The Editorial staff did not have room to run all of the letters our readers sent this week. We’ve decided to run more online to help our readers’ voices be heard. Please continue sending letters to [email protected].
Anti-war activists aren’t the ones who are wrong
Mr. Nunmaker’s letter in Tuesday’s Reveille is an example of the lack of critical thinking many Americans suffer from today. While I sympathize with his sentiments regarding the liberation of the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein’s oppressive regime, I feel he like so many others is missing a very important point with regard to the debate over war.
Mr. Nunmaker states a war with Iraq would “be a war to protect the American people from further attacks like those that took place on Sept. 11.” He is gravely mistaken. For one, Hussein was not connected to Sept. 11 in any way. On top of that, the intelligence networks of the West have not produced any sort of proof that Hussein is exporting international terrorism. Yes, he is stockpiling weapons. Yes, he is an evil dictator, but no, he is not a threat to the American people.
However, George Bush and his administration have made the American people believe this through vague accusations and much slight of hand. Our own intelligence has said Hussein would not use any [Weapons of Mass Destruction] unless attacked. He is not behind or supporting any terrorists. The only real threat Hussein poses to American lives is one on the open battlefield, where he will release powerful weapons that will kill many of our soldiers.
So before everyone jumps on the hawks’ bandwagon, remember Bush wants a war to distract us from the real terrorist threat which he has trouble fighting. Osama is still out there. The terrorist will not stop or slow down just because we topple a dictator. Hussein is not the Taliban. If anything, the chaos of war will aid terrorists. What if they get their hands on a few of those [Weapons of Mass Destruction] of Hussein’s in the confusion of the war? How much will already strong anti-American sentiment grow the Middle-East? These are questions that must be asked, considered, and answered before we start to drop bombs on Baghdad. If Mr. Nunmaker thinks that it is we who are more reserved about taking military action are the ones who need to think this all over again, he is mistaken.
Michael El Koubi
History/German
Iron Chef challenger thanks honorable competition
I was the challenger in the Late Night LSU “Iron Chef” competition this past Friday, along with two extremely capable assistants. Rhonda Crosswhite, Blaine Duhe and I lost a hard fought Okra Battle against Executive Chef Jon Jackson and his assistants from the LSU Faculty Club. Chef Jackson was a very gracious winner, and if I had to lose, I am glad it was to such a class act. Several kind remarks were made about our dishes by both the judges and Chef Jackson, which we appreciated greatly. I would like to thank our worthy competitors, the judges and the Late Night LSU staff for their hard work in bringing such a great event to the Union. The students who attended were very supportive and made the experience great. I hope there are many more “Iron Chef” battles in the future.
John B. Cole
Graduate Student — Animal and Dairy Science
Late Night LSU: A Success Because of You
The Tigers After 10 Commission, a newly-formed program group that hosts Late Night LSU, would like to thank everyone who came out last Friday, Feb. 7, and made the program a great success.
Late Night LSU is an opportunity for some free fun on a Friday night. The first Friday of every month, you too can be a part of the fun. All Late Night LSU events are free to students with a valid LSU ID and all students are allowed to bring one non LSU student guest.
Last Friday’s Late Night, which included an “Iron Chef” rendition, poetry slam, tarot card and palm readers, numerology, a PlayStation 2 Madden tournament, exhibitions and demonstrations by the GO Club at LSU, and free food, was the biggest to date. Over 1,100 students and guests stayed into the night and enjoyed some free fun.
Late Night LSU can only be a success when you are involved. Our next event is March 14th and will be a great chance to relieve some of your mid-term stress. April and May events will be on the first Fridays of the month.
If you have any questions or suggestions for Late Night LSU, don’t hesitate to contact the Union Program Department at 578 5118. Also, if your student organization is interested in hosting an event at Late Night LSU, come by Union Programs to pick up an event sponsorship application. You can also e-mail our listserv at [email protected] for updates.
If you would like to become a part of the Tigers After 10 Commission applications will be available on Monday, Feb. 17 on the Commission’s desk in the Union Programs Office.
