Letters to the Editor (Editorial Policies)
Posted on September 18, 2006

Don’t burn the firemen who serve you

I would like to respond to the front-page article from the Sept. 7 issue of The Breeze in regards to the Harrisonburg Fire Department taking more than 10 minutes to get to the ISAT/HHS building on Sept. 5. When the alarm was “pulled” in the ISAT/HHS building, the alarm first goes to the JMU Police Department. The JMU Police then notify the Harrisonburg Emergency Communications Center (ECC). The ECC then sends out the alarm to the various Harrisonburg fire companies. The official recorded time for the call from the ECC to Engine 28 and Tower 1 for Sept. 5 was at 4 p.m. Both Engine 28 and Tower 1 were en route by 4:01 and arrived on scene at 4:04. It did not take the HFD more than 10 minutes to get here — in fact it was only four minutes!

I find it disappointing to read the negative comments of students and staff about the HFD. The HFD treats every alarm at JMU very seriously and responds as quickly as they would for any call in Harrisonburg. Almost every weekend during the school year there are numerous false alarms from many of the student apartment complexes, but HFD responds as if it were real until confirmed as a false alarm. When an engine is responding to an alarm, not only are the firefighters at risk when going through intersections with sirens and lights, but also anybody who happens to be on the road at the time. We should be grateful that the JMU community is being well served by the Harrisonburg Fire Department.

Dr. Ronald W. Raab, faculty member, ISAT

Calling poor cell phone behavior out

It’s time to remind you about some of the rules of etiquette here at JMU, particularly cell phone usage. You know, that thing firmly implanted in your hand or against your ear? The same one that makes you not see that bus you’re about to walk in front of, or that car you just cut off. Oh, let’s not forget that it likes to ring loudly and with the most annoying of ring tones anywhere there is a campus quiet zone, such as in the library, computer labs or the classroom. Cell phones seem to have created lives of their own without any regard to the owners. So let’s all revolt against your cell phone and show it where its volume control is. I think it would be preferable to show it the off button if it can’t manage to find the manner mode.

You say you don’t have control over your cell phone? Well then, let’s ask the professors, librarians or fellow students to eject you and your cell phone from class, the library or any other designated quiet zone if it makes noise. Why should the rest of us be subjected to the poor behavior of your cell phone and to your conversation? Better yet! Challenge yourself to see how long you can keep your cell phone out of your hand, off your ear, or better yet, turned off. I bet you can’t do it. Prove me wrong — please!

Lisa M. Corbo, senior Spanish major

Allen’s true colors not so easily dismissed

Last Thursday’s “Letters to the Editor” section addressed the senatorial race between Sen. George Allen and Jim Webb, which has been recently set ablaze by an unfortunate slip of the tongue by Allen. Several authors made compelling arguments defending Allen’s candidacy, but none of them uttered what I was looking for: an apology.

A concession, an admittance, anything that would have implied regret for Allen’s insulting use of the slur “macaca,” or “monkey,” toward S. R. Sidarth, a Virginia resident of Indian descent. With a seat in one of one of the highest offices in the land, Allen’s disrespect toward one of his own constituents should be given unrelenting attention — especially from his supporters. And yet I was instead met with defiant neglect of injury caused by Allen’s racist remarks. There were condemnations of Leela Pereira’s suggestion that Allen’s remarks made him appear to be childish, on the grounds that U.S. representatives should be invariably respected (even when they make fools of themselves, evidently); others tossed the issue aside by calling it an attempt to “smear [Allen] as ‘racist’ and ‘intolerant.’”  But I’m afraid Allen did that by himself.

I realize that there is concern that the “macaca” issue will cause voters to neglect Sen. Allen’s positive qualities and perhaps give Webb an unfair advantage where a direct comparison of credentials would not have yielded the same results. But before you dive into this reasoning, you must at the very least admit that Allen made a boo-boo. To do otherwise is dishonest and hurtful to your own campaign.  

Duncan Bell, junior political science major