Letters to the editor

Club Pittsburgh should not be promoted

After already seeing a Spring Break ad by… Club Pittsburgh should not be promoted

After already seeing a Spring Break ad by Club Pittsburgh and writing to The Pitt News, only to be told my letter might be libelous, I note new larger ad by this business. Some students told me they thought the original smaller ad was just another typical Spring Break advertisement. Now enlarged, it may at least now be clearer what sort of business is this ad promoting. I quote, from their ad and Web site: It’s “the place for gay men,” open 24 hours, one may rent “changing rooms” at $20 for 6 hours and free condoms are provided.

I’m not questioning the legality of the business or the ad, but that The Pitt News is promoting it. Given this is a student newspaper, I would have thought the welfare of students would take precedence over profit. Many of us in AIDS treatment and research are concerned about this type of business and the spread of STDs, including HIV. There is an irony that in the same issue, Chancellor Nordenberg again insists that Pitt cannot financially or politically afford to grant partner benefits. Two negative messages to a high-risk group in a single issue.

Bill Pewen

Infectious Diseases and Microbiology

Media portrayal of sex is one-sided

A recent article reminded me of the one-sided portrayal of sex and college students by the media. I’m offended that a promiscuous sex life is pawned off as the only life, and disappointed by the ignorance of our peers about the importance of relationships. In a day where everything is disposable, relationships are just another thing losing their enduring value. Don’t be gullible. Just because there are magazines displaying barely dressed women on every newsstand doesn’t mean women enjoy being objectified.

Just because people hand out condoms in school doesn’t mean you should use as many as possible. As an average, red-blooded male, I am fully aware of the perceived “downfalls” of abstinence and monogamy. I am also aware of the benefits there are to those who wait, as well as the greater rate of divorce, STDs and unwanted pregnancies there are for people who don’t. Maybe that’s why so few people find happiness in marriage. They’re too preoccupied with immediate pleasure to honestly consider the future. Decisions made today have consequences for the rest of our lives and for others, such as children! Invest in your relationship by sacrificing some time and effort to find out what you really want.

As for me, I’ve found a woman I value and look forward to spending the rest of my life with. She’s my best friend, and even when we disagree, we respect each other. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. Seek the best for your future. Don’t trash it for fleeting pleasure.

Jason Hursh

Junior

Civil Engineering

Federal drug policies illogical

The Pitt News’ article on the Tela Ropa “raid” reflects the massive hypocrisy of federal drug policies. Leaving aside the issue that the store sold “paraphernalia” no more dangerous than rolling papers and small wooden pipes – which may be used for tobacco – this situation is nonetheless objectionable even if these paraphernalia were sold specifically for marijuana use. As the Department of Justice statement quoted in the article indicates, our government views marijuana-related implements in the same light as paraphernalia related to harder drugs. But after all, federal law considers marijuana one of the hardest drugs anyway – THC is defined as a Schedule I controlled substance by the FDA, a status even cocaine does not carry. FDA criteria specify that a substance must have a high potential for abuse, be dangerous even when used under medical supervision and have no recognized medicinal benefits to be classified as Schedule I. Cocaine is clearly much more suitable to this description than marijuana. Even alcohol has been shown by objective medical tests to be equally if not more dangerous in these respects than cannabis is to recreational users – yet you won’t see busts for vendors who sell shot glasses to minors, an act which is logically just as deplorable as the sale of wooden pipes considering the fact that underage drinking is as illegal as marijuana use.

To pay homage to a recent ad campaign: Mindlessly accepting drug propaganda impairs our ability to see the reality of these issues. Harmless?

Matt Maeder

CAS sophomore