It offends me when I have to give up prayer in school. Once again because it might upset Hadji Hindu or Buddy Buddha. ... When I look around I see no Mosque, or fat, bald guys with bowls in their laps. I see churches. I\'m offended when I turn on a television show and without fail a queer is in the plot just like it\'s a natural thing.\" I was shocked, disgusted and disheartened upon reading this excerpt, printed by the Associated Press, of an Oct. 27 letter to the editor of The Reporter-Times in Martinsville. The letter, written by Martinsville Assistant Police Chief Dennis E. Nail, shows clear racism, homophobia and ignorance. These sentiments coming from anyone are disappointing -- and are absolutely inappropriate coming from a public official. Despite his comments, Nail laughably swears in the article that he is not a racist and, as a police officer, treats everyone the same.
In my last column, I introduced many of the complexities surrounding the explosion of TWA Flight 800. What is most troubling is the little attention paid to the witnesses in this case. The FBI didn't allow any eyewitnesses to speak at the National Transportation Safety Board hearings. Practically everyone dismissed the accounts of Air National Guard pilot Major Fritz Meyers and Dwight Brumley, a senior Navy NCO. These two men were especially crucial witnesses because they both had aeronautical experience and were in the air at the time TWA Flight 800 exploded (Meyers was in his helicopter above Long Island and Brumley was on board U.S. Air Flight 217). Why were their accounts ignored?
My future, I've found out, is in Harrisburg, Pa. I'm on my way there shortly. I started seeking jobs in the field of HIV/AIDS service organizations this year, mostly reading job postings and checking out the unfamiliar cities on the Web. I kept reading qualifications that I easily matched with four years of volunteer work in the field, writing a column and public speaking. I became bolder. I applied for a position that was newly created at the AIDS Community Alliance in Harrisburg as Chief Operating Officer.
This weekend, Bloomington met my family. I would like to use the next 500 words to apologize. OK, it wasn't quite that bad. It was just a nice little visit by my mom, her mom and her mom. Four generations of insanity all in one place. They arrived on Saturday night at about 6 p.m. and were very well-behaved on my floor. I was proud of them. "Very well-behaved" means not doing anything that would permanently damage my emotional stability. Like showing pictures of me as a little boy in my tap dance outfits, all of which were equipped with a lovely pink sash, to the people on my floor. That didn't happen. I was thrilled.
Have you ever gotten frustrated waiting at the doctor's office forever? What about others who never show up on time? Your inept boss? Rude airport security people? Professors who are too good for office hours? If so, I have a person for you -- Bill O'Reilly, anchor of the popular show, "The O'Reilly Factor" (weeknights on the Fox news channel). Why is O'Reilly great for handling these situations? Three words -- "No Spin Zone." For those who regularly watch "The Factor," O'Reilly's cut-to-the-chase, no-bull attitude with his guests is refreshing. O'Reilly asks simple questions and expects simple answers. If the guest stutters, has to take time to think of a politically correct answer, or is long winded, game over. O'Reilly prods in and destroys their sorry excuse of an answer. While this is entertaining, O'Reilly's two best-selling books seem to intend the "no-spin attitude" for use as a life philosophy.
The idea behind cutting back on the number of firefighters at Ground Zero is absurd. By scaling efforts now, New York officials are simply delaying the time for everyone to get over the tragedy of Sept. 11. Hundreds of firefighters protested last Friday against a change in city policy that limits the number of firefighters and police officers to 25 from each department. These firefighters tangled with police, trying to get past a barracade toward the World Trade Center. By cutting back the number of employees, New York is just taking longer to overcome the battle it is already faced with.
Hundreds of firefighters demonstrated in New York City Friday, protesting a decision to cut the number of workers searching for bodies at the World Trade Center site. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani announced that the cuts were made because of worker safety concerns. The Associated Press reported the mayor wants no more than 24 firefighters and 24 police officers at ground zero at any time. Firefighters protesting the decision say they are doing so for fear that the recovery effort will turn into a "full-time construction scoop-and-dump operation," according to the Associated Press.
Without pinpointing which ones, baseball owners voted Tuesday to eliminate two teams before the start of next season. They also said they wouldn't lock out players when the labor contract expires this week.
While Sean May and his father, Scott May, were discussing the future with former men's basketball Bob Knight and IU trustee Stephen Ferguson was talking about old times with Knight, State Budget Director Betty Cockrum was hugging her older son, Joel Merriman.
The following activity was reported by the IU Police Department:
This weekend, the faculty presidents of the Big Ten schools endorsed a proposal from IU President Myles Brand to reform intercollegiate athletics and create a policy of "Academics First." The PAC-10 conference colleges had already endorsed a similar proposal, also based on Brand's blueprint for reform.
Nancy Comiskey, a senior editor at The Indianapolis Star, was named as interim IDS publisher Tuesday. Current publisher David Adams made the announcement at the newspaper's Publications Board meeting. The Publications Board, composed of three professional journalists, three students and faculty members, later chose senior Christina Jewett as the spring IDS editor in chief.
In a move to placate an increased demand for member housing, the Christian Student Fellowship last week acquired the former Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity house, 1968 N. Jordan Ave.
The women's golf team placed third at the Pine Needles Invitational in Southern Pines, N.C., with sophomore Karen Dennison leading the way with a fifth place-finish.
The hockey team is still trying to figure out what happened this weekend. Fifty-four minutes into Friday night's game, the Hoosiers were comfortably holding on to a 4-2 lead over the defending American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II champions, Life University. Sophomore goalie Charlie Pulley was a force in the net, robbing the Running Eagles on several opportunities.
Mike Roberts might have a more serious injury to his right leg than first thought. A sophomore forward, Roberts hurt himself Oct. 31 in practice with what was originally called a sprained ankle. But now Roberts might have a chipped bone in his right leg. For the past several days, he has worn a black walking cast that stretches from his foot to his knee.
These days, seems like everyone around here really wants to be healthy. No one wants to smoke anymore or be around it. Well, that's what the word on the street is. Whoever spoke this word apparently never visited Bloomington, which must have the highest percentage of smokers per capita in the country. I don't smoke. Never have, and while I can't really foresee lighting one up in the future, I won't say I never will, cause if I did then you know I would be seen this weekend with a cigarette hanging from my mouth. My mom smokes, and growing up around that was enough reason for me to steer clear of smokes. Its not to say that I have a problem with it. I've gotten over it by now, cause I've spent so many years around friends who smoke. Plus, if you spend any time at the bars, you learn to get over any problem with cigarettes really quickly.
In Bloomington, if you're not 21, the idea of living in a college town just isn't the same. Even if you have a fake ID, then a "no worries, let's get plastered" night at the bar is in fact full of fears of Kilroy's bouncers and encountering the excise police. After spending two years at IU with numerous fake IDs, I feel your pain. I have been, and still am, waiting for my 21st birthday, wondering if it will ever arrive. I have watched as most of my friends attempted 21 shots on their special day, going through the rite of passage that I long for.
MARTINSVILLE -- Joanne Stuttgen believes there is a legend about this city, a tale that it is a place where the modern-day spirit of racial tolerance is ignored. True or not -- and Stuttgen wants so much to believe it is not -- that legend has again grown with a letter, published in the local newspaper, in which the city's assistant chief of police chided non-Christians and lashed out at homosexuals, using the terms "Buddy Buddha," "Hadji Hindu" and "queers."
