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Letters to the editor
Homeless veterans ignored
As social work students here at SCSU, it was brought to our attention (back in September) that the homeless veteran population of St. Cloud is continually increasing in alarming numbers. It is only outmatched by the general homelessness increasing statistics (+30 percent since 2001).
In times when we protest war, violence against wome, and racism, where are the protesters for homeless veterans? Where are the articles in the student paper, or even community newspapers about this growing epidemic?
When the nation is pro-military invasion and in support of Bush policies, why are we not also in support of those who come home broken? Let's begin to behave like college students and start thinking.
Angie Cunningham, Jenny Engelstad, Amber Kvaas, Miaca Nomo
Seniors, social work
Quit picking on my cousin
I'm writing in response to the article that Andy wrote about my cousin Jimmy (Sk8er Boi).
Threatening is even worse than saying mean things at my school and it should be the same at your school.
Ivan Brodsky
View Ridge Elementary, second grade
Everett, Wash.
Column shows clouded vision
Why was the GLBT flag at the Peace Rally on Nov. 7? Because Outloud!, a GLBT student organization, was one of 19 student organizations who sponsored the event. As an organizer of the rally, I personally asked every student organization sponsoring the rally to bring a visual representation from their organization. There were other "flags" and banners from several student groups, but the writer who questioned the GLBT flag seemed to only notice that one. It is amazing how much homophobia will cloud one's view!
Kayla Brooks
Senior, social work
Bymas hold the high ground
There is quite the intellectual war going on within the pages of your paper. It seems to me that Mr. and Mrs. Justin Byma continue to write original columns with new ideas while people studying social work and others residing in California continue to write in and whine about them.
Mrs. Byma says that women need to work hard and take advantage of opportunities like many millions of other successful women have done. Those opposed to this idea whine about how white men are trying to take over the world, make fun of her name, and tell her to "Grab (herself) another cookbook and go bake a cake."
Wow!!! What maturity. Your anti-Byma crowd has no original ideas and is now resorted to whining about fairness or simple name calling. This is funny stuff.
Zachary Spoehr
Sophomore
Response from flag holder
In response to Matt Hayward's letter to the editor "Confederate flag and GLBT go side by side?" I would like to give a very heartfelt resounding NO!!
While at the peace rally, I was the one to bring the GLBT flag. My question to Matt Hayward is, why did you not just ask me why I did this? I was there to show the support of the on-campus GLBT activist group Outloud!. Bringing the flag is vocally clarifying that our activist group is against the war but making it visible at the same time.
The Sept. 11 memorial was about showing support. There were GLBT people that were killed in the tragic events of Sept. 11. We are not trying to throw it in your face that we are GLBT, we are not getting up on a cement slab and shouting our beliefs at you and we do not tell you that you are wrong if you do not believe in what we believe in. All we are trying to do is show support.
The on-campus GLBT organization is not just out to fight for the rights of GLBT people, it is there to fight all oppressive actions against any group of people. I am not upset because I am gay, I am upset because ignorance is not bliss. It is the lack of knowledge. Ignorance is what hurts people. Ignorance is what kills people that are not like the androcentric white male norm.
Michelle Gohman
Junior, undecided
Hospitals take women's rights
Most women are aware of the risk of being raped. We are told that one in four women will be raped during their lifetime. According to Glamour magazine, that amounts to 330,000 women being raped each year. 25,000 of those women will become pregnant as a result of rape. When a woman is brave enough to go to a hospital after a rape, she expects to receive all of the medical care that will prevent further trauma or disease. This letter is to alert women to the infringement of their reproductive rights.
There have been increasing mergers between public and faith-based hospitals. The government provides grants to most hospitals, including those that are religiously affiliated. The majority of religiously affiliated hospitals refuse to provide emergency contraception to their patients, even those patients who have been raped. In fact, many hospitals will not make referrals so that women can receive treatment elsewhere.
The government should not finance hospitals that oppress women by denying their legally recognized reproductive rights. If it is against the morals of a hospital to provide care, then they should not receive money from the government.
After the recent election, it is even more important that we tell our legislators that we don't want government money to perpetuate the oppression of women's rights. Contact your legislators - local, state and federal. Tell them that you want them to represent you by supporting Resolution 4113, the Compassionate Care for Female Sexual Assault Survivors Act. If you want to take further action, visit Planned Parenthood's action center at http://www.plannedparenthood.com. Find out your hospital's policies, and if they don't provide emergency contraceptives, tell them what you think about it.
Jennifer Lynch,
St. Cloud
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