Israel still a choice for semester abroad
Having studied in Israel for a year before college as well as for a semester this past spring, I can say with confidence that going abroad to Israel is an incredibly valuable experience, war or no war. As I sat on my living room couch this summer with eyes glued to the news, I found myself cringing knowing that the news philosophy, “if it bleeds, it leads,” was overwhelming broadcasts, in effect scaring people away from visiting Israel.
By and large, daily life in Israel goes on as normal. Yes, there is an element of fear, but it is hardly different from the fear I face in College Park. Just as I opt not to walk around certain areas of this town at particular times of day, there were a few places I was careful to avoid while abroad. And as far as risks go, according to John Mueller, a political science professor at Ohio State University, since the late 1960s, the number of Americans killed in terrorist attacks is “about the same as the number of Americans killed over the same period by lightning, accident-causing deer, or severe allergic reactions to peanuts.” So, I guess we can give into terrorism and cancel our plans to go to Israel. But if we do that, we should probably stop driving our cars too, because who knows? There’s always the chance we might get into an accident with a deer.
Elana BrownsteinJuniorJournalism
Plan B is not a contraceptive
In a previous letter to the editor, the writer stated that the Plan B pill prevents pregnancy by blocking the release of eggs from the ovaries and by inhibiting the sperm’s penetration of the egg for fertilization. She then asserted that the claim that the drug actually worked by impeding the implantation of zygotes (eggs that have been already fertilized by sperm) onto the uterine wall was a baseless rumor being spread by elements of the “anti-choice” movement. Dayhoff-Brannigan offered Plan B’s official website, www.go2planb.com, to support her statements.
In fact, scientists are currently unsure as to the drug’s exact mechanism of action, and it remains possible that “Plan B may also work by preventing [the zygote] from attaching to the uterus (womb).” That last quote can be found in the “How Plan B Works” section of the website mentioned by Dayhoff-Brannigan.
Plan B’s mode of action is important because some people, including prominent embryologists, believe zygotes constitute human life. After all, a zygote – unlike an egg or sperm cell – contains a full complement of unique human DNA and can develop into a baby if it attaches to the uterine wall. Because Plan B could prevent this natural process and hence terminate the existence of what some consider a human life, it remains possible that the drug may in fact be an abortion pill.
I don’t think it’s ethical to market Plan B purely as a contraceptive (i.e., something like a condom that merely prevents pregnancy but does not end pre-existing pregnancies) when in fact it may work through an “abortive” mechanism, nor do I believe it’s right for people to try to cover up the existing scientific doubt for political reasons. There are a lot of women who believe in contraception but not in abortion. It would be a real tragedy for some of these women to take Plan B now and several years later when scientists have determined that the drug destroys zygotes, realize that they unwittingly committed an abortion.
Eddie GerminoSeniorBiology
This letter refers to a September 5, 06 letter titled “Plan B article incorrectly describes the dynamic of drug“
Pot legality problem is nationwide
As a student leader in a different state with a different set of problems, I find Megan Maizel’s conclusion that changing the sanctions for marijuana possession would amount to a “mockery [of the law]” to be counterintuitive.
It strikes me that the mockery comes from the fact that government has assumed the authority to punish people for possessing and using a drug. This is clearly not the legitimate role of a government that respects liberty, whether this government takes the form of a nation, a state or a university.
The fact that marijuana is illegal should not mean that the injustice created by its prohibition needs to be codified by every level of government everywhere. In fact, many local and state governments have in one fashion or another rejected parts of the federal law which unconditionally prohibits marijuana.
I must say that your student body serves as a model for others around the nation in that it has communicated clearly what should be done in a specific matter of policy at the university. I think most student leaders would say this policy must be implemented immediately if the administration of your school wants to continue to be taken seriously.
Justin HolmesPresidentSUNY New Paltz Student Association
This letter refers to the September 5, 06 opinion article titled “Marijuana lobby aims off target“
