Anthony Guerrero
It’s been a couple of weeks my friends, and there’s lots to write about. A couple of weeks ago I wrote an op-ed piece on the deconstruction of the quiet that is traditionally found in public libraries, and criticized our campus library for hosting lunchtime concerts, which feature instrumental music. There were no responses in the print edition of the Campus Newspaper, but two librarians from Nielsen Library responded on the Student News Blog. There were a couple ideas that were presented by the librarians, and some statements and suggestions that I would like the opportunity to respond to.
First of all, it should be noted that not only has Nielsen Library begun to permit lunch time concerts, but during mid-terms they also hosted story time from 7 to 9 p.m., turned off seventy percent of the lights on the second floor, and one storyteller had a drum that vibrated and echoed through all three floors. Maybe I’m being too harsh. Hey, I have an idea! For finals week let’s invite Metallica.
It was suggested in one response that if the noise bothers me, I should enter one of the rooms on the edges of the second floor, or use one of the study cartels on the third floor. Well, when you have a drum that vibrates through all three floors, that kind of defeats the purpose. I have another idea, instead of having those of us who want to use the library for study and research lock ourselves up and corral ourselves, why don’t we corral the distractions!?
I stated in my first article that I thought it was reasonable to have the first floor of our library designated for noisier activities. But I have to ponder what in this universe makes anyone believe it is acceptable to have the second floor, where you find the reference librarian, encyclopedias, and dictionaries, acceptable for concerts and noisy storytelling? But I’ve been corrected and told that today’s student is diverse and multi-tasking. Some can have their iPods playing, an open book, and text with their free hand while in the library. That’s so true. But guess what? iPods have these magical contraptions connected to them called earphones, students who are texting usually have their phones on silent or vibrate, and I’ve yet to see a book that comes with its own Concert Choir or College Marching Band. The lovely music at noon is just more ways to experience culture, and our libraries are changing. Great! Why don’t we just be reasonable and keep it to the first floor, that way those of us who are working to get a degree don’t have to wait for two hours for the lights to be turned back on so we can find the Old English Dictionary.
I also wrote an article on health care about a month ago. On the Student News Blog, a Mr. Scot Heminger left a response, in which he implied I was ignorant and if I wanted any credibility with those who wanted their country back I would attempt to show a shred of objectivity towards others’ beliefs. I went after two of the most reasonable and objective people in the conservative movement: Mr. Glenn Beck, who claims our president is a racist, and I also criticized the organizer of the Tea Party, who called the President an Indonesian Welfare thug. When you criticize Glenn Beck and someone who believes the President is Indonesian, I guess you’re saying everyone who disagrees with you is an insane nut job.
It doesn’t matter though; I’m quite weary and tired of this whole attempt to socialize our health care system. If ignorant people have their way, the private insurance companies won’t be able to compete. Think I’m crazy? Nope, I have illustrative proof. My proof is Education. In Education there is this crazy thing called a public option, which we call Public Education. It has totally destroyed the free market. Private schools have been put out of business by these public schools, and there are education death panels which supporters of Public Education have cleverly disguised as a “School Boards.” Shudder. Even worse is Higher Education. There are private colleges, which can’t compete with state colleges. Private Colleges are poor, deprived, and there’s very few left in existence thanks to those scary state colleges. Don’t make fun of me; look at what happened to Scot Heminger, he’s a student at Adams State College.
Lastly, let’s talk coffee. If you saw last week’s campus paper, and possibly this week’s, there’s an advertisement for “Anthony’s Constitutional Cup of Quiet Coffee.” If you show the advertisement to “That Coffee Guy” on the—you guessed it—second floor of the public library, you will get a 25 cent discount. But, um, this is a satire off the title that was given to my first articles on libraries. I personally did not title the article, and the title that was given to it was a misprint, the title “Constitutional Rights and Wrongs at ASC” belongs to Dr. David Mazel’s weekly column. If you read the article on libraries, it has nothing to do with the United States Constitution, Government, or even coffee. Furthermore, I was never asked permission for my name and ideas to be used for profit, so if people are not careful they could end up owing me royalties. But, all in all, it’s an honor to be the first student to get his own brand name coffee, thank you very much!
Until next time, beware of the liberal media!
Hey!
