To the Daily:
Alex Biles should be commended for his most recent column (Dear President Coleman…, 03/23/2010). The extreme (at least for now) measures he predicts represent a logical progression from the precedent set by the president of our university.
These measures also bring into question the health care reform bill passed earlier this week. For just as University President Mary Sue Coleman is watching out for our health, so is President Barack Obama. By mandating that every individual purchase health insurance, Obama is promoting a culture of health through a guarantee of medical access. However, to fund this goal, the burden of payment for one individual will be thrust upon others. Considering economics and the state of obesity in America, one might postulate future government mandates that mirror those proposed by Biles.
This may all sound extreme and Orwellian. But these are rational extensions of the actions taken by our leaders. No matter what side you take in the health care or smoking ban debate, there can be no argument on whether the previously mentioned scenarios fall in line with current policy changes.
Frankly, I find each leader’s position frightening — and hypocritical. On one hand, Obama calls America the greatest nation in the world and Coleman frequently extols our student body as ‘the Leaders and Best’. But it is also clear that neither believes we are intelligent enough as individuals to make choices that affect our own future.
Nicholas Kransz
LSA senior