Letter to the Editor

Baseless claims

To the Editor:

I am disturbed by recent baseless claims of discrimination that have appeared in The Daily Pennsylvanian.

In a recent letter to the editor ("Disgusting banner," DP, 2/7/06), Philadelphia resident Gene Murphy claimed that Penn basketball students betrayed their "liberal values" by mocking the SAT scores of Steve Smith, a "hardworking African-American male."

Similarly, Yasmin Radjy was quoted in an unrelated article ("Student held for attempted murder," DP, 2/10/06) as saying that African-American student Bryan Warner would not be held in jail in connection with a shooting "if he were a white guy that came with the same background."

There is absolutely no evidence in either case of racially-motivated behavior on the part of Penn fans and the Philadelphia Police. Unsubstantiated allegations like these unfairly demonize individuals and undermine attempts to eliminate actual cases of discrimination.

Scott KahnCollege sophomore

Smokers have rights

To the Editor:

In last Friday's editorial ("Get it Together," DP, 2/10/06) this newspaper wrote that it was the responsibility of the city to outlaw smoking in bars and restaurants.

It would be morally reprehensible for such legislation to be passed, as it represents a blatant disregard for the most fundamental of rights, the right to property.

The sole discretion of whether to allow smoking in a given restaurant lies with individual restaurateurs. If the people of this city are genuinely offended by the practice of smoking within restaurants, it is their responsibility to cease attending establishments which permit smoking.

Personally, I find smoking to be an unhealthy, disgusting and moronic habit. I tend to avoid places in which smoking is rampant, giving my business -- and my money -- instead to the owners of restaurants which prohibit smoking. If restaurateurs believe that permitting smoking -- gaining the business of smokers but losing the business of myself and others like me -- is the correct economical decision, then it is completely within their rights to do so.

Smokers have every right to congregate together -- and non-smokers have every right to avoid them.

Jordan Moelis

Wharton freshman

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