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Show Nov. 15, 1974 Signpost Page 7 Letters to the Editor ii. i' i in IWU.U i..imu 'llMi'"'ffnT"1 3,-sT 1 Executive Council) who have decided what news will be - printed in the Signpost and what news will not. Electred by you , These students are your elected representatives. They """'were elected to office by your votes and are supposed to be answerable to you. Yet histead of coming to you to find out what your . opinions are, they sit in their offices and dictate w - " editorial policy to the campus newspaper. . J-u It is this group of people who have decided that no longer will the campus newspaper be allowed to have ! access to outside news. To accomplish this, student .government has repeatedly refused to fund the Signpost's United Press International wire service. ' - - While doing this, Executive Council has also decided . . the campus radio station, KWCR, will be denied the opportunity to include the latest off -campus news in their news broadcasts. Most agree When explaining why they didn't feel the campus - - -newspaper should have a UPI machine, moot of the , .Council members do agree on one thing: National and international news does not have a valid place in the - - Signpost. The campus newspaper should be concerned only with covering the campus . It's a shame that seven people who say they are about - t- -the image of Weber State really don't give a damn about the campus newspaper or the campus radio station's "1 'images. The only thing that these seven people care about is how they look to each other. . - Qcepf proposal stifled when attempting to express his views to the Council. " This change would allow student government to get -ihe much needed student input that they must have to make decisions concerning student funds. - This idea of an open forum type of Exeuctive Council , should be approved and started as soon as possible. And if and when it is approved, certain changes in the - -way that the meeting is run should be made. Also some , j Jpasic changes in the restrictive way that parliamentary procedure is used should be made. This way an average student who wishes to make his or her voice heard will not have this right tied down to having to be recognized by a member of the Council. This will also encourage more discussion between Coun- cil members and students. Another change that should be incorporated into the new proposal is a change of time. As everyone knows, " this campus loses a lot of students after the noon hour, therefore if the Council meeting would still be held at 2 - p.m. as it usually is, student government will obviously be missing a greater portion of the students that they ""are trying to reach. So it would be much more practical -to hold the meeting as close to noon as they can. The idea for the open meeting is a good one. We here " ''at the Signpost hope that Executive Council decides to .take up the proposal and give it a try. There's nothing to lose and everything to gain . s Shows concern Dear Editor ; I'm writing this letter to show my concern of the ideas the Signpost is trying to incorporate into student thinking. I have worked closely with student government this year and have not found it to be inefficient or pseudo-sophisticated.As to the comment made in the Friday, Nov. 8 editorial about our student government that states, the people under them are not well trained in student rights and Executive Council policy. What about leadership conference? The presentation that was given by student government was excellent and informative. Those that attended were well trained in policies and rights. I feel student government is very concerned with students needs and are working to the best of their abilities for the betterment of Weber State College. Debra Bates AWSVice President Sick and tired Dear Editor, In response to Gary E. Gunrud's letter in the November 8 Signpost, entitled "No Controls," I must say that I agree with him wholeheartedly. I know that gun collectors and sportsmen like myself are sick and tired of being kicked around and punished for the actions of criminals! We are also sick and tired of listening to senators and legislators who think that all this country has to do to solve its crime problems is "outlaw hand-" guns." How anyone can be so naive as to think that gun registration and confiscation can solve all our crime problems continues to amaze me! If firearms are not available for the commission of robberies and murders, other weapons will be. I believe, however, that "Saturday Night Specials" are an invitation to crime because of their low price and their availability. They are of too low a quality to be used for sporting or competitive purposes. I believe that the government has enough control over our lives and affairs. One of the first things the Russians do when they occupy a country is to disarm the people of that country. Some legislators and senators use some of the same alibis as the Soviets do in order to justify the confiscation of weapons. Reasons usually range from, "a rash of accidents," to "there is no other way to stop crime." This is Com-munisim's way of lashing out at freedom and democracy. When Wendy West, in her letter, approves of the practice of denying U.S. citizens