Peaceful is a mischaracterization

Stating that death by lethal injection is about as peaceful a death as one could hope is a far cry from the actuality of it. Imagine knowing the exact date and time that you will be killed, months or even years ahead of time.

Do you not think that would consume you? How can you distract yourself from such a thought while you’re in prison with nothing to do? Then imagine the moment of your actual death, the injection. You, lying there, accepting fate (because that’s the only thing you can do) as your body slowly loses feeling and you slowly slip into an unconscious state. Death by injection might not cause any physical pain, but by no means should it be labeled “peaceful.”

As for this “B-merica” place, I’m not even going to go into how ridiculous you are for your ideas in it, there’s too much to say.

If this column was an attempt to cause as much controversy as McCauley’s, then congratulations, you might have outdone him. But your cry for attention is unbecoming. You might be entitled to state your opinion freely in this country, but next time have some thought into what you’re saying, or, in this case, writing.

Thomas Lindsey

junior, aerospace engineering

I love Democrats, I hate corruption

Vince, thank you for the response. I am happy to elaborate. First, I appreciate your take on the article as a “chew(ing)” out of Democratic Party, and I appreciate your skepticism that I never would have wrote this article had the opposite party been in charge. However, the fact is the Democrats have controlled this state for hundreds of years, in every form of government. It is not the Republican Party, and frankly, I would have a problem with the situation if the FBI was investigating every other Republican.

You talk about the vote a year ago. Sir, it is a lot deeper than votes. The Democrats have controlled redistricting every 10 years. They have gerrymandered the districts so that it takes heaven and earth for the GOP to get a majority. The GOP didn’t even take over when Nixon and Reagan beat their opponents into oblivion.

If this is not an issue, then why did the Democrats at the General Assembly oppose an independent redistricting commission (where it was sent to a committee that hasn’t met in over six years) or why did they oppose airing the legislative sessions on TV?

But, thank you for making my point. You said the lack of bipartisanship is what America “so desperately needs to succeed, in all things.” If you honestly believe that, you would understand we must elect Republicans in this state to insure the Great Ole’ North State does not disappear into a sea of Chicago style corruption. The rules in the chambers are so slanted towards the majority that the minority has NO voice. There is no bipartisanship because there doesn’t have to be. In the U.S. Congress, the minority has a voice because they know in two years the tables could very easily turn; in N.C., the legislative Democrats know that will never happen.

One example, the two highest paid Democrat aids in the Senate make four times what the highest paid Republican does. That might sound arbitrary but it is a mirror of how the legislative process works in Chicago, I mean Raleigh.

By the way, I don’t dislike Democrats. My parents are Democrats, my next-door neighbors are flaming Democrats and today I am having lunch with the president of the College Democrats. I just dislike corruption.

Ches McDowell

sophomore, political science

president of the College Republicans

Take your hat off and shut up

It’s gotten very annoying during N.C. State football and basketball games when people who think sports are the most important thing out there continue to yell “RED!” during the national anthem.

I was sorely embarrassed by the behavior of our fans at every game I went to last season. I managed to go to a game at the University of Virginia this weekend, and had the opportunity to listen as a crowd joyfully sang the national anthem and did not behave like four year olds; it was overwhelming and wonderful. Anyway, if you aren’t going to act like an American who loves their country, please shut the hell up and let the rest of us enjoy the national anthem. Oh, and take your hats off please.

Kevin Hudson

alumnus, class of 1996