Policies questioned

Granted the new policies are alienating, inconvenient, annoying and insulting, as Joe Santeler pointed out in his Feb. 24 Viewpoint. But at least they adeptly weed out undesirables without completely insulting them.

Now students won't be assaulted. Granted, this won't affect the much more likely scenario of assault at the hands of other students involving alcohol on weekends, but that is a depressing thought. This is about us vs. them.

We are Marquette. It says so on the skyline. Though not bold, brave, courageous, compassionate or even considerate, Marquette is consistent and predictable. Marquette gave its neighbors a chance. Marquette was taken advantage of and turned the other cheek away quickly.

Even Jesus wouldn't want the nation's sparse J.R.R. Tolkien enthusiasts (or Dorothy Day researchers, ambitious high school students or curious Milwaukeeans) using his computers (or books, if the new library had any) on his dime. Where would he check his e-mail or talk on his cell phone? Surely Day would agree with Bradley Boman's and Scott Hinz's Feb. 24 Viewpoints: Certain portions of the populace simply have no business in libraries. Who better than Marquette to judge books by their covers?

Remember Saint Ignatius of Loyola's "Cura Homogenalis" — safety means barricaded isolation with those who think, act and dress exactly like us. Barring that, and armed patrols, cameras and perhaps a 30-foot wall around campus, students might be robbed and assaulted!

While on the subject, I too want to bash Craig Reinbold and his Feb. 17 Viewpoint. If inferior non-Marquette affiliated people complain, Reinbold, just do as we do (and not as we say): ignore them. Better yet, avoid them altogether. Conscience? Serve your handful of weekend mornings with service learning and be done with "those people." The good Lord helps those who help themselves. Thankfully, crack and liquor consume disposable income. Otherwise, one of "those people" might just pay the $5 and waltz right into the library.

Thank you for allowing me the time and space to spew thinly-veiled elitism, greed and selfishness, as well as rationalize a thinner-veiled fear of my chosen surroundings. We are Marquette! And I, for one, am just glad Marquette's long-running war with the homeless is finally over.

Thorn is a graduate student in the College of Communication.

•  Email This Post
•  Print this Article