While many of you were living your Spring Break up on the beach, wearing your barely-there outfits to clubs and drinking the night away, I literally stayed home and “chilled.”
I hung out with my parents–enjoying their company completely. I slept a little, hung out with some old friends, ate some good home-cooked meals, read a book by my favorite author, watched the news and watched some more news. And after all those fun and exciting things to do, I just had to write an editorial.
I felt compelled to write one after Joseph Hill, the “must-have-a-lot-of-time-on-his-hands-student,” wrote a Letter to the Editor last week, stating that students needed a call for action.
Mr. Hill complained that students across America were dominating universities with their opinions and collective voices about the war in Iraq, and yet, Sam Houston State was still talking about the Quanell X speech. And yet somehow, he wonders why I, the Viewpoints Editor, am not taking student submissions about X anymore? He said that this was close-minded.
Mr. Hill, stand corrected and come to The Houstonian office one day and we’ll show you a day of what goes on behind the production of the paper. Just see how many people are sick of boring “last-years-news.”
Get your head out of the clouds and out of your computer screen as you write, yet another boring Letter to the Editor about why students don’t do this or that. You need to realize that students don’t want to read Quanell X crap anymore.
“When are we going to quit reading about Quanell X?” or “How many more weeks are we going to be reading about Quanell X?” That is the typical question that I have been hearing for weeks. For God’s sake, the Quanell X speech was in February and we’re already almost in April.
But that it not the point of my letter, excuse me.
You write that, “students walk around this campus with their heads held high, perhaps too high and are disentangled from reality as it exists in the world today.” In another paragraph you state that, “…there must be someone who looks at life in a worldly view…”
Mr. Hill, why shouldn’t we hold our heads up high? Why can’t we lead our own lives and not be bothered by Bush’s attempt to carry out war?
And I’m sure there are some people who care, but a lot of people don’t like to voice their opinion like you and I. I could care less what people think, because I like to stand up for what I believe in. Plus, I’m a real smart-aleck and I’m pretty sure that everyone could use a grin here and there.
Anyway, let me get to my point. A couple months ago, all of the major news networks aired on national television to go out and buy duct tape, water, food, batteries and those two-way walkie-talkie things. Then they said to tape yourself in a confined space if any terrorist attacks were to take place in our great United States.
Immediately after the “informational” advisement though, experts and public officials proceeded to tell every American citizen, “…not to worry and to go about your everyday lives.”
So I’m supposed to go on with my normal life after national television just told me to suffocate myself? Good one.
My mother is an avid CNN watcher. At 6 p.m., her eyes are glued to Tucker Carlson and that nerdy bow tie of his and James Carville debating on Crossfire. After dinner (while still watching CNN), my mother and father have both been throwing these little cushiony balls at the TV set when Bush, or Powell, or Rumsfield or whatever pro-war news happens to pop up. Now I know what to get my parents for Christmas.
Mr. Hill, when I was younger and reality shows were just hitting hard, my mother was quick to change the channel. Now, she knows who’s going to win on American Idol and follows up on what the Joe Millionaire guy is doing. She hates listening about the war. She hates that every channel has war on Iraq, or Target: Iraq on 24/7. Like many other people, like myself, she’s tired of hearing the same old news. During Spring Break, I was thankful, that college basketball came on CBS. It was the only non-war option.
Mr. Hill you wrote that the editorial page is designated as a page to discuss things that are affecting us as students, yet there has been no little or no mention of the war on Iraq.
Honestly, I get some really good submissions, but when people don’t provide a name, their letter gets thrown in the trash.That’s a policy I have to abide by and so do others.
Also, not everyone had the time like you Mr. Hill, to write countless letters every month. I am not a mother, a wife, a sister, nor a girlfriend, nor do I have to endure any of the responsibilities that come with those titles. But as a college senior, preparing to graduate in a year with two degrees, I myself, find it hard to make time to watch the news at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. every night.
I actually find myself hardly ever living in my apartment. I could take the school as my address. I find myself getting home late from work, getting home from various meetings, including the Student Government meeting which sometimes last two hours late in the evening.
Instead of getting the opportunity to know what’s going on in the world outside of Hunts-Vegas and its drink specials at the local bar, I have to depend on my friends, my professors and sometimes my family, to learn more about what goes on in the world. And at some points in their lives, just like myself, I get tired of hearing the “horrible” news–especially about the war. It’s the news I don’t care to hear about anymore.
Joseph Hill asked in his letter if any students cared about the war against Iraq. I care and believe it or not, I AM SCARED! I don’t want to hear about people waiving the right to go bomb innocent adults and children for what? Oil?
Do Bush and the soldiers not know that when they go bomb the hell out of Iraq, they won’t just come home afterwards. I’m scared for my family, the economy and myself. Especially since I’ll probably have to duct tape myself in a room.
I and dozens of other students will be graduating soon, with starting incomes at $24,000. Without daddy’s money, and if the economy goes to pot, the young people will be in for a tough break.
Personally, I think this war is a big ol’ ego trip. All I can see is Bush sitting there with his frumpy grin thinking, “Look Dad, I didn’t smoke that much pot after all. I’m finishing up what you didn’t.”
I myself and many other people are against the war, because again, we are sending our innocent young men and women out there. People talk about the draft being reinstated and Bush is a supporter. Are you serious? Jenna and Barbara won’t be going to war. Quanell X spoke the truth when he said our younger lower class white, black and Hispanics would be making the trip. That’s why it’s also imperative for young people to pay attention and vote for their rights.
Does Bush not know that blood is already on his hands. For Christ’s sake, our own men are killing each other. This war shouldn’t be happening in this day and age.
To Mr. Hill, the point I was trying to make, throughout this huge letter, was that not everyone has the time to pay attention to the war. And not everyone wants to keep hearing about the war on Iraq.
This all comes down to the people’s choice. I can’t speak for everyone and I can’t vote for everyone. I can only voice my opinion and hope that someone cares just as much as I do to make a difference.
By the way, anyone who is thinking of taping themselves into a room is nuts. If terrorists attack, you’ll die in one of the following ways:
1.) The terrorists hit you before you get to safety.
2.) You died of carbon dioxide poisoning within three hours of confinement.
All I want to say is: Bush find a new hobby before you mess up our nation.