OCR Text |
Show v • & Orlin' =Free Speech Monday, Nov. 7, 2011 Page 11 Zone Opinions on this page (columns, letters unless otherwise identified are not from Utah Statesman staff, but from a wide variety of members of the campus community who have strong opinions, just like you do! This is an open forum. Want to write something? Contact: statesman@aggiemaiLusu.edu Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com OurVi ew Abo ut US Editor in Chief Green fee in action, may pay off Catherine Meidell Copy Editor D. Whitney Smith L ast spring a school-wide vote was held during student elections to decide if student fees would be increased an additional 25 cents per credit to help fund a new council dedicated to creating campus sustainability. There was — and still is — huge debate about the value of such a council and about the value of the sustainability movement in general. In the end, however, the motion passed. Naturally, there are arguments on both sides. Doesn't sustainability help us save money in the long run? Well, yes it does. Wasn't the council created, in part, to help raise money from outside sources, not just spend students' money? Well, yes. That too. Isn't saving the planet kind of a big deal? Most would agree, yes. On the other hand, what's the point of paying to create a council when large bodies of people are demonstrably willing to organize themselves and discuss these things anyway? If the coordinator to be hired is supposedly a fund raiser, why can't he or she raise funds for the salary themselves and spare students the expense? If the Student Fee Board — which is partially composed of elected officials — struck down the motion, what's the point in pitching it to students? Larger questions encompass the role of government and the execution of democracy — but we won't get into that. We also won't get into the aforementioned arguments. Why? Because the votes have already been cast. So, rather than complain about not getting our way or, conversely, celebrating having gotten our way, we'd like to focus on the here and now. Unfortunately, there isn't much to say, yet. We think it's great some of the legwork has been done for this organization. Submitting a request for a grant is great. Defining roles for some future internships is great. Organizing a committee is great. What else ya got? The jury is still out on whether or not our 25 cents per credit is being well spent. In the meantime, we'd like to raise our eyebrows at the president of the College Republicans. Using scary words like "audacity" and "socialism" and phrases like "taking my ability to choose away" are great when you're rallying your fellow died-in-the-wool right-wingers to a romantic cause — like eating pizza — but here in the real world where we think critically about issues and accept the outcome of the popular vote, the only thing this language does is remind us that some people are more determined to be heard than you are to actually make sense. Tone down the fear-inducing rhetoric and there might be room for productive conversation. One thing we feel the Blue Goes Green folks did right is propose a course of action, rather than a list of complaints. Aggie basketball changed my life Most people can't tell you about a single day that was a ASUSU defining moment in their life. View Well, I'm not "most people." The date was Jan. 12, 2008, I and I was a senior in high school visiting a freezing town RYAN BAYLIS called Logan. My friends and I came up from Bountiful to watch our school play Sky View High School the night before, and we decided to stay with some friends that were USU freshmen. My friend's older brother, who was a USU student, called us early in the morning, about 10 — way early for me — and said if we wanted to go to the USU basketball game, we should head over to the Spectrum immediately. We thought he was nuts. The game didn't start until 7 p.m. Why would we have to go so early? But we did it anyway. I sat in this freezing cold room waiting for my opportunity to experience what had been described to me as magic. I was skeptical, though. I was brought up a Utah fan my whole life, and my allegiance was still to the red. Around 5:30 p.m. the little room started to get packed and the guys explained to me that if I wanted a good seat, I would have to sprint down the stairs and grab one. The clock got closer to 6 p.m. and my excitement continued to rise. When the clock hit 6, these crazy guys took off at breakneck speeds to get the coveted front-row seats. I cruised down, and by the time my friend Sam and I reached the bottom there were only two seats remaining. We quickly made our way to the seats, shocked by what just happened. Within minutes the seats behind us filled, and 30 minutes before tip off the arena had transformed into a blue sea. See ASUSU, Page 12 News Editor Rob Jepson Assistant News Editor Megan Allen Features Editor Kellyn Neumann Assistant Features Editor Allee Evesen Sports Editor Tavin Stucki ForumLetters Why is global warming so bad? To the editor: Climate change is the catastrophe being preached to end all life on Earth if we don't do something about it — the worst disaster since the dinosaurs went extinct. While environmentalists have many good points and seem overly frustrated that everybody won't buy into their amazing scientific discoveries, the real point seems to be passed over. Why is global warming so bad? While the polar bear might go extinct — and that's really too bad — I would really like to shoot one and put it in the living room. That's just evolution. I mean, already 99 percent of species are already extinct, so what's one more? Letters to the editor • A public