Tuesday, October 28, 1997
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
THUMBS
Fee could be fatal
Thumbs down to The University Health Center at Rider University
in Princeton, N.J., for charging a $100 fee for students who need
emergency medical treatment due to excessive alcohol consumption. A
spokesman for the hospital stated that this fee is not used to
punish people but instead to encourage people to drink more
responsibly.
Opponents of this fee claim that it could discourage students
from seeking medical help in a situation that could prove fatal. If
the hospital wants to encourage safer drinking they may want to
confidentially talk to those treated at the hospital about
responsible drinking practices and cut the fee.
Tell us what it means
Thumbs down to the 1996 edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary for recently changing the definition of "nigger" to a
definition that is out of context and inaccurate. The word was
changed from "an ignorant person" to, "1: a black person – usually
taken to be offensive; 2: a member of any dark-skinned race –
usually taken to be offensive; 3: a member of a socially
disadvantaged class of persons." Although it is important to
include the word in the dictionary, let’s get the proper definition
and explain the historical context behind the word. Cobuild English
Dictionary defines the word as "an extremely offensive word for a
black person," which is a bit more accurate. However, it fails to
tell where and why the word came about and who used it.
We don’t need to see it
Thumbs up to the city of Compton for enacting a prohibition of
alcohol and cigarette billboards. The ordinance, unanimously
approved by the city council, makes Compton the first city in
California to enforce such a law. Speculation suggests tobacco and
alcohol companies target inner city and low-income communities to
an unfavorable degree.
Thumbs Up,Thumbs Down represents a majority opinion of the Daily
Bruin Editorial Board. Send comments to thumbs@media.ucla.edu.