Dear Editor,
Good God! What has the contemporary educated mind come to that the most passionate things which it emits range around valentines and the “Jerry Springer Show?” I lift a Campus Times newspaper in hopes of reading the thoughts of our own college’s elite only to feast my eyes upon an explanation of hippopotamus snouts and “Sesame Street” as vital experiences to be shared by this student body. Even so, were this as little as our glorious paper had to offer, it might not even be worth commenting on.
But, for our Campus Times, that was not enough. In this opening issue, the editor herself decided to broadcast her need to make broad generalizations while avoiding all that is relative to La Verne campus life.
Newt Gingrich is a congressman from the state of Georgia, something neither editorial or column took the time to point out. Our own representative is David Dreier, whom I doubt would support Gingrich’s more controversial issues for the sake of continuing a political career beyond his two year term. Having visited Georgia, it is easy to see why such a man can be elected; informed, open-minded voters are not known to populate his district.
You pointed out yourself a large number of reforms which the Republican party is pushing for in their new Contract with America. You pointed out yourself that the majority of those reforms are important, even needed. You failed to mention, of course, that it is the Democrats, in the past, who have blocked several of those reforms from being passed. You failed to point out that many are planning to do so again, if only for the sake of party loyalty (God forbid we agree with a Republican). Gingrich, though sadly misguided on welfare reform, has taken the lead in this new contract. And, as to welfare reform, fear not, it won’t happen. There is no way even a Republican will endanger his seat at the White House by allowing that monstrosity to pass.
What about “Sesame Street” you ask? American government has always been maintained through compromises. Our own Constitution is an obvious example of this. I am more than willing to trade Big Bird in for such political reform as the present Congress has in mind.
So is this all the Campus Times is going to have to offer? Is this any example of the level of thought which is carried in today’s intellectual mind? Is this all the passion that our generation can manage to squeeze from their pens? Are we so spoiled in this education system that whining over television is to be our epiphany? With such writers as these to invoke our emotions, it is no wonder apathy has become so popular a term. Why read a newspaper when this is all it has to offer?
Steven C. Benjamin
Junior