Nice misrepresentation of my points. No matter. Regardless of your lack of objectivity, misrepresentations and claims created by taking others words out of the context of their arguments, your views are ever rapidly falling further out of touch with the mainstream in the US as evidenced by the plummeting opinions regarding healthcare. Americans, as reflected in pretty much all recent polling data are rejecting the claims that this idiocy will be in their best interests. I hear a lot of propaganda by those of your ilk who claim that special interests (i.e. insurance companies) wish to block this legislation. Ironically enough, I’ve heard nothing from those same people of the special interests representing trial attorneys who stand to gain massively by rolling back ERISA laws to the point that private insurance companies could in effect be sued out of existence. I don’t believe that the private vs public schools have any similar comparison. I wouldn’t expect you to follow up on that angle…or even have researched the proposed legislation to the point that you had even heard of this. Most of the loudest proponents of this legislation, including those set to vote on it have admitted they haven’t so much as read the Bill, much less understand whether it has any background in Constitutional legality…or will even do what they claim it will.
Mr. Carbutt,
It’s been a while, thank you for your response! As I hope you have read in my articles, I am not criticizing individuals with legitimate concerns. Rather, I am criticizing the likes of Glenn Beck, individuals who believe the President is an Indonesian Welfare thug, and those that went to a health care opposition rally with signs that read, “Bury ObamaCare with Kennedy.”
It is a truism, that politicians on both sides are manipulative.
My analogy, was not intended to indicate that a public health care option would be well funded. Rather, to illustrate that the government isn’t as scary, as those who are trying to spread fear, would like to make it appear to be. One thing I must point out however, is that public education overtime has changed and evolved. Our health care system might be undergoing significant changes, and yes, it might put someone out of business. For example, our education system used to be segregated, until the federal government overhauled it, and decided everyone deserved an equal shot at education. So, segregated schools, did die. It used to be expensive for children to go to school, and only a select few, had the hopes to finish. Public education changed this, and has overwhelmingly allowed it to be possible for anyone with determination and personal responsibility to become educated. So I have to ponder, if my analogy is flawed, if at all.
I hope you know there is a compromise position being proposed, which will give states the right to opt out of the public option. Politicians must get this right, because this is not a game, nor should we only be thinking about profits or getting re-elected. We are dealing with people’s lives and their health. It is too big an issue to be politicizing it. My concerns are for those who truly do not have health coverage, who have suffered unfair practices by some unethical or even government run insurance programs.
Let us both hope, that we can come together and find a solution that works, is fair, and helps everybody.
Mr. Carbutt,
It’s been a while, thank you for your response! First off all, like I’ve been saying my main criticisms are of Glenn Beck, and the leader of the tea party organizing who believes the president is an “Indonesian Welfare Thug.” Yes, it’s funny, they are entertaining, why anyone would defend some of their comments and positions, is beyond my comprehension. How my criticizing them translates into all other claims being made against my comments, I haven’t the earthly clue.
Secondly, I am not trying to inspire anyone to believe a public option would be well funded. I am not incompetent, I understand government programs have issues, but so do private companies. My analogy is not necessarily to say, there wouldn’t be problems, but to make individuals understand the government is not as scary as you would want to make it seem. That’s called spreading fear, which as you point out, both parties are guilty of. Interesting though, you seem well educated, and well informed, I’m sure you know of the compromise public option that is being proposed, so no federal government is going to overhaul anything. That’s also something everyone should keep in mind, these are currently only proposals, nothing has been overhauled or passed.
Politicians do need to get this right, and definitely on both sides. I am very for a reform of policies within health insurance companies. Sure, they deserve to operate in the free market, but they are dealing with people’s lives and health. It is not a game. They should be held accountable, and if people are going to be required to pay premiums when they do need to call on the insurance companies they should be treated ethically, and the best treatment they can get should be readily available. I do not believe I am being unreasonable. I admire the Republicans for fighting for the free market, but it should not be at the expense of profit, and not concern for the patients.
I’m sorry you had to bring truisms into your argument.
Mr. Guerrero has some interesting opinions on health care reform. I wonder if he has heard of some of the things the Congressional Budget Office has said about one of the proposed healthcare bills. According to the CBO if the public option passes many millions of people who currently have health insurance will not be able to keep it and will be placed into the public option. This would seem to call the president a liar when he has said if you like your current insurance you can keep it. Based on this small bit of information alone your public school analogy falls to pieces. Your analogy doesn’t inspire any confidence that the government public option will be well funded. Budget problems abound in the public schools as we are seeing right now before our eyes. It is also curious that the proposed bills will not take effect until the year 2013. Yet we will be paying for it before any of the changes occur. It makes little sense when there are politicians telling us that many thousands of people die every year because they lack proper health insurance and we need to pass a bill now or more people will die and yet the bill takes 3 to 4 years to provide people with insurance. How are lives to be saved if this is the case? Those in favor of this overhaul never seem to make that connection.
Politicians from both sides need to take their time on this and get it right and stop worrying about their reelection and worry about what is best for all of us. Both parties are guilty of lies and spreading fear.