yet, in the real world of UCLA, all of this diversity is a
farce. Ethnic groups are still mainly socializing within their own
groups, causing our beloved diversity to become very
one-dimensional. Sure, there are many different races and
ethnicities on campus, but does simply having these different
people on campus make it diverse?
Diversity only comes when these people begin to interact and
share experiences with each other. Diversity comes from learning
about different people, not merely seeing them walk past us on
campus.
If we truly want diversity on our campus each person needs to
make the effort to break out of their comfort zone and take the
risk of meeting someone who looks upon our world a little
differently.
Maura O’Connell
Fourth-year
Communication studies
Students must curb conservative power
The right-wing, Christian, ultra-conservative hypocrisy that is
staging a coup d’etat on our nation’s government is disgusting and
terrifying at the same time.
These people are not looking to move forward, but are grasping
frantically to replicate a past that will never exist again. They
solve problems not by compromise, but by making childish and
partisan reactionary mistakes.
They are shrieking about ‘Puritan family values’ and quoting
fantasy-land standards of human perfection (which they themselves
are nowhere close to upholding within their own lives) and are
using this storybook moral high ground to attempt an impeachment of
one of the most dedicated and effective leaders of the latter half
of this century.
I am asking my fellow students, therefore, to please vote in
this crucial upcoming election. Please show the circus on Capitol
Hill that we are tired of b.s. and deserve more than this runaway
train of an overblown crisis.
Will Heermance
Second-year
Theater
Beware of flashing Strathmore light
The traffic lights on Strathmore should function just like other
traffic signals in the world. The cross road has a total of four
lanes on each of its three sides: from south of the Westwood
Boulevard, north of the boulevard and from Strathmore. Although
there are only two lanes on each side for pedestrians to worry
about, the large junction area makes this cross road a hazardous
place to cross solely, depending on blinking red lights.
While a pedestrian crosses from Lot 6 to Boelter, the person
should be aware of both north and southbound Westwood Boulevard.
And unfortunately, some drivers from the farther side do not
acknowledge the pedestrian until they come right into the middle of
junction.
Most streets with a junction the size of a tennis court or
bigger should be equipped with a proper traffic signal. Most
drivers are used to stop and go traffic on the local residential
cross roads, yet most of the residential junctions are about half
the size of a tennis court. The problem is even worse now that
traffic flow does not stop after rush hour, but rather is kept
constant. Many drivers go to Lot 9 from both Strathmore and
northbound Westwood.
The drivers on Strathmore are the unfortunate ones who have to
stop once before coming to a stop at the junction.
The traffic flow from Strathmore is very constant due to its
link with Gayley. If there were traffic signals that properly
worked, both the agony of drivers searching for the right chance to
move and the safety of crossing pedestrians could be
accomplished.
In consequence, instead of just relying on chances, I suggest
that everybody drive by the standardized rules to know when they
should go and when they should not. This would not compromise the
safety of both parties.
Moreover, if an accident happens, it would be clearer on
deciding who was at fault, thus saving both legal fees and time of
the victim and the accused.
Hong Surk Choi
Second-year
Applied mathematics
Comments, feedback, problems?
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