Police must improve response time
With the disappearance of yet another female college student, the media has been overflowing with news about heightened security both on and off campus. We are being assured that we are safe and that every measure is being taken to protect students, especially females. I would like to take this opportunity to let my fellow students know not to believe everything you hear.
I live very close to campus and not far at all from where Carrie Yoder was reported missing. Just yesterday, my roommate was followed and threatened by a young man who stood outside of our apartment, beating on the door and demanding to be let in. My roommate called the police, who took more than 25 minutes to arrive at the scene.
With increased awareness of a serial killer in and around Baton Rouge, I would have hoped that a call to the police concerning an unidentified male trying to break in to our apartment would have received a little more attention than it did. I cannot begin to imagine the horrible things that could have happened to my roommate in the half an hour it took the police to respond. It is obvious to me that even in this time of fear, we cannot trust those who are sworn to protect us. Not unless we give them at least 30 minutes warning.
Lindsay Cummings
Junior — Psychology
Use of torture sometimes justified
Adrienne Breaux accurately condemned the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when she wrote yesterday: “Physically harming a person to achieve a goal is absolutely disgusting, cruel and all of the other adjectives used to describe horrible things.”
The trouble is, Ms. Breaux wasn’t referring to the attacks, but to the use of torture in criminal interrogation, specifically the current questioning of al-Qaeda bigwig Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.
Let us not forget that we’re talking about the monster who coldly plotted the murders of thousands of our fellow citizens. Mr. Mohammed made a choice when he dreamed up the Sept. 11 attacks and numerous other attempted disasters. That choice does not entitle him to a polite question-and-answer session at the Karachi Club Med.
The fact that Mr. Mohammed is a really bad guy doesn’t merit torturing him. What does justify torture is the fact that he has loads of information that will help our government prevent further murders of our citizens.
Already, information gleaned from Mr. Mohammed has exposed existing plans to kill more Americans on our soil. Also, Mr. Mohammed knows the approximate whereabouts of Osama bin Laden (Remember him? He’s one of Mr. Mohammed’s best friends).
Ms. Breaux also detailed in her column some recent arguments by Alan Dershowitz that torture should be incorporated into our legal system. I agree with her that this is an atrocious idea.
Luckily for us, Mr. Mohammed’s interrogators aren’t bound by the American legal system. Despite what Ms. Breaux says, the lives of my fellow
Americans are worth more than Mr. Mohammed’s civil rights. It’s his mistake; he must now suffer the consequences.
The opinion of the world does not supersede the importance of America’s fight for survival. Our government’s foremost charge, spelled out in the Constitution, is to protect Americans.
Ms. Breaux’s column ended with a fallacious cliché: “Violence cannot end violence.” Oh really? Ask Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito.
Ryne Pearson
Freshman — Computer Engineering
Everyone’s opinions deserve respect
Last Friday, I decided to join the people at the South Gates of campus to promote a peaceful alternative to the war. We held up signs and tried to get passing cars to honk for peace. Although we did receive a lot of honks, it was the other things that we received that I won’t forget. Obviously, there would be people who were not supportive of what we were doing — people who felt strongly about going to war. And I am happy that they have strong opinions. I wouldn’t want to live in a world where everyone agreed on everything. Disagreement is the foundation for positive growth. Unfortunately, some people felt it was their duty to put us in our place. As they drove by, they would yell out vulgar remarks and make obscene gestures. I personally was flipped off at least 30 times.
Is this how we treat each other nowadays? How can someone feel so much hatred towards a person he doesn’t even know? When people start to feel that having different views is justification enough to detest somebody, then serious problems arise. If a difference of opinion would lead someone to hatred, then it seems that it wouldn’t take much more to lead them to a violently aggressive lifestyle. It’s no wonder that the U.S. has so many brutal crimes. We can’t continue on like this as a society. If you want a
brighter future for the U.S., start treating people better and take the Golden Rule to heart.
Omar Parbhoo
Junior — Computer Engineering