Letters to the editor

Correction appended

Bush makes startling comeback in second
debate

Contrary to all expectations, President George W. Bush showed in
the second debate that he was indeed a forward-looking leader
capable of rethinking old positions and accepting change when
necessary.

That he would boldly and without hesitation denounce the Dred
Scott decision ““ in spite of the racial leanings of some of
his electoral base ““ makes clear to the world that this is a
man with the courage to publicly condemn the slavery of the 19th
century and the vision to move and embrace the racial attitudes of
the current era.

It is with renewed respect and profound curiosity that I await
his performance in the third debate.

Ronald O. Richard UCLA alumnus

Celebrities perfect for space travel

For the richest people in the world, the sky’s the limit.
But for people with insane amounts of money, why should it be?

Space tourism is a fledgling industry, but its potential for
rapid expansion seems enormous. In the United States, Russia and
Europe, private companies are already vying to become space tourism
leaders. After all, why shouldn’t stars be able to go to
space? In our capitalist society, money should be able to buy
anything. If those with money desire to go to space, I see no
reason why not.

In the future, people will think of space as a place reserved
for the wealthiest people in the world. Eventually, it won’t
even be newsworthy when celebrities take a several-days jaunt to
space because it will be so commonplace.

Michael Wozny First-year microbiology, immunology and
molecular genetics student

Officials should re-educate, not expel LGBT
offender

The actions proposed by the Queer Alliance (Nov. 5) for the
student alleged to have attacked the Lesbian, Gay, Bixeual,
Transgender Campus Resource Center is to discard him from the
learning community.

This attitude is an example of the failure of the academic
community and of the community at large.

It is in society’s best interest to re-educate the
suspect, keeping him within the academic community.

Sending him to be prosecuted is hardly the re-education that
serves the interests of society ““ and if the university is
incapable of understanding this, it needs a radical
reconstitution.

Suzanne Gorenfield UCLA alumna

Correction: Monday, October 18,
2004

In a letter to the editor, “Bush makes startling comeback
in second debate” (Viewpoint, Oct. 11), an editing decision
altered the letter’s tone. This omitted paragraph should have
been included: “It is with renewed respect and profound
curiosity that I await his performance in the third debate, during
which one can only hope he will make equally clear his position on
Plessy v. Ferguson. (I think I know where he stands, but hey,
I’ve been wrong before.)”