The State News editorial board has finally gone off the deep end. Now, I realize that, seeing as how this is a college newspaper, it's expected that its opinions will be slanted to the left.
Attending the April 22 Nazi rally in the state capital gave me a lot to worry about. But the small group of quaintly clad National Socialists was not one of them. The really disturbing aspect of the event was the close-to-500, helmeted, black-clad and fully armored police force who used the event to showcase the new police state being built around us.
I'm writing in response to the "Immigration larger problem for U.S." editorial, (SN 5/18). I take issue with the notion that "much of the economy depends upon the work of immigrants," as if they are an intractable part of our societal fabric. These jobs were done before illegal immigrants arrived en masse, depressed wages and forced Americans out. Does anyone really believe that prior to the 1986 amnesty and subsequent explosion of illegal aliens entering our country, that there were no hotel rooms cleaned, no lawns mowed or no dishes washed? Also, the failure to embrace the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, and the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, by Latin American governments is irrelevant to this argument, as the massive waves of illegal aliens preceded these agreements. Nothing these governments do can create a better life for their people in those countries than they would otherwise have in the United States, and that is why they continue to come and why we should bolster our efforts to keep them out. Geoff Woliner 2002 graduate
Before addressing Professor Indrek Wichman's statements in both his e-mail to the Muslim Students' Association, or MSA, and his letter printed in The State News ("Prof.
Some stories are told to inform, and some stories are told to entertain. For example: Hoping to slow down a slaughter that has claimed more than 200,000 lives, a cease-fire was signed by Sudan's largest rebel group earlier this month.
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.
Am I the only student at MSU who doesn't object to East Lansing's noise ordinance? There's not a constitutional right to have your party spill out onto the street or onto your neighbor's property.
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?
Your "snowball" ("Immigration larger problem for U.S.," SN 5/18), that you claim results from immigration is really just a puddle of water.
My name is Kate Polesnak, and I am an Air Force ROTC cadet. This summer, I am spending 28 days in the grueling heat of Panama City, Fla.
The article, "'Badge of survival' brings new outlook" (SN 5/16), was wonderful to read.
The big problems facing society have a snowball effect. We always start with one minor problem.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm is losing her ambition. It wasn't more than three years ago when the newly elected governor made the commencement speech for the graduating class at the University of Michigan.
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.
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.
Like Shane Krouse's letter implies (Get over it, professor's e-mail overrated issue," SN 5/16), it is true that many issues should be left alone after a considerable amount of time.
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.
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.
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.
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.