2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Opinions
MT's Wi-Fi, e-mail woefully inadequate
To the Editor:
I have noticed in my past year at this university that there are two things that are desperately needed to help students achieve an education.
The first of these is the size of our e-mail inbox. 5MB is too small for any real use on a university campus. Students are required to obtain free e-mail addresses from providers such as Gmail or Yahoo in order have an effective e-mail.
Our school e-mail system does not provide enough space to receive a typical PowerPoint presentation. With e-mail being such a vital part of communication between teachers and students, why are we reduced to using such an archaic system?
My second complaint is that of our Wi-Fi system on campus. It seems impossible to get a decent and more important, reliable connection anywhere on campus. Connecting to wireless internet is spotty at best in the newer buildings, such as the BAS, and non existent in the older ones. The repository of knowledge, Walker Library, is quite possibly the worst of them all. This new and modern building has no connection in any of the group study rooms. The connection in the main hall is not much better. If a signal is obtained, it will disappear within a few minutes.
How are students expected to utilize these rooms and the library if we cannot have decent internet connection? Student government needs to address these problems and bring MTSU into the 21st century.
Matthew Davis
Senior, College of Basic and Applied Sciences
Web site honors Jeremy Beatty's life
To the Editor:
Just in case anyone who knew Jeremy would like to go, there is a new web site called www.rememberjeremy.com that we can all post memories on.
Christy Corvin
Old Trinity Lane, Nashville
Blevins' column incomplete, inaccurate
To the Editor:
Our reporting class (3090-003) was surprised Thursday afternoon to read the Sidelines opinion column written by S.N. Blevins ['08 candidates bad, worse" Nov. 15]. After reading the piece, we as a group were disappointed in the quality and factuality of Blevins' work.
We have investigated the current presidential candidates for the entire semester and has found a number of facts that are missing from the column.
Blevins is entitled to his opinion, but his argument is weakened because the column lacked any specific flow or direction. He left out major candidates such as Mitt Romney and John Edwards. Overall we were disappointed in the quality of the piece for publication.
The G.O.P.:
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the current Republican front-runner. Giuliani vaulted into the national spotlight after the attacks of Sept. 11, when he gained support from both parties for his leadership of New York City.
Giuliani has used his media credibility, his aggressive stance on terror and his record of tax cuts and fiscal responsibility in his campaign. He told the New York Sun in August, "I am the Republican who has the best chance of winning against any of the Democrats."
Giuliani's anti-abortion stance and liberal history, however, have hurt his support from the conservative base and may split the vote against him in the election.
Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, campaigns on a pro-growth tax agenda, a federalist approach to nationwide health insurance and improving and sustaining the culture and values of America.
Romney says he aims to lower taxes for the betterment of the economy and to keep companies from moving their businesses overseas.
As governor of Massachusetts, Romney set a statewide health care plan into place.
"The law appears to be working. As of Nov. 1, the date for the most recent statistics, more than 200,000 formerly uninsured people had gotten insurance, roughly half of the state's target," said Glen Johnson of the Associated Press.
Tennessee's former senator Fred Thompson wasn't even mentioned in Blevins' article, although he is five points ahead of John McCain, who was mentioned, according to a poll by the American Research Group.
If Thompson had been mentioned, we're sure it would have included facts like his 'yes' vote on banning partial birth abortions in Oct. 1999, and that he voted 'yes' on allowing foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work in July 1998.
U.S. Senator John McCain has taken a strong stance in favor of continuing the Iraq War and has voted 'yes' on numerous bills to increase funding for the military.
McCain has favored free trade. In May 2000, he voted 'yes' on expanding trade to the third world. In September 2000, he voted 'yes' on permanent normal trade relations with China and he voted 'no' on a bill for trade sanctions against China if it sold weapons.
McCain sidestepped an issue when he reacted to a statement made by a woman in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
McCain chuckled after the woman asked, "How do we beat the bitch?" implying Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. McCain asked, "May I give a translation?" and added, "That's an excellent question."
McCain tried to minimize the crudeness of the situation and said, "I respect Senator Clinton. I respect anyone who gets the nomination of the Democratic Party."
However, he did not denounce the derogatory term used by his supporter.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee also should have been mentioned in Blevins' story. Huckabee is dueling with Thompson for third place in the Republican party, and has made remarkable progress in the first three primary states with a modest budget.
