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Show The good, the bad and the A5 WWW.NETXNEWS.NET TUESDAY • FEBRUARY 20 • 2007 How historians will ultimately remember our current president remains to be seen. brain Justin Ritter Opinions Editor I The Good The quick response and heroic actions of the police officers who responded at Trolley Square. The Bad The horrendous weather that has dumped 3 1/2 feet of snow on Oswego County, N.Y., since Feb. n the almost 230 years since the birth of America, 42 men have to a miserable held the office of President of the 28 percent-just United States. Many are remembered, yet the inches above the majority of them are forgotten. Looking back approval rating of 26 at presidents passed and gone, many have percent, held by Richard speculated on how history will remember our Nixon when he resigned current president. disgrace. The general consensus seems to be that Knowing all this, it is hard to George W. Bush will go down as one of imagine that Bush could go down the worst presidents in U.S. history, but it in history as anything other than a liar and a is too soon to tell. He will undoubtedly be failure, however, history has often vindicated remembered, but only time will tell what unpopular presidents. Leaders such as Bush will ultimately be remembered for. Abraham Lincoln and Harry S Truman The events of the past six years have were reviled in their day, only to be revered assured Bush a lengthy chapter in the annals generations later. of American history. On Sept. 11,2001, what Lincoln in particular was extremely was looking to be an unremarkable, ordinary unpopular in his day, and was blamed for term in office became instead the beginning the secession of the southern states and the of the war on terror. The American people outbreak of the Civil War. He came under looked to Bush for comfort and guidance, even more fire when he suspended Habeas and he delivered. Corpus during the conflict. The thought that Since then, however, the public's a memorial would be dedicated to Lincoln, or perception of Bush has turned 180 degrees. that his face would appear on U.S. currency, The seemingly hopeless war in Iraq, the would have been laughable in the 1860s-yet wiretapping revelations, the Valerie Plame today, Lincoln is one of the most remembered leak and the allegations that Bush lied about presidents in American history, the man who the existence of weapons of mass destruction reunited America and abolished slavery. in Iraq have all cast a shadow on his It is possible that someday historians will presidency. His approval ratings, which soared look at Bush in much the same light - as the to 90 percent after the Sept. 11 attacks, have president who comforted Americans after Opinionated Utah encourages students to break the law Angela Z.Haynes Guest Writer U The Feb. 12 shooting at Trolley Square that left six dead and several others wounded. Letter to the editor Cartoon was subpar I expect better cartoons than something that would come out of a high school paper, and I only say that to tick you off. Calling Bush thick-headed is so six years ago. Do you have any idea what state we're in? We have like 3 billion Republicans. You do know where the 30 percent approval rating comes from. —Tim Turner Sept. who strengthened national security and waged the war on terror. Only when the full repercussions of the Iraq War and the war on terror are felt will we be able to see what his decisions have amounted to. Bush has always maintained that the war in Iraq is keeping terrorists out of the United States. Indeed, Muslim radicals have come out of the woodworks to fight against the coalition forces in Iraq-and so far, they have not struck America again. If there isn't another terrorist attack during the Bush administration, he could conceivably argue that his actions were correct. One thing is certain-Bush's legacy hinges on Iraq. Given the circumstances, it will be several years before anyone will be able to say whether or not he was a successful president. As unpopular as Bush is right now, the historical jury is still out on how he will ultimately be remembered. The answer, as much as we may want it right now, will only come with time. nder HB 144, Utah is one of only four states to offer instate tuition to undocumented students who have attended high school for at least three years and graduate with a high school diploma or a GED. These students are in the United States illegally, and under federal law, aliens who spend one year in the United States illegally are barred from obtaining a visa for ten years, and the presence of this immigration violation on their records makes it virtually impossible for them to obtain a visa even after the ten years has elapsed. A college degree provides documentation of their violation of the law. The mindset is that by encouraging these students to gain a higher education it will prepare them to be a contribution to our society instead of a drain on our resources. However, these students cannot legally work in the US after they complete their education if they are not citizens or have valid documentation to work here. Regardless of their ability to procure a legal job after graduation, I support the lawmakers who are helping these students attain higher education. With this education they will be able to make changes for themselves and students like them. It has been suggested that it would be better for these students to go back to Mexico when they turn 18, apply for a student visa, and re-enter the country legally. It is then possible for a lawfully-admitted alien to seek to adjust his or her status, become a permanent resident, and eventually seek citizenship. This requires these individuals V\kl_L, MIGHT BUT who did not have the opportunity to choose to be here to leave their families, friends and place in the community to take the chance that they would be denied re-entry. Even if it were a guaranteed re-entry, it takes much time and money before these students would be approved to enter the country on a student visa. This would require these students to enter a country quite foreign to them and establish themselves in that country in order to come back to their home. It is senseless to penalize children who are brought here illegally by their parents. The parents of these children arc breaking the law for them by bringing them here illegally. As children, they are not given an opportunity to choose whether they want to break the law and enter the U.S. illegally with their families or stay in Mexico as an orphan. They come here with their families, attend primary and secondary schools (mandated by U.S. federal law), and work in the community, making this land their home. They come to love this country and work hard supporting themselves and their families, and if they want to attend a Utah college after attending Utah schools and graduating from the Utah public school system they should be allowed, encouraged, and supported. Apparently the lawmakers of this state see it that way as well as they have chosen, again, to keep HB 144, ultimately failing to repeal the law by a tied vote, killing the bill. Fortunately, for another year these students are allowed to enroll in our colleges and universities, paying in state tuition fees, and gaining an education with hope of making their situations better. 0USM •*, PU/JN 6£ HJH-r~G#<eDj AT t-£AST HE TO CALL FOR LETTERS The College Times wants to hear your opinion. * E-Mail letters lo uvscopinions@hotmail.com * The NetXNews room is located on campus in SC220. * All letters become property of NetXNews and may be edited for content, specifically clarity, length or other concerns at the discretion of the editor. * Letters between 50-250 words arc encouraged, and those letters marked by their succunctnes are more likely lo be published. * Letters must be accompanied by full name, address, and phone number for verification purposes (contact information will not be published). •Anonymous letters will not be published. |