Levy has myopic vision of God
In Adir Levy’s column “Pondering divinity: a good
way to spend time,” (Jan. 29) he is presumably referring to
the Judeo-Christian God when he exhorts us to consider whether God
exists. Unfortunately, since there are many religions that do not
subscribe to a monotheistic point of view, he seems to be taking a
myopic stance. God is defined and perceived differently by
different people, and one is not necessarily superior to
another.
What makes the Judeo-Christian conception of God more legitimate
than, for example, the gods of certain Native American cultures?
And what about Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Taoism which
encourage you to not to look outward but inward to find the source
of divinity?
Considering the great diversity of religious thought in the
world, I would encourage people to explore broader spiritual
questions not confined to one type of religious perspective, and
that cannot necessarily be pinned down to a black-and-white
explanation.
Danny Barth First-year, undeclared
Letter about homeless is callous
In response to Stephanie Herczog’s letter, “Homeless
on campus a problem,” (Jan. 29) I would like to point out
that UCLA is not a lockdown campus, or is being homeless a
crime. I find her insensitivity to this issue appalling, and I
hope that her opinion does not reflect the majority of the UCLA
community. UCLA is located in the middle of a sprawling
metropolis, and as it is a beautiful campus filled with ample lawns
and trees, it is no wonder that non-UCLA affiliated members of
Los Angeles, including homeless persons, choose to come
here.Â
The homeless are not an inferior species; they are human beings
just like Herczog herself, and her opinion “finding one of
them dead on campus is the last straw” is shocking. The
reality of America is that not everyone can afford the high cost of
living or the outlandish consumer culture. The reality is
that some people do not have any other option than to spend
the night outside. Instead of turning a blind eye to the
issue and demanding that UCLAÂ somehow tell people without a
house to leave, we all need to show some compassion toward our
fellow human beings.
Kristen Beck Fourth-year, international development
studies
The Bruin shows BruinGo! bias
Although Erlinda Santiago’s article “Will
BruinGo?!” (News, Jan. 28) seemed thoroughly researched, I
was disappointed that the Daily Bruin, in another attempt to
address the shaky future of the BruinGo! program, has once again
presented a biased argument that favors the continuation of the
program by ignoring some important issues.
Santiago’s and other past articles that address the
program fail to recognize the fact that morning commutes on the Big
Blue Buses do not have room for the 48 percent of the student
body who report they never use the program. The Bruin has
repeatedly ignored the fact that the Big Blue Bus already has high
usage by fare paying riders, leaving little room for BruinGo!
users. By ignoring this detail, The Bruin deludes its readers into
thinking that the Big Blue Bus can readily handle increased
BruinGo! usage.
Secondly, a bar graph that reports that 48 percent of the
student body never use the BruinGo! program is meaningless,
considering that a chunk of students live within walking distance
of campus and don’t need a car or bus to get to class.
BruinGo! usage needs to be examined within the selective pool of
those who live near Big Blue Bus routes and must commute. Only then
can you make a conclusion about whether students are fully taking
advantage of the program, and with those facts, consider why it
would make sense to continue the program.
Peijean Tsai Fourth-year, economics and English Former
Daily Bruin News Contributor Fem editor