Experience makes McNabb obvious choice for ASG pres
Jonathan McNabb is, without a doubt, the smartest choice for student body president. As the vice president of marketing for Pi Sigma Epsilon business fraternity, I have worked with Jonathan in the past and know that his skills are essential to the Miami University community. McNabb has been the vice president of student organizations in Associated Student Government for the past year. Over that time, he has not only managed a budget of $1,000,000, but he has also served as the chief architect in completely revamping the way organizations go about getting money. His communication with the student organizations throughout the entire funding process has been the most effective of any previous VP of student orgs.
In the current economic climate, it is important that we elect a leader who can communicate effectively, who understands the ins and outs of student government and who knows how to manage a budget responsibly. In the upcoming election, I urge everyone to take a long look at the candidates and their track records. What they have done in the past is the best indicator of what they will do in the future. If you do this, I know you will come to the same conclusion I did. Jonathan McNabb is the only candidate who has the ability and leadership capabilities to guide us next year.
John WittmanV.P. of MarketingPi Sigma Epsilon, gamma gammawittmajl@muohio.edu
Berry disillusioned with Bush's handling of terrorism
In last week's Op-ed defending President George W. Bush's record (Point-counterpoint, "History will truly define, test legacies," Jan. 23), Chris Berry wrote many things that made me shake my head. But this comment about September 11, 2001 was particularly interesting to me: "It is notable that America has remained safe since that horrific day and we have yet to experience another attack on our soil since." This has been the crux of the argument by Bush apologists like Berry over the past seven-plus years: that Bush has kept us safe and prevented terrorist attacks.
However, the truth is Bush's policies have done more to harm our national security than any administration in history. His administration's policies have been Al-Qaeda's biggest recruitment tools. The use of torture to interrogate suspected terrorists, extraordinary rendition to apprehend people in foreign lands and transfer them to secret prisons and imprisonment of more than 600 detainees in Guantanamo Bay for years without any hint of justice or due process of law have all caused millions of young men and women to hate America and to turn to groups like Al-Qaeda for relief from the evil West. Al-Qaeda is just as strong today as it was eight years ago, according to the latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE). And the United States is more hated in the Arab world now after eight years of Bush's regime than at any other time in history.
Bush has created bin Laden's dream situation for the United States: our military is bogged down in two wars (one which had no link to Al-Qaeda and no WMD), our economy is in ruins and running trillion dollar deficits, our reputation in the Arab world is at its lowest point in history and an Iranian state has become the dominant power in region and on the brink of nuclear weapons. The Bush administration's conduct of its war on terror has done nothing to prevent terrorism. If fact, the number of terrorist attacks around the world have been much higher over the past seven years than they were over the previous decades. Anyone who knows national security will tell you that you defeat terrorism by winning the hearts and minds of the people, not by bombing neighborhoods and exporting democracy from the barrel of a gun.
The biggest myth about Bush's national security legacy is that of September 11, 2001. Bush apologists like Berry act as if Bush started his presidency on 9/11. However, the fact is Bush was president a full nine months before September 11, 2001 happened. In those nine months, he had the information and capability to prevent 9/11. He failed. On Aug. 6, 2001, Bush's CIA daily brief was titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." Bush did nothing to act on this, only telling the briefer that day, "Alright, you've covered your ass." Bush also did not meet with his CIA director for the entire month before the attacks happened. The worst terrorist attack in our nation's history happened on Bush's watch and he did nothing to prevent it. President Bush did not keep us safe on 9/11 nor any day afterward. That is the reality of the Bush administration: a failed national security and a failed presidency.
Chris Brockbrockcd@muohio.edu
Sports column misses crucial aspect of Dallas Academy
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During last 15 and a half years, I've watched, learned and experienced the challenges that can face a family with a member who has a learning disability. My brother, who actually had the opportunity to attend Dallas Academy, is easily the most caring and creative person I know and suffers from Asperger syndrome-which is simply a mild form of Down's Syndrome. While I know my situation is unique among young Americans, I feel that people should be more aware of the challenges that kids with learning disabilities deal with daily.
A recent sports editorial raised my concerns in regards to the understanding of learning-disabled kids. I noticed that Eric Wormus' "Big wins receive too much critique" failed to recognize that Dallas Academy is a school solely dedicated to the education and advancement of learning disabled students. This blatant error leaves a hole the size of Texas in the argument. I understand the competitive nature of high school sports because I was a high school athlete and I'm as competitive as the next person, but this situation crosses the line.
Dallas Academy strives to provide as a normal a high school experience as possible, and that includes competitive sports. This 100-0 loss to Covenant School, which is not a school for the learning-disabled, should not be dealt with as a question of shielding kids, but rather a question of protecting the self-esteem of individuals who already face an uphill battle against life. Disregarding this fact completely changes the dynamic of the situation. Without this piece of information one would think that it was a match of David vs. Goliath.
I think we can all take a valuable lesson from this story. We should value the fact that we have the opportunity to attend college, while the kids at Dallas Academy may not have the same opportunities. Remembering the fact that it is not always an equal playing ground can lead to a greater understanding of society as a whole. As a final point I'd like to point out to you geography experts that Dallas is located in the northern part of Texas, not the western.
Chris McMillanmcmillcc@muohio.edu
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