Pick on someone your own size!
In addition to its juvenile stupidity, your editorial cartoon of Oct. 16 is appallingly mean-spirited. What did you hope to achieve by singling out a suffering and demonized sector of society [the overweight] for ridicule? If the aim was to expose your own boorishness, vulgarity and poor taste, congratulations on an unqualified success. But in the future the Tribune would be well advised to leave schoolyard taunts and facile jabs off its editorial pages.
-Shea Ahna
U3 history
Ed Note: While the Tribune editorial staff takes full responsibility
for all content published, the cartoon that appears in the opinion section is the work of one contributor and does not reflect the views or consensus of the editorial board.
What we have here is failure to communicate
I'm writing with regards to your coverage of SACOMSS ("SACOMSS fee almost forgotten" 10.16.07) and the recent decision to move the referendum dates. SACOMSS met with Marcelle Kosman (VP Clubs and Services) at the end of August to discuss the fall referendum. At that time SACOMSS was told that an e-mail would be sent out to clubs and services regarding the referendum. SACOMSS was told they need not take further action until receiving this email. This contact never occurred, contextualizing the quote published by the Tribune, which stated that SACOMSS operated under the assumption that they would be contacted by the SSMU. In a recent discussion with Marcelle, SACOMSS was informed that if a larger contingency of clubs and services had been renewing their funding an informational meeting or email would have been put together. Thus, it seems that both SACOMSS and the SSMU could have communicated better to avoid this situation. Because of the missed deadline, SACOMSS was informed that two options were possible-either pushing back the referendum or holding a 'special referendum' this fall (constitutionally viable because the SACOMSS fee is not increasing). Council, independent of SACOMSS' influence, made the decision to move the referendum. This change of dates resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, and should in no way overshadow the importance or integrity of SACOMSS as a support service for survivors of sexual assault.
-Halley Crissman
SACOMSS External Coordinator
Queer McGill not responsible for own e-mails
The editorial "Democracy and its discontents," (10.16.07) claims that "QPIRG-McGill and Queer McGill have also sent out mass e-mails calling for students to demand explanations for the walkout, stating that if the answers are found 'unsatisfactory,' resignations are in order..." The letter that was sent out on the Queer McGill listserv was not endorsed by the Queer McGill executive or Queer McGill as a whole. I sent out the call to action in two capacities: one, in a personal capacity, as the e-mail itself stated, and two, in my capacity as Political Action Coordinator it is my job to let the queer community know what is going on and to pass on such information. I do believe, as well, that if one spoke to QPIRG, a similar explanation would become apparent. However, it seems finger-pointing is the mode of the day, on all sides, so I figured that I should at least clear up that point for Queer McGill.
-Kathleen Burdo
Political Action Coordinator, Queer McGill
By the way, "Ironic" isn't actually ironic
You know, it's so ironic, Alanis could write a song about it. If even half of the people who are currently moaning about the oh-so-scandalous democratic deficit of the recent GA walkout had actually turned up to the GA in the first place, a small handful of students leaving would have never made a difference. If people are genuinely concerned about student politics, they should make a point of exercising their democratic rights rather than just exercising their mouths when it's too late for anything to be done.
-Meghan Trudeau
U3 political science
Tories, MMP reform both "huge failures"
I really like the fact that the article ("Liberals Sweep Ontario" 10.16.07) has as a subtitle: "Electoral reform referendum a huge failure". Strictly in terms of percentage, the mixed-member proportional system obtained 36.9 per cent of the vote on Oct. 10 (Election Ontario), and the Conservative Party's minority government got 36.3 per cent of the votes on January '06 (Elections Canada)... Huge failure indeed.
-Lynne Champoux-Williams
McGill students are the Paris Hiltons of Montreal
As a resident of the McGill Ghetto for the past 12 years, I would like to express my deep disappointment with the behaviour of McGill students in our neighbourhood. As guests in a foreign country, province or neighborhood, one would expect positive attitudes towards their hosts; unfortunately, this is not the case at all. Following in the evolutionary footsteps of notable morons like Paris Hilton, entitled McGill students have made life in the Ghetto unpleasant. They hang out in front of people's homes in the middle of the night and shout amongst themselves (or into their ubiquitous cell phones, looking for company), knock over trash cans (how clever), play loud music, and vandalize cars and homes to the tune of thousands in damages. When politely asked to move on, they respond with aggression and disrespect, as if their rights were being trampled. These are real losers and it is depressing to think that they are the leaders of tomorrow; doctors, lawyers, teachers. Arrogant, self-important, dull. McGill could fix the problem easily. They could have a well-advertised rule stating that if you are caught disturbing the peace, you will be expelled without a diploma, without compensation. As a condition for enrollment, students would have to sign a letter recognizing the right of neighbors to live quietly and that they will behave accordingly. There could be no claims of ignorance of the rules (and anyway, do you deserve a university degree if you're too stupid to know you're not supposed to bug everyone around you when you're drunk in the middle of the night?). It's time the university did something about the problem.
-Richard Holder
McGill Ghetto Resident
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