Letter to the Editor 1, 11-4

Dear Editor, I have read over the past month letters of this nature both condemning and… Dear Editor, I have read over the past month letters of this nature both condemning and encouraging The Pitt News’ endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama. I, myself, have taken it for granted that I would be proudly voting for this man on Nov. 4, but I decided to venture over to Sen. John McCain’s official Web site and give him a fair shake at my vote. What I found has left me extremely disappointed and upset. Obama’s Web site features an ‘Issues’ column that lists all of the issues he has a stance on; specifically emphasized are civil rights, women, education and Iraq. Each link leads to full pages of Obama’s specific stances on these issues, including his voting record, specific measures he has voted for or against and future plans. Obama has multiple places for me to turn to find real information on his policies that pertain specifically to me. McCain’s Web site also has an ‘Issues’ column, albeit a much smaller one. His stances on women’s reproductive rights, GLBT rights, stem cell research and anti-discriminatory clauses in the workplace for minority groups are all summed up into a few tiny paragraphs under a heading called ‘Human Dignity and the Sanctity of Life.’ He has none of his voting record posted, no specific plans of action called out for any of these issues, and the few words posted about these issues are idealistic and nonspecific. Moral views aside, no plan of real action is stated. As a woman, as a student and as a young voter looking for information, many of the issues centrally important to me were simply swept under the rug or glossed over with short paragraphs ensuring that my right to choose, my desire to break the glass ceiling, my hope to bring my countrymen home and my need for assistance with college money would all be swiftly and efficiently denied. I truly expected McCain’s Web site to be as open as Obama’s. I truly feel that I was wholly and completely overlooked or that many of the issues I sought information on were simply ignored. When I think of the millions of people in this country whom Obama embraces and McCain intentionally alienates, it only confirms my belief that Obama is the man for the job. I encourage all voters to seek information important to them from these candidates before it is too late. Sarah Uranowski Senior, Mechanical Engineering