2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 12/5/05 Section: Forum
- Page 1 of 1
Appalled at silence
I am writing in response to last week's article "Peace action ends in vandalism."
I was appalled by the account I read.
The implication that the only people in support of the signs put up on campus were "hippies smoking crack" is absolutely ridiculous.
The thought of 100,000 dead ought to inspire serious reflection, not vandalism. Is this the way we remember the dead?
Our own country's dead?
I have a brother who is currently serving in the military over in Iraq.
Not too long ago he e-mailed photos of wounded soldiers and Iraqi civilians (all victims of a suicide bombing) being treated at the airbase.
He prefaced these horrifying images with the words, "If Americans only knew."
The problem is most Americans don't know.
These images are largely kept from us, and when students seek to actually educate their peers on the great cost of the Iraq war their message is mocked and their signs vandalized.
Just last Thursday-World AIDS Day-students on campuses across the country were also putting up signs.
National Public Radio noted students put up pictures of those dying of AIDS in remembrance of the many men, women and children affected by the disease.
Most of us are startled by figures of 100,000 dead in Iraq, but how many of us realize every two weeks we lose the same number of lives to AIDS?
Of course, the signs these students put up weren't knocked down and vandalized.
Instead, many students reflected on what these images meant for the world, while others prayed for the children dying.
If only more of the same could have occurred on our campus.
In the words of Nicolas de Torrente of Doctors Without Borders, "Silence is the best ally of atrocities."
Every day thousands of the voiceless are dying of conflict and disease that could be prevented if only more of us chose to speak out.
Each of us has the responsibility and right to express and defend their right to live.
Andrea Martineau
4th Year
Medicine
Arrested Development
Regarding Ms. Bhargava's article on the decaying state of television ["Reality TV destroys brain cells," 11/18/05], most notably that of FOX, I can only say I share your grief. Furthermore: "There are dozens of us! Dozens!"
Here's to making FOX "taste our sad" for pulling one of the best comedies in decades.
Nic Neufeld
Senior
BIT Major, School of Computing and Engineering
I am writing in response to last week's article "Peace action ends in vandalism."
I was appalled by the account I read.
The implication that the only people in support of the signs put up on campus were "hippies smoking crack" is absolutely ridiculous.
The thought of 100,000 dead ought to inspire serious reflection, not vandalism. Is this the way we remember the dead?
Our own country's dead?
I have a brother who is currently serving in the military over in Iraq.
Not too long ago he e-mailed photos of wounded soldiers and Iraqi civilians (all victims of a suicide bombing) being treated at the airbase.
He prefaced these horrifying images with the words, "If Americans only knew."
The problem is most Americans don't know.
These images are largely kept from us, and when students seek to actually educate their peers on the great cost of the Iraq war their message is mocked and their signs vandalized.
Just last Thursday-World AIDS Day-students on campuses across the country were also putting up signs.
National Public Radio noted students put up pictures of those dying of AIDS in remembrance of the many men, women and children affected by the disease.
Most of us are startled by figures of 100,000 dead in Iraq, but how many of us realize every two weeks we lose the same number of lives to AIDS?
Of course, the signs these students put up weren't knocked down and vandalized.
Instead, many students reflected on what these images meant for the world, while others prayed for the children dying.
If only more of the same could have occurred on our campus.
In the words of Nicolas de Torrente of Doctors Without Borders, "Silence is the best ally of atrocities."
Every day thousands of the voiceless are dying of conflict and disease that could be prevented if only more of us chose to speak out.
Each of us has the responsibility and right to express and defend their right to live.
Andrea Martineau
4th Year
Medicine
Arrested Development
Regarding Ms. Bhargava's article on the decaying state of television ["Reality TV destroys brain cells," 11/18/05], most notably that of FOX, I can only say I share your grief. Furthermore: "There are dozens of us! Dozens!"
Here's to making FOX "taste our sad" for pulling one of the best comedies in decades.
Nic Neufeld
Senior
BIT Major, School of Computing and Engineering
