Adande’s Column Was Warranted

I am writing in support of J.A. Adande’s critical presentation of the dilemma that the UCLA student-athletes on the football team faced in their last game. As a former UCLA student-athlete, I understand it to be common practice for student-athletes to make use of their college-level status in order to provide younger generations with role models they may not have in their own homes or communities who will inspire them to achieve in academia.

Were it not for the powers that be who despise social policies such as affirmative action which serve to equalize the cultural status of minority people, and who tenaciously increase degrees of intimidation--through various methods whether legal, overt or subtle--for people in sublevel leadership position, such as Coach Toledo, there really would be no dilemma to speak of.

As a graduate student, I understand the requirement that reports critically evaluate all sides of an issue. Not only did I discover that student-athletes in question wanted to make a positive statement by wearing a wristband, but the article informed me of suspicions surrounding the quality of their defensive play after being denied permission.

Not only did the article report that Toledo denied the players the permission to wear the bands, but his justification for doing so--his unwillingness to set a precedent for involving religion and politics into the football arena--was included to balance if not divest the appropriateness of the players’ ambitions. For this reason alone, I find it rather strange to think any one of Adande’s colleagues would give serious attention to any public responses attempting to denounce Adande’s article.

CABONIA DAWN CRAWFORD

Moreno Valley