Editor's note: Last week we ran several guest columns and special features and in doing so did not have space to run as many Firing Lines as we would have liked. Consider this our attempt at penance.
UT's panties twisted
Fool me once? Nope, not even in good fun - that's apparently University policy. Thursday evening, a group put up what was intended to be a good-natured April Fool's day prank: the "Underpants of Science Museum." This ersatz gallery depicted what would happen if the undergarments of great thinkers matched their intellectual contributions. A Schrodinger box (Erwin Schrodinger's great thought experiment connecting the vicissitudes of quantum mechanics to the human scale) would surely conceal as well the eternal question, "boxers or briefs?" Mathematicians A.F. Moebius and F.C. Klein would have sported underoos with the same "one-sided" topology as the geometric manifolds each invented. Laser pioneer C.H. Townes' would surely bear multiple scorch marks, while Marie Curie's would be radiation-proof, and swingin' Nobel laureate Richard Feynman might have none at all.
In keeping with the well-understood code of ethics governing these things, the exhibit was safe, not damaging to people and property, and moderately funny (at least for the denizens of the physics-math-astronomy building). The installers (whoever they might be) promised that the exhibit would be promptly dismantled at the end of the weekend. At MIT, Caltech and other lowly-regarded dens of anti-intellectual anarchy, there's a well-respected tradition of such pranks (Search Google for "MIT hacks" or "museum of hoaxes"). Those universities recognize that "Studying under high-pressure conditions ... means students need creative outlets. Engaging in humorous and sometimes challenging pranks seems to be one such outlet." Well-constructed hacks are let stand several days; they then disappear as cleanly and mysteriously as they appeared.
Not in this cowtown! The exhibit was erected at 6 a.m. and dismantled by 8 a.m. Luckily, no one seems to be pressing charges (the police apparently did ask, though). What could have been a bit of harmless fun - an attempt to amuse and edify, and perhaps brighten the lobby of one the drearier buildings on campus - was apparently deemed an urgent danger to our educational mission. Wait until after the weekend? They didn't even wait until after breakfast! Too bad for those who showed up late.
If you missed the exhibit's brief, glorious efflorescence, visit http://underpantsofscience.blogspot.com or e-mail underpantsofscience@yahoo.com. Some photos contributed by friends of the underpants are already posted, and a video of the exhibit will appear soon.
The Underpants of Science Museum
CIW misses the issue
The actions of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers against fast-food giant McDonald's are entirely misdirected. If the CIW really wishes to improve the status of farm workers in the Immokalee region of South Florida, it should protest the immigration policies of the federal government, not the wage and pay scales of subcontractors who indirectly supply McDonald's with their food ingredients.
As Michael O'Keefe Cowles notes in his column, the majority of farm workers are undocumented workers. Consequently, it is this "underground" status that ultimately accounts for the slave-like conditions and substandard wages of the Florida farm workers, not the purchasing decisions of McDonald's and many of its middlemen farm contractors. Not only do undocumented workers not enjoy the "equal protection of the laws" that both citizens and legal residents benefit from, they also form the subordinate half of a dual labor market created by their undocumented standing.
The solution to the substandard working conditions and wages of undocumented farm workers is to greatly increase the annual quotas of legal immigration to America. Although this will depress overall wages, this phenomenon will be more than offset by the "level playing field" created between documented and undocumented workers as well as the higher standard of living engendered by a much more productive and efficient labor force. Demanding that profit-seeking corporations like McDonald's pay "fairer wages," on the other hand, will have little positive long-term impact on farm workers, so long as their condition remains undocumented.
Clark Patterson Liberal arts non-degree seeking student
A new futile war
I take keyboard in hand as "senior letter-writing crank" to say I sense that our nation is about to embark on another unwinnable war, goaded into counterproductive action(s) by both a gullible dumbass and greedy opportunist alike.
As you may know, we as a nation have embarked upon a series of futile and costly "wars" in the era since the demise of the former evil empire of the Soviet Union. Both of these new wars have been fought against non-traditional "enemies." The war on drugs is a war fought against a lifestyle choice, and the war on terror has been a tragi-comic farce fought over which methods of killing people are legitimate and acceptable in the name of an ideological cause.
But get ready because I have every reason to believe the next unwinnable war in which we will become mired is a "war on illegal immigrants!" All signs point to this conclusion. The Republicans desperately need a wedge issue to distract voters from the dismal record of failure, incompetence and criminal behavior that is George W. Bush's legacy to their party. If they can't bash gays, then they will bash illegal immigrants, because nothing galvanizes their Christian base like hatred, fear and intolerance.
