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Comments and Opinions from University of Miami Alumni and Friends |
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FIRST WORDS Security and freedom. Can the two coexist? In this year following the September 11 attacks, Americans have grown accustomed to more frequent searches of purses and persons, and we have accepted profiling under the guise of pinpointing “suspicious individuals.” But I wonder, how much are we willing to sacrifice for the perception of safety? Consider the current “moral quagmire of the death penalty,” as it is called by University of Miami School of Law professor Jonathan Simon. We award votes to politicians who claim they’re “tough on crime,” but doing so can create a strict punitive system that can threaten constitutional liberties designed to protect the innocent. Our cover story, “Errors in Judgment,” examines Florida’s record for executing the innocent and highlights how law students and faculty are working to help restore freedom to the wrongfully accused. Thankfully there are places where improvements in safety come at no detriment to freedom, such as the William Lehman Injury Research Center at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. Researchers here are working to convert the inevitable tragedy of automobile crashes into data, devices, and systems that can save lives. These and other feature stories in this issue of Miami magazine demonstrate that it is possible to bridge the gap between security and freedom, and the best way is through knowledge. Education gives career-minded people, young and old, the security of having marketable qualifications and the freedom to choose from a variety of opportunities. The ability to pursue our goals, personal and professional, is the greatest privilege we continue to relish in this country. I’m certain that it is also the root of the determination, enthusiasm, and pride I see every day on the faces of our students. —Meredith Danton |
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EXPLAINING THE ABCs OF HEPATITIS I enjoyed reading the article on hepatitis C by Meredith Danton (“Survival at C,” Spring 2002). The writer covered a lot of important issues arising from ignorance about this disease while highlighting the accomplishments of the very fine Center for Liver Diseases at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
I was diagnosed with a very mild form of non-A, non-B after a biopsy failed to reveal A or B. Then, I forgot about it and went about my merry way for all of these years until I read an article two years ago about hepatitis C. It scared me, so I requested a blood test. I was floored when it came back positive. Luckily, in all of these years, I have had minimal damage to my liver and have decided not to take the drugs unless my next biopsy shows a significant change. My decision was supported by my UM physician. You can see how your article struck a nerve with me. Who knows how many people may come forward and seek testing after they read it. Thank you for this enlightening article. Name Withheld Upon Request DELVING DEEPER INTO OVERFISHING I enjoyed reading the article by David Villano in your last issue (“Troubled Waters,” Spring 2002); however, the article made no mention of the only logical cure for troubled waters, other than prohibitions—and that is the successful farming of what were at one time wild fishes.
The article also did not mention the highly successful salmon farms and their resultant pollution or Mariculture Ltd., the predecessor to the Cayman Turtle Farm. Until it was financially compromised in 1976 when the Endangered Species Act came into effect, this farm was producing all of its needed turtle stocks from its own captive breeding herd while releasing upwards of 10,000 hatchlings a year in Cayman waters. Probably the most effective and immediate enhancement that could be made to all fisheries would be to require that shrimp fishermen drag their nets not less than ten feet above the bottom of the sea. Their utter destruction of everything on the ocean floor and their bycatch is too appalling to be allowed to continue. And yes, there are successful shrimp farms—albeit the product is slightly more expensive—but what a small price to otherwise pay! Irvin S. Naylor, B.B.A. ’58,
M.B.A. ’59 Editor’s Note: While it was impossible for us to touch upon every aspect of the global overfishing problem in the space of one article, our goal was to highlight the related research being done by scientists at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. As the reader indicates, there are a multitude of facets to consider regarding this complex issue.
I just received the Spring 2002 issue of Miami magazine. I’d like to e-mail a friend about an article in the issue. How soon after each printed edition is the online edition posted on the Web? Dan Scholl, M.B.A. ’97 Editor’s Note: Generally the magazine is posted online approximately two weeks after you receive the printed edition in the mail. The Web address is www.miami.edu/miami-magazine. There you’ll find an archive of our issues dating back to Fall 1998, plus a link to the Alumni Relations home page, where you can access more information about activities and services for alumni. Thank you for helping us spread the news from the University of Miami! |
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Letters: We welcome your letters. All letters must be signed (your name will not be printed if you so request in writing) and may be edited for clarity and space. Address letters to: Elizabeth McKey, |
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I’m
a survivor of hepatitis C. I was one of the first cases diagnosed as
non-A, non-B back in the early 1980s. I was a dialysis technician back
then, and many of my patients were hepatitis B carriers. One day, all
of the tubing blew while I was treating one of these patients. Although
I had gloves, a gown, and a mask on, my eyes were exposed, and I was
splashed in the eye. I never would have known that I had the disease
had it not been that we routinely had blood tests because of the high-risk
nature of our jobs.
The
article made reference to the premium being paid for conch, but it did
not mention the conch farm that has been financially struggling for
more than a decade on Turks and Caicos. 