Letters

Acts of few do not represent religion

Editor:

The Qur’an states: "O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for
justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your
parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor."
(4:135)

Furthermore, "Anyone who saves one life, it is as if he has
saved the whole of mankind and anyone who has killed another person
unless it be for murder or spreading mischief on earth, it is as if
he has killed the whole of mankind." (5:35)

Killing innocent people is a terrible and heinous crime. A wrong
must be called a wrong, no matter who commits the act. We, the
Muslim Students Association and Al-Talib, extend our hearts to the
innocent people and their families that have been slaughtered in
the senseless acts of violence in the Holy Land.

Islam vehemently rejects justifying merciless killing in the
name of religion and/or political affiliation. It is important to
separate acts of a few individuals from the teachings of an entire
religion. Associating all Muslims with the killing of innocents in
the Holy Land is as ludicrous as linking the actions of the Irish
Republican Army with Catholicism, Baruch Goldstein with Judaism and
Hitler with Christianity.

We pray for peace and justice to stand above the horrific
bloodshed that has marked the last 50 years in Israel and
Palestine.

Muslim Students Association at UCLA and Al-Talib: The Muslim
Newsmagazine at UCLA

Uncle Sam, banker?

Editor:

As students at colleges and universities across America, it is
important for you to know the facts about the ongoing debate in
Washington, D.C. over our nation’s student loan programs. The truth
is this country already has a student loan program – one that is
administered locally and funded privately.

Clinton’s direct lending means more government bureaucracy and
debt for Generation X. This is not right, nor is it good public
policy. You and your families have taken on a tremendous financial
commitment to finance your college education. You know how
important it is to invest in your future to achieve your dreams and
career goals and to attain greater financial freedom to pursue
personal goals. As you prepare to enter the workforce, you must
know the truth about this debate – because your future depends on
it.

The Clinton Administration is waging a campaign of
misinformation about the Republican-passed balanced budget to scare
students and families into believing Republicans want to cut their
student loans.

The fact is, this fiscally sound proposal will increase
available money for student loans by 50 percent over seven years.
The number of available loans will also increase by half a million
from 1995 to 1996 as a direct result of the GOP plan.

Balancing the budget over seven years is vital to students today
because a balanced budget will provide lower interest rates. A
student with an $11,000 loan with 10 years to repay the loan will
save $1, 891 over the life of the loan under the G0P plan.

A balanced budget will increase the number of available jobs by
6.1 million in 10 years, and America’s economy will be stronger and
more competitive in the world market. As a college student just a
year or two from entering the job market, a strong economy with
more available jobs is important to your success.

While the White House talk may seem student-friendly, the fact
is, it is putting bureaucrats first and students second by pushing
its costly direct-loan program. Clinton’s direct lending is
tantamount to one of the most costly government takeovers of any of
our nation’s privately run and funded programs. Without helping one
additional student, this big-government student loan bank will
saddle our generation with $348 billion of unnecessary national
debt.

Furthermore, the government-backed program would expand the
Department of Education, making it one of the largest consumer
lenders in America, resulting in an increase of $1.5 billion in
government spending.

In contrast, the GOP plan finds savings and keeps the budget in
the black by eliminating bureaucratic waste and cutting the banks’
profits – with no burden to students or their families. The GOP
plan is good for students, parents, taxpayers and a stronger and
more prosperous America.

Uncle Sam already has enough problems handling our tax dollars;
turning Uncle Sam into a banker is a bad idea.

Joe Galli

Chairman

College Republican National Committee

Money talks

Editor:

I observe that they are erecting a huge structure in Lot 32. Let
me guess:

1. A shelter for the homeless – no, UCLA possesses this
not-so-covert hatred for the homeless.

2. A food bank, feeding station or job search center – no, see
reasons above.

3. Abused women’s shelter – this is politically correct but not
revenue generating.

4. A revenue-generating activity for UCLA – bingo!

I would settle for a homeless/abused children’s center – how
’bout you?

D.J. Schulte

Vietnam veteran activist

Vote of approval

Editor:

I am writing in response to Nick Golding’s letter denouncing
Mike Gatto’s campaign for State Assembly ("Party crashing," Feb.
22). Golding claims that Gatto is challenging his district’s
incumbent, a fellow Democrat, "for no apparent reason."

First, Gatto has every right to compete for his party’s
nomination – the purpose of a primary election is to allow voters
the opportunity to chose the candidate they feel best represents
them. There is absolutely no reason why this should harm Gatto’s
future in politics, as Golding argues.

Second, Golding calls Gatto a troublemaker, and incorrectly
assumes that this strong candidate lacks the support of powerful
members of his party. On the contrary, Gatto has received numerous
endorsements from such influential groups as the Stonewall
Democrats and California Senior Citizens Council.

Such support is not easy to come by, especially for a first-time
politician challenging an incumbent, and it is a testament to
Gatto’s intelligence and professionalism. He is an extremely viable
candidate, and if Golding had taken the time to adequately research
Gatto’s campaign, I’m certain he would have drawn a radically
different conclusion.

Matthew MacIntosh

Third-year

History

Let activism live

Editor:

Why are people always trying to squelch student activism? So
this guy – Mike Gatto – chooses to run against an incumbent. Big
deal! It seems that Nick Golding has some sort of agenda of his own
to pursue ("Party crashing," Feb. 22). What’s wrong with someone
getting involved?

Molly Des Baillets

Fourth-year

Anthropology

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