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, of Texas, is the only candidate advocating the immediate withdrawal from Iraq (and 130 other countries with a U.S. military presence), which explains the support from troops Blevins mentioned in his opinion piece.
Dr. Paul is a strict constitutionalist, and his grassroots campaign boasts no contributions from corporations. His libertarian policies and ability to stick to his ideals appears to have attracted disenfranchised voters.
Alex Blackwelder's well-researched letter to the editor ["Rep. Paul responsible spender" Nov. 15] presents an example of Paul's adherence to the U.S. Constitution.
Paul has stated that he has no intention of repeating his unsuccessful 1988 presidential campaign as a third party candidate, where he ran as a Libertarian while remaining a registered Republican. He also refuses to support other Republican candidates if he loses the nomination unless they change their stance on the war.
The Democrats:
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is the front-runner in the Democratic primary race. She maintains a steady, healthy distance in the polls from her closest opponents, Senators Obama and Edwards. She supports troop withdrawal while maintaining stability in the Middle East, she is for health care and education reforms, and she favors environmental legislation.
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has been left with the duty to slug it out with Hillary Clinton, the acknowledged favorite. While other Democratic candidates have kept a lower profile, Edwards is risking his second-place position by opposing Clinton's day-to-day political statements.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama served as the Illinois state senator for seven years before moving onto the U.S. Senate. Early in his career, Obama was a civil rights attorney in Chicago. He entered politics in the 1980s.
Obama handled voting rights and discrimination cases. His community projects helped low-income workers in Chicago get local jobs, fix up the areas and remove asbestos in their homes. Obama is responsible for starting the largest voter registration drive in Chicago history for President Clinton's campaign in '92.
Joe Biden of Delaware was elected to the Senate in 1972. Biden's main issues are the war in Iraq, health care, and education. Biden has a five-point plan for Iraq consisting of establishing one Iraq with three regions.
The plan would share oil revenues with Sunni Arabs, assemble with the U.N. a regional security conference, downsize U.S. troops, and provide more reconstruction assistance and the establishment of jobs in Iraq for natives.
Biden's health care plan would cover all children, gain access for adults, reinsure for catastrophic cases concerning employers, and encourage prevention and modernization. His stances on education consist of establishing a sixteen-year school system, providing more training and higher salaries for teachers, and reducing the size of classes to provide teachers with the resources they need to build the opportunities for learning that our students deserve.
New Mexico governor Bill Richardson has steadily held his number four position in the polls against the Democratic candidates, despite making one large promise to the American people. Richardson stated he would leave zero troops in Iraq. He made the statement at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H. on Sept. 26 and again in Iowa at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner on Nov. 10. While no other Democratic candidates could promise removal of the troops until 2013, Richardson claims he can do it by the end of 2009.
One issue that might not sit well with conservative Republicans is that Richardson supports abortion rights like all of the other Democratic candidates.
Daniel Dean
Senior, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Reggie Miller
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Henry Mullins
Senior, College of Mass Communications
Mandie Rowden
Senior, College of Mass Communications
Kristopher Sage
Sophomore, College of Mass Communications
Britney Spear
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Jesse Trew
Senior, College of Liberal Arts
Ben Underwood
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Andre Youmans
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Thanks to community from Beatty family
To the Editor:
I am writing to thank everyone from MTSU for their support during this last week since the death of my nephew and Godson, Jeremy Beatty. The family is grateful for all the phone calls and beautiful flowers from the Administration, as well as the tremendous support from all of the students who came to the funeral home and church and spoke with his parents.
A special thank you also to Sara Sudak and Andy Bickers from Housing, and my friend, Lisa Thayer, who all helped me pack and move Jeremy's things. I'd like to correct one thing in your article ["Student dies in Cummings Hall, official cause remains unknown" Nov. 12], however - we know Jeremy died due to complications from his diabetes. There was no autopsy, and we are not waiting for any test results. Thank you very much again for all support.
Peggy Duszynski
Secretary, MTSU Undergraduate Research Center
Feature story wrong to use blog posts
To the Editor:
I was disappointed to see the "article" on Jeremy Beatty. I found it rude and insensitive to copy and paste his blogs as some form of a news article. Although I'm sure it was very simple to find his webpages and copy his blogs, maybe it would have benefitted the writer to actually take some time to find out who Jeremy was from his closest friends and family. Simply regurgitating what is the easiest to find online is a cop-out. It seems that Sidelines has suddenly turned into the "Mini-feed" that Facebook already provides.
