Waxman should open his eyes
I concur with the Oct. 15 editorial, “Waxman disregards
constituents’ opinion,” not just because he has no
plans for higher education or student issues, but also because he
opposes the extension of the Red Line Subway west along Wilshire
Boulevard.
Despite the fact that the Red Line has 132,514 average weekday
boardings, the intransigent congressman refuses to reconsider his
Congressional ban bill.
Congressman Waxman will not get my vote November 5 for
re-election. I’ll cast my ballot for a forward-looking House
of Representatives official who is not afraid to help alleviate the
vehicular traffic in West Los Angeles, deemed to be the densest
traffic and employment corridor in Southern California.
It would be a tremendous boon to UCLA, Westwood and the
surrounding community if commuters could use an underground subway
instead of having to endure untold minutes, even hours, of gridlock
in their cars.
Frank Beddter UCLA extension, 1971
Students need to support rail system
Rather than spending millions on parking structures every few
years, UCLA should focus on public transportation. With buses
jam-packed every morning, it’s obvious that students will use
anything available to avoid West L.A.’s traffic and
UCLA’s parking woes.
With the highly anticipated opening of the Pasadena Gold Line in
July 2003, the MTA will have a Metro Rail system that reaches into
the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, as well as Downtown L.A.,
Long Beach, LAX (via shuttle) and Norwalk. Construction will begin
on another light rail route to East L.A. in 2003. The closest
station to UCLA is the Red Line subway stop at Wilshire and
Western, about eight miles away.
So where does that leave us? After the MTA proposed a busway for
the Exposition Blvd railroad right of way, a grassroots group of
volunteers from the Westside, known as Friends4Expo collected
signatures and lobbied the MTA to build a light rail line instead.
The MTA is now doing preliminary work on the route that will
eventually connect our friends over at USC to Culver City, Santa
Monica, Downtown L.A., and the rest of the Metro Rail system. The
only problem is that the closest it will get to UCLA will be just
south of the Westside Pavilion.
The only way UCLA is going to see the Metro Rail system reach
Westwood is with grassroots work from the UCLA community and
cooperation from the university. If UCLA shows the MTA that it
wants rail badly enough, the MTA just might change its mind like it
did with the Expo busway. Friends 4 the Red Line is an
all-volunteer group that already has the ball rolling on this
issue, and could use the help of more UCLA students and staff to
get the Red Line extended. Maybe interest will surge once USC
starts bragging about their rail line.
Ken Dyson
NRA makes it easier to kill
There seems to be confusion about the intent of the Jason Liu
cartoon (Oct. 21), but it’s quite clear to me.
The cartoon captures the reality of the NRA continuing to
support the hardware used to kill innocent individuals each and
every day in this country. The NRA wishes to keep guns available,
while knowing that they make one-on-one killing easier than any
other weapon.
No, guns don’t kill people ““ but they make it very
easy for people to kill people.
The question is: Should we create new laws and increase
enforcement of current laws to make it harder for people to use
guns to kill others? The NRA refuses to accept any new legislation,
and wishes to revoke many current gun laws. Why? They are afraid
that with each new step toward legislating gun ownership, the
country gets closer to revoking the Second Amendment.
I for one would not miss guns, because I’ve personally
seen countries like Japan live quite comfortably and safely without
them.
It’s up to the citizens of the United States to decide
this issue.
I believe there is enough ambiguity regarding the intent of the
Second Amendment, that the country should vote to clarify it.
Dean J. Garrett UCLA Alumnus