Letters

PSU doesn’t condone hate speech
As the Daily Vanguard covered [“Infamous anti-Semite quietly holds lecture at PSU,” May 6], David Irving presented a lecture at PSU’s University Place in April of this year. Irving is an international speaker who claims the Nazi holocaust was a hoax. This controversial event has led to questions regarding sponsorship. I would like to assure the campus community that no university funds were used to support Irving’s lecture. He was charged the full rates and treated as any other speaker renting a PSU facility would be.

First-Amendment rights of free speech and expression are among those values we cherish as a public institution of higher education, and while we respect these rights, please know that Portland State University does not condone hurtful speech.

Jeanie-Marie Price
Director, Office of Marketing and Communications

Oregon a haven of progressivism

Thank God, for the great Northwest!

I have been racking my brain on what area of the country or outside of the country I would choose to spend my so-called golden years. I do believe that Oregon is the front runner [“Senate OKs emergency contraceptives bill,” May 18]. Thank you all for being so progressive, sensible and rational, as well as realistic and humanitarian.

All of this good work that is generated from your state deserves notice as an example to the rest of this great nation.

Kudos, Senator Bates!

B. Poropatich
Pittsburgh, Pa.

Party irrelevant in ASPSU
First of all, ASPSU’s job is to represent students, and this means all students, not the ones we might choose to represent. This has been my job as a student senator, as an intern, now as state affairs director, and it will continue to be my job as legislative affairs director with the Devaney/Woon administration.

For all those who continue to point out my affiliation with the College Republicans, yes I’m secretary of the College Republicans and next year I will hopefully be vice president of the College Republicans. I am a student leader on campus in more ways than one and I have every right to be so, as does Cam Turner. That is a position apart from mine with ASPSU.

I do not, and will not represent students solely based upon my own political views. Contrary to what might be said about me, I am pro-student group and for ASPSU being inclusive, not exclusive. Before assumptions keep coming in, I would recommend coming and discussing with me what I’m doing and how I plan on not only keeping student voice but increasing it. I would encourage the writers who call themselves “progressive” to work on perfecting their ideals of “tolerance” and “diversity.” In fact, diversity of thought is increasingly becoming unwelcome and threatened, which is dangerous. And also the definition of progressive is “promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods, or moving forward, advancing” which I would be included in. Thank you.

Amanda Newberg
Student

Devaney/Woon committed to change
The letter in the Vanguard [“Letters,” May 20] by newly-elected ASPSU president and vice president Erin Devaney and Molly Woon expresses their commitment for change. I, for one, believe them.

For one thing, Erin and Molly were two of the students, winter quarter, who went with us in Progressive Student Union, and personally delivered 100 “tomato letters” to PSU President Dan Bernstine and other administration officials, in support of the Florida farm worker-based Taco Bell Boycott. PSU has agreed to evict Taco Bell, effective July 1, 2005.

Secondly, Erin, Molly and I were among scores of activist students from across the country who attended an anti-globalization conference last month at American University, in Washington, D.C., and also visited former ASPSU President Mary Cunningham in David Wu’s Congressional office on the Hill.

After several years of ASPSU “fetching and carrying” for the PSU administration, Erin and Molly continue to promise change at our school in the upcoming year.

Lew Church
Student

Local fashions rock
It’s great to see the Vanguard taking time to write about local designers [“Mister Adam Arnold, designer,” May 20]. There is a lot of pride in this town and articles like this help keep that local beating heart strong.

Chris Perry
Student