A new unconstitutional bill has passed through Congress. As if young people do not have enough restrictions imposed on them, a new bill, H.R. 2356, the Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform bill, specifically prohibits minors from contributing to political parties or candidates.
Under the current proposal, Shays-Meehan makes it illegal for a person under the age of 18 to give even one dollar to a political party. And if there are political party youth clubs, too bad.
Shays-Meehan would have been better if it had limited underage students to contributions of, say, $100, rather than making even one dollar illegal.
Too much legislation, too little time. The politicians don’t even know what they are voting for these days.
Just another reason I’ll be voting Libertarian in November.
Aaron Biterman, Brookfield, WI
Why does the government prohibit certain drugs?
Is it to protect users from harm? No, that can’t be the reason, because users suffer more (adulterated drugs and jail time) when a drug is banned as compared to when it is legally available. Besides, the most dangerous drugs of all, alcohol and tobacco, are legal.
Is it to reduce the crime associated with illegal drugs? No, that can’t be the reason, because banning a drug always gives rise to more crime (drug cartels, petty thefts by users as prohibition makes drug prices much higher, violent disputes between dealers) than when the drug is legally available.
Is it to distract our attention from more important issues (and to provide bigger budgets and free drugs for our police officers) by conducting a brutal, Hitler-like pogrom against the innocent few who ingest or sell certain drugs?
Bingo!
Hitler’s armies may have lost the war but, sadly, his ideas seem to have
found ready acceptance all across the “civilized” world.
Alan Randell, Victoria, BC, Canada
Kristin Wieben’s article (“Olympic Spoil-Sport,” Feb. 18) was well-researched, well-organized and interesting. It does indeed seem that the Olympics have become a platform for capitalism as opposed to competition, as well as a means for “Go USA” propaganda. Official USA team uniforms are available for all to purchase, which only cheapens the integrity of the Games even more.
However, I would like to point out that many of the competing athletes are unable to receive money for their skill. While I personally disapprove of so many athletes endorsing products and sporting logos for obscene amounts of money, training for excellence is expensive and time consuming. Many athletes are forbidden to receive prize money for their wins until they become professional. Therefore, several athletes depend on endorsements for income and training fees.
Kara Cook, UW senior
This is in response to Shaun Campfield’s “Mopeds a safety hazard for all” (Feb.19).
You may enjoy the walk from Doty Street to Engineering, but I don’t. I don’t play varsity sports, I’m not rich and I can’t afford a car, so I bought a moped. I’m just trying to save an hour of walking every day. Only yesterday did I find out it made me a bad person. Granted, there are inconsiderate moped drivers, but no more than there are inconsiderate car drivers or pedestrians that walk out in front of traffic.
Are we lazy? Maybe. Are we assholes who deserve to get pushed off our mopeds?
Definitely not.
Ben Johnson, UW junior
