Letters to the editor

Limbaugh’s comments not racist First let
me say that I don’t like Rush Limbaugh. And for the record,
I’m generally liberal in my views. However, ever since that
whole ESPN fiasco with Limbaugh began, I have felt somewhat uneasy
about the situation, but haven’t really put much effort into
figuring out why. Jenna Sutton’s column
(“Limbaugh’s comments tactless, but not racist,”
Oct. 8) gets at exactly what makes me uncomfortable about the whole
issue: the speed with which many rush to call something racist when
it is not. It’s not racist to talk about possible racial
biases, or to question practices like affirmative action. Yet those
who would attempt to discuss the kind of racial issues Limbaugh was
talking about tend to draw immediate, and often unwarranted, ire.
It’s always heartening to hear someone else challenging
over-reactive accusations of racism, especially as thoughtfully and
eloquently as Sutton did, and particularly on a campus where
we’ve seen large affirmative action rallies featuring slogans
such as “UC Regents = UC Racists.”

Jason Finley Class of 2003 Psychology
researcher

Race not a valid factor in football world Jenna
Sutton’s column (“Limbaugh’s comments tactless,
but not racist,” Oct. 8) showed that she obviously does not
know much about football. The problem with Rush Limbaugh’s
comment was to put race where race is not a factor. Donovan McNabb
is not Jackie Robinson or Tiger Woods. He is a quarterback in a
league that is, like Sutton said, 71 percent black. He is not the
only successful black quarterback nor the most talented (does
Sutton know about Vick?), he has played for a championship
contender and performed, until recently, at a probowl level. He
might be overrated, but you can say that about any player. Do not
bring race into it unless you can show proof or make a case ““
Limbaugh did neither. By bringing race into the matter you question
his interior motives and you begin to think that maybe his world
““ and not the media’s ““ is black and white. Who
is the “media” anyway and who can speak in defense of
it? I am not surprised he took a shot at this imaginary fool. In
any case, you better have something smart to say if you bring race
into a sport show, and Limbaugh was everything but smart. You
cannot say that Rush Limbaugh is racist from his comments, but he
has put the question, literally, on the air.

Diego Luna Class of 2003