Amanda Cook
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Ron Paul only common-sense politician
To the Editor:
I must respond to your staff columnist, Daniel Potter, whose letter "Ron Paul unusual, unfavorable" appeared in Sidelines on Nov 19.
Ron Paul is "unusual" simply because our government has strayed so far from its Constitutional limits that our founders wouldn't recognize us. And Dr. Paul is "unfavorable" to many because they have grown accustomed to our oversized federal bureaucracy.
The reason there is a "rabid base of supporters" who may "vote for the first time next November" is that Dr. Paul has cured their apathy.
Potter questions whether these new voters truly understand his platform, or have just "fallen prey to his shrewd marketing of choice issues." People understand the message of liberty.
Issues like limited government interference, protecting national sovereignty, staying out of foreign wars (noninterventionist policy), sound money instead of fiat currency, and more individual responsibility appealed to America's founders, not just a bunch of today's college kids.
Regarding Ron Paul's forward-thinking endorsement of Ronald Reagan in 1976 even while "the Republicans already had an incumbent in the White House - Gerald Ford", I think Potter misses the point. You'd be hard-pressed to find many people who don't agree with Dr. Paul that Reagan was a much better (though not perfect) voice for limited government than Ford. Reagan proved it from 1980 - 1988.
Support for the Second Amendment was appreciated by our founders, not just to today's "hard music demographic." Makes me wonder whether Potter has a problem with other parts of the Bill of Rights.
Dr. Paul's "disdain for the War on Drugs" is borne out of common sense, a commodity lacking in Washington. Why continue spending billions of your tax dollars on a losing cause? Prohibition against alcohol failed, and so has the war on drugs. In Lyndon Johnson's "war on poverty", poverty won, as more people became dependent on government welfare. Those billions can be much better spent and invested by its earners - you and I.
If Potter's mother had exercised her power to choose an abortion, he would not have been around to write "being anti-choice is not rock 'n' roll [or cool], and therefore neither is Ron Paul." Since when is killing unborn babies "rock 'n' roll", or cool ? 1973, I guess - Roe v. Wade.
Now to Potter's "heart of the matter" - Ron Paul's "ostensibly noble goal of eradicating government as we know it." Dr. Paul, and his growing following, just want a constitutional government, where the states or the people (10th Amendment) do the things the federal government was NOT established to do. See: U. S. Constitution.
And reducing burdensome regulations and taxes on business is always a good thing, keeping good jobs and industries here in America, and growing the middle class.
It is with good reason that Ron Paul has been called "the Thomas Jefferson of our day." Jefferson said, "I deem [one of] the essential principles of our government [to be] peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none…" Unusual, yes…and wise.
Jim Sandman '01, USN Ret.
Gold Valley Dr. Murfreesboro
Feature's title misleading, upsetting
To the Editor:
I wrote a letter to Sidelines yesterday, part of which alerted them to an error in their first article about Jeremy ["Student dies in Cummings Hall, official cause remains unknown" Nov. 12]. There is no question about the cause of death - Jeremy was a Type 1 diabetic, determined to move out on his own and go to college. We don't know exactly what happened, but our guess is it was faster than in the past, (he had been close to death twice before, he knew what going into diabetic shock felt like) making him unable to call any of his family. There was no autopsy - we are not waiting for any test results. Sidelines advisor, Steven Chappell, told me today that the MTSU Chief of Police reported to them that there was an autopsy done. I placed a call to the detective who handled Jeremy's case to verify this, but have not heard back. His parents did not request an autopsy, and if the state had ordered one, I think we would have been told.
I also tried to reach Andy Harper [Managing Editor] today, leaving a voicemail, but did not hear back. I guess it was his decision to copy and paste Jeremy's blog into the newspaper. Since I just read here that someone else said it bothered him that his blog could be printed in a newspaper, it validated how exploited I felt, as a member of Jeremy's family, when I saw this entire page in the paper today. Then I thought, well, he himself posted it on the internet ... but, I don't think his intent was the same as this article today.
What bothered me the most was the title saying, "blog gives insight into student's death" ["The Life of Jeremy Beatty" Nov. 19]. I asked Mr. Chappell what insight they had received? He said that wasn't a good title, it should have said, "insight into student's life". I said, yes, that would be very different, wouldn't it? That, along with saying we are waiting for autopsy results, sounds to me like you are trying to make this into a mystery when there is none. He offered no further explanation, or apology. I asked if he would correct these inaccuracies. He said he could online but not in the paper.