forum There is also the idea sea level will rise and tons of people will die. This doesn't really seem to be so bad, as I am taught the world is severely overpopulated. There are all sorts of benefits to this. The first is my land value will definitely go up, as there will be less land. Also, it seems most socialists and leeches on society seem to live close to sea level, so it can solve some of our country's most expensive problems. We also have the opportunity to really see evolution in action and document it well. I mean, we definitely have an impact on the environment — all species do — and because we are the most advanced, we will have the biggest impact. If other species can't keep up, that really is too bad, and maybe we can put a few in the zoo. Yet, there are still those who preach evolution and overpopulation so vehemently, they seem opposed to let it work its magic and seem bent on ruining the wealth of the industrialized countries, living in some hippie Utopia. I love the Earth just as much as the next man; it gives me oil, gold and entertainment in the form of hunting, off-roading and snowmobiling. While global warming is preached, it's really just a fit of jealousy that others have more money and enjoy their big gas-guzzling SUV's. The scam is trying to control our lives under the excuse of global warming. Just one more means of redistributing the world's wealth. On behalf of the silent majority, please keep your thieving socialist hands out of our pockets and away from our trucks. Joseph Nielsen See LETTERS, Page 12 U.S. withdraws funding from UNESCO From the left AColumn Divided From the right Two students take two angles on one political issue Last week Palestine was overwhelmingly granted membership into UNESCO — the United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This is seen by many as a major step forward in congealing Palestine's bid for statehood, which it is undertaking on its own after decades of failed negotiations and peace talks led by the U.S. In quick response, the U.S., along with Israel, announced it would withhold all future UNESCO funding, which is no small sum. This move is actually required by legislation passed in 1991 and 1994, which states the U.S. must cut funds to any U.N. organization that recognizes Palestine as a state. Israel further responded by saying it would continue its construction of new settlements in the West Bank, claiming more territory from the Palestinians, which Israel insists must remain under its control in any peace deal. Though Palestine is not officially a state, that fact alone should not be any hindrance to its admittance to the organization. UNESCO already has three associate members and in the past has recognized non-states. Palestine's U.N. statehood bid is expected be vetoed this week by the United States in the U.N.'s Security Council, effectively killing the bid before it can even hit the floor for an official vote. The U.S.'s punitive response is only the latest in its quest for See LEFT, Page 12 There are very few organizations in the world that are unambiguously doing good things for everyone. No matter how ethical or productive a company is there are always losers in business — people who lose their jobs or are forced to close shop. In politics, good is often defined by which side you're standing on. Even charitable organizations come under fire occasionally, for nursing the wrong people back to health or destroying small markets with free donations. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), seemed different, though. I believe much of the world's violence, economic and political disparity, can be solved through education. It's hard to see how an organization whose mission is to promote education worldwide can be put in a bad light. And then UNESCO decided to put its foot in the door of politics. The recent decision made by the executive board at UNESCO to propose Palestine for membership, and the subsequent decision made by member states to vote it in, is a controversial one to say the least. The vote passed by an overwhelming margin of 107-14. The U.S. responded by immediately cutting off all funding to the organization. Hasty decision? I don't think so. Actually the U.S. decision to cut funding from UNESCO was never made, it was predetermined. According to a 1994 law, the U.S. must sever all financial ties with See RIGHT, Page 12 Assistant Sports Editor Tyler Huskinson Photo Editor Ani Mirzakhanyan Assistant Photo Editor Carl R. Wilson Web Editor Steve Kent Editorial Board Catherine Meidell Rob Jepson Kellyn Neumann Tavin Stucki Ani Mirzakhanyan D. Whitney Smith Steve Kent About letters • Letters should be limited to 400 words. • All letters may be shortened, edited or rejected for reasons of good taste, redundancy or volume of similar letters. • Letters must be topic oriented. They may not be directed toward individuals. Any letter directed to a specific individual may be edited or not printed. • No anonymous letters will be published. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or e-mail address as well as a student identification number (none of which is published). Letters will not be printed without this verification. • Letters representing groups — or more than one individual — must have a singular representative clearly stated, with all necessary identification information. • Writers must wait 21 days before submitting successive letters — no exceptions. • Letters can be hand delivered or mailed to The Statesman in the TSC, Room 105, or can be e-mailed to statesman@aggiemail.usu.edu , or click on www.utahstatesman.com for more letter guidelines and a box to submit letters. |