Wednesday, September 25, 2024

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

9/11 Pentagon footage released

Sometimes truth has so much power over our emotions that it weighs heavily on our beliefs. And whether you believe it or not, truth works in the same way with our government.

COMMENTARY

Riding bike helps avoid driving in construction

The construction mess on campus doesn't have to be such a huge hassle for folks. How? Ride a bike, and you can find lots of faster alternate routes through campus to that meeting or lunch appointment. Don't want to ride a bike to MSU for class or work?

COMMENTARY

University should take action against Wichman

Indrek Wichman's explanation and response for his Feb. 28 letter to the Muslim Students' Association, or MSA, ("Prof explains reasons for offensive e-mail," SN 4/28), is a poor excuse for an apology. He seems to have abandoned his explanation that it was a private e-mail, instead justifying his actions with the First Amendment and using the Red Herring fallacy that the MSA attempted to impede upon the free speech of others. The association's actions regarding the cartoons were nothing close to an action against free speech, nor were they a protest in any sense.

COMMENTARY

Lesson about noise, common sense

What came first, the noise or the ticket? Lately, it seems hard to tell. Between unnecessarily loud neighbors and overzealous police officers, there are undefined boundaries when it comes to East Lansing's noise ordinance. And with a specific definition of noise given by the city — with sounds ranging from whistling to musical instruments — it seems far too easy to be ticketed for everyday noises. For those of us who aren't police officers, we're quick to empathize with our friends — the down-on-their-luck, struggling students looking forward to the weekend to unwind, only to get a ticket for violating the noise ordinance. For those of us who can relate to the police officers handing out these tickets, it seems viable to want to suppress a certain level of sound at specific times. What it all comes down to is a give-and-take relationship.

COMMENTARY

City Council infringes on student rights once more

The East Lansing City Council strikes again. Not less than a week after most MSU students have left, they decide to again infringe on student rights. The council has strengthened the discriminatory noise ordinance and removed only the borderline unconstitutional jail time clause.

COMMENTARY

Professor issue reflects larger world problem

In response to Shane Krouse's letter ("Get over it, professor's e-mail overrated issue," SN 5/16), the reason that Professor Wichman's e-mail is such a huge issue is because it currently reflects bigger issues not only within MSU, but also across the nation.

COMMENTARY

700-ton bomb bad for U.S.

We eat organic food. We do yoga. We drive hybrid cars. We blow up massive bombs stirring up radioactive material into the atmosphere. Which one doesn't belong? If all goes as planned, this June, a 700-ton explosive will be detonated 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nev.

COMMENTARY

Get over it, professor's e-mail overrated issue

I am writing this letter in regard to the never-ending public ferment associated with the infamous Professor Wichman e-mail. The only reason this issue is still causing an enormous public outcry is because nobody has the sense to drop it.

COMMENTARY

U.S. has nothing to lose in talking to Iran

There's been a lot of talk lately about whether or not the United States should be speaking directly to Iran. The issue heated up after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a highly unusual 18-page letter to President Bush last week.

COMMENTARY

Improved Opinion Page doubles as new friend, medium to share perspective

Reader, that's you, I want to introduce you to something. Right here before your very eyes is The State News Opinion Page. Are you excited yet? As the new opinion editor, I feel it is my duty to make sure you, the reader, and this page have a good relationship. In the hope of creating a better reading experience for you, the Opinion Page has a new face this summer.