To the Daily:

Hull represents true spirit of student gov't

I do not wish to focus this letter on the Facebook group demeaning Michigan Student Assembly Rep. Tim Hull, and neither do I want to devote this space to the absolutely despicable political moves on display at Tuesday's MSA meeting (Pres. draws fire for Facebook group, 11/28/2007). Instead, I would like to send a message directly to Hull: I hope that this situation empowers you to do even more to change our university.

I do not know Tim personally, but I did sit next to him in a class last semester. Most people are intimidated to speak up in 80-person lectures, but Tim was not. Whenever the professor would ask a question, Tim's hand was sure to be in the air - and I'm not sure he ever got a question wrong.

I also saw Tim on the Diag in the freezing cold for about a week in April, handing out quarter sheets and asking people to vote for him in the MSA election. He didn't have some frivolous student government party ensuring a victory for him: He did it by himself with hard work, and he succeeded.

Legendary football coach Bo Schembechler famously said, "Those who stay will be champions." I cannot help but think of Tim standing out on the Diag, embodying those immortal words - a Michigan man, through and through.

Jeremy Borovitz
Public Policy junior

MSA leaders fail to live up to University values

It is reprehensible, shocking and disappointing that any University student, especially one elected to serve as a leader for the entire University student community, does not exemplify through conduct and language the values of the University. These include critical priorities, as stated by University President Mary Sue Coleman, of sustaining and enhancing diversity and developing a campus climate that provides a sense of belonging to every individual in our community.

The MSA leaders involved in the egregious behavior reported yesterday in the Daily (Pres. Draws fire for Facebook group, 11/28/2007) bring shame and embarrassment to the University and have demonstrated values and mindsets antithetical to what this University stands for.

Marjorie Horton
The letter writer is assistant dean for undergraduate education for LSA.

Increased gun ownership threatens campus life

There have been a number of ridiculous pro-gun viewpoints expressed in the Daily this year, but Mike Eber's column is particularly absurd (Guns are for liberals, too, 11/26/2007). Eber writes, "We may not need a compelling reason to own a firearm other than the fact that an armed populace is necessary for the security of a free state. If a government does not fear an armed populace, then that government is not truly democratic, because it does not need to respect the electorate's authority."

This is a ridiculous claim. So what are you going to do if you disagree with legislation, Mike, take your militia to Lansing or Washington and make government respect your "authority"? Should Democrats have stormed the Supreme Court with guns blazing following the 2000 presidential election? The government should fear the electorate because the electorate holds the ability to remove officials from office by voting, not violence.

Eber writes that the Virginia Tech shooting and violent crime statistics are "emotional appeals to restrict gun rights." No, they are evidence that gun laws need to change. The Virginia Tech shooting was committed with weapons purchased legally by the gunman. The weapons for the Columbine shooting were legally purchased by a friend of the shooters.

A letter in the Daily last week (Firearm bans make campus less safe, 11/19/2007) from the president of the University chapter of the College Libertarians made the case that if there were more guns available to students on campus, they could have thwarted the Virginia Tech shooter. This is ridiculous. First, it would require students to carry concealed, loaded weapons to class. Second, an individual would need precision aim and a steady hand to take down the gunman. Errant bullets could end up hitting other innocent students. Third, what if multiple students came rushing to the rescue with handguns ready? How would they know who was the malicious gunman and who was a good Samaritan?

Quite simply, without legally purchased guns, such events would not have happened. Many will surely point to the black market, but many of these black market guns were originally purchased legally and have been sold and resold. Either way, how many readers actually know where to buy a black market gun? It's a lot easier to find a gun store than it is to find some illegal gun dealer.

Finally, we do not need rogue students protecting the public safety. Drawing from my own understanding of Locke, individuals subscribe to government in order to escape the state of nature.