Letters to the editor
Posted on October 11, 2007

Necessary discourse

I am writing in response to Tony Spadaccia’s recent article titled “Political bullying and the demise of civil discourse.” Unfortunately, the differences in ideology between the “left” and “right” are so profound that national media personalities may often be prompted to insult one another and the politicians they disagree with.

I think Mr. Spadaccia introduces an important point in mentioning this can sometimes be trivial. What is not trivial is the fundamental differences between many on the “left” and “right” regarding a war based on a lie, a woman’s right to choose and “no child left behind.”

I commend Mr. Spadaccia for speaking out. Not speaking out would be a sign of apathy, which may very well be a more significant problem in our society than “Gen. Betray-Us” ads.

After reading Mr. Spadaccia’s article, I am fearful that he is are unaware of the history of our country. In making his points, he appears to be oblivious to past struggles.

On the contrary, history has included prodigious amounts of oppression and opposition, and only through fighting against this hegemony were people able to mollify unpleasant circumstances. We would be foolish to believe oppression does not exist in our society today, both domestically and internationally.

Jordan Wilfong
senior, anthropology major

What do the Va. Tech families think?

Elizabeth Daniel’s perspective represented in Monday’s Breeze issue is an understandable one and unfortunately, one growing in popularity. But we live in America, where individuals can sue each other if they feel their rights have been violated. To say that the victims’ families are suing because they have seen bizarre lawsuits filed and won is absurd. Isn’t it possible that the families filed lawsuits against the university because it is where their children died?  

 I didn’t see the perspectives of the victims’ families represented in this piece.  We all could have gained some sort of insight if this article had been researched further than the few newspapers cited. 

Do we think the Virginia Tech families are not fully aware that no amount of money can replace their loved ones? Perhaps if we asked them we’d see that they do know this and that maybe it’s not the money they’re after. These families are strong, just like the loved ones they lost. 

Emily Hatch
senior, SMAD and SCOM major