I fear we have become apathetic towards the recent atrocities because of the extensive media coverage, yet I feel that I must share how drastically my feelings have changed in the last 48 hours.

I was shocked after the events, and while I felt tremendous grief for those who lost their lives, I felt selfishly glad that my loved ones weren’t involved, and that I wasn’t affected. And during the subsequent events, I continued to hold onto this selfish feeling, until a close friend called to tell me he was fine, back home for a few weeks, and leaving again. When he told me where he was going, and I cried with fear and the realization that I had never been “safe.”

“I’m going to ‘that desert,’ that one I promised I wouldn’t tell you about.” You see, he’s in the US Air Force, and he’s being stationed overseas to fight this war. I begged with him to get out of it somehow. I was scared for him and I realized how little I knew about this war.

I still haven’t fully comprehended this country’s situation, although my understanding has widened since last night. This war is real, it’s our loved ones fighting it, and there are innocents dying for our revenge. I’m not certain what I agree or disagree with. I don’t know if I ever will or if I want to. I do know that I’ll never feel apathetic about this again. It’s my war, too.

Stacy C. Walczak
UW Senior

The Badger Herald shows unfortunate prejudice against Ald. Powell by saying students should be wary of him, while completely ignoring his actual work on the City Council. Tom Powell, a non-student, has been a tireless advocate of student rights. For tenants’ rights he has not only opposed, but actively fought against unreasonable late fees and illegal carpet-cleaning bills that landlords often charge students. On the City Council, he gives students a stronger voice than we have had for years. Students or not, we should all be grateful that Ald. Powell wants to continue his efforts rather than leave District 5 open to a political novice. If the Badger Herald would explore actual issues instead of always searching for controversy and scandal, they would see the great service Ald. Powell has given to our district.

Zach Prager
UW Senior

RE: Think about Militarist Tribunals

The media say two-thirds “support the tribunals, support the death penalty as an appropriate sentence for some defendants, and do not think suspects convicted in such tribunals should have the right to appeal their verdict or sentence in civilian courts.”

But what does “Dubya’s dictatorial decree to use militarist tribunals” really mean?

Well it means that all of the other 187 governments on this tiny planet now have exactly the same right. Any one or all of them may now detain any U.S. citizen captured anywhere outside their own recognized borders & then subject YOU to the same sort of militarist kangaroo court martial in which two of the three militarist officers involved can sentence you to death, and that you have no chance to appeal to any civilian court anywhere on this planet to review YOUR conviction during the minutes before that militarist dictatorship murders you as a war criminal. Now isn’t that wonderful! Let us all give thanks for this marvelous Christmas gift that King George IV has bestowed upon all of us grateful U.S. citizens!

Ron Renkoski
Madison, Wis.

While the United States and the United Kingdom have been defeating terrorism in Afghanistan, Irish children in Belfast have been the victims of incessant Orange terrorism for some time now.

Fortunately, on November 24, Britain’s chief colonial representative, David Trimble, saw fit to finally intervene on behalf of the children, realizing that such manifestations of Orange bigotry did little to advance the British imperial image in the world.

While people understandably focused on the twin-towers New York tragedy, terrorism on the part of Orange bigots went largely unreported and unnoticed by the outside world for nearly three months. On the one hand, the United Kingdom was getting kudos for aiding her American ally in its war against fanatical religious terrorists. Unfortunately, on the other hand, that same United Kingdom did absolutely nothing to stop HER fanatical religious terrorists in occupied Ireland.

While we can’t say that all terrorism against Catholics in the north of Ireland has been brought to an end, let us hope that this is the beginning of the end. Perhaps now with the end of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the beginning of the Northern Ireland Police Service, this is indeed a step in the right direction.

Wiliam Gartland
Madison, Wis.