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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Be realistic about fire safety crimes
Letters to the Editor | 1/20/09
Posted online at 9:32 PM EST on 1/19/09
To the Editor:
The author of this editorial ("Fines won't fix fire safety issue," Jan. 13 issue) will be subject to a harsh reality check when he or she enters the "real world." Brandeis is justifiably fining students for covering smoke detectors to offset the cost of fines the University was forced to pay because of students' disregard for fire safety regulations.
In the spirit of equal protection under the law, fines and penalties are assessed according to the severity of the crime, not the hardship they will impose on the offender. Does this student expect Brandeis to raise the amount of a parking ticket only for those students whose parents would pay the fine? While I would hope that the parents of the fined students would teach them personal responsibility by making them pay themselves, the personal finances of these and all students are none of the author's business.
-Amy Pavda '06
The author of this editorial ("Fines won't fix fire safety issue," Jan. 13 issue) will be subject to a harsh reality check when he or she enters the "real world." Brandeis is justifiably fining students for covering smoke detectors to offset the cost of fines the University was forced to pay because of students' disregard for fire safety regulations.
In the spirit of equal protection under the law, fines and penalties are assessed according to the severity of the crime, not the hardship they will impose on the offender. Does this student expect Brandeis to raise the amount of a parking ticket only for those students whose parents would pay the fine? While I would hope that the parents of the fined students would teach them personal responsibility by making them pay themselves, the personal finances of these and all students are none of the author's business.
-Amy Pavda '06
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