Columns should be more fair and balanced

Let me first say that I was a bit disappointed by the Technician — the Fox News edition I picked up this morning. With the columns and cartoons, I would expect the paper to be a little more “Fair and Balanced.”

Throughout this election, the right has been clamoring about Obama’s lack of experience. I think if you look back into history you will find great leaders who had little or no experience, but what they did have is a passion for change. I am not claiming that being a community organizer gives you enough experience to be president. I am claiming that with the way Washington is right now, experience in that system is not what we need. We need someone who will shake things up, who will inspire and change America for the better.

As for your comment about Palin being more experienced than Obama — Palin is an idiot. Bottom line. I’m so tired of people talking about how great she is. I don’t care if she has enough experience to be the pope, I wouldn’t put her in charge of a book club, much less the country.

As for your concern about the economy, well, look at the news. These are the results of a government that has deregulated and looked out for irresponsible and corrupt big businesses. In return, those businesses have brought us to the brink of depression.

I guess you should instead be asking, “Can America really do without Obama?”

Jeremy Bunting

junior, aerospace engineering

Sawrey’s column not convincing

I found Benton Sawrey’s October 29th column, “Is America really ready for Obama?” to be disturbingly wrong on many counts.

I’ll begin with the enlarged quote, comparing Senator Obama’s experience Governor Palin’s. Palin, who a McCain aide recently said “simply knew nothing about national and international issues,” assumed the office of governor in December 2006, and before that was mayor of a town about the size of Mebane. I’m not sure how spending less than two years in charge of a state slightly larger than Charlotte is more experience than four years as a U.S. Senator, including time on the Foreign Relations Committee.

As for Sawrey’s mention of Obama having never run a small business, I would like to point out that Sarah Palin once had part ownership in a car wash. A warning letter Alaska sent to the operator before shutting the business down for failure to comply with state regulations ironically bore Palin’s name on the letterhead.

Sawrey’s arguments against Obama’s tax plan were even less convincing. Labeling them as a “redistribution of wealth,” he clearly intended to appeal to his readers’ fears. Adam Smith, when he literally penned the book of capitalism, “The Wealth of Nations,” in 1776, wrote “It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion.” Obama’s tax actually embodies one of capitalism’s founding principles, and I’m sure that Mr. Sawrey is a proponent of capitalism.

Greg Shepherd

Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Research your candidates

How could you forget about Sen. Obama’s relationship with Reverend Wright? Or all the babies he’s eaten? Seriously, though, your lack of logical thought was only exceeded by your poor grammar and phrasing. Did I miss something, or is the general election Thursday (“less than two days away”)?

In your run-on sentence about qualifications, you make numerous logical fallacies. I sincerely hope you do not believe all Obama has done is “surrounded himself with advisors for a few years and made some nice speeches.” Although, surrounding oneself with advisors sounds very similar to a presidential cabinet. Honestly, my favorite argument you make, is how Palin is more experienced as an executive than Obama. To expand this statement, it should read “Palin has more experience than Obama, McCain, and Biden combined.” This is why everyone should write in Palin for President

Obama having no checks and balances is something to be concerned about, if he were elected president. Surely the Democratic Congress would approve of him turning our country into a communist one — after all, Democrats always agree with each other. Do you happen to remember when we had a Republican President, like George W. Bush and a Republican congress? Look how great we’ve been doing since then.

I’m not writing this because I support Obama, I’m writing because it is ignorant messages such as yours that falsely inform the public. It’s amazing and frightening how much the media, people like you, actually affect the election. Please stop watching the news, do your own research of candidates and while you are at it, I’d suggest taking a few logic, political science, economy and math classes as well.

Andrew Hewitt,

sophomore, physics