Kelly Kee
Chair — Tigers After 10 Commission
Senior — Secondary Education
Audience behavior detracted from Douglas’ speech
I am writing to complain about the behavior of the audience at Tuesday night’s lecture by John Douglas, former FBI Profiler. Unfortunately, when the question and answer section of the evening began, several people actually went over to the microphone to ask if John Douglas would sign their books. One man even walked on stage during the program to get his book signed — and it wasn’t even one of John Douglas’ books! Another woman decided this was the time to argue with Mr. Douglas on one of his cases. She decided that she knew more about the crime because she had “read all the books!”
What is wrong with people today that they do not know what is appropriate behavior in this type of setting? Several people were unable to ask valid questions due to time constraints, while these people wasted the audience’s time.
Jennifer Perryman
Graduate Student — Library & Information Science
Student airs her beefs with The Reveille
I have a few things to “bitch” about. First, my personal favorite, what’s the deal with your cuffist? I remember the good ol’ days (about 2 years ago) when there was a guy writing the column, Off the Cuff. Not only was the reading more entertaining, but it didn’t seem like he wrote just to piss people off. Constantly bringing up things like religion are obviously going to stir things up and make someone mad.
Also, as someone has mentioned before, what’s the deal with all the pop-ups on your Web site? To add to it, what’s the reason for all the advertisements in the paper, if OUR student fees are paying for the thing anyway?
And finally, on the Web site, there’s a survey regarding the best pizza in town. Well, the staff has failed to mention THE best … Pizza Hut on the list.
Erin McWilliams
Junior — Mass Communication
God ‘bigger’ than scientific evidence
In response to the evolution vs. creation debate, I want to know since when does evidence outweigh faith in our Christian lives? I realize I should not blindly follow just any belief, but I have read the Bible and studied the creation/evolution debate, and decided faith is the way to go.
I know there is tons of evidence supporting the theory of evolution, but my God is bigger than your evidence. I believe in a God that does the super natural. He made the lame walk and the blind see. Can you explain how he does that? God can’t be explained, he doesn’t need to be. He says, “Choose ye this day who you will serve,” not be convinced through a scientific theory that I am God. The creation is a supernatural event consistent with who God says He is and what He has the capability to do. It is this God that I know to be worthy of my trust and it is Him that by an act of my will I choose to believe.
Amy Geiger
Freshman — Secondary Education
Evidence of evolution is undeniable
This letter is in response to Mr. Andy Wild’s letter. First of all, I will agree with you a fact is a fact. But the points Mr. Gates was making in Monday’s Reveille were proof that evolution is factual. The only reason we don’t want to believe in evolution and we deny the facts, is because we were brought up in such a Christianized society. We believe God created all, and the Bible is the truth, though no one can prove it. So why do we believe so strongly in God, the stories that have been passed down through the generations, and not that of evolution? We do this because we’re not use to evolution. Most of us weren’t taught anything of it until high school or college. Would things be different had we gone to a building every Sunday and learned about evolution? You can’t deny evidence that is blatantly true!
As for the sanctity of human life, we do not kill each other because we believe it to be wrong. But the reason we believe this way, is not because of God and his 10 Commandment’s, it’s because of our judicial system. Consequences of killing a man are far too high to make it justifiable. We’re scared, not that God will come down and tell us we’re going to hell, but that we will go to jail. Human life is precious; you’re right that science didn’t give us that idea, but did God? I also don’t understand how understanding the Christian base would help us to understand our society and how our government works. Now, more than ever, our government has shied away from issues concerning religion. We can’t even say “under God” in the pledge, so tell me Mr. Wild, why is the Christian base so important to us?
If believing in God makes your life better, then do so. But, if I could use some terms from Mr. Robby Bourgeois letter, maybe believing in God makes death “an easier pill to swallow.”
Liesel Bath
Junior — Economics
Death not a uniquely Judeo-Christian phenomenon
Wait a second, here (if I can quit laughing long enough to type). I may be mistaken, but I think I just read a revolutionary theory that death is a Judeo-Christian phenomenon, and that the last several million years of evolution were a sham (Robby Bourgeois, 2/5/03). Do I need to repeat this sentence, or is the sheer weight of this brilliant line of reasoning enough?
