Vanguard’s inauguration coverage unfair to Republicans
I am a current MIM student at PSU and wanted to comment on your recent coverage of the inauguration. I am not sure you can get any more slanted and one-sided than the Vanguard. Although you may say that you had coverage of the Republican’s anti-protest, it never expressed their viewpoints ["Republicans seek to balance the scale during protests," 1-21-05].
Referring to Bush as the "Bubble Boy" only further distances you from mainstream America, where Bush received 51% of the vote (highest percentage in 16 years) compared to the so-called "lovable" Clinton who received 43% in 1992 and 49% in 1996 ["Inauguration of the Bubble Boy," 1-21-05]. The Democratic Party has really taken a beating because of its alliance with poster boy Michael Moore and radical left wing groups who are a turn-off to average people in Middle America. The democrats must stop playing certain cards such as the income divide, portraying Republicans as all selfish, wealthy CEO’s. Can you explain why those states that voted overwhelmingly Republican have the lowest per capita income such as states in the heart of America and the South, while the blue states such as Connecticut and New York have the highest per capita income? Also, in respect to the Iraq War, can you explain why every intelligence agency in Europe, including the Russians’, believed he [Saddam Hussein] had WMD’s? Why Bill Clinton believed he did? Why John Kerry and Hillary Clinton who saw the same intelligence voted for the war? Yet, when they saw a time for political gain, came up with ridiculous accusations and fled? Although I am a Republican, I appreciate healthy political discourse and the current leadership and supporters of the Democratic Party seem the complete opposite. It is time they eliminate their group think mentality, and allow individual responsibility and thoughts to lead their party, or else they will continue in a downward spiral.
Tim Balconi
Student
OSPIRG deserves funding
I am an intern with OSPIRG. I chose to become a part of this group because I truly believe in what they do ["OSPIRG makes final bid for funding," 1-20-05]. The issues that this group is working on are important ones. We need to educate people by spreading the information on environmental hardships, especially to the people that are going to make up the decision making power in the next 20 years or so. There is only so much that a group of people, albeit very motivated people, can do without funds available to them. This group is poised to be able to reach a large group of young people, taking away or limiting funding will only be a detriment to this group.
Tara Keith
OSPIRG intern
As a student coordinator with OSPIRG I can say that since our funding battle began we have done absolutely everything in our power to adhere to the Student Fee Committees requests. We have changed our budget system to comply with the budget process by working with the SFC and SALP advisors, we have fulfilled all the eligibility requirements, and we have been working to engage in dialogue about what OSPIRG is and why we deserve our allocation with as many students as possible all the while trying to actually function as OSPIRG.
We are not functioning at the level we could and should be. We are caught in a "Catch 22," in order to comply with the SFC, we have to prove ourselves through our effective campaign work, however, how can we do this when we do not have the funds necessary to do the program work that is required of us?
There is absolutely NO reason why we should not receive full funding.
Amy Connolly
OSPIRG Vice-Chapter Chair
Conservative platform deceptive
If conservatives didn’t hinge their entire political stance on "Jesus hated fags" and "Jesus wouldn’t kill babies," we’d all see that Jesus WAS a liberal (and NOBODY is pro abortion, SOME people are PRO – choice. I’m neither. Nobody likes abortion) ["Jesus was a liberal," 12-3-04].
Conservatives base their politics on hate and the worship of money. It’s that simple.
Carlito
Long Island, NY
Symbolism not simplistic
"When people wish to fly the Confederate flag, they fly it in the face of its symbolism for many people of slavery and oppression" ["Learning from M.L.K. Jr. in the 21st century," 1-21-05].
If you replace "Confederate" with "American" your statement is just as true, if not more so. In addition, the bloody Stars and Stripes is responsible for the virtual genocide of the American Indian by both the Buffalo Soldiers and their white Northern counterparts using their expertise gained during the WBTS. Symbols mean different things to different people just as the swastika means something different to a Jew as opposed to a Buddhist. I fly the Confederate Battle Flag in my cemetery over the graves of my ancestors who fought and died during the War for the same principles as did my great, great, great grandfather in the Revolutionary War.
Brock Townsend
Tarboro, NC
Billy Corgan not a "loser"
Quite frankly, I am disgusted at your views on Billy Corgan in this review ["Rocking in the free world," 1-14-05]. If you could so care to have looked at his past, and his on going pretentious nature then surely you would understand the music-fueled basis for his poetry writings. He is one of the most respected men in rock, and always will be. The lack of care to think that he is washed up, and that his presence is useless in the world, makes me feel sad for you. Billy Corgan is a loser?
Your (sic) the loser…
Iain
U.K.
Please tell Nick that what he said about Billy Corgan wasn’t cool at all.
While I agree that Courtney Love is indeed a "washed up loser" and there is tons of evidence to back that statement up (such as drug use, abusive behavior, child neglect), what makes Corgan an "even bigger washed up loser?" Is it because of the beard? Is that, in Nick’s opinion, what makes him a loser? If so then Nick is a very shallow person. Billy Corgan is an asset to the music industry and to the communities that he has visited. Nick, are you aware that all the proceeds from the Smashing Pumpkins Adore tour were donated to various charities in the cities they played? Could you ever see Love doing that? No, she would snort all those proceeds right up her nose.
Doug
Via e-mail
Klute’s support of homosexuality admirable
I am thankful for Mr. Klute’s perspective and the way in which he has voiced his criticism of the vandals. I think it shows a lot of personal strength ["Homophobia coming out in class," 1-20-05].
I agree that many people may feel as if the passage of Measure 37 legitimizes hateful behavior and opinions. Thank you, Vanguard, for putting the spotlight on this and working to keep our academic spaces healthy.
Justin Myers
Student