Hiring practices far from equitable
I was taken somewhat aback by how far off base the statements Evan Trapani and Adam Lair presented as facts were in a letter to the editor Oct. 28. The example they gave of Johnny Cochrane’s actions hindering the pursuit of equality was more than a stretch. Indeed, it is a lie.
Racism in the National Football League is more prevalent now than it ever has been before. The fact that blacks constitute 74 percent of the players, while whites make up only 24 percent would lead someone to believe the ratio of black to white head coaches would be more balanced. A ratio of one to 15 in this area does not suggest equality, but racism.
The league is not moving closer to equality, either. In fact, it has taken a huge step back in the past few years with the non-hiring of defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. Lewis spearheaded the best defense ever in 2000, as the Baltimore Ravens crushed the Giants in the Super Bowl. After the season ended, nine teams had head coaching vacancies. Yet only one of those nine teams granted Lewis an interview. “Gaining status,” and “being interviewed,” are not making steps that will move the process along.
Cochrane may well be wrong in trying to establish parameters similar to that of affirmative action laws to move the process along, but his intentions are good and that is a step toward equality, not away from it.
On any given Sunday in the fall there are more Americans who watch the NFL than who go to church. In the United States football is less a game than a society. Just because it is in America does not mean it goes without problems.
Some black leaders may in fact hinder equality. However, in the case of Cochrane speaking with Paul Tagliabue, it is admirable to see someone start to take a stand on an issue that, if resolved, could help lead to equality in America.
After seeing the facts, only naivete exists between the realization that there is a problem and the process of finding a solution for it.
Jimmy Dunphy
Junior – Mass Communication
Coming, going balances out
In regard to columnist Brian McNabb’s article “Formulating a Plan”, which addressed the problems of people moving out of Baton Rouge into bigger cities, there is another important piece of information to consider.
There always will be people coming into Baton Rouge from smaller cities. I grew up in a very small town with a population of about 4000 people. To me, going to LSU, where the campus is close to the size of my hometown, was a huge opportunity. I chose to apply to LSU to be in a bigger and better place, just as people leave Baton Rouge to go somewhere else.
With 30,000 students at LSU, a rapidly growing number, if all of those students graduated and stayed in Baton Rouge, there would not be enough jobs to support the number of people here. Those people have to leave! If people started staying in Baton Rouge and the city continued to grow, that might actually be a turnoff to the people who enjoy living in Baton Rouge’s surrounding rural areas, making Baton Rouge an undesirable place to live or work, resulting in more people leaving.
I really think that there is a working balance here and that Baton Rouge has nothing to worry about concerning population, although the improvements you talked about sound like great ways to improve the city.
Ginger Zeringue
Freshman – Mass Communication
LSU underfunds its bus system
Jeff Kurtz’s article “Bus’ted” and Tim Basilica’s nicely written article mentioned some real problems with the LSU Bus system. With all the negative comments throw at our bus system, people must remember change is fueled by discontent.
Being a “quasi-public” entity, the CTC allows any resident of East Baton Rouge to serve on its Board of Directors. You also can try talking to a bus driver every once in a while; it’s not forbidden and it might even help you understand why buses do not arrive more frequently.
Something that wasn’t mentioned in the articles is how poorly LSU funds its mass transit system. Of course, bus service isn’t free. Therefore, if you do not provide sufficient funds, you do not get sufficient service.
How can LSU, with a population of more than 32,000, get students to campus without a hitch by supplying only $1.2 million for its transit system? Compare this with other universities with enrollments of more than 30,000 like the universities of Georgia and Michigan State, which provide $2.7 million and $18.5 million to their transit systems, respectively. In addition, we generate 100 percent of our transit revenue from student fees. Usually, transit revenue at other universities is partially generated through parking tag costs and parking violation fees along with the student fee.
While detailed plans are under way to increase the number of parking spaces — the most in the country — to deal with LSU’s parking problem, no real discussion has taken place about the future of our transit system. Meanwhile, there seems to be no hesitation to build $1,000 surface parking spaces, $8,300 garage parking spaces, or any other non-sustainable project. Most universities heavily encourage and support mass transit, while discouraging the use of the car by people who live across the street from the university or who live along a bus route.
Some people may balk and say mass transit at LSU won’t “work.” But if you look at the operating revenue as opposed to costs, LSU is one the few universities that actually makes a profit from its transit system.
Michael Ohene
Progressive Student Alliance Secretary
Senior – Electrical Engineering
What constitutes freedom of speech?
I would like to make two points.
No. 1 — As a moderate to conservative political person who has worked with the poor in my local church for 16 years, I am “colorblind.” I support black leaders like Allan Keyes. However, these black leaders are mocked by the liberal black community as being “Uncle Toms.” Teaching a person to fish is better than giving the person a small piece of fish every day.
No. 2 — There is freedom of speech to promote the National Association of Man-Boy Love Affairs (NAMBLA) and to blast your CD with “MF” and “F this” as you drive by me and my children. This is all covered by freedom of speech. But if I say God in public, like in the Pledge of Allegiance, I’m offending people and must be stopped. What have we come to?
Michael Keenan
Associate Professor – Human Ecology