2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Reader insists upon clarity; Student questions anti-Smith statements
Issue date: 9/14/06 Section: Opinions
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Dear Editor,
The Bush administration says critics of their policies are suffering from moral or intellectual confusion. But I'm not confused at all.
I know President Bush couldn't find Iraq on a map, didn't know a Sunni from a Shiite, didn't know the history and culture of Iraq and failed to listen to or seek advice from those who did.
I know Bush was itching for a fight with Saddam Hussein long before 9/11. I know he misled us all about the reasons for the war, ignored dissenting opinions, prematurely removed the weapons inspectors, exaggerated the threat and created, without evidence and despite his denials, a nonexistent link between Saddam and 9/11.
I know, to gain political advantage, Bush deliberately morphs the war in Iraq into the war on terror when they are separate, distinct and unrelated. I know he used extreme and excessive violence to force democracy upon Iraqis who may not care, understand or live to see it and the world has lost faith in our judgment and values because of what he did.
I know Bush essentially arrested Saddam for crimes committed by Osama bin Laden and tens of thousands have been killed and wounded in the process.
I know Bush uses scare tactics to win elections and he's doing it again. And I know we went to war for the wrong reasons in the wrong country, and it's wrong to stay there sacrificing our troops indefinitely.
Unlike the Bush administration, I'm not confused. Not morally. Not intellectually. Not at all.
Alan L. Light
Iowa City, Ia.
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to a letter written by Dara Kaye '09 published in the Sophian last week. In her opening statement, Dara alleges that by publishing her litany of complaints about Smith she wants to spark a discussion to "help us fix what has gone terribly wrong at this school." As a senior who has spent all four years on the Smith campus, I feel qualified to defend Smith in light of Dara's needless attacks. Forgive me, but I feel that advertising her personal laundry list of complaints about Smith life contributes nothing to healthy conversation about improving campus climate, but rather provides fodder for deeper negativity and complaining about "the administration", as if in some abstract sense the administration is to blame for Dara's expectations of Smith not being wholly fulfilled.
The Bush administration says critics of their policies are suffering from moral or intellectual confusion. But I'm not confused at all.
I know President Bush couldn't find Iraq on a map, didn't know a Sunni from a Shiite, didn't know the history and culture of Iraq and failed to listen to or seek advice from those who did.
I know Bush was itching for a fight with Saddam Hussein long before 9/11. I know he misled us all about the reasons for the war, ignored dissenting opinions, prematurely removed the weapons inspectors, exaggerated the threat and created, without evidence and despite his denials, a nonexistent link between Saddam and 9/11.
I know, to gain political advantage, Bush deliberately morphs the war in Iraq into the war on terror when they are separate, distinct and unrelated. I know he used extreme and excessive violence to force democracy upon Iraqis who may not care, understand or live to see it and the world has lost faith in our judgment and values because of what he did.
I know Bush essentially arrested Saddam for crimes committed by Osama bin Laden and tens of thousands have been killed and wounded in the process.
I know Bush uses scare tactics to win elections and he's doing it again. And I know we went to war for the wrong reasons in the wrong country, and it's wrong to stay there sacrificing our troops indefinitely.
Unlike the Bush administration, I'm not confused. Not morally. Not intellectually. Not at all.
Alan L. Light
Iowa City, Ia.
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to a letter written by Dara Kaye '09 published in the Sophian last week. In her opening statement, Dara alleges that by publishing her litany of complaints about Smith she wants to spark a discussion to "help us fix what has gone terribly wrong at this school." As a senior who has spent all four years on the Smith campus, I feel qualified to defend Smith in light of Dara's needless attacks. Forgive me, but I feel that advertising her personal laundry list of complaints about Smith life contributes nothing to healthy conversation about improving campus climate, but rather provides fodder for deeper negativity and complaining about "the administration", as if in some abstract sense the administration is to blame for Dara's expectations of Smith not being wholly fulfilled.
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