I know some of you said you thought the "article" had heart, but you also said it made you feel sadder about his life. That is not the way any of us want him remembered.
Many, many students came to the visitation and the funeral.
They were wonderful to talk to Jeremy's parents personally. However, and I may be wrong about this, as far as I know, there wasn't anyone at MTSU other than me who had known him more than 2 months. It seemed to us that he had formed some wonderful friendships in that short time, and some of you maybe were getting to know a whole side of him that we did not, but no one here was informed enough to write "The Life of Jeremy Beatty" by doing nothing but choosing blog entries. The article reached no conclusions about his life or death, and I consider it extremely irresponsible. I hope his grieving parents and sister do not see it. I hope this is not indicative of what is being taught in any of our journalism classes.
Peggy Duszynski
Secretary, MTSU Undergraduate Research Center
Jeremy Beatty feature in poor taste
To the Editor:
I am not an MTSU student, but I was a friend to Jeremy Beatty who was a student and an amazing person. I am completely appalled at the 'feature' article that was written about Jeremy's life ["The life of Jeremy Beatty" Nov. 19]. Stealing his words from his MySpace and Facebook profiles is not an 'insight' into his life.
If you wanted to know about or tell people about Jeremy's life, do some real journalism and interview his friends and family. Go to the places he used to work or respond to someone who posts a comment to get some real insight into what his life was like.
I'm sure that you or the author of that 'article' were never blessed enough to have known Jeremy, or else you would have respected him a little more than to post what you did. I know that in today's world, the lines are a lot thinner when it comes to internet postings and privacy, but have some integrity when writing something that could damage the reputation of someone who is deceased.
Everyone who knew Jeremy knew what he had been through and how far he had come. There is no reason to bring up the negatives of his life in his death. He was truly one of the greatest people I will ever have the pleasure of knowing and I am heartbroken that you and your staff think it is appropriate to 'write' what you have. Hopefully, you will have a little more tact in the future when it comes to situations such as this.
Amy Weber
Crump Drive, Nashville
To the Editor:
I have noticed in my past year at this university that there are two things that are desperately needed to help students achieve an education.
The first of these is the size of our e-mail inbox. 5MB is too small for any real use on a university campus. Students are required to obtain free e-mail addresses from providers such as Gmail or Yahoo in order have an effective e-mail.
Our school e-mail system does not provide enough space to receive a typical PowerPoint presentation. With e-mail being such a vital part of communication between teachers and students, why are we reduced to using such an archaic system?
My second complaint is that of our Wi-Fi system on campus. It seems impossible to get a decent and more important, reliable connection anywhere on campus. Connecting to wireless internet is spotty at best in the newer buildings, such as the BAS, and non existent in the older ones. The repository of knowledge, Walker Library, is quite possibly the worst of them all. This new and modern building has no connection in any of the group study rooms. The connection in the main hall is not much better. If a signal is obtained, it will disappear within a few minutes.
How are students expected to utilize these rooms and the library if we cannot have decent internet connection? Student government needs to address these problems and bring MTSU into the 21st century.
Matthew Davis
Senior, College of Basic and Applied Sciences
Web site honors Jeremy Beatty's life
To the Editor:
Just in case anyone who knew Jeremy would like to go, there is a new web site called www.rememberjeremy.com that we can all post memories on.
Christy Corvin
Old Trinity Lane, Nashville
Blevins' column incomplete, inaccurate
To the Editor:
Our reporting class (3090-003) was surprised Thursday afternoon to read the Sidelines opinion column written by S.N. Blevins ['08 candidates bad, worse" Nov. 15]. After reading the piece, we as a group were disappointed in the quality and factuality of Blevins' work.
We have investigated the current presidential candidates for the entire semester and has found a number of facts that are missing from the column.
Blevins is entitled to his opinion, but his argument is weakened because the column lacked any specific flow or direction. He left out major candidates such as Mitt Romney and John Edwards. Overall we were disappointed in the quality of the piece for publication.
The G.O.P.:
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the current Republican front-runner. Giuliani vaulted into the national spotlight after the attacks of Sept. 11, when he gained support from both parties for his leadership of New York City.
