Letters

Published: Monday, February 1, 1999

Monday, February 1, 1999

Letters

Exercise rights

by choosing life

This letter is written in response to Shawn Peterson's article "Abortion creates choice between liberty, life." (Viewpoint, Jan. 28).

Abortion is one of the most potent issues in the world today. I think that we should breathe a sigh of relief in America that abortion is not forced on our women.

I think everyone has heard all the arguments, one side saying that a baby will ruin a woman's life, the other, that the life of the fetus is important as well. This is an issue that everyone has to make a choice about.

I mean, one day our taxpayer dollars might go toward funding these clinics; abortion might come in contact with some of us in a more personal way.

I have always believed in the right to choose. Everyone has the power to make a choice, whether right or wrong, and every choice has a consequence.

I also believe that everyone has a right to live. I could not bring it upon myself to kill a child, but by the same token, I will not condemn a person who has made that choice.

I find that pro-lifers should be more loving toward the women who make these choices and toward the doctors who perform these procedures.

They are people too, and the best way to show that people are really "pro-life" is by respecting the lives of others and by loving them for who they are.

I believe that abortion is wrong, but I will not hate someone for it. I have seen abortions performed and it is the only force, next to videos of the genocide of the Armenians by Ottoman Turks and of the Jews by Nazi Germany, that has brought me to tears and utter despair for the blatant disrespect and destruction of life. It is our natural right to choose ... I just urge people to choose life.

Sarkis Babikian

First-year

Organismic Biology, Ecology and Evolution

Whites apply,

but headlines lie

The headline of your article "Number of minority applicants rises" (News, Jan. 21) is misleading because, while its statement is true, it only reflects part of the story that the numbers tell.

If I analyze your chart, I find that the number of minority applicants has risen by 1,812 or 11 percent, whereas that number for whites has increased by 2,468 or 26 percent, i.e. much more in both absolute and relative terms.

No matter what your angle is, the main topical story to derive from the data is that the number of applications from whites showed the biggest increase (since all ethnicities showed an increase anyway; most likely a side effect of having fewer applicants who decline to state their ethnicities).

Therefore, your title should have reflected (or at least not neglected) that fact.

Dr. Philippe P. Brieu

Department of physics and astronomy

Gates' Microsoft is anti-competitive

In response to the Head to Head article, regarding the Microsoft trial, ("Government agents should open windows for Microsoft" Viewpoint, Jan. 28.), I myself am a Libertarian, but I cannot agree with the naive and simplistic approach that Matthew Gever takes in his argument that Microsoft earns its money fairly.

Admittedly, I use Microsoft products, from Windows to Office, but their use is not only dictated to me by their user-friendliness, but also by their compatibility with those computer users who are around me.

Gever thinks this success is the deciding factor in why Microsoft is so successful.

Perhaps he should do some more investigation into the case(s). The case(s) against Microsoft deals with many issues.

For example, Microsoft allegedly told many computer manufacturers that if they included Netscape with their desktop computers, Microsoft would not allow them to sell Windows pre-loaded on their computers - big computer companies don't buy software off the same shelves we do.

Another issue brought up was the addition of proprietary code to Microsoft's own Java development tools.

Java is a programming language that Sun Microsystems developed to be compatible on all computer platforms. Microsoft's additions made it incompatible with the Sun standards, yet Microsoft would not remove the "Java Compatible" advertising.

You think the millions of dollars donated to Apple in its time of financial need went unreturned by other favors, far more beneficial to Microsoft? Think again. The list goes on and on.

Microsoft's successes, although grand, are not only the work of honest, savvy go-getters - if they have acted in anti-competitive practices like the ones mentioned here, they should indeed be scrutinized, and punished.

After all, the judicial system still exists in a Libertarian world.

Lev Lvovsky

Fifth-year

Physics

Lighten up, cheer on the team

This letter is written in response to the letter from alumnus Larry Pizarro: "Bruin chats simply stupid" (Viewpoint, Jan. 26). The letter criticized Bruin fans for the chants they had used during recent home games. First off, I want to say that times are different now. We're not the same students that went here 20 years ago.

We actually care if our basketball team wins now. What do you want us to say to the referees in a game in which they called 35 fouls on us, and 19 on them? "OK Mr. Referee, that wasn't a very good call, but I believe you can do better next time!" or "Hey there, No. 44 on Stanford! You could use some work on your game!"

I don't think so.

We were just trying to create a hostile environment for Stanford to play in. It's called a "Home Field Advantage." We were letting our team know we were there for them. And you know what? You're just lucky we didn't say something about Chelsea Clinton being there - or at least, didn't say too much.

Aron Lum

First-year

Undeclared

True fans never leave games early

Derek Evenson hit the nail on the head with his defense of UCLA students ("Show school spirit or get out of town" Viewpoint, Jan. 28).

How can we possibly criticize our most devoted fans for their energy and fervor? If it weren't for the students there would hardly be a peep heard from the alumni and general admission section.

It is this wild enthusiasm that has helped to sway many of the current athletes to attend our university. If there is any group that should be criticized, it should be those "fans" that arrive to the game late, then leave early after the outcome has been decided. It is this behavior that has drawn criticism of the players.

After the Stanford game Earl Watson expressed his disappointment in the lack of devotion of those who left early. If somebody wants to watch the game without the sound they should stay home and watch it on TV, that way they can also save themselves the effort of leaving early to beat traffic.

Justin Paras

Fourth-year

Biology

Comments, feedback, problems?