Friday, November 15, 2024

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

Terror tantrum

Are terrorists' plots secretly hatching in the shell of well-known local activist groups? Or, is Big Brother FBI peeling away the thin layer of privacy that holds together our civil rights? What might really be radical is the ease at which both authorities and activists can jump to these assumptions. On Monday the American Civil Liberties Union released a document they received from the FBI stating several local activist groups had been discussed by police at a meeting about terrorist activities.

COMMENTARY

Columnist doesn't understand citizens

The many positive, hopeful thoughts expressed by Joseph Montes in his Monday (SN 8/29) column are, sadly, lost by the same problematic mindset that so often stands in the way of community progress.

COMMENTARY

Both testaments preach discrimination, promote inequality

A recent letter to the editor, "Bice column lacks biblical knowledge," (SN 8/4) took issue with my last column, "Homosexuality as a sin one more example of Bible's primitiveness" (SN 8/1). In that column, I offered several examples of savagely intolerant and archaic Old Testament moral laws that share the same willful ignorance and small-minded bigotry as modern religious-based homophobia. My favorite aspect of the critical letter was the certitude with which the author proclaimed the Old Testament laws I referenced were "done away with" by the arrival of Jesus, as though it were an objective fact.

COMMENTARY

Nice try

It's nice to see ASMSU thinking about the students and doing their best to ensure a peaceful tailgate for this season's football games.

COMMENTARY

Iraq constitution process similar to U.S.

In no country in the world do all citizens agree on everything. Iraq should hardly be expected to be the exception. As the troubled nation sends a signed draft constitution to parliament this week over the heads of the objecting Sunnis, it makes sense to take a look at the issues being argued, and a look at another document that also endured a long fight and a lot of compromise - the U.S.

COMMENTARY

Backup plan

Say, for whatever reason, a contraceptive failed. Then what? Time for Plan B. The Plan B pill, also known as the morning-after pill, is an increased dosage of birth control, which will reduce the chance of pregnancy by as much as 89 percent if taken within 72 hours of intercourse. In 1999 The Food and Drug Administration approved prescription use of the drug.

COMMENTARY

Talk to me

Human-to-human interaction is becoming less cool. The Internet continues to expand and immensely popular social tools, such as MySpace, have become substitutes for actual relationships between people.

COMMENTARY

State News ignores local entertainment

I'm writing in response to Bob Darrow's editorial "No excuse for music, concert scene to be less than excellent" (SN 8/24). Although I did enjoy reading a few of his satirical scenarios, the article is one low-blow to many, especially for groups like ASMSU, Resident Hall Association, University Activities Board and Pop Entertainment. Throughout my two years working with these organizations, I have been a part of more than 30 musical performances, featuring more than 75 national acts and have seen more than 50,000 students and East Lansing citizens enjoy quality entertainment from their student tax dollars. The State News continuously whines that there are no options for minors to enjoy music in East Lansing, when our student organizations are bringing dozens of quality national acts every semester. Venues such as the Union Ballroom and Erickson Hall Kiva, as well as all of the venues operated by the Wharton Center (Great Hall, Pasant Theatre, Auditorium, Fairchild Theatre) are constantly booked with musical and theatrical performances to choose from. Another thing that I find rather ridiculous is that The State News has published a multi-section "Welcome Weekend" edition of the paper, and failed to feature any news on our show with Dashboard Confessional last Saturday, despite press releases from our organizations and conversations over the phone.

COMMENTARY

Hope still exists for good relationship between city, students

Students of Michigan State University, citizens of East Lansing, I'm sorry. When I left in the spring, I wrongly raised a white flag over the future of your relationship. "With all possibilities exhausted and the likelihood of this problem [April 2-3 disturbances] being glossed over imminent, where do we go from here?...I am at a loss," I wrote in my April 21 column.

COMMENTARY

Voices unheard

The Sunni minority was seemingly dismissed when negotiators decided to put the Iraqi draft constitution to a public vote.

COMMENTARY

Summer recap

Welcome back, Spartans. As students move in, work and go to classes, East Lansing might look and feel the same as it did when most students left last spring. The buildings look the same.

COMMENTARY

Admit fault

The evidence is stacking up against the police involved in the April 2-3 disturbances. On Friday, MSU Vice President for Student Affairs and Services Lee June and eight of his colleagues gave firsthand accounts of the events they witnessed that night.

COMMENTARY

Student money is misused by MSU

Here we are nearing the start of a new semester at MSU. Recently there has been grumbling by the administration at MSU that tuition needs to be raised again because the state does not provide enough funds to run the university.