Contradiction made in protest flyer

While walking to class, I noticed a flyer that gave information about an anti-war demonstration to be held at MacDill Air Force Base this past Sunday. The header on the flyer read, “No U.S. War in Iraq. Restore Our Civil Liberties.” Looking further into the paper, I was appalled by a picture depicting a U.S. soldier in the sights of a rifle. I find it very disturbing that a demonstration based on the implications of peace would actually include the very message that they oppose.

Allow me to remind these advocates of freedom that the U.S. military is not an institution that dictates policy, it is merely a tool used to enforce it. The U.S. military is the sole reason that these protesters can even practice their civil liberties. I would like to see just how far a similar protest in Iraq would get if it went against the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Need I remind these individuals that they are praising a government that has used chemical weapons against its own people? The simple fact is that a protest calling for peace loses all credibility when it plainly illustrates an attack on the individuals who give their freedoms a foundation.

We are blessed as citizens of a country that allows for us to take an active role in the election process without fear of reprisal. To portray a U.S. soldier as a target not only loses all integrity for the message that they are trying to represent, but it also goes to show just how ungrateful they are for the liberties they get to abuse on a daily basis.

Michael Wieland is a junior majoring in political science.

Reporting shows lack of political knowledge

Libertarians wish to thank channels 10 and 13 for honest, professional election reporting. On the other hand, channels 8 and 28 deleted candidates and/or party affiliations and/or results from the returns, and then comically revealed the media duplicity by giving the party affiliation of one Libertarian Party candidate (A.J. Brent) as “Democratic” in a race where only two candidates ran.

Channels 8 and 28 are examples of why so many voters are uninformed: It’s because so many people in the media are uninformed and/or liars.

Old media statists promote the growth of government and are ignorant of free market economics and economists, natural rights philosophy, Libertarianism or the many libertarian books and authors.

I can prove it, too, with this challenge to channels 8 and 28 to debate the Libertarian Party and thereby demonstrate to the public the depth of media ignorance and deception at channels 8 and 28.

Media lies are why many Libertarians are talking about a new strategy for the next elections: running Libertarian candidates as Democrats, Republicans and as Libertarians. It would force the old party liars in the media to report about Libertarians.

Libertarians running as Democrats and Republicans would make the same Libertarian speeches, espouse the same campaign positions and would say (rightfully) that they “are the true Republicans and the true Democrats by working to restore both parties’ abandoned libertarian heritage of reducing government, laws, taxation and spending.”

Rex Curry was a candidate for the State House of Representativesin District 59.

Theory is not just an educated guess

In the Oct. 31 letter to the editor by Tim Hobbs, he claims that theory is not fact. There are actually two meanings for the word theory; a non-technical, common use meaning and a technical meaning.

To quote the dictionary, “Theory is used in non-technical contexts to mean an untested idea or opinion. Theory in technical use is a more or less verified or established explanation accounting for known facts or phenomenon.”

When people say that evolution is just a theory, what they are really trying to say is that it is just an educated guess. However, the theory of evolution isn’t just an educated guess. It is much more than that. It is an explanation that has agreed with rigorous experimentation and critique from the scientific community. To believe that scientific theory is consistently incorrect about the physical world is to neglect the respect that it deserves.

Human civilization is becoming more and more influenced by science. Our species must confront a number of problems in the next century that have been introduced to us by science, such as nuclear weapons and environmental issues. However, scientific ignorance is widespread. This is a dangerous combination.

Mark Wilson is a senior majoring in chemistry.

Cars can be necessary for sanity in first year

In response to Mr. Gustafik’s letter to the editor in Monday’s edition of The Oracle, I would like to voice my opinion on the necessity of having a car on campus. As an international student here for one semester, I am living on campus without a car. Although I sympathize with students who live off campus and have long drives and problems parking, I would also like to point out that living on campus without a car is likely to lead to a rapid decline in sanity.

I would like to quote Mr. Gustafik: “Thousands of students at hundreds of universities and colleges live like this every year (i.e. on a campus without a car), and they still survive.” Of course, they will survive, but survival is the bare minimum needed for human existence. Your first years at college should be happy; it should be about discovering your independence, exploring. I think any student living on campus would find it extremely hard to fulfill these without access to a car. For example, without a car, the main way to depart the campus is the shuttle bus. This, however, runs only until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and on Friday the last shuttle runs at 5:20 p.m., while on weekends it does not run at all. This means that going to the movies in the evening is not possible without returning by cab, which is expensive and unreliable.

A weekend on campus can feel like a prison sentence. Tampa is an exciting place to live, with a wide variety of activities available. Tampa does, however, cover a vast area making it difficult to travel through any other means apart from a car. Your freshman year should be about exploring your new home and seeing all the sights. I think any freshman without a car will have a very limited experience of life their first year away from home. I, therefore, feel the opportunity to have a car while living on campus should always be available for the necessary mental well-being of the students.

Gemma George is a junior majoring in business and finance.