The group’s editorial on Monday, Feb. 9, involved a discussion about the golfer who filed legal proceedings to play PGA golf with a cart, due to a medical condition with his legs. Your article presented many good hints of information, and I find myself agreeing with your conclusions that he should not be granted special status for his condition.

I quote your article:

“But the question here isn’t if Casey Martin should be able to use a golf cart. Instead, this fight is about the legal system’s jurisdiction in making decisions for the PGA.”

Can we apply this logic to other institutions? How about women in the Citadel? If I remember right, that school is oriented for male students, yet the courts meddled into that situation, resulting in problems. Just like the PGA, the military strove to preserve traditions and keep the peace with members already in the group. What makes the PGA different from the armed services? Both are groups of people working towards a common cause.

Both have requirements for entrance. If I remember your articles from long ago, I believe a previous Daily editorial staff favored integration of women into the facility.

Another example: The Boy Scouts of America. Once again, the Boy Scouts wish to provide an environment for boys from 1st grade through age 18. A separate entity, known as the Girl Scouts of America, exists to cater to the young girls, and these facilities are separated. Yet, girls wanted to get into the Boy Scouts. How would your editorial board vote on this situation?

A third example: Iowa State University. Students are expected to score a certain number of points on an ACT or SAT exam before acceptance into the college. Society, however, pushes for free public education. Does this mean that ISU should be sued to open the doors for all applicants, regardless of scholarship displayed on an ACT or SAT exam?

Personally, I feel that membership to groups should be offered to those people who meet the criteria for acceptance into the group, as long as the group exists for normal, legal activities. Kids going out for scouting should be separated by sexes as it prevents a lot of problems, and the kids have more fun and learn more. The military should provide separate, but equal (And I really mean equal down to the color of the training manuals!), training facilities for men and women to prevent them from living up to Bill Clinton’s perception of social values. Furthermore, Iowa State University should not allow entrance to scholastically unqualified people.

We live in an age where people are too nosy and want to interfere with other people’s lives. We have a bunch of busy-bodies running around harassing the common citizen. Tradition means nothing. Pretty soon, I am going to be told that I cannot put my DSS dish on the roof of my house because it destroys the visual impact of the neighborhood. I won’t miss it, however, because I will probably be in jail for disciplining my child in K-Mart.

We do live in the land of the free, ya’ know.

Christian Reynolds

Ames