Tuesday, September 24, 2024

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

YAF should be disbanded after most recent event

While I was not in attendance of Young Americans for Freedom's most recent provocative event, I have read many articles and listened to a few testimonials that have led me to come to the conclusion that MSU needs to disband this dangerous hate organization. I have heard the freedom of speech argument applied to this group, and I definitely would have agreed with them up until the words "work" and "soap" were knowingly used to infuriate many in the audience, therefore causing imminent lawless action.

COMMENTARY

Unequal portrayal

As the 2008 presidential election approaches, political stories are dominating the news. This election stands apart from those in the past with a truly diverse group of candidates.

COMMENTARY

Government needs to raise revenue

Since January, we have heard almost weekly about Michigan's budget deficit and the ways our government is trying to fix it. The state is facing a roughly combined $2.5 billion deficit.

COMMENTARY

Conflicting emotions

It's the end of the semester. It is almost over. Just a week left of finals or a few projects to wrap up. Many of us will be running out of here.

COMMENTARY

Redevelopments should not drive students away

Recent statements by The Pierce Company president Fred Pierce in "Company's mock-up gets mixed reactions" (SN 4/18), indicate that Pierce does not understand the area of East Lansing his company seeks to redevelop, and confirms concerns that East Lansing will move students out of the prime student rental location in East Lansing.

COMMENTARY

Nondisruptive students forced to leave event

As a student in attendance of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps lecture, I feel obliged to inform the student body of the atrocious violation of students' rights, overt exhibition of racial profiling and unnecessarily excessive use of police force that occurred.

COMMENTARY

SN coverage of event left out Simcox speech

The stories on the April 19 speech of Minuteman President Chris Simcox, "YAF-sponsored event draws 5 arrests" (SN 4/20), and "Students express anger, concern over conduct of administrators, police with YAF-sponsored event" (SN 4/20), focused on disruptions by protesters.

COMMENTARY

Mentally ill should not possess guns

When it comes to issues like gun control and carrying firearms, it's safest to take a moderate standpoint with room for compromise. General statements like "no one should carry a gun" and "everyone should carry a gun" lack both balance and reason.

COMMENTARY

Broken news outlets

The phrase "Breaking news" doesn't even have meaning anymore. It's like the boy who cried wolf. It seems like every time I turn on the news, it says "Breaking news" across the bottom of the screen.

COMMENTARY

Art funding freezes sadly necessary

As Gov. Jennifer Granholm is stopped at every turn in her efforts to fight Michigan's budget deficit, it seems any program receiving state funds is fair game. Next up on the chopping block? The arts. On April 18, 200 people showed up at the Capitol Building in Lansing to protest Granholm's executive directive to freeze $7.5 million in grants promised to arts and cultural organizations.

COMMENTARY

Key cards for dorms not effective security system

While I commend Meredith Leake for wanting to make the campus safer, her suggestions for building access are a little too impractical, "MSU administration must take preventive action" (SN 4/18). At several other schools, dorms are simply just that: dorms.

COMMENTARY

Vocal transitions

Whether it was Don Imus' slur of "nappy-headed hos" or former Sen. George Allen's reference to an Indian man as a "macaca," a slip of the tongue in recent times has never been more controversial.