Wednesday, September 25, 2024

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

'Daily Show' legit? Yeah, we knew that.

Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" is funny, entertaining and apparently just as informative as traditional networks' evening news. An Indiana University study released last week divulged some not-too-surprising information about the news media — Stewart's "fake news" program is "just as substantive" as regular network news coverage. With little context and analysis on most nightly news programs, this shouldn't be a huge shock, but it should be a wake-up call to viewers who consider their network's news coverage more serious and superior to shows like Stewart's. "The Daily Show" shouldn't be brushed off as fluff.

COMMENTARY

Career Gallery 2006 showed off best at MSU

Last week, there was a campus event that involved thousands of students and hundreds of multimillion-dollar companies — and it had nothing to do with sports. It was the largest career fair in MSU history: Career Gallery 2006.

COMMENTARY

Americans can learn from Amish community's response to shooting

While living in Chicago a few years ago, I witnessed something quite surreal as I studied near Grant Park across from the famed Michigan Avenue. As though I were gawking at an intriguing television screen, from across the street I watched an Amish family of seven or eight explore a block of Chicago — their complete plainness contrasted by the elaborate, superfluousness that is downtown big city. The quiet children amid honking horns.

COMMENTARY

North Korea should be dealt with now

North Korea's claim that it has tested a nuclear weapon is raising questions and provoking fear around the world. The face behind the arsenal is North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who, since his reign began in 1994, has isolated his country from the world, resulting in widespread poverty and famine.

COMMENTARY

Keller leaves out key piece of debate context

This is in response to Tom Keller's "Gubernatorial debate observations," (SN 10/4). While I agree with Keller's view that debates are usually boring, I think he missed a vital part of this debate. In his column, he wrote that at 8:07 p.m., Gov.

COMMENTARY

Debate question unfair to Granholm, inappropriate

On Oct. 2, while watching the debate of Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Dick DeVos televised over WKAR-TV, I was appalled at Tim Skubick's total lack of decency. Granholm handled his question of whether she was indirectly responsible for the deaths of Ricky Holland, but this question was very inappropriate and way below the belt.

COMMENTARY

Many groups offensive, focus should shift to avoid trivializing issues

In response to Christopher Bunke's letter "Leftist groups also offend with activities on campus," (SN 10/3), claiming that MSU liberals are only outraged by racism perpetrated by the right wing is absolutely ludicrous. I consider myself a liberal, and I'm appalled not only by "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day," but also the mentioned PETA protests likening animal harvesting to the Holocaust and slavery. I feel that both PETA and Young Americans for Freedom should be ashamed of the methods they have used in the past to make their point.

COMMENTARY

Smith should be replaced as MSU football coach

University officials state they will stick behind John L. Smith until the end of this year. John Lewandowski said, "We are just not in the habit of dealing with mid-season evaluations." Did this habit get picked up after Bobby Williams left the program? Smith currently has a 21-20 record at MSU, a .512 winning percentage.

COMMENTARY

Iraq's wounded shouldn't go unnoticed

September marked the highest monthly level of U.S. troops wounded in Iraq in nearly two years. According to a recent Washington Post article, 776 troops were wounded in Iraq last month — the fourth highest monthly total since the United States first invaded the country in March 2003. Facts like this continue to support the stance that the Bush administration has not properly managed this war and still have yet to establish an appropriate plan to succeed and pull troops out of the country. While the media often reports the number of soldiers killed, the focus rarely falls on the number wounded.

COMMENTARY

Cheney speech is stale, predictable

About 150 GOP supporters are each out $250 after attending a Republican fundraiser on Thursday in Bath Township. The guest of honor and speaker, Vice President Dick Cheney, warned guests that the safety of America is in danger because of the approaching November midterm elections. As crumbling Republicans struggle to keep afloat, Cheney's remarks are nothing new.