I am writing in response to Max Werner's anti-war piece of Sept. 26, as well as a letter to the editor published Tuesday, Sept. 27, titled, "Complaining won't change the world."
Ms. Baertsch seems to be under the impression that George W. Bush was elected in 2000. Ms. Baertsch, if you examine the documents related to the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore of 2000, you may be shocked to realize that the Supreme Court (the Justices that just happen to be Republican of the Supreme Court), and not the people of the United States, decided the outcome of that election.
It was decided that the recount in Florida would have to stop, which handed Bush the election while under [almost] every recount scenario imaginable, Gore was the true winner of the electoral college. This is not democracy. Another astonishing fact I would love to bring to your attention is that while the Court decided the vice-president didn't deserve the presidency, a majority of the few people (less than 50 percent of the country) that did vote, voted for Gore.
The bottom line is, in this country, dissent against corrupt leadership is patriotic, and not at all undignified. Those of us who are informed enough to see a problem do what we can to fix it. The world cannot afford for the American people to sit back and love their government for the sake of loving it in ignorant bliss.
We are the world's lone superpower! Maybe this is too much power for any one ex-failed business man/ex-C-average student to handle.
Colin Formichella
ASU Junior
GPSA trip fruitless
I was so thrilled that the Graduate [and Professional] Student Association went to D.C to "lobby" their government. I sure do hope they at least got their typical D.C "cookies and punch" before being escorted out with a nice little pat on the tush.
Please, someone spare me the embarrassment of any more ASU "representatives" going to D.C.
Politicians in D.C do not give one hoot about students or their rising tuition. They placate us right along with the rest of their constituents. Why don't you spend your money trying to mobilize students to vote again (like they did in 2004) instead of paying for high-priced airfare and meals. What a joke.
I want to praise [GPSA] for at least having the foresight to go after our local state representatives, not our federal. But please people, no conversations or questions and answers are going to change 95 percent of our elected officials' minds. Only votes change minds. Learn that, and you have just learned how to lobby.
Tom Reade
ASU Alumni
If you have an opinion you'd like to make heard, e-mail a letter to the editor. Just type "Letters.Editor" in the subject line and send it to letters.editor@asu.edu.