the right to "keep and bear arms," and claims that we can achieve true freedom, I ask, who is she fooling? I am reminded of a statement once made by the late and beloved Thomas Jefferson. It reads as follows : "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." Automobiles kill more people according to accident statistics than do firearms. Why not outlaw cars? Why not deprive us the use of our eating knives? After all, 1 UJSMAIL Ljfe J - - "J aren't knives lethal weapons too? Why don't we outlaw smoking? Cancer and heart disease are the leading cause of death in this country. I think that when Wendy wrote her letter, she failed to recognize the rights of others. I'm sure that she has various interests and hobbies. Mine happens to be shooting. I have participated on rifle teams and shot in muzzle-loader shoots and I do not intend on seeing my source of enjoyment taken from me. I don't think that she would like me to take action to curb her interests or hobbies either. Tom Vagenas Easy way out Dear Editor, It never ceases to amaze me how people continue and try and solve problems by attacking the symptoms rather than the causes. Your article on gun control in the November 1 issue of the Signpost suggests we take the easy way out by eliminating all handguns. The crime problem our country is faced with has no quick solution. Granted, the elimination of handguns would reduce the number of so-called "passion killings" (for example between family members in a fit or rage) but do you honestly think it would prevent criminals from getting handguns? (I can make a deadly handgun in my basement in one evening from scrap metal from the junkyard. My basement enterprise could be a lucrative black market business if all handguns were banned ) . During the prohibition days sub-machine guns were outlawed for private ownership. The only ones being made were sold to the military and police departments. Do you know who owned machine guns? Police Departments, the military and organized crime. Most handguns are owned by law-abiding citizens. This may come as a shock to some but many honest citizens enjoy shooting and collecting handguns. Because a small percentage of the handgun owners misuse them, is that reason enough to eliminate them, especially when criminals, through their devious means, will acquire them anyway? The solution to America's crime problem is not through the elimination of the means but through treatment of the cause. This includes revising and updating the criminal rehabilitation program as well as revamping the judicial process. A person can be, caught red-handed committing a crime and be out roaming the streets on bail within 24 hours. What good would the elimination of handguns do? Very little, since that same criminal could get a home-made weapon very simply and continue his life of crime. A criminal is not "made" when he suddenly realizes he has a handgun in his hand. It starts much earlier. Sociologists and psychologists tell us it may even begin in the baby crib. The elimination of handguns is not going to do much for the crime problem. Other, more long lasting and deep-seated methods are going to have to be developed, tested and put into effect. Jerry Horgesheimer Censorship Dear Editor, After having read in Tuesday's Signpost of the action of the Executive Council, we are dismayed that they would carry out such an action. As dormitory residents, we rarely get a chance to read a local newspaper, national magazine or watch national newscasts to find out the national and international news that will be affecting us. The UPI news in the Signpost provided us with an opportunity to determine what is happening in the world. We believe the Executive Council has overstepped its limits of authority by telling publications what it can and cannot print. This action can only be considered as censorship. We are wondering why a poll was not taken of student opinion concerning the UPI wire service before it was taken away by Executive Council. We suggest that the council is avoiding the issue and demonstrating that they do not care what students need or desire. We believe, therefore, that the UPI wire service should be reinstated for use by the Signpost unless the Executive Council can show that the students of Weber State College are not reading it and in fact do not consider it a beneficial part of the paper. Catherine Deiter Darryl M. Wood Letter Policy The Signpost welcomes all letters to the editor and guest editorials contributed by students and faculty. Letters to the editor must be typewritten double-spaced on a 60-space line and signed with the writer's name in order to be considered for publication. The writer's name, however, may be withheld if he can show reason why his name should not appear on his letter. All letters must be submitted to the Signpost office and addressed to the editor. Student editorials and opinions will also be accepted, and the Signpost encourages students to write such editorials. All editorials must be typewritten on a 60-space line, doublespaced, and must bear the writer's name in order to be considered for publication. The Signpost will not print any material which is libelous or in poor taste. All student contributions may be submitted to the Signpost office. U.B. 267. |