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Dear Editor,
I'd like to thank The Beacon for running Mike Coogan's thoughtful opinion piece on United States-Israeli relations, and the two subsequent letters to the Editor that it generated. Taken together, these pieces illustrate the vicious stranglehold that the aggressive Israeli lobby has on U.S. sentiment. Even at a college student's mere suggestion that United States-Israeli relations should be re-evaluated, The Beacon's normally sedate Letters to the Editor section is bristling with rebuttals.
Most curious is Victor Sharpe's, which offers not one shred of factual evidence, and seems principally concerned with painting Mr. Coogan to be ignorant, naive, and "misinformed." Nadene Goldfoot uses Joan Peter's book "From Time Immemorial" as the lynchpin of her lengthy argument; however, in a Google search of Ms. Peter's name, the first hit is a forum posting by Ms. Goldfoot that acknowledges that the book is considered to be "a hoax" in many circles and admits misgivings about the work. Oops.
Criticism of United States-Israeli relations and Israeli policy is legitimate inquiry found across the U.S. political spectrum, from Jimmy Carter to Pat Buchanan. Mr. Coogan and I are from opposite sides of the aisle as well, but I think his piece was fundamentally correct and I applaud him for writing it. I find it ugly and troubling that in a community of inquiry, valid analyses are not met with engagement, but attempts to dress them down as juvenile and irresponsible. The United State's relationship with Israel is serious business, as is the barbaric conduct displayed by Israel in conflict with Lebanon last summer. Our students should follow Mr. Coogan's example and not be strong-armed into abandoning an honest assessment of our nation's ties to Israel.
Win Martinsenior English major
Dear Editor,
I met Gabe through a mutual friend as I sat in my Mehling dorm room freshman year. Now, as a senior, we're planning our August wedding amidst undergraduate graduation, graduate school applications, and hectic work, school and volunteering schedules.
Last week, I opened the pages of The Beacon to find the article "Undergrad and Engaged," and while I appreciated the somewhat balanced report on the presence of engaged and married students in the UP population, I feel that the article missed some key reasons people feel compelled to marry one another, and erred in potential reasons people should not make this commitment.
To begin with, the article cites various reasons young couples should not marry, including the statement "College students however, have many other stressors that demand attention and are at times not able to make enough sacrifice in order for marriage to work." While I understand that college is a stressful time in one's life, when is your life ever stress-free?
When you graduate, you simply trade your potentially stressful education for a potentially stressful career. No matter what your age, or your college enrollment status, you are required to find a way to balance the various aspects of your life. Friends, family, your job, your hobbies; these don't go away when you graduate college.
In addition to the stress of college life, the article states that financial strains are another reason to postpone marriage. However, one of the unromantic benefits of my marriage is an improved financial state. We'll be combining our incomes and receiving additional financial aid from our graduate schools, just like many other young married couples like us.
Furthermore, the article suggests that marriage, or engagement, interferes with "college life." While I am not sure what is exactly meant by 'college life,' I am under the impression that it includes aspects such as partying and other 'extracurricular activities.' But why are these things that can only be enjoyed as a single man or woman?
Gabe and I have not regressed to a life of needlepoint and cider just because we want to spend our lives together. We go out, spend time with friends, and when we need to, we do it alone. But, it's always nice to know that we can enjoy our 'college life' together.
Ultimately, I agree with the message of the article, which seems to caution eager young lovebirds not to rush and tie the knot. But getting engaged as an undergraduate doesn't need to be clouded in doubt and disapproval.
If you love someone, are realistic about the work involved in a marriage, and are willing to make this life-changing commitment, there is nothing about the title 'undergraduate' that should change your mind.
Taren Rokstad senior communication studies major
