Spring Break
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: Forum
Illegal drugs
Honesty must be a part of conversation
I'd like to commend Mr. Tripathi on his candid, informative and balanced column concerning marijuana in our society in his Feb. 11 column. Like many of you, I have many friends who hate the stuff and others who smoke it multiple times a day - each person who partakes seems to be affected in dramatically different ways, whether those effects are positive (chronic pain relief, relaxation, etc.) or negative (memory problems, asthma, dependence, etc.). One thing is clear, however, and yet so very few upstanding public citizens like Mr. Tripathi have the courage to mention it: only through fact-based education and the legal regulation of marijuana can we both stop the influence of the drug cartels and help those who might become addicted.
Reed Ozretich,
senior in fisheries and wildlife
Diversity
"Pride" does not equal entitlement
The issue of ethnic/gay pride has been one that makes no sense to me. Pride is satisfaction with your (or another's) accomplishments. I don't see being born a certain skin color as an accomplishment. Neither do I see a preference as an accomplishment.
The university has "pride centers" that attempt to empower minorities, but suggesting that who you are should be a source of pride seems to be selling those they mean to empower short. I agree that you should not have to apologize for who you are, but pride should be earned if it is supposed to hold any meaning.
You can be proud of grades, or passing a difficult class or landing that high-paying job, but to base your pride on something that you made no effort to accomplish comes across as "I have done nothing note-worthy, so I will base my self-esteem on a given." It just seems so empty. It would be like me being proud of the fact that I was born with two legs or brown hair. I didn't do anything to earn these things. They're simply a part of who I am and, while I make no apologies for these things, my source of pride stems from things I have done with my life.
I believe that pride, like respect, should be earned, and not given. If you want to base your pride on something as empty as the color of your skin or which gender you find yourself attracted to, fine, but don't be surprised when you aren't given the respect you feel entitled to.
Drew Wicks,
junior in business
Honesty must be a part of conversation
I'd like to commend Mr. Tripathi on his candid, informative and balanced column concerning marijuana in our society in his Feb. 11 column. Like many of you, I have many friends who hate the stuff and others who smoke it multiple times a day - each person who partakes seems to be affected in dramatically different ways, whether those effects are positive (chronic pain relief, relaxation, etc.) or negative (memory problems, asthma, dependence, etc.). One thing is clear, however, and yet so very few upstanding public citizens like Mr. Tripathi have the courage to mention it: only through fact-based education and the legal regulation of marijuana can we both stop the influence of the drug cartels and help those who might become addicted.
Reed Ozretich,
senior in fisheries and wildlife
Diversity
"Pride" does not equal entitlement
The issue of ethnic/gay pride has been one that makes no sense to me. Pride is satisfaction with your (or another's) accomplishments. I don't see being born a certain skin color as an accomplishment. Neither do I see a preference as an accomplishment.
The university has "pride centers" that attempt to empower minorities, but suggesting that who you are should be a source of pride seems to be selling those they mean to empower short. I agree that you should not have to apologize for who you are, but pride should be earned if it is supposed to hold any meaning.
You can be proud of grades, or passing a difficult class or landing that high-paying job, but to base your pride on something that you made no effort to accomplish comes across as "I have done nothing note-worthy, so I will base my self-esteem on a given." It just seems so empty. It would be like me being proud of the fact that I was born with two legs or brown hair. I didn't do anything to earn these things. They're simply a part of who I am and, while I make no apologies for these things, my source of pride stems from things I have done with my life.
I believe that pride, like respect, should be earned, and not given. If you want to base your pride on something as empty as the color of your skin or which gender you find yourself attracted to, fine, but don't be surprised when you aren't given the respect you feel entitled to.
Drew Wicks,
junior in business
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