Election tone deplorable
To the Editor: This is primarily in response to Jessica Lussenhop's column ("Fan letter for the alleged Republican kicker," The Daily Pennsylvanian, 9/24/04) where she sarcastically supported the "Republican kicker." I have recently become more outspoken about my political beliefs, which are Republican. In any case, as I become increasingly forthright, I also begin to see the filth that has become of humanity as a simple result of differing opinions.
I see people like Scott Robinson, who is alleged to have attacked a liberal. And you know what? I agree, he botched it. But does that give anybody the right to sarcastically brand all Republicans in the same way? Does that give anybody the right to see themselves as better than Scott or others with different opinions? Does that give anybody the right to make him a scapegoat for everything bad in this election? Let's take a fair look at everything, shall we? On the news the other day, I saw a Democrat violently lash out at a Republican simply walking by with a Bush-Cheney '04 shirt. In another program, I saw a Democratic woman bashing in the head of a police officer outside the Republican National Convention.
The nastiness that is involved with this whole election is sickening. The Swift Boat campaigns and the CBS News controversies have been covered ad nauseum. I can't vote because I'm a Belgian citizen, yet I feel I have to do my part to make sure that what I believe in is heard fairly yet loudly. I have already felt the hate of others toward me because I'm a Bush supporter and resident Texan (and proud of it). I am equally guilty of this behavior, but sometimes I just wish we would all be civilized. I think we should all stop and think about our actions and words; in the same way, we should stop and think about what this election means and whether our decision will be based on unfair accusations and ignorant thinking or the positive actions that will be enacted in the next four years.
Jean-Benoit Daumerie
Engineering '07
Democrats need diversity
To the Editor:
Calls for Hamilton College House were met with a cheer; so were calls for Hill, the Quadrangle and even Stouffer. But at the pro-Kerry preparation rally on Tuesday, Sept. 21, calls for DuBois College House were met with nothing -- a silence so embarrassingly empty that another call had to be made for volunteers. It was only after awkward laughter that a couple of lonely DuBois residents emerged from the crowd.
If I was a Democratic leader looking over the enthusiastic crowd, I would be worried.
Granted, it was a rally of Penn students, but somebody looking out over the crowd (maybe some of the many residents of the high rises peeping out of their windows) would have seen a large, enthusiastic and homogenous crowd.
Any Republican leader would have been proud of the turnout, but for the party of Barack Obama, the lack of diversity among not only the leaders of the Penn College Democrats but also among its members shows that the party is not just in trouble now, but will be in the years ahead.
If Democrats are serious about strengthening their party, they need to do more than pay lip service to diversity. Democrats need to seek out and cultivate a young group of college leaders that span the spectrum of America.
Unfortunately, this Democratic event represented the sad state of the party, a state that has not gone unnoticed. When Republicans can believably argue that they better represent the interests of black people, the Democratic Party's historical legacy would appear to be in shambles.
For the sake of the party, Democrats need to reach out to blacks, strengthen their base and develop dedicated leaders so that, during the 2024 convention, Democrats are not forced to scramble for a black speaker to put on the platform but can simply show America their party leadership.
Austin Lavin
College '06
