Letters to the editor
By
Posted: 10/14/07, 10:55 PM EST Section: Opinion
Insensitive cartoon
We think there is something extremely wrong with the fact that the (Oct. 11) comic strip "Life Of Boris" - involving the word gay being associated with a negative context - was drawn and then printed ON COMING OUT DAY! This is completely and utterly the act of total ignorance and proves that our great Syracuse community lacks the knowledge to function properly in an accepting society.
Didn't anyone think it was problematic to first off let this comic be published, knowing that plenty of people would be offended and hurt by this?
Secondly, how ignorant must you be to print this the day the Coming Out and Allies lists were published? It (was) Coming Out week - give us a break.
We are completely disappointed in the insensitivity on the part of the creator of the comic and the editors of The Daily Orange toward the LGBT and straight allies community. Something needs to be done about this.
This demonstrates the reason there needs to be more attention and support during Coming Out Week. And this is a message to all other straight allies: We need to be more aware of what we are doing that can offend, demoralize and even depersonalize the LGBT community and others. Open up your minds, and stop being so ignorant.
Sacchi Patel
A Men's Issue, vice president of recruitment and diversity
Junior psychology major
Ben Bradley
A Men's Issue, president
Junior social work major
Green good for business
In (the Oct. 10) column, "Avoid anti-capitalist green policies," Vinny Napolitano suggested that businesses should not be forced by the government to comply with green standards. While Napolitano's concern is legitimate (that green standards would be bad for the economy), his argument is seriously flawed.
Napolitano does not provide any evidence suggesting that green standards would actually be bad for businesses. While initial costs may be higher for these technologies, they almost always pay for themselves after just a few years. Things like energy-efficient windows and lighting, and even solar panels are great examples of these cost-saving technologies. Saving money and protecting the environment is a win-win situation.
Napolitano neglects the huge impact buildings have on the environment. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, buildings are responsible for approximately 40 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions. Given that most businesses are more interested in making money than saving the environment, perhaps it is not such a bad idea that the government should force companies to comply with green standards. This is especially true considering carbon dioxide levels are approaching extremely dangerous levels in our atmosphere - a problem much easier to prevent than clean up.
Unfortunately, Napolitano is so caught up in the differences between the Republican and Democratic parties, he doesn't realize this is not a political issue. Protecting the environment is an issue that everybody's future depends on. He writes, "If we can do better for the Earth, we should do better for the Earth." Well, we can, and that is exactly what the Syracuse Common Council is trying to do.
Jonathan Volinski
Senior Political Science and History Major
No news in backlash story
This was the headline of the (Oct. 10) front-page story I just read: "Backlash: Korean Americans deal with unfounded resentment after Virginia Tech."
Interesting story, if the article actually described any significant backlash the group faced. Thankfully, the Virginia Tech incident has demonstrated how Americans can NOT lash out toward an entire group because of the actions of an individual. While no group should ever have to confront hate-filled Facebook groups or dirty looks, let's keep things in perspective here. This wasn't backlash.
Stop chasing non-stories and find some real news to cover. Thanks!
Alex Gittleson
Class of 2005
New York, N.Y.
We think there is something extremely wrong with the fact that the (Oct. 11) comic strip "Life Of Boris" - involving the word gay being associated with a negative context - was drawn and then printed ON COMING OUT DAY! This is completely and utterly the act of total ignorance and proves that our great Syracuse community lacks the knowledge to function properly in an accepting society.
Didn't anyone think it was problematic to first off let this comic be published, knowing that plenty of people would be offended and hurt by this?
Secondly, how ignorant must you be to print this the day the Coming Out and Allies lists were published? It (was) Coming Out week - give us a break.
We are completely disappointed in the insensitivity on the part of the creator of the comic and the editors of The Daily Orange toward the LGBT and straight allies community. Something needs to be done about this.
This demonstrates the reason there needs to be more attention and support during Coming Out Week. And this is a message to all other straight allies: We need to be more aware of what we are doing that can offend, demoralize and even depersonalize the LGBT community and others. Open up your minds, and stop being so ignorant.
Sacchi Patel
A Men's Issue, vice president of recruitment and diversity
Junior psychology major
Ben Bradley
A Men's Issue, president
Junior social work major
Green good for business
In (the Oct. 10) column, "Avoid anti-capitalist green policies," Vinny Napolitano suggested that businesses should not be forced by the government to comply with green standards. While Napolitano's concern is legitimate (that green standards would be bad for the economy), his argument is seriously flawed.
Napolitano does not provide any evidence suggesting that green standards would actually be bad for businesses. While initial costs may be higher for these technologies, they almost always pay for themselves after just a few years. Things like energy-efficient windows and lighting, and even solar panels are great examples of these cost-saving technologies. Saving money and protecting the environment is a win-win situation.
Napolitano neglects the huge impact buildings have on the environment. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, buildings are responsible for approximately 40 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions. Given that most businesses are more interested in making money than saving the environment, perhaps it is not such a bad idea that the government should force companies to comply with green standards. This is especially true considering carbon dioxide levels are approaching extremely dangerous levels in our atmosphere - a problem much easier to prevent than clean up.
Unfortunately, Napolitano is so caught up in the differences between the Republican and Democratic parties, he doesn't realize this is not a political issue. Protecting the environment is an issue that everybody's future depends on. He writes, "If we can do better for the Earth, we should do better for the Earth." Well, we can, and that is exactly what the Syracuse Common Council is trying to do.
Jonathan Volinski
Senior Political Science and History Major
No news in backlash story
This was the headline of the (Oct. 10) front-page story I just read: "Backlash: Korean Americans deal with unfounded resentment after Virginia Tech."
Interesting story, if the article actually described any significant backlash the group faced. Thankfully, the Virginia Tech incident has demonstrated how Americans can NOT lash out toward an entire group because of the actions of an individual. While no group should ever have to confront hate-filled Facebook groups or dirty looks, let's keep things in perspective here. This wasn't backlash.
Stop chasing non-stories and find some real news to cover. Thanks!
Alex Gittleson
Class of 2005
New York, N.Y.
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Helen Bayly
posted 10/15/07 @ 11:45 AM EST
To the Editors: Swim/Dive Teams inspire tomorrow's SU students and alums (probably also the trustees, faculty, administration and community!).
Just now, when the SU big teams and $multi-million-budgets are failing to bring cheers and pride to The Orange, this little bunch of aquatics heroes are delighting SU everywhere with their winning accomplishments, but even more by their history, values, sportsmanship and honorable behavior!
Kudos for superb reporting today by DO's Tyler Dunne and Heath Williams. (Continued…)
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