As the executive director of Campus Life, on behalf of our staff and board of directors, I would like to sincerely apologize for the lack of judgment shown in the goldfish incident at a Campus Life club held recently at Scott Middle School and to those who were affected by this activity.

In our 38-year history in Lincoln, we have prided ourselves in serving the public school system and in building relationships with students to help them better their lives. As an organization, we are committed to providing responsible activities in each of our Campus Life programs while maintaining respect, dignity and the welfare of students.

We will be reviewing our activities to minimize the chance that something like this will happen again. We will strive for excellence as we continue impacting the lives of students in Lincoln and surrounding communities.

Bryan Carlson, Lincoln

Just one mistake

I think it’s sad that so many people look at this one incident as a way to condemn religious groups for kids. Call it “creepy Christianity” if you like, but there are lots of other kids out there doing far worse for entertainment.

I was in Campus Life as a high schooler (years ago), and they never tried to force anything on anyone. It was a great outlet to avoid being pressured into all of the other things high schoolers face.

I’m not surprised that there has been an uproar over this. People who despise Christianity look for whatever reason they can to point their fingers at religious individuals and groups that make mistakes.

I should point out here that I am a Christian, but I wouldn’t call myself religious — I think religion and religious legalism do a lot of disservice to the Christian community.

What these leaders allowed obviously displayed a lapse in judgment. It was irresponsible and also, quite frankly, disgusting.

However, I hope that all the good this organization has done will not be overshadowed by the outrage of a few naysayers who will look for any excuse to discredit Christianity.

Holly Lafferty, Lincoln

Clearing up the facts

As a registered dietitian with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, I’d like to correct some false statements made in a recent letter about our organization and our efforts to reform federal food policy (“Farm aid article slanted,” LJS, Nov. 4).

PCRM is an independent nonprofit research and advocacy organization financed mainly by donations from our membership, which includes more than 6,000 physicians. PCRM often cooperates with other organizations, from major universities to animal protection groups, but none of them, including PETA, has ever provided a major part of PCRM’s budget.

The meat industry derives enormous financial benefits from Farm Bill subsidies for feed crops. Tyson Foods and Smithfield Foods, two of America’s largest meat companies, pocketed an estimated $2.6 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively, in savings from cheap feed grains between 1997 and 2005, according to Tufts University researchers. High-fat, high-cholesterol meat and dairy products play a major role in America’s increasing rates of obesity and diabetes.

More than 300 cancer specialists and 400 pediatricians and other physicians from across the nation have signed petitions circulated by PCRM calling on lawmakers to reform the Farm Bill and make good nutrition a priority. The President’s Cancer Panel and the American Medical Association also have asked Congress for significant reforms.

In fact, the AMA has called for a new emphasis on vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, vegetarian foods and healthful nondairy beverages in school lunches and food assistance programs.

Susan Levin,

Physicians Committee

for Responsible Medicine

Washington, D.C.

Beats a retirement plan

Let’s see: Nebraska hires an athletic director who, in turn, hires a coaching staff. They give them all “big bucks” to be paid out over multiyear contracts.

They in turn, design a plan to totally mess up a good program big time, will not resign, unless we buy out their multiyear contracts. They take the “big bucks” and live “happily ever after.”

Looks to me like it pays big time to mess up. They receive the “big bucks” much easier and quicker and head to the beach ahead of the crowd.

This sure beats my investments and retirement plan.

Bob Marhenke, Lincoln

Time for a change

The Treasury advocates urgent action as a $16 trillion shortfall is facing the Social Security system in the near future. The president has refused to take any action, even though immediate action is urgently recommended by a Treasury Department report recently released.

As this administration spends billions of dollars a week in Iraq searching for an exit from this ongoing foreign policy disaster, the bills we cannot pay continue to swell. Medicare and Medicaid are actually in more serious financial trouble than Social Security.

Would it be wiser to use the money and manpower spent in Iraq at home? Our local roads, school systems, health care and other social needs soon will feel the need for these displaced funds.

As our president continues to spin and hide the terrible costs of this occupation, he asks for billions more. In the face of huge government expansion bills he has signed, he only uses his veto pen against poor American children.

We are not a bottomless pit of cash and blood. New priorities in America require new people; it’s time for a change.

Steven D. Burbach, Lincoln