2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 3/22/05 Section: Opinion & Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
Human health worthy of tax money
When I read Roxy Hammond's article in the March 1 issue of the Collegian stating that it was hard for her to swallow knowing that her taxes are being used to help Patrick Deuel and not the euthanized kittens around the country, I was appalled. This is one of the many problems of society today. Some people are more concerned with money and unwanted animals than with human life.
Hopefully Roxy checks the humane society weekly and adopts not only the unwanted kittens, but cats, puppies, dogs and any other animals that the humane society has for adoption at that time. Since she is as concerned for these animals as she proclaims to be.
Roxy I would allow you to use my taxes for your general well being. But if your health declines and you are out of money, I encourage you to make it clear to your family that you are to be immediately released from the hospital, to care for yourself, because only the wealthy deserve help from others. Keep that in the back of your mind.
I wish you the best of luck.
Joe Mousel
Math Graduate Student
Deuel must overcome many barriers after surgery
I feel compelled to respond to Roxy Hammond's column on Patrick Deuel in the March 1 issue of the Collegian.
I postulate Roxy never personally dealt with obesity or addictions. Patrick is a man who is trying to overcome decades of terrible habits.
Once removed from the negative setting of home and into the hospital, he made tremendous progress. Upon returning he is faced with a setting where years of habitual routines press upon him.
Gastric bypass is not a cure-all; only 85% of patients have a long-term success rate. People who fail usually do so because of a lack of a strong support system or avoiding post-operative medical follow-ups.
Ask anyone who tried to quit smoking how difficult he or she finds the experience. My husband endeavored to quit, and after three days, laid on the bed in the fetal position with cold sweats. To change all of Patrick's home habits would be to become another person; a terrifying prospect for a person at any age.
I say these remarks based on my own experience as a post-gastric bypass patient. Although my age is much less than Patrick's, I still fight the demons of my past eating habits. I am currently stressed in life; today I chose a regular Coke from the vending machine. Although I know this is negative to my body, I justified the mental relief it brings my emotions outweighs the damage to my physical being. Each day varies and with that comes the unknown; I find food comforting during some of those
Secondly, Patrick owes the taxpayers nothing. My tax dollars help pay for your education Roxy as the South Dakota public higher education system is subsidized. I could retort that you owe it to me to get a 4.0 each semester. I will expect to see a copy of your grades at the end of semester. Anything less than an "A" will result in you owing me a refund.
Lastly, your columns exhaust me with their trite verbiage and misanthropic views of society. Learn more creative words as opposed to capitalizing to stress your frustrated opinions. Contractions are colloquialisms that abate the strength of your writing. As a journalism major, you should focus your skills on creating opinion columns that inspire your readers to either thought or action. Filling an eighth of a page with pure kretching is not what the fine journalism professors of South Dakota State University teach their students. Since they also pay taxes, by your conjecture you owe it to them. In earnest, I wish you luck.
Lisa Leckey-Swanson
B.S. Computer Science, SDSU 2003
Article needs more research
Will you, Miss Hammond, be receiving a tax return this year? If so, go home and adopt a homeless kittie or two with it and get off your soapbox.
No one cares about your moral outrage over a fat man's battle with obesity. You should be more outraged over the other places our hard-earned tax dollars go: bloated military contracts, ineffective national programs and pointless government studies.
You don't know what I'm talking about? Then exercise some of your journalism training MY hard-earned tax dollars are subsidizing and do a little research.
You have a responsibility as a student journalist to enlighten the rest of the student body. If you had offered one fact in your column concerning Mr. Deuel's "obligation" and how he "fouled out," maybe you wouldn't have come across as a callous, immature little girl who would rather help a "kittie" than a real person with real problems.
Shame on you Miss Hammond, I hope your next two years as a journalism major teach you something about making a difference in the world instead of ridiculing differences within it.
Hallie Thomas
Sioux Falls, SD
When I read Roxy Hammond's article in the March 1 issue of the Collegian stating that it was hard for her to swallow knowing that her taxes are being used to help Patrick Deuel and not the euthanized kittens around the country, I was appalled. This is one of the many problems of society today. Some people are more concerned with money and unwanted animals than with human life.
Hopefully Roxy checks the humane society weekly and adopts not only the unwanted kittens, but cats, puppies, dogs and any other animals that the humane society has for adoption at that time. Since she is as concerned for these animals as she proclaims to be.
Roxy I would allow you to use my taxes for your general well being. But if your health declines and you are out of money, I encourage you to make it clear to your family that you are to be immediately released from the hospital, to care for yourself, because only the wealthy deserve help from others. Keep that in the back of your mind.
I wish you the best of luck.
Joe Mousel
Math Graduate Student
Deuel must overcome many barriers after surgery
I feel compelled to respond to Roxy Hammond's column on Patrick Deuel in the March 1 issue of the Collegian.
I postulate Roxy never personally dealt with obesity or addictions. Patrick is a man who is trying to overcome decades of terrible habits.
Once removed from the negative setting of home and into the hospital, he made tremendous progress. Upon returning he is faced with a setting where years of habitual routines press upon him.
Gastric bypass is not a cure-all; only 85% of patients have a long-term success rate. People who fail usually do so because of a lack of a strong support system or avoiding post-operative medical follow-ups.
Ask anyone who tried to quit smoking how difficult he or she finds the experience. My husband endeavored to quit, and after three days, laid on the bed in the fetal position with cold sweats. To change all of Patrick's home habits would be to become another person; a terrifying prospect for a person at any age.
I say these remarks based on my own experience as a post-gastric bypass patient. Although my age is much less than Patrick's, I still fight the demons of my past eating habits. I am currently stressed in life; today I chose a regular Coke from the vending machine. Although I know this is negative to my body, I justified the mental relief it brings my emotions outweighs the damage to my physical being. Each day varies and with that comes the unknown; I find food comforting during some of those
Secondly, Patrick owes the taxpayers nothing. My tax dollars help pay for your education Roxy as the South Dakota public higher education system is subsidized. I could retort that you owe it to me to get a 4.0 each semester. I will expect to see a copy of your grades at the end of semester. Anything less than an "A" will result in you owing me a refund.
Lastly, your columns exhaust me with their trite verbiage and misanthropic views of society. Learn more creative words as opposed to capitalizing to stress your frustrated opinions. Contractions are colloquialisms that abate the strength of your writing. As a journalism major, you should focus your skills on creating opinion columns that inspire your readers to either thought or action. Filling an eighth of a page with pure kretching is not what the fine journalism professors of South Dakota State University teach their students. Since they also pay taxes, by your conjecture you owe it to them. In earnest, I wish you luck.
Lisa Leckey-Swanson
B.S. Computer Science, SDSU 2003
Article needs more research
Will you, Miss Hammond, be receiving a tax return this year? If so, go home and adopt a homeless kittie or two with it and get off your soapbox.
No one cares about your moral outrage over a fat man's battle with obesity. You should be more outraged over the other places our hard-earned tax dollars go: bloated military contracts, ineffective national programs and pointless government studies.
You don't know what I'm talking about? Then exercise some of your journalism training MY hard-earned tax dollars are subsidizing and do a little research.
You have a responsibility as a student journalist to enlighten the rest of the student body. If you had offered one fact in your column concerning Mr. Deuel's "obligation" and how he "fouled out," maybe you wouldn't have come across as a callous, immature little girl who would rather help a "kittie" than a real person with real problems.
Shame on you Miss Hammond, I hope your next two years as a journalism major teach you something about making a difference in the world instead of ridiculing differences within it.
Hallie Thomas
Sioux Falls, SD