Letters to the Editor

Enforce established smoking rules

President Welty adopted a “smoke-free” policy for Fresno State last year. Protecting the health of staff and students by restricting smoking to designated smoking areas makes a lot of sense. However, some smokers still have not heard about this policy or choose to ignore it. Most students and staff don’t smoke. It is just not fair for the 16 percent of adults who still smoke to pollute the air for the rest of us with their secondhand smoke.

Students should not have to hold their breath in order to avoid secondhand smoke generated by smokers puffing away at building entrances. At least they can comply with the designated smoking area regulations on our campus.

No amount of exposure to secondhand smoke is safe. Tobacco smoke is a class-A carcinogen, which negatively affects both smokers and non-smokers exposed to it.

California courts have decided that there is no legal “right to smoke.” Everyone has the right to breathe clean air.

— Tania L. Pacheco

‘ Lipstick’ column refreshing

It was starting to look like all The Collegian had to offer in the way of political commentary was mental dribble and superficial criticism. But the Lipstick Liberal saves the day. Virginia Cabera’s article published March 5 was by far one of the best opinion articles I have read in the campus newspaper in a very long time. Virginia rose to the occasion and critically analyzed a complex and multifaceted issue facing the nation. Others have attempted to use empty logic and misdirection in an attempt to gain petty points Virginia on the other hand separated the issue into premises and systematically deconstructed the conservative stance. It pleases me to no end she chose to put time and effort into a well written, well constructed, well though out article. We are in college for a reason folks.

— Patrick Moyle

Historical basis for gay marriage unfounded

In Ms. Cabrera’s March 5 article, she skirts around some issues.

Cabrera quotes the Bible as to condone many types of marriages. I would refer her to the beginning—Genesis chapter 2, verse 24 “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife....”

Jesus also touches on this topic in Matthew chapter 19. Homosexuality is a sin that is condemned in the Bible, just like many others.

Cabrera also paraphrased, “…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This is not found in the Constitution as she said. It is found in the Declaration of Independence, which is not our source of law at all. If it were, slavery might have been easier to abolish and women would not be afforded the same rights because of the language found in the writings. Oddly enough, the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were, for the most part, religious men. Hence the reason for the “self-evident…(truths)...endowed by their Creator.”

I do not believe that homosexuals have a legal (or religious) “right” to have marriage the same as man and woman.

If they want the same access to tax rights, etc. that is okay I suppose, but let’s call it something else besides marriage.

— Steven Jacobson