Who’s the real hypocrite?

Dear Editor:

I would like to point out the irony of the Editorial Board’s lament that some people are too irresponsible on Thursday, and then defending abortion and calling President Bush a hypocrite on Friday.

I think it necessary to distinguish something that the Editorial Board failed to in its accusation that Bush is being hypocritical by opposing abortion while supporting the death penalty and threatening Iraqi children. Abortion ends children’s lives that have barely begun while the death penalty (when administered appropriately) ends the lives of hardened criminals.

As for Iraqi children, certainly some will die in a war with Iraq but thousands of Iraqi children already die each year because of the U.N.’s current sanctions. With Hussein’s departure, the sanctions are likely to be eased, thus saving the lives of more Iraqis in the future.

And finally, throughout your editorial, Bush’s opposition to partial-birth abortion is portrayed as somewhat radical even though his sentiments are echoed by the majority of Americans. The Editorial Board seems to think that with a restriction on partial-birth abortion, five months would not be enough time for mothers to decide whether to abort their pregnancy. I fail to see how the Editorial Board can be so opposed to a measure that would eliminate the most gruesome variety of abortion while still preserving a woman’s so-called “right to choose.”

Troy Heerwagen
First-year mechanical engineering major

A sobering Christmas experience

Dear Editor:

Thanks for publishing Ed Wisneski’s account of his visit to the Polish death camps. I think this would make a very good ongoing series if many of the participating faculty and staff members would contribute essays on their trip. Often times, personal accounts, with their emotional edge and the aftershocks of such experiences, are far more potent in bringing history to life than textbooks or movies. Maybe an exhibit of Dr. Halperin’s photos could even be arranged with the thoughts of those who shared this sobering experience. It’s imperative that history such as this never be repeated, and keeping these events in the public mind, however uncomfortable or disturbing, is the best way.

Lisa Kozlowski
Staff, Fondren Library Center