"Hatred, fear and intolerance," you say? Aren't I being unfair to those concerned about this complex issue? Well no, I don't think so. I mean, we have a fairly low unemployment rate in this country and have had for quite some time, so it's impossible to say that illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans. Furthermore, the transfer of money earned in the U.S. by illegal immigrants to relatives and family back home in Mexico or Central America helps improve the economies of those less-developed countries. As far as "family values," the cultures from which most illegal immigrants come value family, friends and community much more than your average "real" American does.
So before we do something incredibly stupid like create another huge redundant government bureaucracy like Homeland Security, or expand our bloated police/military apparatus, or perhaps most staggeringly futile - and hence most attractive to dumbasses and opportunist alike - build a giant, fortified wall along a couple thousand miles of border, maybe, just maybe, we should all step back, take a few deep breaths, and see if this issue doesn't magically disappear right after the next round of elections.
Jon Pearson UT staff
Amnesty is not a dirty word
Once more, U.S. policymakers are failing to have a complete view on an important issue - illegal immigrants.
It is sad to see that these hardworking and honest people, who are greatly contributing to the U.S. economy, are victims of an unjust society that forces them to leave their homes and loved ones in order to make a living in the U.S.
These immigrants are the ones who bear inhumane work and living conditions in order to make unreasonable wages without any benefits. They lead a life that is not classical slavery, but a modern version of it.
They deserve amnesty for the work they have done for us. If the U.S. claims to have true freedom and democracy, then please stop creating "untouchable" classes. Please criminalize the companies that "enslave" illegal immigrants and integrate these people to the society, including the education and welfare systems.
The U.S. says that illegal immigrants take advantage of social benefits, but maybe it is the other way around. It is important to realize that the current "under-the-rug" attitude, in which we all know that immigrants exist but pretend not see them, is not going to work in the long run. In fact, it is not good for either the immigrants or the society. Bush and others know well that this country will not survive without the Mexican and Latin-American labor force.
The U.S. should improve its border patrol and create a temporary worker program that will allow the immigrants to come and work here under the protection of the legal system and equal treatment, just like any human being deserves.
Marcus Torres Physics Ph.D student
Whitis has community
This letter is in response to the front page article Friday regarding construction of the Duren residence hall.
Even though Whitis Court may seem like a war zone, complete with heavy machinery and loud noise, its sense of community is still very alive. While some criticize the Division of Housing and Food Service for leaving open the two closest buildings, LLC and LLF, I instead applaud them. Had these buildings been closed, nearly all returning residents would have been turned away. These "returners" add great value to the close-knit community of 200 that defines Whitis Court.
Despite the annoyances surrounding the construction of Duren Hall, these added residents create a definite net positive for our community.
Ryan Kistenmacher President Whitis Court Residence Hall Council Management information systems sophomore
Issues broader than women's
Regarding "Right-wing baby menace" by Christine Acker, certainly she can't be so naive to think that by eradicating the lives of 50 million potential citizens, we should not be affected and concerned.
I do compliment Christine for recognizing and acknowledging that there are natural consequences from 30 years of abortion. Yes, Christine, there are consequences, sometimes negative, even for feminists who only tend to their own needs. Yes, ironic that you will eventually eliminate your own liberal bias. Maybe nature has a way of taking care of itself after all.
Abstinence education is not a health risk. In fact, scientifically and medically, abstinence is the only 100-percent guaranteed way to prevent the health issues you are so concerned about. Look at the facts.
Abortion has many far-reaching ramifications that need to be openly and civilly discussed. Religion is only a smoke screen. Conservatism is a legitimate political stance and attitude, just as liberalism is. Let's address new issues for a change. There are much larger issues than "a woman's right to control her own body." Here are a few:
Legal: Remember Scott Peterson and Kenneth Lay? Should "right to privacy" set a legal precedence?
Environmental: Does "controlling your own body" mean that you can consume as many resources as you want and can get your hands on? What about conservation for the sake of all? Now it seems to be an issue of selfishness.
Social and cultural: Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood and genocide. Today 1-in-3 black babies are aborted. Read "The Tuskegee syphilis study: What really happened," by Akua Furlow.
Economics: Our workforce is being depleted. Read "Gray dawn," by Peter Peterson.
Statistics: 25 percent of women who have abortions are left infertile. Suicide rates are high. View noparh.org or rachelsvineyard.org.
Again, environmental: What would the outcry be if a group crushed sea-turtle eggs? Many believe the balance of nature is thrown off by killing (terminating the embryonic state of) baby humans.
Currently, pregnant women are a commodity of the multibillion dollar abortion industry.
Cam O'Keefe UT alumna
To submit your own firing line, click here
Be the first to comment on this article!