LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Play By Play From the Stands

To the Editor: Justin Feil College '96 Cartoon in Bad Taste To the Editor: I am writing in response to the editorial cartoon in the DP dated 10/31/95 which depicted IAA members as rats. Considering the current situation and the fact that the IAA was exonerated of all wrong-doing by the SAC Finance Committee and the Student Activities Council itself, I find the cartoon to be of extremely bad taste. I fully understand the point of editorial cartoons and agree that at times the entire situation seemed somewhat farcical, but fail to see any humor in comparing all IAA members to rats. Compounded with the unsigned editorial on "Misuse and Abuse" (DP, 10/30/95) which was factually inaccurate, this cartoon has only served to hurt the reputation of the DP. I trust that in the future, the editorial board will take greater care in deciding what to print and where to draw the line, and thereby supply the Penn community with the professionalism it both expects and demands. Atul Sood Engineering '98 Read Before Signing To the Editor: After reading Brett Klein and Vivek Bantwal's column ("Tyranny Disguised As Residential Living Precautions," DP, 10/31/95) accusing Residential Living of being everything from brownshirts to despots, I was not sure whether they were really concerned about this "problem" or whether their article was a poor attempt at humor. I concluded it is supposed to be funny, but every joke is still 80 per cent true. I am ashamed that fellow students at the University waste their time and the DP's space complaining about this, especially doing so in such a foolish manner. With all the serious problems the University and the surrounding communities have to deal with, you are concerned about Residential Living making sure there are no fire hazards in your room? I don't care if you make yourselves look stupid, as you do in your article. But don't make my University look stupid, especially when it's so undeserved. If you were really concerned with this problem, rather than writing such guff perhaps you ought to do something about it and protest by moving out of your cozy quad rooms and commuting. Or at least read the lease before you sign it, or else you have only yourselves to blame. Steven Friedman College '98 Political Opportunism To The Editor: I write this letter in response to the recent informal poll which showed that six UA members have flipped-flopped on the issue of the UA audit of the IAA ("Undergraduate Assembly split on IAA audit," DP, 11/1/95). The political opportunism practiced by these six members is one of the most disgraceful acts propagated by members of that body in recent years. Their last minute switch after the SAC vote Monday, in spite of the unanimous support they voiced previously, is just another example of the wishy-washy, no principle politics that is already too widely practiced at Penn. The "leadership" demonstrated by these members is actually that which is farthest from. Whether or not the IAA has abused the use of SAC funds only they will ever know. However, these six UA members deserve our severest scorn for their pandering. If they "didn't support the audit from the start," as one of these six members has boldly trumpeted?now, then, they should have had the moral courage to state that then, not now. Those who have been around this campus for a number of years know the UA to be a body searching for acknowledgement and recognition form the "constituency" they represent. These six members should know that this type of petty politics will only help to ensure that the UA will never receive the respect they seek to truly represent this campus. Jonathan Brightbill Wharton '97 Don't Let GOP Plans Fool You To the Editor: Peter Morrison's essay ("Balancing Costs," DP, 11/1/95) clearly illustrates the GOP's deceptive strategy to pass a budget which will inevitably harm the working class of this country. I have read and watched the debates in Congress, and I can safely say that I am outraged with the Republican plan to cut spending to the elderly, poor, and disabled children. The GOP argues that this is what Americans want. Well, this is not what Americans want. Yes, we want to reform the system but to suffocate it is different story. We have been blinded by promises to cut the budget when in reality we are cutting social programs to give tax breaks to the rich. We want a system that is fair, not a system which gives a tax break to citizens in the $200,000 bracket while cutting tax incentives to the lower income working-class. This is ridiculous. I encourage every voter to seriously evaluate the GOP plan and to see for ourselves what is the present situation of our national budget and what this bill will do to the future of our American economy. Chris Anderson College '98