Tuesday, July 7, 2026

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

Writer intolerant of diversity, isolated

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.

COMMENTARY

Take action

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.

COMMENTARY

Not over yet

Give him a fair chance. People who are calling for head coach John L. Smith to be fired need to slow down.

COMMENTARY

Multiple genders is not new, common

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.

COMMENTARY

Still waiting

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?

COMMENTARY

Trustees inaccurately portray MSU board

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.

COMMENTARY

Police SUV almost broadsided student

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.

COMMENTARY

Raising the bar

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.

COMMENTARY

Sex, gender not same culturally, biologically

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

COMMENTARY

2 weeks notice

Hurricane Katrina victims have gone through a lot. They've lost everything to flood damage and looters.

COMMENTARY

Fighting critics

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.

COMMENTARY

Mariucci not answer to Spartans' problems

If we bring in Steve Mariucci to coach our football team, we might as well bring back Bobby Williams too. They both share a common thread as coaches: They lack discipline. There's no better proof of this than Charles Rogers.