Giuliani has used his media credibility, his aggressive stance on terror and his record of tax cuts and fiscal responsibility in his campaign. He told the New York Sun in August, "I am the Republican who has the best chance of winning against any of the Democrats."
Giuliani's anti-abortion stance and liberal history, however, have hurt his support from the conservative base and may split the vote against him in the election.
Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, campaigns on a pro-growth tax agenda, a federalist approach to nationwide health insurance and improving and sustaining the culture and values of America.
Romney says he aims to lower taxes for the betterment of the economy and to keep companies from moving their businesses overseas.
As governor of Massachusetts, Romney set a statewide health care plan into place.
"The law appears to be working. As of Nov. 1, the date for the most recent statistics, more than 200,000 formerly uninsured people had gotten insurance, roughly half of the state's target," said Glen Johnson of the Associated Press.
Tennessee's former senator Fred Thompson wasn't even mentioned in Blevins' article, although he is five points ahead of John McCain, who was mentioned, according to a poll by the American Research Group.
If Thompson had been mentioned, we're sure it would have included facts like his 'yes' vote on banning partial birth abortions in Oct. 1999, and that he voted 'yes' on allowing foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work in July 1998.
U.S. Senator John McCain has taken a strong stance in favor of continuing the Iraq War and has voted 'yes' on numerous bills to increase funding for the military.
McCain has favored free trade. In May 2000, he voted 'yes' on expanding trade to the third world. In September 2000, he voted 'yes' on permanent normal trade relations with China and he voted 'no' on a bill for trade sanctions against China if it sold weapons.
McCain sidestepped an issue when he reacted to a statement made by a woman in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
McCain chuckled after the woman asked, "How do we beat the bitch?" implying Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. McCain asked, "May I give a translation?" and added, "That's an excellent question."
McCain tried to minimize the crudeness of the situation and said, "I respect Senator Clinton. I respect anyone who gets the nomination of the Democratic Party."
However, he did not denounce the derogatory term used by his supporter.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee also should have been mentioned in Blevins' story. Huckabee is dueling with Thompson for third place in the Republican party, and has made remarkable progress in the first three primary states with a modest budget.
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, of Texas, is the only candidate advocating the immediate withdrawal from Iraq (and 130 other countries with a U.S. military presence), which explains the support from troops Blevins mentioned in his opinion piece.
Dr. Paul is a strict constitutionalist, and his grassroots campaign boasts no contributions from corporations. His libertarian policies and ability to stick to his ideals appears to have attracted disenfranchised voters.
Alex Blackwelder's well-researched letter to the editor ["Rep. Paul responsible spender" Nov. 15] presents an example of Paul's adherence to the U.S. Constitution.
Paul has stated that he has no intention of repeating his unsuccessful 1988 presidential campaign as a third party candidate, where he ran as a Libertarian while remaining a registered Republican. He also refuses to support other Republican candidates if he loses the nomination unless they change their stance on the war.
The Democrats:
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is the front-runner in the Democratic primary race. She maintains a steady, healthy distance in the polls from her closest opponents, Senators Obama and Edwards. She supports troop withdrawal while maintaining stability in the Middle East, she is for health care and education reforms, and she favors environmental legislation.
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has been left with the duty to slug it out with Hillary Clinton, the acknowledged favorite. While other Democratic candidates have kept a lower profile, Edwards is risking his second-place position by opposing Clinton's day-to-day political statements.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama served as the Illinois state senator for seven years before moving onto the U.S. Senate. Early in his career, Obama was a civil rights attorney in Chicago. He entered politics in the 1980s.
Obama handled voting rights and discrimination cases. His community projects helped low-income workers in Chicago get local jobs, fix up the areas and remove asbestos in their homes. Obama is responsible for starting the largest voter registration drive in Chicago history for President Clinton's campaign in '92.
Joe Biden of Delaware was elected to the Senate in 1972. Biden's main issues are the war in Iraq, health care, and education. Biden has a five-point plan for Iraq consisting of establishing one Iraq with three regions.
The plan would share oil revenues with Sunni Arabs, assemble with the U.N. a regional security conference, downsize U.S. troops, and provide more reconstruction assistance and the establishment of jobs in Iraq for natives.
Biden's health care plan would cover all children, gain access for adults, reinsure for catastrophic cases concerning employers, and encourage prevention and modernization. His stances on education consist of establishing a sixteen-year school system, providing more training and higher salaries for teachers, and reducing the size of classes to provide teachers with the resources they need to build the opportunities for learning that our students deserve.
