Wednesday, January 7, 2026

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Columns

COMMENTARY

Miraculous 'holy toast' pinpoints irrational flaw in religious belief

Throughout much of human history, stories of the miraculous have been a dime a dozen; very little was understood, and ignorant humans were perpetually running across inexplicable events that could only be the work of unseen forces. As science erases ignorance, "miraculous events" become increasingly rare, but those who want to see miracles always will find them. For example, last year CNN published a widely circulated story, "Woman finds 'God's water' gurgling from tree." A Texan named Lucille Pope reported her century-old oak tree had "gurgled water" for months.

COMMENTARY

Criminalizing homeless is wrong solution to problem

Though not particularly surprised, I am nevertheless appalled by the attitude taken toward the homeless by certain members of our community in East Lansing and MSU. The East Lansing City Council has proposed an ordinance banning homeless people from the city's parking structures.

COMMENTARY

U.S. must face consequence for own self-defeating foreign policy

If there's one thing Americans absolutely hate to hear, it's that we're responsible for our own problems. As a nation, we prefer to think of ourselves as either: A) the enlightened country trying to bring logic and progress to a world that is so hopelessly backward and left in the dark that it needs us or B) the perpetual victim of forces who "hate freedom." After all, it's a much cleaner, nicer way to look at our foreign policy. Who wants to look at the ever-increasing levels of anti-American sentiment in the Middle East and think, "Well, maybe they don't like the United States because we have a long-standing legacy of exploiting the region for our own financial gain?" For example, in Iran in the 1950s and Iraq now, the United States has a history of overthrowing governments we disagree with only to attempt to install often-brutal pro-U.S.

COMMENTARY

Anti-abortion advocates labeled uncool, columnist feels detached

It's no secret that anti-abortion proponents are a spectacularly uncool group of people. Statistically speaking, outside of "American Idol" enthusiasts and motorists with "Love Wins" bumper stickers, pro-lifers rank among the most uncool segments of the American population. "Jay and Silent Bob" creator Kevin Smith can't write a movie script without satirizing a pro-life character.

COMMENTARY

Definition of marriage should not be based on sexual orientation

With every issue I have an opinion about, I make a concerted effort to understand those who disagree with me — their motives, feelings, reasons — because without mutual understanding, I do not believe problems can really be resolved or gaps ever bridged. However, there are a few issues of which I truly do not understand the "other side." I try, but I cannot seem to find a common ground on which I agree with, or at least understand and appreciate, the views of those who disagree with my opinion.

COMMENTARY

2008 presidential election could break through 'marble ceiling'

If you followed the 2006 elections, you witnessed a few "ceilings" fall. If you watch the 2008 presidential election, you'll hopefully see what's left of the "marble ceiling" crash to the ground. As Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House in United States history, so proudly proclaimed after the Democratic majority took over, "for our daughters and our granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling." The United States is unmatched in political inequality in terms of racial and gender under-representation.

COMMENTARY

Bomb scare points out country's susceptibility for overreaction

Sometimes, a story comes along that is at once indicative of an era and so gleefully idiotic it would almost be funny — if it weren't so pathetic. Case in point, the now-infamous "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" bomb scare. The gist of it goes something like this: A couple of guys working for an advertising agency started a guerrilla marketing campaign for Adult Swim's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" movie by putting up lit signs depicting two of the show's characters giving the finger to passers-by in major cities such as Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Boston. After seeing the signs, which were placed anywhere from the sides of buildings to bridges, Boston residents did their patriotic duty and terrified themselves into action, calling the police and eventually summoning the bomb squad to come along and destroy the offending neon signs.

COMMENTARY

Unlikely threat from China may not be improbable, far-fetched

Amid the endless reports of global acts of terrorism from disparate groups and various countries making idle threats recently, I found myself pining for the Cold War. Ah, those halcyon days when people always knew where the threat of imminent destruction was coming from: The giant, seemingly monolithic country just across the ocean that people were almost wholly ignorant about, other than the fact they knew it was "bad." At least you knew who your enemy was.