Letters - The Daily Tar Heel

Criticism of display based on content isn't legitimate

Oct. 26, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: A major criticism of liberal college campuses including UNC is that free speech is encouraged" as long as it coincides with contemporary liberal ideals. The response to the pro-life pictures perfectly supports this assertion. To everyone that found the pictures inappropriate and offensive: if similarly graphic pictures were used to support a cause you support would you condemn them as a ""tasteless gimmick?""

Posters were too costly and went over the line

Oct. 24, 2008

There are two problems with the exhibit in the quad. First when I was Speaker Pro-Tem of the 82nd Student Congress we usually reserved high levels of funding for concerts or speakers that could draw thousands of students. So why so much of our money for big posters?

Quad should be neutral leave debates for the Pit

Oct. 24, 2008

I support the right of Justice for All to present their views on the abortion debate on campus but hosting this giant prominently on the quad suggests the endorsement of the entire University. Instead of housing this in the Pit our central campus was transformed into an unavoidable propaganda zone.

Treating drug abuse saves money" prevents social ills

Oct. 24, 2008

Thank you for making the case of substance abuse treatment in your editorial (""Money in the right place"" Oct. 22). A study conducted by the RAND Corporation found that every additional dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.48 in societal costs.

Not all UNC students are economically privileged

Oct. 23, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: In his response (""Complaining about TAs' grading is not productive"" Oct. 22) to Zack Holland's complaint about grading subjectivity among UNC teaching assistants, professor Robert Hamer made a number of critical and condescending overstatements.

Display's characterization of women is despicable

Oct. 23, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: I was appalled to walk through the lower quad today and see the horrific images of aborted fetuses. But after looking at and reading some of the information provided I was more disgusted by the outlandish connections the campaign made between women and genocide than the images themselves.

Images not productive do not help abortion dialogue

Oct. 23, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: Today walking through the quad on my way to class I was met with a sign: WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES AHEAD. How incredibly forgiving those words are to the disgusting display on abortion. Eighteen-foot-high billboards with mangled fetuses and accusing words abuse the UNC population. This is not OK.

Complaining about TAs' grading is not productive

Oct. 22, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: Zack Holland complained in his letter to the editor (""Grades are unfair when TAs have varying standards"" Oct. 21) that it was unfair when TAs did the grading for assignments which require subjective grading since there's typically a disparity in the average grades"" in large classes with multiple TAs.

Voting straight ticket is not an intelligent move

Oct. 22, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: Regardless of your choice for president senator or governor voting straight ticket is undemocratic. The efforts being made by local political parties to get people to vote straight ticket do not help you the voter make an informed decision — it merely takes advantage of blind party loyalty.

Grades are unfair when TAs have varying standards

Oct. 21, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: In a class with more than 100 students your grade depends a bit on luck. For practical reasons your work will most likely be graded by one of the TAs which is nice for the professors — they only have to teach the material not spend countless hours grading — but this creates a huge problem for students.

Housekeepers must have right to collective bargain

Oct. 21, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: Last Tuesday's editorial on housekeeping issues (""Time for honesty" openness Oct. 14) displayed a misunderstanding of the situation between housekeepers and the administration.

Barzilai's liberal leanings contradicted in analysis

Oct. 21, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: It is not difficult to discern from the tone of last week's editorial column" (""Price wins UNC debate"" Oct. 15) that the author is at least liberal-leaning. Ironically, the same words Mr. Barzilai uses to extol Rep. David Price and denounce Dr. B.J. Lawson appropriately describe our nation's presidential candidates — with party lines reversed.

Town should prepare for drunk wandering crowd

Oct. 21, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: For town and University officials that supported this midnight end of Halloween festivities may I remind you that most parties don't start until 11 p.m.? That leaves a lot of drunk and excited visitors and students alike stumbling to Franklin Street before and after midnight.

Dr. Lawson in fact" won last week's UNC debate

Oct. 20, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: I'm not sure what debate Mr. Barzilai was watching (""Price wins UNC debate"" Oct. 15), but Dr. Lawson was the clear victor in the one I was present for (Tuesday) night. The errors Mr. Barzilai cited as evidence that Lawson is not knowledgeable were merely Rep. (David) Price's attempts to obfuscate his record.

Lawson's radical views would hurt 4th district

Oct. 20, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: The debate between Dr. B.J. Lawson and Congressman David Price showed how important congressional representatives are to a community. Rep. Price has used his 20 years of experience to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health Environmental Protection Agency and National Science Foundation" which works with the ResearchTriangle Park"" UNC and Duke.

Islamo-fascism week was prejudicial" inflammatory

Oct. 20, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: In light of ""Islamo-fascism"" week" I would like to highlight the profiles of the individuals responsible for this prejudicial event. David Horowitz received his master's in English literature" and is best known for his list of the ""most dangerous academics in America"" which is overflowing massively with erroneous fabrications. Horowitz has absolutely no education in the study of Islam.

Letters to the editor for October 20

Oct. 20, 2008

Islamo-fascism week was prejudicial" inflammatory -TO THE EDITOR:In light of ""Islamo-fascism"" week" I would like to highlight the profiles of the individuals responsible for this prejudicial event. David Horowitz received his master's in English literature" and is best known for his list of the ""most dangerous academics in America"" which is overflowing massively with erroneous fabrications. Horowitz has absolutely no education in the study of Islam.

Don't put Palin second inline for the presidency

Oct. 15, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: I have lived most of my 55 years in Alaska. I was a state attorney for 15 years and have closely followed Alaskan politics. I can say with confidence as a resident of Alaska and frequent visitor to Wasilla that Gov. Palin is not prepared to be vice president.

Groups' dissimilation of propaganda not helpful

Oct. 15, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: Kudos to the DTH for highlighting a controversy that should concern every member of this campus community. I was shocked to read about the existence of an ""Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week" but more appalled to learn that some campus organizations are actually hosting events to distribute propaganda-like materials to students.

Headline from UNC versus ND game was misleading

Oct. 14, 2008

TO THE EDITOR: In the past The Daily Tar Heel has defended its sports writers against numerous claims of bias. When reading the articles it's evident they try very hard and succeed most of the time to prevent any of their own bias from slipping into the article. But this effort is ruined when the title reflects bias that demeans both teams.