New Mexico governor Bill Richardson has steadily held his number four position in the polls against the Democratic candidates, despite making one large promise to the American people. Richardson stated he would leave zero troops in Iraq. He made the statement at Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H. on Sept. 26 and again in Iowa at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner on Nov. 10. While no other Democratic candidates could promise removal of the troops until 2013, Richardson claims he can do it by the end of 2009.
One issue that might not sit well with conservative Republicans is that Richardson supports abortion rights like all of the other Democratic candidates.
Daniel Dean
Senior, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Reggie Miller
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Henry Mullins
Senior, College of Mass Communications
Mandie Rowden
Senior, College of Mass Communications
Kristopher Sage
Sophomore, College of Mass Communications
Britney Spear
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Jesse Trew
Senior, College of Liberal Arts
Ben Underwood
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Andre Youmans
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Thanks to community from Beatty family
To the Editor:
I am writing to thank everyone from MTSU for their support during this last week since the death of my nephew and Godson, Jeremy Beatty. The family is grateful for all the phone calls and beautiful flowers from the Administration, as well as the tremendous support from all of the students who came to the funeral home and church and spoke with his parents.
A special thank you also to Sara Sudak and Andy Bickers from Housing, and my friend, Lisa Thayer, who all helped me pack and move Jeremy's things. I'd like to correct one thing in your article ["Student dies in Cummings Hall, official cause remains unknown" Nov. 12], however - we know Jeremy died due to complications from his diabetes. There was no autopsy, and we are not waiting for any test results. Thank you very much again for all support.
Peggy Duszynski
Secretary, MTSU Undergraduate Research Center
Feature story wrong to use blog posts
To the Editor:
I was disappointed to see the "article" on Jeremy Beatty. I found it rude and insensitive to copy and paste his blogs as some form of a news article. Although I'm sure it was very simple to find his webpages and copy his blogs, maybe it would have benefitted the writer to actually take some time to find out who Jeremy was from his closest friends and family. Simply regurgitating what is the easiest to find online is a cop-out. It seems that Sidelines has suddenly turned into the "Mini-feed" that Facebook already provides.
Amanda Cook
Junior, College of Mass Communications
Ron Paul only common-sense politician
To the Editor:
I must respond to your staff columnist, Daniel Potter, whose letter "Ron Paul unusual, unfavorable" appeared in Sidelines on Nov 19.
Ron Paul is "unusual" simply because our government has strayed so far from its Constitutional limits that our founders wouldn't recognize us. And Dr. Paul is "unfavorable" to many because they have grown accustomed to our oversized federal bureaucracy.
The reason there is a "rabid base of supporters" who may "vote for the first time next November" is that Dr. Paul has cured their apathy.
Potter questions whether these new voters truly understand his platform, or have just "fallen prey to his shrewd marketing of choice issues." People understand the message of liberty.
Issues like limited government interference, protecting national sovereignty, staying out of foreign wars (noninterventionist policy), sound money instead of fiat currency, and more individual responsibility appealed to America's founders, not just a bunch of today's college kids.
Regarding Ron Paul's forward-thinking endorsement of Ronald Reagan in 1976 even while "the Republicans already had an incumbent in the White House - Gerald Ford", I think Potter misses the point. You'd be hard-pressed to find many people who don't agree with Dr. Paul that Reagan was a much better (though not perfect) voice for limited government than Ford. Reagan proved it from 1980 - 1988.
Support for the Second Amendment was appreciated by our founders, not just to today's "hard music demographic." Makes me wonder whether Potter has a problem with other parts of the Bill of Rights.
Dr. Paul's "disdain for the War on Drugs" is borne out of common sense, a commodity lacking in Washington. Why continue spending billions of your tax dollars on a losing cause? Prohibition against alcohol failed, and so has the war on drugs. In Lyndon Johnson's "war on poverty", poverty won, as more people became dependent on government welfare. Those billions can be much better spent and invested by its earners - you and I.
If Potter's mother had exercised her power to choose an abortion, he would not have been around to write "being anti-choice is not rock 'n' roll [or cool], and therefore neither is Ron Paul." Since when is killing unborn babies "rock 'n' roll", or cool ? 1973, I guess - Roe v. Wade.
