In response to Andrea Laidman's attack on the United States of America, entitled "You gotta fight for your right" (Sept. 3). I first must point out that Osama Bin Laden, Jane Fonda and Hugo Chavez were all political science and peace studies majors so I simply can't help but question whether Andrea is also a terrorist or simply a misguided youth caught up in a society currently dictated by the liberal media.
As far as the content of her (mostly made up) argument, Notre Dame students are very active in the world around them, from local volunteering all over South Bend (over 300,000 hours of service per year), to traveling to D.C. every year to protest the slaughter of innocent children, also known as abortion, and even raising awareness for international issues such as the genocide in Darfur (special shout out to the kids who made me sign that Darfur banner in the dining hall).
Andrea claims that terrorists are being held without charge at Gitmo - of course they are being held without charge, they are terrorists! You would see boat loads of student activism if the government weren't detaining terrorists. The reason you see 2,400 students protesting laws targeting students is because we are all students. You don't see a ton of Notre Dame kids rising up against Guantanamo Bay detentions because only a handful of Notre Dame students are terrorists. If I were a terrorist, I would obviously be as upset about wiring tapping as Andrea is.
The reason students are so upset about the ordinance is because this is supposed to be college. There are at least 2,400 students who understand that the freedom to choose whether or not they wish to drink is a part of college (and America for that matter). I encourage all students to continue respectfully fighting the South Bend ordinance and ask that you all keep defending America from the terrorists, wherever they may lie.
Tom Martin
senior
Siegfried Hall
Sept. 4
