The Exponent - letters


11-16-2004	Previous edition: 11-15-2004

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United Way, university ignores policies

James Taylor, in his Nov. 10 letter, announced his intention to "correct some misunderstandings." In doing so he not only demonstrated that the misunderstandings were his, he also introduced additional confusion. While Mr. Taylor defends the national United Way system, he fails to recognize that I was critiquing the local United Way and Purdue’s approach.

At http://national.unitedway.org/aboutuw/coercion.cfm the United Way foundation makes clear they expect fund-drives to be conducted by peer volunteers, not by high-level administrators such as Purdue president Martin Jischke and vice president for human relations Alysa Rollock. My department United Way coordinator even has this responsibility written into her job description. That's hardly voluntary. Our Purdue administrators thumb their noses at national United Way policy.

Mr. Taylor contends the local United Way partners " - empower youths to be productive members of society while learning responsibility and building character." But he doesn't make clear that he means only some youth. The Boy Scouts kick out even 11-and 12-year-old boys who are atheist or not straight-identified. That such a policy gets the unqualified support of the local United Way and the Purdue administration betrays their true attitude - serving the gay and atheist people in Greater Lafayette should be optional for United Way charities. We would not tolerate the local United Way fund-raising on campus if even one United Way charity refused to serve African-Americans or Jews. I find the contention that kids identified as gay and atheist deserve less community support or less of a social safety net neither "responsible" nor "character building." It is rather homophobia and religious intolerance. That our Purdue administrators (civil servants) are ignoring national policy and their own non-discrimination statement to support this makes it even more objectionable.

People often use the good done in one area to justify the evil they do in another.

Mike Sloothaak
Purdue Faculty

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