Slender vegetarians were the last people I would have expected to be flashing their udders. I recently viewed a commercial that was created by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, to air for the Super Bowl.
This letter is in response to the comments made by television evangelist Pat Robertson. Commenting on the war in Iraq and the recent unrest over the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Europe, Robertson attempts to characterize all Muslims by stating that the recent outpouring of rage "just shows the kind of people we're dealing with. "These people are crazed fanatics, and I want to say it now: I believe it's motivated by demonic power.
Recently, the Republican-controlled Michigan Senate gave in to Democratic pressure and agreed to a bill to raise the Michigan minimum wage to $6.95 by this fall and $7.40 an hour by July 2008.
Ryan McCormick's perception of the world in his review of "Crash" in "'Crash' doesn't deserve best picture nomination" (SN 3/02) is just as horrible as his view of the movie.
As the producer and one of several co-directors of the first three large-scale "The Vagina Monologues" productions performed at MSU, I would like to express how delighted and proud I am that this show and the V-Day celebrations have continued and grown. In the first three years, we raised nearly $15,000 for local domestic violence shelters, such as MSU's Safe Place.
During the past couple weeks, people have been talking about the Christian preachers near Wells Hall. They stand in the courtyard with signs and Bibles, yelling out religious scripture and sometimes yelling directly at students and people who pass by. The discussion about the preachers has centered around different aspects of their presence.
I am writing in response to the article "Student site posts Danish cartoons" (SN 2/28). First, how can you be offended if you haven't even seen the cartoons?
Ignorance is not that blissful. According to some legal analysts worried about dramatic changes in U.S.
I understand that this is a public university and the public has a right to be on campus. I understand the preacher's right to be outside of Wells Hall. However, I do not understand how nothing can be done about it. He is not peacefully standing outside a classroom building.
Unlike a lot of the more, let's call them "ranting, raving liberals," who get published here, I'm really not the worst. As I have gotten older, I've found myself leaning a little more toward the middle of the political spectrum. I believe in the right to bear arms, and I have lots of arms to bear.
More legal options for popular illegal activities can't be a bad thing. This isn't about underage drinking or common illegal substances, it's about another, perhaps safer, form of entertainment. Amazon.com Inc. is conversing with several Hollywood studios about creating an online service for consumers to download and copy television shows and movies. The possibility of Amazon.com entering the business of digital downloads puts it up against a serious rival, Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes.
Tim Olster's letter, "Cartoons not only offensive possibilities" (SN 3/1), and many news stories diminish and confuse the issues surrounding the recent controversy. I cannot claim to speak for all Muslims, but I have been all too aware of the deep-rooted contempt for Islam and Muslims inherent in both popular and classical culture, all the way from Dante's Inferno to contemporary crude jokes about "sand-niggers." Offensive expression is not something new. I submit that the issue is not one of freedom of speech, but that of political realities.
What happens if the H5N1 strain of the Avian (bird) flu, comes to America? Will we be able to control it?
In a recent column, "Evolutionary theory, science needed to vaccinate irrational beliefs" (SN 2/16), John Bice promoted science as a way of protecting us from irrational beliefs, such as belief in God. For him, religion is a disease from which only scientific rationality can save us.
MSU Muslim Students' Association President Farhan Abdul Azeez's claim that "anybody's right to say anything ends where another person's dignity begins" in "Cartoons continue to evoke debate" (SN 3/01) is antithetical to free speech. Free speech is speech not subjected to restriction or control — regardless of someone's dignity.
I am amazed that, despite what has been happening in the Middle East for the past few weeks, SpartanEdge.com has decided to post the cartoons for all to see. I know that the debate on freedom of speech is likely to explode on campus in coming weeks, but why would anyone decide to do that?
I was totally outraged to see new shiny silver parking-enforcement trucks rolling around campus. MSU parking is horrendous. Many students have racked up hundreds of dollars in tickets because of the lack of available parking on the campus. Where does that money go?
I am writing in response to Ryan McCormick's article, "'Crash' doesn't deserve best picture nomination" (SN 3/02). I feel as though his judgment of the film is unjustified and that he does not give adequate support for his claims. First of all, how can he make any sort of comparison between "Crash" and "Brokeback Mountain" if he, as he states in the very beginning, hasn't seen the latter film? As someone who has seen both "Crash" and "Brokeback Mountain," I will say that both films are excellent and deserved to be the front-runners of the Oscars race this year.
Workaholics beware; an economist at the University of Michigan thinks taxing you might make you work less. Joel Slemrod, a professor of business economics and public policy at U-M, along with another researcher at the University of Texas in Austin, found that people who are highly educated and earn a high salary can become addicted to their work. This can lead to a myriad of health-related problems, like stress and high blood pressure.
I suppose I understand why some people would be upset that The State News is refraining from printing the cartoon depictions of Prophet Muhammad, but I don't see how anybody could be surprised. After repeatedly dismissing Christianity, and religion in general, as a crock of fairy tales throughout my collegiate career, of course this newspaper would suddenly have enough conscience to refrain from offending religious people. This is The State News in its purist form, giving preferential respect to the students of this university. When I attend my last few classes at MSU, I will be pleased to see copies of this publication exactly where they belong — strewn across the floor. Next year, I would appreciate it if you could change the title of the paper from The State News to the name it has finally earned: The Sudoku Daily. Bryan Dahl communication senior