As a recent graduate of Iowa State, I am interested in what is happening on campus. I am particularly thankful for the on-line edition of the Daily which I read every day.

Recently, The September 29th Movement has stirred quite a bit of controversy on the opinion pages. I have been following the controversy and am very pleased that the Daily has become a forum for people to publish their ideas. I would like to take this time to express mine.

After reading about this issue for about a month, you can assume I have a few opinions.

Being able to express yourself is one of the fundamental rights in a free society.

While I do not agree with some of The September 29th Movement’s issues, I wholeheartedly defend their right to express their opinions. If they can get a front page article describing the issues they are fighting for, then it appears that someone somewhere in the Daily hierarchy believes this is an important issue.

I have two important messages for both sides of this debate. First, to The September 29th Movement: don’t become so short-sighted that you ignore the real issues.

As Michael J. Klocke said in his letter to the editor, which was appropriately dated the 29th of September, “people matter.”

The low income line for a family of four is $16,036, according to the Department of Education’s website. People of all colors, sexes, sexual preferences and any other distinguishing factor can fall below this line. How do I know?

Although I am a white, heterosexual male, I came from a low income family. I was lucky enough to get a scholarship (and, no, it wasn’t the “because you’re a white, heterosexual male” scholarship) that allowed me to attend school and improve my situation.

Don’t become so focused on one aspect of discrimination that you forget others.

To Danielle Heselbach, whose letter to the editor was published on October 2: you should realize that you don’t have to be black, Asian or Latino to live in a rat-infested apartment.

There are struggling white families that live in similarly revolting conditions.

To all the people that seek to belittle The September 29th Movement and Allan Nosworthy’s hunger strike, I think it is time to evaluate your own beliefs.

Contrary to the poverty we try to ignore every day, a person who willingly denies him or herself food is a newsworthy event. But, look past the rhetoric and self-inflicted hunger and see the real issues.

These people aren’t playing “childish games” to get their way; these people are speaking out against racism, classism and other forms of discrimination. Does discrimination exist? Yes! Don’t stick your head in the sand and pretend it doesn’t.

The September 29th Movement and others want you to evaluate your own feelings and see if you perpetuate discrimination. If so, you give The September 29th Movement a legitimate reason to protest the name of Catt Hall. Their protests are a sign of the need for social change, not some personal whim.

To Carmen Cerra, I give this example. He wrote that the Luddites need to rise up against the naming of Howe Hall in his opinion article on October 6. Well, I happen to disagree with his opinion. Computers are a wonderful thing!

Oh, wait, I seem to be a computer programmer and earn my living by working with these machines.

Perhaps I support technology because it benefits me. It makes money for me.

Maybe I enjoy technology because my position will ensure that I always have power and access that may be denied to others. See any parallels?

---

Brian Green

ISU Alumnus

Class of 1997

Cedar Rapids, Iowa