While I will never fault anyone for holding dear a faith, or belief of any kind, I can say with reasonable certainty that Mr. Bourgeois’ reasoning is a bit cloudy. For the record, I am not Christian, but I believe the faith is unquestionably one that offers a stable and healthy practical/spiritual framework for its followers and to greater society. Unfortunately, there is still a subset of Christians who frighteningly regard the Bible as a historical and scientific text. This simply is not the case. I wish it were possible to have an argument about the facts, here, but I have heard your argument many times before, and neither side generally makes any progress. But just out of curiosity, did Dinosaurs ever exist? I need you to tie these loose ends up for me, because (as has been pointed out by many others) these big guys don’t really get a lot of attention in the Bible. It seems reasonable that if all life and death started, oh, 6,000 years ago as calculated by many dogmatists, that we would have noticed them. But I digress … someone actually told me once that Dinosaur “bones” were actually placed on Earth by God.
My suggestion to you sir, is to do some light reading in the area of evolutionary biology. It certainly wouldn’t kill you, and it is possible that you might even learn something. Who knows, it might not even conflict with your bizarre religious views. Now repeat after me: “Millions of years ago, before the blasphemous dinosaurs walked the Earth …”
John Hearn
Psychology
Evolution doesn’t deny the existence of God
I want to understand: Why do discussions with “Christians” concerning evolution hinge upon their preconceived, “infallible” notions about the nature of God — as a static being without the foresight or ability to author a process that not only “creates” new life forms but also ensures that preexisting species “adapt” and “evolve” because of random mutations and natural selection, thereby ensuring the survival of future generations?
This “omnipotent” God has many titles: “the Unmovable Mover,” “the Alpha and Omega,” etc. However, He does not seem to be so omniscient and powerful, as evident by the rejection that God is the author of evolution. I am not arguing that evolution is the direct product of God. However, I am disturbed that many Christians, the champions of Christ, have not the faith to even consider this a possibility. Many Christians believe, “God can do anything.” But, do they really believe that?
Yes, your Jesus walked on water and brought back Lazarus from the dead, but that was 2,000 years ago. He is no longer capable of such great feats. To borrow a line from Nietzsche, “God is dead.” Don’t freak out and pray for fire to reign from heaven onto me. I don’t mean that God actually died. Instead, by denying God’s ability to be the author of evolution, and thereby denying his omnipotence, Christians have carved an idol out of wood, placed it upon their mantle, and worshipped its lifeless image in their own, predetermined way.
I leave you with the words of Darwin. “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.” Maybe we could learn from Charles, even he had faith in omnipotence.
Riley William Jones, III
Veterinary Medicine Student
Yes, Evolution is a fact
I am sick and tired of people who talk about evolution and how it is not real, when they themselves do not know enough of the subject to criticize it. First of all, Science is based on the PHYSICAL WORLD and religion is based on the SUPERNATURAL WORLD. Science cannot disprove religion because it is a belief. For example, some organizations do not believe the earth is round. They still believe that it is flat because when Moses stood on Mount Sinai he saw the four corners of the world. If you don’t believe me go to the Web site http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm . They say every piece of evidence pointing to the world being round is a mind trick. Can you disprove this belief that the roundness of the earth is a mind trick played on us all? No, but do you think the earth is flat? Didn’t think so.
It is just like saying that evolution is not real because the Bible does not physically state that evolution occurs. Conversely, religion cannot disprove science. It is based on fact. Evolution does occur, there is physical evidence that supports it. Evolution can be readily observed in the lab with bacteria or fruit flies, just go visit one of the numerous researchers working with bacteria and insect species in the Life Sciences building on our fine campus.
The only part of evolution that is a theory is the mechanism by which it occurs. The rest is cold, hard fact. If evolution isn’t a fact, Chad Chauvin, then I guess there is no such thing as gravity, or has Christianity accepted that as truth? Here is one more thing for you to think over. If every generation of animal has genetics inferior to its ancestors, then by default you are saying you are inferior to your parents and everyone else in your family. How about you think out your arguments so you can make educated, logical statements next time. I don’t know about you, but I for one am not inferior to everyone else in my family’s history.
Kayla Perry
Sophomore — Biological Sciences