Saturday, September 21, 2024

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Commentary

COMMENTARY

Racism isn't just against minorities

This letter is written in response to "Nonminorities are not racism victims" (SN 2/27). I would like to ask Magan Butler-Coleman to open her eyes and take a minute to actually see what the "real world" forces everyone to deal with every day. I cannot decide if your statement "because it is impossible for minorities to be the dominant race, 'black people and other minorities' cannot be racist" was made out of ignorance or arrogance. I'll never forget the numerous statements I heard from my former African-American suitemate such as, "All white girls dress as sluts" or "All you white people don't know." And, according to the dictionary, racism is, "a prejudice based on race." If those prejudiced statements aren't racist, what is racism? Gabrielle Weldon mechanical engineering junior

COMMENTARY

Running ads could incite violence, perpetuate discrimination

According to The State News Code of Advertising Acceptability, The State News will not intentionally publish advertisements "attacking or criticizing directly or by implication, any race, sex, creed, religion, organization, institution, business or profession without firm justification and foundation." Thus, one might reasonably conclude the right to freedom of speech, at least in this context, is subject to some acceptable standard by which racist, sexist or any other considerably offensive piece of advertising can be decided against and censored.

COMMENTARY

Racism definition is completely off mark

In response to "Nonminorities are not racism victims" (SN 2/27), I wanted to ask Magan Butler-Coleman to accurately consult a dictionary before she publishes the definition of anything. Racism is defined as "the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others" by Webster's dictionary.

COMMENTARY

Missing integrity

As federal investigators try to convict an MSU researcher for the alleged disappearance of a pig bacteria, the reputation of the university is getting dragged through the mud. "It's a tragedy," said Bob Huggett, vice president for research and graduate studies at MSU.

COMMENTARY

High Priority

If Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposed plan to balance the state budget reflects the priorities of Michigan residents as she says, then a rocky future lies ahead for the state's universities. Granholm announced Thursday a 6.5-percent cut to higher education funding as part of a plan to overcome a predicted $1.7-billion shortfall.

COMMENTARY

Mannequin talk is in need of closure

Why is it that so much time is devoted to a mannequin? Ideally, one would imagine the consensus would be, "Thank goodness this wasn't an incident of racial intimidation, now we can get on with life." Instead, there was an incredibly poorly worded article with the "It was a white mannequin, we don't need to care anymore" tone which seems only too calculated, as if with intent to draw on a reverse-discrimination debate by so blatantly implying that color was a factor.

COMMENTARY

Mannequin incident attacks females

It's been interesting to watch the various reactions to the mannequin-burning incident that happened this weekend ("Police: Prank not race related," SN 2/25). The police described it as "kids goofing around," saying it wasn't racially motivated, and "there was no intent to intimidate or threaten anyone." What a relief to hear it was originally a white mannequin, and that the kids who burnt it didn't want to intimidate anyone.

COMMENTARY

Right reaction

MSU's multicultural student organizations should be commended for creating a watchdog plan to push university officials to pay more attention to the concerns of the community's marginalized citizens. The Council of Racial Ethnic Students and the Council of Progressive Students unveiled MSU Affirmative REACTION on Wednesday and discussed the new group's mission to provoke more response from university leaders on issues pertinent to the multicultural community. REACTION stands for Reminding Every American Citizen That It's Our Need. While the acronym is a stretch to fit its letters to the group's mission, its new creation, announced in the Multicultural Center on Wednesday, is right on target in its duty. Louis Brown, ASMSU's Student Assembly vice chairperson for external affairs, is right in his assessment that university leaders are not addressing multicultural issues in a proactive manner. Despite a sound bite from MSU spokesman Terry Denbow saying, "MSU can't and won't tolerate any kind of (racist) activity," it seems the actions of the school's governors speak otherwise. How else should members of MSU's multicultural community interpret university action that shove their concerns around from committee to committee causing them to seemingly disappear with each generation of students? How else should the MSU community interpret the Board of Trustees' unwillingness to speak out about the U.S.

COMMENTARY

Flag freedom

It's just a flag, but Manhattanville College women's basketball player Toni Smith hangs on a political crucifix because she doesn't worship symbols. Smith, in subtle protest, turns away from the American flag during "The Star-Spangled Banner." This simple action went unnoticed for months in Manhattanville before it came to the nation's attention. People being the politically sensitive vultures they are, came down on Smith calling her a "disgrace" at games.

COMMENTARY

Meeting should not have been disrupted

I consider myself a liberal Democrat, and let me be the first to say I was appalled by the behavior of Erin Belinger as she represented the Wilson Hall government at the event sponsored by the MSU College Republicans on Tuesday night ("Controversial talk interrupted," SN 2/26). Belinger and, consequently, the Wilson Hall student government, do not seem to appreciate the fact that the university is meant to be a place of learning.

COMMENTARY

Mannequin suspect should be punished

This is in response to the "mannequin shenanigan." As the entire MSU community breathed a sigh of relief when the mannequin head was found to be white, I worried, as did Kenya Harvey ("Police: Prank not race related," SN 2/25). It turns out we, as a white race, have been intimidated by another race.

COMMENTARY

A double standard exists for racism

In her letter, Sarah Nalett makes a good point: there is a double standard regarding racism in this country ("Since mannequin is white, no one cares," SN 2/26). Our society certainly has differing reactions to racism when practiced by a member of the racial majority or a minority.

COMMENTARY

Saddam does nothing that is 'honorable'

After reading Matt Treadwell's column "Bush should accept Saddam's debate offer - unless he's yella" (SN 2/26), I couldn't believe this newspaper would print such a disrespectful and anti-American piece of propaganda.