Giving a seat is not an obligation

Antoinette Russell’s column ‘Give up your bus seats, gentlemen’ was whiny and pathetic. I am absolutely all for chivalry, but this column was blatantly ignorant.

First of all, Russell’s little potshot about “lazy males” was unnecessary and completely eliminated any credibility whatsoever that her column sought. Then she goes on to whine about how tired she is of “standing up every morning on the way to class, trying to hold on to a rail, listen to my iPod, text message and hold my books.” 

Hey Russell, I have an idea: use BOTH hands to hold onto the rail, stop sending text messages while on the bus and get a backpack for your books (although I’m wondering how you’re able to text message and carry textbooks while using one hand to hold onto the rail). Or you could just walk.

Following that little gem was this one: “Someone should be carrying my books for me, seeing as there are so many men sitting down to choose from.” Would these be the same men that you just insulted earlier in your whinefest, or do you feel that sexism only applies one way?

Your sense of entitlement is exactly why no one probably offers you a seat or carries your book. I often offer to give up my seat if I see a girl standing, and I always open doors for ladies. I wish one of them would have been kind enough to return the favor for me when I stood on the Wolfline, countless times, while I was in crutches after tearing my ACL.

Chris Ford

sophomore, biomedical engineering

Israel wants a purely Jewish state

I was truly appalled when I read a campus forum letter in Wednesday’s Technician that implies the current situation in Gaza is not comparable to genocide. While there may not be gas chambers like those of the Holocaust atrocities, there are thousands of people dying at the hands of Israeli soldiers every day.

Just today, the President of Bolivia declared that what Israel is doing to the Palestinians can be considered genocide, and he has announced plans to take Israel to the International “Criminal” Court to address this its current actions in Gaza.

Many people in the United States are not well-informed about the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The current situation in Gaza is not simply a terrorist-inspired attack on Israel.

Since its creation, the state of Israel has continued to suppress the Palestinian people. In Gaza that has been through violent military oppression and an endless number of checkpoint systems that make it difficult for Palestinians to travel through their designated territories.

What would you do if you were forced to live in conditions that included lack of food, water and electricity? The Palestinians in Gaza have endured horrible conditions for too long and it is time that the American public wakes up and realizes that this is no longer an issue of who’s on whose side — this is an issue of humanity.

For nearly 61 years, the state of Israel has continued to quarantine the Palestinian people in order to create a purely Jewish state. This is the reason for current Arab violence — it is a last resort to salvage the humanity they have left. And with the number of Palestinian deaths on the rise, the violence in Gaza needs to end NOW.

Although Israel is a well-known ally of the United States, this does not mean that we should support the savageries that Israel is inflicting upon the Palestinian people. It is time that Americans, particularly university students, open their eyes to what the American government is not stopping, but actually actively encouraging, as evidenced by its recent shipment of three tons of ammunition to Israel for its use against residents of Gaza. We are the most powerful nation in the world. How can we let this gradual genocide continue?

Nadia Sadowski

senior, international studies

I give up my seat when I want to

In response to the article “Give up your bus seats, gentlemen” I have to say, are you kidding? I honestly can’t even believe the audacity of the article. 

Somebody has to stand on the bus, and it can’t always be men. The first issue is that the whole idea of giving up a seat for a “lady” is a courtesy, not an obligation. 

Sometimes I stand up for a lady, sometimes I don’t. It’s my right to do as I wish.

Then the article goes on to say that you can’t hold books, hold the rail, listen to an iPod and text on your phone at the same time. If its a problem, stop texting and just stand there. You don’t need constant communication or entertainment for the 20-minute bus ride.

Also, who holds books? Buy a book bag. If you can afford an iPod, surely you can afford a book bag. Like the article said, you want independence, you got it. Don’t expect guys to treat you like a queen because guess what, you’re not! 

Yes, chivalry is almost dead and it’s because of women like you. However, I won’t go so far as to group all women as you did most men as lazy and discourteous. You, however, appear to be the lazy one and I would never stand up for you on the bus. You really expect a random guy on the bus to stand up, hold your books and carry them? Seriously, grow up, drop out or go home.

Bryce Holmes,

senior, agricultural business management