Equal aid for all offenders
I must strongly disagree with both Ian Eisner’s and Jane
Howard Blitz’s opinions (“Financial aid a privilege,
not a right,” Viewpoint, April 24), (Letters, Viewpoint,
April 26) with regards to the withholding of federal financial aid
to convicted drug users or sellers.
My point of contention is one that I have not seen raised thus
far in the Daily Bruin regarding the debate over federal funds. I
feel that denying aid to convicted drug users or sellers is not
fair because not all people found guilty of a federal crime are
prevented from receiving federal funds. A person who writes
bad checks can receive aid; a person convicted of theft can receive
aid. Aren’t all these crimes deserving of the same
withholding of aid? What makes a person who is convicted of a drug
crime any less worthy of funds than a check forger?
Nora Durham
Racism exaggerated
I read The Bruin on a daily basis and ever since I can remember,
there has always been a fair share of racial whining in the
Viewpoint section. Unfortunately, it seems to get worse every year.
This new Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirt fiasco is just one more
example of left-obsessed maniacs finding new connections between
racism and everything else. They only use Caucasians in their ads
so they must be racist, right? Well, I don’t see Fubu running
out to hire all the Caucasian models for their advertising
campaigns. But, I guess that’s OK for them.
Why does that T-shirt cause such uproar in the student body that
I have to read about it incessantly? I don’t complain about
how the Asian guy who hands out party flyers on Bruin Walk turns
away when my friends and I walk by. I don’t complain about
how every minority has its own student group, but if I tried to
form one I would most likely be expelled from school. I really
wouldn’t want to do that though, because the majority of my
friends are not Caucasians.
Am I allowed to be disgusted by all of the inane racial rhetoric
that circulates every day? Can I be fed up with it? Can I stand up
and say outright that I think it is ridiculous? If the last name
used wasn’t Wong but Smith, then there wouldn’t be any
problem would there? If people stopped looking for racism in every
corner, maybe things wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe “two
Wong’s would actually make it white.” Maybe not. Who
really cares?
I am Caucasian. I am not racist. I am sick of hearing about it
all the time. I believe that if you preoccupy your mind with
racism, then you are going to see it everywhere. Your brain is a
filter through which you see the world. If that filter is racially
saturated, you will see a world much worse than it is. I know that
our society will be virtually cured of racism when a simple item
such as the A&F T-shirt would be something that people would
just laugh at, even someone with the last name Wong.
Ian Marquis UCLA Alumnus Class of 2001
Sports editorial very incorrect
I will start off by saying the Viewpoint section is usually
entertaining and informative, but your editorial (“Guerrero
must tackle declining UCLA sports,” Viewpoint, May 1) is
factually wrong. To quote the article, “…Guerrero must
first reignite our basketball and football programs. Students and
alumni will not forgive .500 records and NCAA violations much
longer.”
Objectively let’s take a look at the football program.
First, under head coach Bob Toledo, the Bruins are 42-27, which is
a 60.87 percent winning percentage. Also during this time, the
Bruins had the third best record in the Pac-10.
The Bruins also have been in the top 10 at least one time for
each of the past three seasons.
The men’s basketball program just completed their 14th
straight season with 20 or more wins. Over the past six seasons
coach Steve Lavin’s team’s record is 135-59 which is a
69.59 percent winning percentage, not .500. He also has taken the
Bruins to five Sweet Sixteens in the last six years, which is
something only one other school in the country has done (Duke).
And what NCAA violations in the basketball program is the
editorial referring to? The last NCAA violation was in 1996 under
coach Jim Harrick. The JaRon Rush violation was committed prior to
his arrival to UCLA and had no ties whatsoever to the
university
I think a little more research would have been in order.
Sean Farnham Class of 2000