Possible war has far-reaching effects
It shocks me to know that an UCLA-educated student such as Joel
Schwartz can be so short-sighted as he was in his column,
“Councils rob public with anti-war ads” (Feb. 27). The
Los Angeles City Council and Undergraduate Students Association
Council did not pass their anti-war resolutions for their own
political agendas; the war with Iraq has significant repercussions
within the communities they serve.
Does it occur to Schwartz that, just possibly, the billions of
dollars that the United States will spend to fight this war could
be better spent addressing the civic and university problems
Schwartz mentions like the “terrible drug and gang
problems,” “dilapidated streets,” the
“budget crisis” and “Tidal Wave II?”
Randy Bautista Third-year, computer science &
engineering
Protesters raise consciousness
Regarding “Effectiveness of protesters questioned,”
by Michael Jahina (News, Feb. 25), I doubt anyone who has been to
the recent protests against the impending war with Iraq thinks they
will change President George W. Bush’s mind. Rather we hope
that our actions will incite more people to protest and resist and
prick the conscience of other leaders in Washington and London who
will put the brakes on our march to folly.
Professor Zallar is correct in saying that the peace movement
should work within the party system, and in the long run this is
the best way, but this war with Iraq will not happen in the long
run.
Joseph Gius Clerk UCLA Neuropsychiatric
Hospital
Affirmative action is too divisive
In the submission “Republican silence smacks of
racism” by Art Torres, Clark Lee and Carlos Orellana (Feb.
28), the writers speak of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream
that “one day “¦ the sons of former slaves and the sons
of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table
of brotherhood.” But Torres, Lee and Orellana are not
pursuing brotherhood. Rather, it is the Bruin Republicans who
seek togetherness, while affirmative action actively destroys
it.Â
By pitting black against white, affirmative action hinders
positive relations between the races. All in the name of
diversity, we have sabotaged Dr. King’s dream and we all
suffer for it now.Â
We need to rethink our approach to achieving diversity ““
because all the diversity in the world means nothing if it does
more to divide us than unite us.
Mark Sato Fourth-year, economics