Letters to the editor

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Posted: 10/23/07

Social work professor responds

Caroline Mojonnier's opinion piece on Oct. 15 shared her negative impressions of social work education as gleaned from attending one session of my course, SWK 326: Persons in Social Context. It seems important to put some of Mojonnier's conclusions in context.

Mojonnier objected to questions raised in class about the Bush administration's support for abstinence-only-until-marriage education. Our class discussion noted that program funding for abstinence education increased by $100 million between 2001-06 while HIV/AIDS prevention funding decreased by $70 million in the last three years.

Medical inaccuracies in abstinence-only-until-marriage have been well documented. Since there are 40,000 new HIV infections each year, it is important for social work students to understand the implication of these fiscal policies for HIV prevention.

Mojonnier was shocked that I described Bush's Healthy Marriage Initiative (not Act) as homophobic.

A quick visit to the Web site, Administration for Children and Families, which sponsors the initiative, offers full immersion in our government's assertion that marriage (between a man and woman) is the only healthy way to live our lives.

Thankfully, the anti-discrimination policies at Syracuse University recognize domestic partnerships of same-sex couples and the possibility that there may be other paths to happiness.

Finally, Mojonnier expresses her outrage that I would claim that our government's recognition of the right of only some of its citizenry to marry impinges on the rights of those who are excluded.

"That is absolutely, 100 percent not fact," she writes. "Marriage is not a human right."

Exactly. Marriage is an institution through which the state confers particular rights and benefits. Those rights are not available for those who choose same-sex relationships.

I was glad to hear Caroline say she "admire(d) social workers" and believes they are "gifted people who spend their lives serving others." If that's the case then perhaps the education they receive is not as bad as her opinion piece would lead one to believe.

Kim Jaffee
Associate professor
School of Social Work

Remembering Marnell

I wanted to thank you for the kind (Oct. 18) article that acknowledged the passing of one of Syracuse University's finest employees.

John Marnell will be remembered as one of the humblest, nicest, funniest and most easy-going people of all time. And as for being a boss, I will not be the first or the last to remember John as too good to be true. John helped me get through my years at Syracuse, and he will be sorely missed and kindly remembered by his wonderful family, numerous employees and friends.

Thank you for remembering John: a friend, a father, a husband and a great person.

Bianca Stella D'Angelo
Class of 2007
University at Buffalo College of Law, Class of 2010

Revisiting scissor incident

There was an article (on Oct. 10) titled, "Student's Life Threatened with Scissors" regarding an alleged attack on South Campus.

First of all, I would like to say that this article was out of line. It is both irresponsible and injudicious to print the details of such an incident as fact. Most of the things stated in this article are "alleged" and stating them as the writer did is leading readers to false conclusions.

Personally, I have knowledge of the incident from both the "victim" and supposed "attacker." Both claim that the article was surprising, distasteful and inaccurate.

Perhaps before publishing such claims as fact, the writer should conduct even one more interview instead of copying down word for word the "official report" that is referred to more times than I can count.

Furthermore, releasing such intimate details of an "alleged" attack such as Mendez's name and address in association with claims not yet proven, is both imprudent and daring, as defamation of character is certainly in effect.

If not an apology, I suggest issuing a follow-up article with personal interviews of those involved. I know you'll reveal a truth that was disregarded in the first article.

Kelsey Dyer
Sophomore television, radio and film major