Letters To The Editor

Jena Six Column Displays Latent Racism

Bryan Murphy has written one of the largest displays of social and racial ignorance I have ever seen ("Examine Both Sides Of The Jena Six Story," Sept. 28). His statement that "the white students should not be charged with hate crime charges for high school ignorance" in the Jena Six incident is not only suspiciously racist but completely ridiculous and overwhelmingly ignorant.

Since when does being in high school excuse participating in an action that is meant to target, intimidate and ultimately degrade someone of a particular gender, sexual orientation and most importantly race? Murphy seems to think that hanging nooses from trees is some kind of common and acceptable event, therefore suggesting he maintains a somewhat racist perspective which is not acceptable in any media. I suppose if white students at the University of Connecticut began hanging nooses outside of the African-American Cultural Center, Murphy would then write an article advocating what I consider to be a tragedy.

Murphy continues his argument with, "I can't escape the feeling that this entire controversy is backwards." However, what is backwards is white kids not being charged for an exponentially more socially and racially-charged crime while black kids had been initially charged with attempted murder for beating a kid up at school. It is extremely troubling that a young, intelligent man such as Murphy is ignorant and naive enough to assert that hanging nooses from a "white tree" is "being a high school idiot, but is not a crime." Frankly he is completely out of line.

- Kyle Hayes,

3rd-semester,

communications major.

Iranian Leader

Deserved Cold Reception

I strongly disagree with George Maynard's commentary ("Ahmadinejad Deserved Better Treatment," Sept. 27). Though I understand his point of view about respecting the head of the state and representative of another country when inviting him or her to an event here, we should note that Ahmadinejad is not the true representative of the Iranian people. He is their oppressor and their tyrant.

I am an Iranian American woman in exile. For the past 30 years my homeland has been occupied by theocratic fundamentalist dictators. The ruling clerics have executed tens-of-thousands of my fellow Iranians. Any voice of dissent is harshly suppressed. Women are considered half-human beings with minimal rights.

When Ahmadinejad went to speak at the Tehran Polytechnic University a few months ago, he was met by student protesters. All participating students were arrested and imprisoned with severe torture. Some of them are still being held in the notorious Evin prison - the same place Ahmadinejad was once an interrogator and torturer - for daring to speak up.

Ahmadinejad and his cronies stone people to death for committing adultery. Dozens of men and women are hanged publicly in the streets of different Iranian cities on a daily basis. And when he says "we don't have homosexuals in Iran," he is right. All have been executed.

The Mullah's regime has cracked down on teachers, workers, women and students. These people are not even typical dictators. Their atrocities are taking place under the name of God and religion. Their guards in prisons rape virgin girls before executing them because, according to their twisted ideology, if those girls die as virgins they would end up in paradise.

Ahmadinejad received a much better treatment than he deserved. He should be arrested and tried in the International Court of Justice for crimes against humanity and for inciting genocide. That would be the best treatment for him. We don't need to go out of our way to be nice to the head executioners of other countries.

- Jila Kazerounian,

UConn Information

Technology Services