Thailand should learn from America
Taylor Jackson's appalling column in Monday's State Press suggesting the U.S. should take lessons from Thailand's coup boggles the mind.
Rather than lamenting the failure of Thailand's government to solve its problems through legal channels, Jackson suggests the vibrancy of Thailand's civil affairs by the regularity of military takeovers.
The Thai people did not enact this coup, an armed military lacking in electoral oversight did, and though we all want the best for Thailand, coup or no coup, this is not a acceptable form of civil governance.
It is shocking to think that someone could make such a moral comparison between the U.S. democratic system - which is one of the longest lasting constitutional systems in the world - with a nation suffering from 18 military takeovers in three quarters of a century.
The lesson to learn from Thailand's coup is to keep civil control over our military and to continue working through legal and electoral means in keeping this the greatest country on Earth.
Mike Jaskie
SENIOR
Football and basketball should be athletic department's focus
I live in Washington, DC. Each offseason all we hear, read and witness is the reloading of the previous season's 8-8 Washington Redskins. Yet the hype machine begins. We're all reminded of the "highlights" of last season, never the lowlights and expectations, and though guarded, season after season they are set once again high. Then the same result. Letdown. Mediocrity.
ASU basketball has been horrid from the year I entered ASU in 1997, until present. The athletic department made a long overdue move this offseason, replacing coach Rob Evans, who simply "sucked" in all his years at ASU. There was no talent, no coaching and subsequently no success.
ASU football is built up every offseason, and unlike basketball, the talent at least appears to be there. Head coach Dirk Koetter appears to be there, at least offensively. Yet, season after season, the program has finished a game or two above .500.
When blame falls, it has to fall on the coach. Koetter is an offensive genius, despite him choosing the sophomore [Rudy] Carpenter over senior Sam Keller.
He was only looking to the future, but to quote former Washington Redskins coach, George Allen, "The future is now." He should have played Keller.
Defense is something Koetter has not a clue how to employ. Why not hire a defensive-minded "assistant head coach" like was done in the offseason with the Deadskins of Washington?
You get the best of both offensive and defense worlds. ASU sucks on defensive, absolutely stinks. Something has to be done, or someone has to go.
ASU is one of the largest universities in the country. It's pathetic - purely pathetic - that we can't compete in major college athletic sports. Diving ain't it. Golf ain't it. And, sorry folks, but baseball ain't it either. Basketball and football, please!
Chris West
ALUM
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