As I was walking through our beautiful campus on Tuesday, once again I was distracted from the many colorful leaves on the trees by the colorful scribble on the sidewalks. VoteNader had struck again! I normally try not to pay attention, but as I was walking along, I came across one particular message.

It caused a thought to cross my head, and it went something like, “You know, maybe I chose to vote for a liar, but at least I didn’t choose to vote for a hypocrite.”

That’s right, I just called Ralph Nader a hypocrite. Why? Nader likes to bash Bush and Gore for accepting campaign money from major corporations. Well, I remember being handed a sheet a couple of weeks ago that listed how much campaign money candidates accepted from corporations.

While I don’t remember the numbers, and Nader’s was less than the other candidates, the point is Ralph Nader accepted campaign funds from major corporations. If this isn’t hypocrisy, I don’t know what is.

Nader likes to bash the auto industry and particularly Bush and Gore for accepting funds from the auto industry, because “Cars are one of the biggest wastes of natural resources.”

Now, while this is true, I haven’t exactly heard of any stories where Nader is “footing” it from campaign site to campaign site.

Until he gives up whatever fancy car he drives, I won’t take him seriously on this issue! Also, going back to that sheet, while it also was significantly less than the other candidates, Ralph Nader accepted campaign funds from the auto industry. More hypocrisy.

On a side note, the Nader Van is coming to campus on Wednesday. Knowing how vans are one of the biggest gas guzzlers on the planet, it’s no surprise the chalk markings this time around don’t include the bashings on the auto industry!

He’s against NAFTA. If anyone is against NAFTA because they think that it steals jobs and money away from the United States, they should take Econ 355. Then you’ll realize NAFTA means the United States makes what it’s really good at, and we trade with other countries who make other things that they’re really good at.

This is called specialization. In other words, you learn that NAFTA is a good thing.

Nader would also like to end major corporations. Knowing how many major corporations fund Iowa State University, would you really like to see tuition increase 20 percent or more in years to come?

While I DO enjoy the environment, it just doesn’t rank in my top 10 issues that interest me. Where does Nader stand on abortion, increasing costs of education or religion in schools?

Am I going to have to pay 20 times the amount of what I have to pay so my kids can go to college? I don’t know.

I realize people are going to jump all over this letter from here until election day, maybe beyond. But before you do, just remember one thing: the sidewalks have told us to vote for what we believe in, and voting for the lesser of two evils is evil.

Knowing what I have stated, how could I possibly have voted for “The Hypocrite” Ralph Nader?

Am I evil because I didn’t?

Jason TkatchJuniorMechanical engineering