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Show Views&Op inion Page 14 FROM LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Page 13 Occupy the Spectrum is disrespectful To the editor: with violence, arrest and the loss of everything they have left. Could we show a little more respect? Allow student in game without wait To the editor: I love to support our Aggie athletes. I most definitely am a fan of rowdy basketball games. What I am not a fan of is the ridiculous process they are making us go through to get a seat for the BYU game. I understand they need to have something in place, but can you really expect students to just drop their lives for three days or more? I have been looking forward to this game all year. If I was not a student it would be easy to do this, but I am a student. I also have a job like most students. I am paying a lot of money to go to school as well as student fees for events like this. If we are paying these fees we should get a seat and not have to miss school to do it. Tom Bryner Keep the free hugs coming To the editor: I just wanted to show my appreciation to the people who stood out on the TSC Patio on Nov. 10 and gave out free hugs to everyone who passed by. Something as simple as a free hug can totally change someone's day from bad to wonderful, even if just for a few moments, and I definitely appreciated the hug. It's about time the Free Hugs campaign found its way to Utah State. Callista Cox FROM ASUSU VIEW, Page 13 Week could be eye opening are a fun way for non-native speakers to practice their English speaking skills. They started Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. in Ray B. West 311. A similar buddy system is available through the Office of Study Abroad and the International Student Council. This is a wonderful opportunity, not only to network, but to make friends with international students, learn about their culture and to help them improve their English skills. Conversation hour is a great way for students — particularly those who have maybe returned from a study abroad or an LDS mission who would also like to practice their language skills — to meet people from other countries like China or Spain. This program has potential for building friendships between international and domestic students and helping everyone feel more at home at USU. For those of you obsessed with building your resume and networking, international experience and having an international friend at USU are great resources. You all may or may not be sick of being FROM THE RIGHT, Page 13 FROM THE LEFT, Page 13 Isaac Furniss I hope I am not the only one who feels that the Occupy The Spectrum is offensive to the very real and serious Occupy movement. This movement is not about getting students to camp out for a seat at an athletics event. I approve of spirit and think that it is important for students to attend games and for all of us to cheer our hearts out. I do not think it is appropriate to demean and belittle the economic struggle many Americans are faced with today, and I am offended that our school would appropriate the title in order to garner more athletic attendance. Some of these demonstrators have been faced Monday, Nov. 14, 2011 encouraged to get involved, but I'm telling you, it's a wonderful thing, and with it comes many benefits. You are more marketable in the job force with more exposure to different cultures and networking opportunities. USU offers a plethora of opportunities with clubs and organizations — the Office of Study Abroad, Career Services, the Access and Diversity Center and International Student Council are just a few. Monday, Nov. 14 at 11:30 a.m. the International Student Council will have an international fashion show in the TSC International Lounge. It's Diversity/ International Education Week, so keep your eyes out for the fun events coming up the rest of this week. — Brooke Evans is Diversity vice president on ASUSU's Executive Council. A column from an ASUSU leader appears every Monday. Comments on these columns can be sent to statesmanoffice@aggiemaiLusu.edu . those who come to them. If a person does not have health insurance and cannot otherwise afford it, tax payers pick up the tab. It seems that conservatives would leap for joy at the elimination of an unneeded tax burden. And indeed, the idea of an individual mandate originated in 1989 with none other than the Heritage Foundation — the nation's leading conservative think-tank. The other alternative is we can just let those who need medical treatment — but cannot pay for it — die. And if you listened to the hoots and hollers at one of the recent Republican debates, you know that is an open option for some. With the PPACA, either you can buy health insurance from whichever provider you want, or you can pay a roughly equivalent amount in taxes to be put toward health care for families who cannot afford it. Essentially, it is a tax for being a member of a society that cares about its people. Additionally, the mandate follows years of legal precedence, which gives the government authority to tax and spend in order to "promote the general welfare." As an interesting side note, the judge in the most recent ruling, Laurence H. Silberman, is a Reaganera appointee and a conservative who was once an official in the Nixon administration. Let me be clear, the United States is the only industrialized nation in the world without a universal health care system. Health care is more expensive and the quality is declining compared to other Western countries that do have such systems, according to the World Health Organization. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau reports while poverty rates continue to rise, about 50 million Americans are uninsured — the highest in nearly two decades. Approximately 50 percent of all bankruptcies are due to of medical expenses. Setting aside any moral concerns, do you not think this has a negative net-effect on the economy? According to a Harvard University study from 2010, approximately 45,000 people die every year because they do not get to a doctor when they should and they lack the health insurance to do so. Uninsured, working-class Americans have a 40 percent higher death risk than those who are insured. In a country like ours, this is unconscionable. While I would have preferred to see a public option, and I do think the act is lacking without one, at the very least the PPACA is a step forward and helps to make our health care system more just and equitable. — Andrew lzatt is a sophomore majoring in religious studies. Comments can be sent to him at andrew.izatt@aggiemaiLusu.edu. The market elevated health care costs to unbelievable heights. To say that access to it should solely be determined by the market, and that it's no different than cable service, is a degradation to human life. Health care was an issue, and some form of intervention was needed. One of the primary causes of health care's outrageous cost was simple greed — greed in the form of malpractice lawsuits. One study at a New York hospital found fewer than 2 percent of patients injured due to negligence filed a malpractice claim. Of the claims that were filed, expert reviewers found there was, in fact, no clear evidence of negligence or even injury in most of the suits. Other studies linked malpractice suits directly with how much a doctor talks to a patient and whether or not the patient perceives the physician as friendly. In other words, people generally don't sue because they were treated with negligence. They sue because they don't like their doctor and are looking for a free check. This greed drives up the cost of health care for everyone. Because hospitals are forced into paying unnecessary legal fees and writing checks to people who don't deserve them, they need to charge a higher price. The solution is simple. Allow informed patients to waive the right to sue for a discount on medical services. Clearly, there are many issues with this solution and parameters must be set, but there is no reason why two consenting parties shouldn't be able to make such a contract. Another problem lies with those that are homeless and struggle with alcoholism or other drug abuse, or some form of mental retardation. It is not uncommon for such people to wrack up medical bills worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars. Of course, they don't end up paying these bills — the public does. It would be cheaper for everyone to invest in programs that care for or help such individuals get back on their feet. It amazes me how simple some of the most complex problems are. If we were all a little less greedy and a little more caring, health care would have never been an issue. TillAD14a/1ro1.110/44 CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC! MUST BRING ID slyly bik o .c , — Mike Burnham is a junior majoring in international relations and economics. Comments can be sent to him at mike.burnham@gmail.com . p i ni• §hocr boar& t)41 raMPUnEE 13111C.IkitG ? 11 ok4 ivfiritHlk4G:4411 TONIGHT‘ N?Q„.c..) .1 TREK THE &Ft NORTH basics 81:04 TO 113 at #4 eNodub (Ne m _N FIVE TEN 4,044p fIE RT*I NIXON Sale Prices Valid November 14th, 2011. Sorry We Can't Hold or Layaway Featured Items. Excludes Prior Purchases. Limited To Stock On Hand! Percentages Taken Off The Original Suggested Retail Price. Typos Occur and Are Subject To Corrections. USU Instructors and Staff are Invited to Attend. 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