I am disgusted by all of the suggestions that ousted Lions coach Steve Mariucci would somehow be the answer to our football woes. One of the reasons Mariucci got fired from his NFL job was his inability to develop young talent.
Ryan Townsend's letter, "Only two genders, demands are bogus" (SN 12/2) regarding gender identity and Y chromosomes shows that he is ignorant of both the social construction of gender and the biological reality of sex differentiation. First of all, "gender" is a societally determined set of physical and behavioral characteristics.
Regardless of Mr. Ryan Townsend's claim in "Only two genders, demands are bogus" (SN 12/2), that he holds no hatred or contempt for the transgender community in his response to "Identity right" (SN 11/16), his comments would suggest otherwise, or at the very least, ignorance and intolerance. His belief that "God created two genders: male and female" and that "There are no genders outside of these and there are no gray areas in between" is yet another example of how some people use religion to create divides between themselves and people who are different.
What am I doing here? I don't know if it's the lack of sleep, pressure of exams or coffee.
Affirmative action has always been controversial, with many advocates on both sides. And next fall, with the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative on the ballot, the issue is once again brought to the forefront. If passed, the initiative would make it unconstitutional to have hiring or university admissions preferences based on gender or race — effectively ending the practice of race-based affirmative action in Michigan. When it comes down to it, this will affect college enrollment and hiring in the state.
Give him a fair chance. People who are calling for head coach John L. Smith to be fired need to slow down.
I am appalled at the shoddy and irresponsible journalism printed as an editorial, "Way too easy" (SN 12/02), calling for Raye Grill, my friend, to be jailed. Who benefits by sending her to jail?
I disagree with Ryan Townsend's statement in his letter "Only two genders, demands are bogus" (SN 12/02), that there are only two genders. Townsend mistakenly conflates sex and gender as the same thing, which they are not.
I applaud your analysis, "Way too easy" (SN 12/2), that white-collar crime typically results in significantly less jail or prison time for offenders.
One of the toughest transitions I've had to make is from the life of a high school student to that of a college student.
And to think, the East Lansing City Council will take this seriously. Seven months worth of meetings to come to the conclusion that no one is to blame for the April 2-3 disturbances and produce recommendations that look fine on paper, but aren't earth shattering. But at least it was a diverse commission. According to independent commission and City Councilmember Mark Meadows, the split decision of the commission on whether or not to assess blame demonstrated "that the commission was truly independent and diverse." So? What is the point of being independent and diverse if it's impossible to bring those diverse opinions together to reach some sort of conclusion?
I read in The State News, "Student: Trustees 'dodge' questions at meeting" (SN 12/01) and "Deaf ears" (SN 12/02), that members of the MSU Board of Trustees had not taken the time to read the report of the independent commission regarding last spring's disturbances.
Ian McNabb is not alone in near accidents with MSU police vehicles blatantly violating the laws they so tyrannically impose, "Police should practice laws, give right of way" (SN 12/2). Early this semester, I was nearly broadsided at the Shaw-Bogue traffic circle.
Your opinion editorial, "Fighting critics" (SN 12/05), is a very good hypocritical piece.
There aren't a lot of places for people under 21 to hang out in East Lansing. Only two major bars — The Temple Club and Mac's Bar — cater to the younger set, hosting 18-and-older live shows every night. The problem is, many underclassmen don't have the means to get out there on a regular basis. Soon, the only club drawing in any underage customers might be The Temple Club.
I think we need to talk a bit about language. It's important, you see, to examine the language we use in our daily lives.
Ryan Townsend incorrectly substitutes gender with sex in his letter "Only two genders, demands are bogus" (SN 12/02). An individual's sex is a tangible, biological characteristic assigned at birth by the presence of the gonads, which will later influence aspects of the further physical development of that person. An individual's gender, however, is an intangible construct of that person's identity, not under the influence of the gonads. In our culture, girls stereotypically play with dolls and boys play with trucks; but such constructs do not transcend all cultures and are not directly correlated with a person's sex, since this happens before puberty. Your idea of a clear-cut division between male and female is blurred by such genetic abnormalities as Klinefelter syndrome. And if God is still creating only two sexes, how do you account for an intersex person? Travis Reed veterinary medicine first year
Hurricane Katrina victims have gone through a lot. They've lost everything to flood damage and looters.
I feel compelled to respond to Eric Wolowicz's letter, "Public needs to 'stay the course' in war" (SN 12/2). I am sorry, although not surprised, to hear of the scarcity of morale in Iraq.
Be all you can be. Aim high. U.S. military slogans are pretty recognizable. Military service is done strictly on a volunteer basis, so the different branches are in the business of recruiting. Really, they are in the business of selling themselves as organizations to potential employees. Thursday, the group Direct Action took issue with the military's recruiting tactics and organized a protest outside the local Marine Corps Recruiting Station on Grand River Avenue.