Recently, I sat around a bonfire with my closest friends from high school. A late night dimly lit by a fire is a tradition we have participated in throughout childhood. My warm nostalgia ended when our conversation turned political.
Gas prices are higher than they've ever been in the United States, and everyone knows it. Major respected news organizations report on rising gas prices constantly - as if inflation, high oil prices and dubious trade partners are novel concepts. People want answers to questions like, "Why do I have to pay so much more to fill the tank of my Ford Explorer?" "I voted, now why won't the government fix the problem?" or "Why are oil companies so inherently evil?" But I'm tired of hearing about it. America has lived in a world of false security, with artificially cheap gas, for far too long.
Dr. Michael Siegel, a well-known advocate of smoking bans, openly condemns Richard Carmona, the surgeon general, for misrepresenting the scientific conclusions in his own 2006 report. Smoking ban advocates must be required to produce the evidence, yet the scientific evidence does not prove casual contact with secondhand smoke results in health damage.
An issue that raised its mangy head a year ago during midterm elections is starting to creep slowly back into the news.
The city of East Lansing would like to address some of the concerns expressed by The State News in its editorial, "Redevelopments are hurting students" (SN 5/24). First, the city understands student housing, particularly housing that is safe and high quality, is critical.
I am writing in response to "Court makes pay discrimination easy" (SN 5/31). It's easy to spout off numbers without citing other larger causes than discrimination.
Jack Kevorkian will leave jail on parole today and step into a world like the one he left eight years ago - when he was convicted of second-degree murder. Assisted-suicide advocates are still pushing to pass laws in states that make physician-assisted suicide legal.
One of my favorite op-ed battles to date has to include the ongoing literary gems debating the greek system and what they call the "college" experience in "Elitist and proud" (SN 5/25), and "Fraternity stereotypes reaffirmed by columnist" (SN 5/29). Both sides have proven themselves highly amusing, to say the very least.
The amount of assumptions and contradictions underlying each misconception that Isaac DeVille spews onto the paper in his article, "Liberal family life" (SN 5/29), is despicable. Who is he to assume that all children blindly accept the political allegiance of their parents?
There is the assumption among many people that if you work hard, show effort and are loyal, you will be successful in whatever field they go into. Unfortunately, this assumption is often countered with factual knowledge of wage inequities, which still exist. In addition to the egregious problem of employment discrimination, the U.S.
While everyone else is focusing on Bush's incompetence and the red-state/blue-state standoff, a more significant and quiet revolution is under way among younger voters.
A man in Kansas City, Mo. fired up the grill Sunday and set aflame his book collection. During the past 10 years, Tom Wayne ran a used book store, Prospero's Books, and during that time accumulated thousands of books. Recently, when he attempted to clear out some of his collection he found he could not even give the books away.
Birthright is defined as a right, privilege or possession, such as property, to which one is entitled by birth.
There is something unsettling about pervasive stereotypes in American culture. They get into minds and stay there despite contrary evidence and logic. Although many ethnic and racial stereotypes have become largely unacceptable in this modern age, those regarding the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community somehow seep into our culture and are viewed as having legitimacy. This was most recently made apparent by the Food and Drug Administration's reaffirmation last week to ban gay men from donating blood. The policy was enacted in 1983 with the intention of preventing the spread of HIV through blood transfusions.
Drew Winter's column "Despite Dems' status, progress still lacking" (SN 5/25), while relevant, was a sad excuse for an op-ed and was equally as unproductive. Winter basically says we shouldn't support minorities and women in politics.
It seems ironic that the president who orders and requires America's military servicemen to serve in combat zones was, himself, part of a plan that gave him an extra month's vacation and early release from his military "obligation" when the country was engrossed in the unpopular Vietnam War. "223 days 'til MSU," (SN 5/29), deals with Mathew Brady's inability to return stateside and begin a productive life in a civilian setting at MSU because of military requirements.
The article "Lansing should celebrate Malcolm X" (SN 5/25), gets close to what Lansing should celebrate regarding Malcolm X's influence on the civil rights movement.
Voting - most consider it a hassle and, for some, a waste of time. With a 50.7 percent turnout for the midterm election, getting voters is a problem Each time elections roll around, citizens everywhere can be found making excuses for why they will not be voting. "It's too difficult to get to the polls," "my vote won't make a difference," or "I don't have the time to register." All of these are reasons given for why people don't vote. However, the state legislature is working to remove the last reason from the list. Registering to vote can be a time-consuming process that the average student doesn't have time for between classes, work and other extracurricular activities.
Mr. Olster's letter "Current voting guidelines for students acceptable" (SN 5/24) is an attack on the intelligence of students.
Last summer, while studying abroad, I had the opportunity to befriend a few fraternity and sorority members.