Letters to the editor

Filibuster important political tool for Senate
minority

I found the editorial on the battle between Democrats and
Republicans over the use of filibusters very interesting
(“Filibusters needed to keep forces balanced,” May 20).
However, one crucial fact was wrong.

Senate Democrats have not blocked 10 of President Bush’s
45 judicial nominees. They have blocked 10 of Bush’s 218
first-term nominees. Bush has renominated seven who have gotten to
the Senate floor since the 2004 elections, and one was appointed to
the bench anyway when Bush made a special recess appointment that
circumvented Senate approval.

Using these numbers, the Democrats have only blocked 4.3 percent
of Bush’s nominees, while Senate Republicans blocked 45 of
former President Clinton’s 70 judicial nominees in 1999. That
means they denied an astounding 64 percent of Clinton’s
nominees a voice vote on the floor.

If Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist goes ahead with the nuclear
option (eliminating the filibuster), it would be an enormous abuse
of power.

The filibuster was created to allow the minority to prevent the
appointment of judges who are way outside of mainstream American
beliefs. Not only that, but it was an option heavily used by the
Republicans to prevent Clinton’s nominees from being
appointed to the bench.

Brian Keyashian Fourth-year, electrical
engineering

Homeless pose potential threat to UCLA
community

In her column “Homeless deserve kindness” (May 20),
Smita Saxena suggests that the homeless milling about Westwood are
lovable, eccentric characters who deserve attention and compassion.
I strongly disagree ““ many are obtrusive, intimidating and
potentially dangerous.

About a month ago, I saw a homeless man in the North Campus
Student Center walk up to a female student and start yelling and
punching the air a few inches in front of her face. The student
looked frightened and shaken. The homeless man, on the other hand,
simply walked away after a few seconds, ranting and raving about
something.

A couple nights ago while buying dinner in Westwood, another
homeless man approached me and got in my face, babbling
incoherently and blocking my path. When I finally managed to get
away from him, he approached another student and began threatening
him with physical injury.

The Kerckhoff incident, in which gunshots were fired after a
transient man and a police officer grappled in Kerckhoff, further
shows the potential danger the homeless pose to UCLA.

Why should we students, who mind our own business and
don’t in any way provoke homeless people, have to live with
the constant intimidation and danger that they present? People can
make all the arguments they want for why homeless people deserve
compassion. But I think the university police and concerned
administration should make adequate arrangements to ensure the
safety of students ““ at least on campus.

Wasif Khan Third-year, political science