Thursday, July 2, 2026

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

Media coverage of war varied but incomplete

Here we are, five years later. It was on March 19, 2003, that President Bush ordered U.S. troops to invade Iraq under the pretense that former dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime possessed weapons of mass destruction. As the years went on, so did the reports of successes and failures, bombings and casualties.

COMMENTARY

Confessions of a former war critic

As many of you can probably tell by the tone of most of my columns, I do have a political bias. Yes, I’m a Democrat. In fact, I ran for office as a Democrat almost two years ago.

COMMENTARY

2nd primary not worth state's money, time

Well, well, well. Now the Democrats might need Michigan’s help. Our state and Florida — the only states punished by the Democratic National Committee for holding primaries before Feb. 5 — could be the tiebreaker for the now closely matched Democratic contenders, Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill.

COMMENTARY

Swearing, guns get attention

Fun stuff is happening in the nation’s highest court. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard its first Second Amendment case in about 70 years. The nine justices will decide whether a Washington, D.C., handgun ban currently in effect is constitutional. Or, simply put, whether ordinary citizens have the right to keep a handgun in their home.

COMMENTARY

Neitzel, Spartans stepped up, ready for NCAA tourney

I wanted to take a minute to say thanks to Drew Neitzel for proving me wrong and playing absolutely great in the Big Ten Tournament. His passes were sharp and his shot was true, but most importantly he played with a relaxed confidence not seen all year.

COMMENTARY

Politicos must be held to highest standards

Things are looking bleak once again for ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government. Nigel Scarlett, ASMSU vice chairperson for external affairs, was arrested last week and charged with third-degree criminal sexual assault.

COMMENTARY

Many countries without reliable reporting system

Imagine this. Geneva, Switzerland: Sabina and Jessica are running to catch a train. Once the girls reach the station they are bombarded by a group of eight to 10 adolescents. The boys start to harass both girls. A boy dressed in a leather coat pushes himself on top of Sabina and kisses her, but all she could do was try and push his face away. In the same instant, another kid creeps in from the side and snatches her purse. The boys start to separate the girls, making a circle around each of them, pushing and slapping them.

COMMENTARY

Labels, ads not always honest about products

There is no cure for the common cold. This is universal knowledge. Yet when a “miracle cold buster” hit the shelves in 1999, Americans snatched it up. Throw in a cute story about a second-grade teacher who invented the product and an endorsement from Oprah Winfrey and you’ve got Airborne, the “effervescent dietary supplement” that made $151 million in 2006.

COMMENTARY

Problem-solving skills imperative

We must make value judgments every day, and it’s easy to make decisions for the wrong reasons because they’re based on flawed logic. Unfortunately, even the basic principles underlying these daily decisions are not standard curriculum in pre-college education.

COMMENTARY

GEU has right to health, parking, better pay

The Graduate Employees Union and MSU are in closed negotiations for a contract to replace the one that expires May 15. Although neither side has released its full bargaining platform to the media, it’s apparent that struggles in the bargaining process have kept both sides unsatisfied.

COMMENTARY

Fine-tuning full of loose logic

Some readers have urged me to consider a popular creationist assertion called the “fine-tuning argument.” It’s said that the laws of physics are precariously balanced. If the value of one fundamental physical constant were slightly different — such as the strength of electromagnetic and nuclear forces — life couldn’t exist.

COMMENTARY

War on Terror no excuse for harsh interrogation

Often, the phrase “with all due respect” is used by a speaker or writer to placate a person receiving a message that will soon become inflammatory. In a letter printed Wednesday, Waterboarding not wrong, needed for defense in Iraq (SN 3/12), the writer uses this phrase to smooth a transition into explaining why interrogation tactics involving waterboarding are appropriate and needed in select cases.

COMMENTARY

Renewable energy essential to Michigan's future, success

The state Legislature is set to vote on Michigan’s energy future as early as this week. There are two paths our lawmakers can choose. One path promotes renewable energy use and the production of renewable energy technology. The other path promotes pollution and sends money and jobs out of our state.

COMMENTARY

Party culture sparks violence

It’s all downhill from here. Judging photo submissions solely on attractiveness, Collegehumor.com will now narrow the field down to 64 contestants who will be entered into a tournament bracket. Users of the Web site will then vote to determine who wins each round, and the tournament champion will receive $10,000.