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Show Tuesday, Sept. I I, 2012 Page 8 =Free Speech Views&OpilliO Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com Look for common ground on 9/11 Today is the 11th anniversary of 9/11, the day our nation witnessed a national tragedy that initially led to unity but has since caused political and social conflicts. It's important to keep the infamous event in our memory and in our minds as we move forward — not as a symbol of us-against-them mentality, but as a symbol of both national and international cooperation. In the months following the An Editorial Opinion attacks, we witnessed something not seen in a long time. Social barriers fell overnight. Patriotic songs dominated the airwaves. People emptied their wallets to assist in the rescue efforts at ground zero. We, at least temporarily, ceased to be poor Americans and rich Americans, white Americans and black Americans, Christian Americans and atheist Americans — we were all simply Americans. In the 11 years since the attacks, we have parted from that temporarily united nation and evolved into a more divided group of people. Often it seems one must pick a specific political extreme over another. 9/11 in particular became a very polarized issue. Those who wanted to use the event as a sign that America needed to approach international politics with an olive branch in hand were labeled as un-American traitors. Those who sought the use of increased military use to curb future acts of terrorism became rightwing nut jobs. The building of an Islamic cultural center a few blocks from ground zero showed just how deeply this divide has permeated into American society. Many threw the First Amendment's establishment clause aside, saying the free expression of Muslim religion near the site was disrespectful because the attackers happened to be of that faith. The protests over the center showed something very frightening about 9/11: years after the fact, we were still letting fear and disunity guide our political views. The terrorists' goal — to strike fear into the hearts of the American populace in a way that curbs our most basic of freedoms — had in some way succeeded. We can't let them succeed. 9/11 is now more than decade old. From the ashes, a new World Trade Center rises on the island of Manhattan. America has moved on and rebuilt, yet we are constantly reminded to "never forget." And we should never forget. We should never forget the months after the towers fell, when we stood united in the face of adversity as Americans. No matter the color of our skin, the differences in our socio-economic status or what church we sit in on Sunday, we are all Americans, and we are all human. We all share this country and this watery rock we call Earth — let's try to get along. Zone G • 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 NEK FEM; 01110 TO BUILD t35 MILLION EXcTIC-ANEMAL(PRI5oN EASTofC0WMI3U5 SteveKent Copy Editor Eric Jungblut News Editor Allee Wilkinson News Senior Writer Tmera Bradley ce itom• • Features Editor Natasha Bodily \\\\ \\\N Features Senior Writer Drew VanDyke ffe 012,- -1Tt 2to4sus-v7sPA-r4o Sports Editor Tavin Stucki Sports Senior Writer Curtis Lundstrom ForumLetters Stadium litter shows apathy To the editor: I have lived in Aggie Village now for four years. I will qualify that I am not a football fan, and during my time in the Village — a building very near the stadium, I might add — I have simply learned to tolerate the noise, congestion, and inconvenience that accompanies Aggie games. However, one thing I am losing patience for is the mess that is left in the wake of these "big" games. Following our defeat of the Utes on Friday night, the east stadium parking lot (as well as other areas) was left in a dismal state — beer cans, soda bottles, fast food bags, cigarette cartons, and various other types of garbage were strewn about the lot and grounds adjacent to the stadium. A couple of us "Village People" came out to clean up a bit, and I got to thinking while I gathered up other people's refuse. Perhaps the blame can be left on the Ute fans; perhaps it is the sheer quantity of people that this game attracted. The cause and blame are not really my interest and not the impetus inspiring my words to you. Two things specifically occurred to me: one, why aren't more Aggies concerned with the disregard shown our stadium and campus such that this mess wasn't taken care of by a small army of volunteers on Saturday morning? Perhaps, like me, most Aggies work Saturdays and were unable to volunteer that day. This is a reasonable excuse, but highly unlikely. Secondly, a wonderment: when we are on the road and we are guests in someone else's home, Photo Editor Delayne Locke do we represent ourselves and our quality better than to leave our host's school grounds in a similarly sorry state as ours was left following the Ute game? I am a proud Aggie and I love my school, but today I am terribly disappointed in the lack of pride shown by my fellow Aggies and the utter complacency and disregard shown for our property and home by a visiting school and by our own students. I hope that we as students and Aggie fans can remember that, regardless of the occasion or location, these schools and properties are people's homes and backyards, too. Let's do a better job of showing our pride as Aggies and quality as friends and neighbors, and treat their homes better than we and they treated ours. Cory Nani ord111 0 if • 11 I " ►See RIGHT, Page 9 Senior Photographer Curtis Ripplinger Web Editor Karli Brand Editorial Staff: Steve Kent Allee Evensen Delayne Locke Eric Jungblut Natasha Bodily Tavin Stucki 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. Which candidate will fix the economy? Gas prices are up, home prices are down, the dollar continues to From lose value, our credit rating has been cut, unemthe ployment sits at 8.1 perright cent, our national debt has surpassed the $16 trillion mark and house,1 hold income is way down. The economic and fiscal situation of our nation today is disimproving over the last three mal and has not been and a half years. I believe it's time for a change of direction and leadership in our country. Gov. Mitt Romney is the candidate best equipped to handle the economic and fiscal woes that we face. He is a proven leader, serving as the Governor of Massachusetts, president and CEO of the Salt Lake City Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, and president and CEO of Bain Capital, a private equity firm. He is also highly educated, receiving a joint juris doctor and master of business administration degree from Harvard University. Gov. Romney is the man we need to initiate a turnaround for our dismal economy. He is a turnaround genius. His job at Bain Capital was investing in new or failing businesses to turn them around and make them profitable. He had a hand in the success of companies like Dominos Pizza, Staples and Sports Authority. He turned scandal and deficit into success and surplus at the 2002 A b ou tU S Editor in Chief Our View Casey Saxton !! AColumn Divided Two students take two angles on one political issue There is no doubt about it: the economy is the number-one issue in the 2012 Presidential From t Election. Every American the was impacted by the left Great Recession, and voters are looking for the candidate best able to lead the nation toward a bright economic future. Political preference is always based on personal values and opinions, but from my perspective, President Obama presents a compelling case. When Barack Obama took office, the economy was in a freefall; the financial crash resulted in millions losing their jobs, homes and savings — creating an unimaginable catastrophe. Immediately, Obama worked with Congress to pass the unprecedented recovery act that was critical in preventing a depression. He created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and legislation to ensure that reckless business practices that led to the 2008 crash won't endanger the economy. The U.S. has since seen 30 consecutive months of job growth, 4.5 million new jobs and a stock market that has doubled. While these statistics are impressive, we are not yet where we want to be. Our ability to create a better economy rests in several key principles. Investment in America is necessary. This doesn't mean additional tax breaks just for corporations or high income earners, but support for everyone working to build the economy up. The key to pros- Mike McPhie ►See LEFT, Page 9 • 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. corn for more letter guidelines and a box to submit letters. Polls, submission box, calendars, news archives and more: www.utahstatesman .com |