Now to Potter's "heart of the matter" - Ron Paul's "ostensibly noble goal of eradicating government as we know it." Dr. Paul, and his growing following, just want a constitutional government, where the states or the people (10th Amendment) do the things the federal government was NOT established to do. See: U. S. Constitution.
And reducing burdensome regulations and taxes on business is always a good thing, keeping good jobs and industries here in America, and growing the middle class.
It is with good reason that Ron Paul has been called "the Thomas Jefferson of our day." Jefferson said, "I deem [one of] the essential principles of our government [to be] peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none…" Unusual, yes…and wise.
Jim Sandman '01, USN Ret.
Gold Valley Dr. Murfreesboro
Feature's title misleading, upsetting
To the Editor:
I wrote a letter to Sidelines yesterday, part of which alerted them to an error in their first article about Jeremy ["Student dies in Cummings Hall, official cause remains unknown" Nov. 12]. There is no question about the cause of death - Jeremy was a Type 1 diabetic, determined to move out on his own and go to college. We don't know exactly what happened, but our guess is it was faster than in the past, (he had been close to death twice before, he knew what going into diabetic shock felt like) making him unable to call any of his family. There was no autopsy - we are not waiting for any test results. Sidelines advisor, Steven Chappell, told me today that the MTSU Chief of Police reported to them that there was an autopsy done. I placed a call to the detective who handled Jeremy's case to verify this, but have not heard back. His parents did not request an autopsy, and if the state had ordered one, I think we would have been told.
I also tried to reach Andy Harper [Managing Editor] today, leaving a voicemail, but did not hear back. I guess it was his decision to copy and paste Jeremy's blog into the newspaper. Since I just read here that someone else said it bothered him that his blog could be printed in a newspaper, it validated how exploited I felt, as a member of Jeremy's family, when I saw this entire page in the paper today. Then I thought, well, he himself posted it on the internet ... but, I don't think his intent was the same as this article today.
What bothered me the most was the title saying, "blog gives insight into student's death" ["The Life of Jeremy Beatty" Nov. 19]. I asked Mr. Chappell what insight they had received? He said that wasn't a good title, it should have said, "insight into student's life". I said, yes, that would be very different, wouldn't it? That, along with saying we are waiting for autopsy results, sounds to me like you are trying to make this into a mystery when there is none. He offered no further explanation, or apology. I asked if he would correct these inaccuracies. He said he could online but not in the paper.
I know some of you said you thought the "article" had heart, but you also said it made you feel sadder about his life. That is not the way any of us want him remembered.
Many, many students came to the visitation and the funeral.
They were wonderful to talk to Jeremy's parents personally. However, and I may be wrong about this, as far as I know, there wasn't anyone at MTSU other than me who had known him more than 2 months. It seemed to us that he had formed some wonderful friendships in that short time, and some of you maybe were getting to know a whole side of him that we did not, but no one here was informed enough to write "The Life of Jeremy Beatty" by doing nothing but choosing blog entries. The article reached no conclusions about his life or death, and I consider it extremely irresponsible. I hope his grieving parents and sister do not see it. I hope this is not indicative of what is being taught in any of our journalism classes.
Peggy Duszynski
Secretary, MTSU Undergraduate Research Center
Jeremy Beatty feature in poor taste
To the Editor:
I am not an MTSU student, but I was a friend to Jeremy Beatty who was a student and an amazing person. I am completely appalled at the 'feature' article that was written about Jeremy's life ["The life of Jeremy Beatty" Nov. 19]. Stealing his words from his MySpace and Facebook profiles is not an 'insight' into his life.
If you wanted to know about or tell people about Jeremy's life, do some real journalism and interview his friends and family. Go to the places he used to work or respond to someone who posts a comment to get some real insight into what his life was like.
I'm sure that you or the author of that 'article' were never blessed enough to have known Jeremy, or else you would have respected him a little more than to post what you did. I know that in today's world, the lines are a lot thinner when it comes to internet postings and privacy, but have some integrity when writing something that could damage the reputation of someone who is deceased.
Everyone who knew Jeremy knew what he had been through and how far he had come. There is no reason to bring up the negatives of his life in his death. He was truly one of the greatest people I will ever have the pleasure of knowing and I am heartbroken that you and your staff think it is appropriate to 'write' what you have. Hopefully, you will have a little more tact in the future when it comes to situations such as this.
Amy Weber
Crump Drive, Nashville
Be the first to comment on this story