Thanks for vet coverage
I am a Marine Corps Iraq war veteran as well as a UT grad (2000). Thus, I loved picking up a copy of the Texan and reading a great story about two heroic Texans who served our nation in war and now are serving again with a group like Vets for Freedom ("Young vets recount deployments," April 3). I hope their story is one that more students and alumni of UT hear. Thank you.
James Crabtree UT alum
Real patriotism: bringing the troops home
The point of view given in April 3's "Young vets recount deployment" represents just one viewpoint of today's veterans. While members of Vets for Freedom may be dismayed by coverage of the "liberal media," those of us who served in the military and are liberals are dismayed by a different challenge.
The conservative right paints anyone who opposes the war as unpatriotic. This is just one of the many tactics used by conservatives to instill a sense of fear in the American public in the name of national security. I wonder why issues such as children's health care, economic security and strengthening public education are not equally viewed as patriotic. Instead, from the same group of conservatives that is ardently opposed to raising taxes, we have left our children's generation with massive debt from a war that has cost more than $600 billion. The cost of the Iraq war alone could have paid for more than 80 million college scholarships or provided health care for more than 153 million Americans.
So why must we who oppose this war, and have fought in this war, be labeled as unpatriotic? Why have we spent more than $600 billion in a civil war that started long ago and will likely continue past the existence of the United States? Arrogance is the only explanation I can think of. It's time to reclaim America's good standing in the eyes of the world - it's time to bring our troops home.
Doug Mayeux Government senior
Coming out of Wright field
Daniel Earnest's April 3 column "Wright man for the Dems?" is a poor attempt to mitigate the importance and effectiveness of Barack Obama's recent speech on race. Earnest criticizes Obama for delivering a planned speech behind a podium instead of venting his ideas on live television interviews during which Obama could supposedly speak with more passion. First off, delivering speeches behind podiums is what politicians do, and it happens to be what Obama does best. This in itself does not diminish the power of the senator's words. Second, I heard more passion and fire in Obama's speech than I've heard in any interview on "Anderson Cooper 360."
Further, Earnest concludes that Obama has "put the real issues aside and race at the forefront of everyone's mind." Are you being serious? Obama's campaign has never been about race; it has been about health care, the war in Iraq and the economy. Obama did not distribute the inflammatory clips of his former pastor that sparked this whole issue. At this point he is only responding to the incident because it has gained so much coverage in the media.
Clay Davis Government senior
Coming out of Wright field II
Daniel Earnest's op-ed reveals that he does not live up to his name. A truly earnest evaluation of the Rev. Wright would prove that he espouses the qualities for which America is so highly regarded: tolerance, compassion and unity. By referencing the sound bytes from Fox News, Earnest has demonstrated that he is incapable of researching the context in which they were presented to the congregation.
For example, many people have disparaged Wright for his comments about Sept. 11, suggesting that the terrorist attacks were "America's chickens coming home to roost." I'd like to point out that the clips of this sermon on television and YouTube end with that statement. However, if one searches further one will find that Wright is actually paraphrasing the words of Edward Peck, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and deputy director of Ronald Reagan's terrorism task force. He went on to describe seeing the photos of the aftermath of Sept. 11 because he was in Newark, N.J., when the planes struck. He spoke passionately about one never getting the chance to say hello to their family again. He asked his congregation, "What is the state of your family?" And then he told his congregation that he loved them and asked the church to tell each other they loved themselves. His sermon's thesis was that "this is a time for self-examination of our families and ourselves." "We have got to change the way we have been doing things as a society," he said.
I have seen the video footage of this sermon, and I was moved by it. I was not offended, as you suggest "many Americans" would be. As I, a white, educated American, am capable of acknowledging the provocative approach that Wright used to reach his congregation, I am also able to acknowledge the valuable lessons that he teaches, and I would be honored to have someone with such an incredible grasp of America's issues preach in my church. As a molecular biologist, I acknowledge that Wright's comments about HIV were troubling, but I reserve judgment until I see for myself the context in which this argument was made. I call on everyone to seek out the truth and not be misled by sound bytes, quotes taken out of context or the not-so-earnest Daniel Earnest.
Jamie Vernon Molecular biology graduate student
Coming out of Wright field III
Many reverends and pastors push hate in their sermons, just as many Islamic clerics do. Some of the hatred is inspired by mistreatment, and some is simply inspired by a failure to accept things that are harmless. It is necessary to distinguish between the two. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright can definitely give an angry sermon, but to condemn the man without examining the merit of his argument is at the very least hate in itself. This demonstrates that Wright is not the source of any hate, but more likely a victim of it.
It is ironic that Barack Obama is targeted as being responsible for Wright's hatred, because never in my life have I seen a politician so capable of mediating between factions that are headed toward destructive conflict. Besides being bright and articulate, Obama is a surprisingly well-adjusted individual. Obama has already proven his ability to inspire people to follow, in a true sense of what leadership is, and one thing that he seems to be asking for is for people to sacrifice their impulse to anger in order to achieve a reasonable compromise.
Ben Chorush UT alum
It's 3 a.m. at the Villas and ...
In response to Johanna Janovsky's comments in the piece "Tenants worry about parking garage thefts," April 4: It should be observed - it's 3 a.m. at the Villas on Guadalupe right now, and the parking garage gate is still wide open. Prospective tenants, caveat emptor.
Adam Avramescu English and rhetoric senior
Undemocratic convention
I recently attended the Lubbock County Democratic Party Convention. At that convention, "at-large" delegates were nominated to attend the state party convention in Austin. These unelected "at-large" delegates were chosen by a committee, rather than elected by the people at the convention. And all the "at-large" delegates were Barack Obama supporters. Not a single person at the convention was allowed to nominate any "at-large" delegate who did not support Obama. It was a most undemocratic Democratic convention, in that respect.
Jonathan Lair Lubbock
Center for Students in Recovery a great resource
It is wonderful to have programs like the Center for Students in Recovery, because outreach and dialogue are important steps in preventing the worst possible scenarios for young people ("Campus recovery center provides 'sober support'," April 3). It is unfortunate that there are not more programs like this at more universities, but at least our University is again a leader in providing for any and all students.
Geoff Geiger Students for SG Reform director Government junior
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