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Religious values should not influence lawEditor, I have considered the argument concerning reproductive rights in this country for quite a few years now. It puzzles me that those who consider themselves to be pro-life often seem to be so quick to use Christianity as a defense for refusing to allow women the right to have reproductive freedom over their own bodies. I could spend a lot of time going over why women will continue to demand this right, but instead of considering this issue from a feminist perspective, I would like to acknowledge the constitutional aspects of this argument. It comes down to this: While some might consider abortion to be a sin, the constitution guarantees us protection from a situation where one religious viewpoint supercedes and dominates all others. In a country where one of our inalienable rights is freedom of religion, anyone attempting to create legislation that overrides the religious beliefs of others negates that right. Therefore, whether some believe the right to choose when to start a family is immoral, it does not change the fact that it is legal and should continue to be so. One of the inherent beliefs in Monday’s letter, “The unborn deserve rights,” is that each life only gets one chance to become a part of this life. Not all religions are based on this assumption. Another aspect is this constitutional argument relates to separation of church and state. We cannot and should not confuse morality with legality. That we were founded as a Christian nation is a fact. That we, a founded Christian nation, wrote into our highest legal document an immutable protection from government-imposed religion and allowed each citizen to choose her or his own moral view indicates strongly that even the founding fathers understood that separation of church and state must be a double-edged sword. The day we allow one religion, or even several religions, to dictate legislative policy is the day democracy as we know it ends. We as Americans have created a national identity myth that depicts us as a melting pot. If this is to remain true, then we must respect and acknowledge the fact that no freedoms in this country exist independently. They all must be defended or they all will be in danger. Whether a deity or deities bless our nation or already have blessed our nation is up to individual interpretation.
Annette M. Pratt Alumnus disappointed in another sports seasonEditor, And so ends another season of Bobcat hoops ... in bitter disappointment. From the sounds of things on the radio (I listen to most games on Internet radio), the team failed to show up with intensity against a lesser team at home, something they managed to do against Akron and Toledo weeks earlier. It’s amazing, considering how good they looked against Carolina, Marshall and Ball State. I'll let you all know that this alumnus will be sharpening his axe throughout the summer and into next season. That's right, Coach Tim O'Shea did not impress me this season any more than his predecessor did the five years prior. In the three games I saw in person and the other four or five I watched on television, he showed the fire a coach should show during a game maybe once. And his go-to guy, Brandon Hunter, should consider playing as tough as he did as a freshman instead of hoisting up threes all night. What kind of power forward constantly throws up threes? One who wants to impress NBA scouts. Maybe I'm just expecting too much from my alma mater's program. After all these years of mediocrity, I thought we were finally on to something this year. Instead it's the old Brooklyn Dodgers saying, “Wait 'til next year.”
Ryan J. Stroh |