COMMENTARY

Latest bombings will only enforce stereotype

Kathryn Garvale

February 21, 2001

Hypothetical question: What would you do if you had an area of the world seething with religious differences, military conflicts and resentment toward the United States?If you said launch an unprovoked air strike and kill a few people, then you totally agree with our president and government.The decision of our government, along with Britain, to send 24 warplanes to attack radar and air defense sites south of Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, was hugely misguided.This attack killed a woman, Ghayda Atshaan Abdullah, and a man, Khalil Hameed Alwash.

COMMENTARY

Put Earnhardts death on Page One

As auto-racing is the second most popular televised sport in the nation after football, I was surprised to see The State News coverage of the tragedy at Daytona 500 buried on page 2 of the sports section on Monday.

COMMENTARY

Affirmative action not for everyone

This letter is in response to Ashley Bell’s column on the “benefits of affirmative action,” and how it is beneficial to everyone (“Affirmative action is beneficial to everyone,” SN 2/20). I myself am a white male, and believe I have been shorted by the concept of affirmative action. Applying to almost all major universities in the state with an extremely good high school GPA, ACT score, plethora of extracurricular activities and early application dates got me accepted to almost every school that I applied to, save one.

COMMENTARY

Not all gun owners are extremists

On behalf of Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, I would like to commend the businesses which are barring the petition circulators who are trying to overturn the new concealed weapons law that our elected representatives passed. Our members are law-abiding gun owners, and many are offended by the actions of this small band of extremists.

COMMENTARY

More prominence for Earnhardt

I have one question. Is the death of Dale Earnhardt not more important than a seminar or the growing availability of services available online?

COMMENTARY

Standardized test scores should be reconsidered for admission

Not requiring SAT I scores to get into college would increase the diversity of students entering college.The University of California system president, Richard Atkinson, recommended the schools drop SAT I scores from admission requirements.

COMMENTARY

Affirmative action is beneficial to everyone

Ashley Bell

February 20, 2001

A storm of social unrest is stirring and is threatening to roll back the historical civil rights gains that this country obtained during the 20th century.

COMMENTARY

Discrimination policy should be changed

Michonne L. Omo

February 20, 2001

My friend Mark is waging war against our former school district. He isn’t asking much – just two little words – but the school board refuses to budge. Mark is fighting to make sure gay students are protected by the district’s discrimination policy.

COMMENTARY

Politicians need encouragement

It’s time to move on. I am writing in response to Matthew Hagbom’s letter plastering former President Clinton with accusations about pardoning Marc Rich (“Clinton’s pardon was questionable,” SN 2/15). What a sad world we live in when we only look at politics with a negative eye.

COMMENTARY

Michigans ranking in womens health issues is not shocking

Michigan’s low rating in women’s reproductive health is not surprising. The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, an organization that conducts an annual study on women’s reproductive health, gave Michigan an “F” rating and ranked the state 45th in the nation.

COMMENTARY

Only you have the power to change your world

“Our mission is a world free of poverty,” states the World Bank slogan, emblazoned in huge letters upon its headquarters.

COMMENTARY

Increase will help residence halls

I am writing this letter to you to talk about RHA’s proposed tax increase. I want everyone to know the $3 tax increase is not to spend the money on ourselves, but to spend the money on our constituents. First, there is legislation coming to the floor to kick an additional dollar back into the halls.

COMMENTARY

Flooded walkways should be avoided

This is a response to “Block off flooded paths on campus” (SN 2/13). I thought America reached its lowest intelligence level when I heard the XFL was the highest-rated program its opening weekend - then I read this letter. How many other people did you see struggling for their lives in the river?

COMMENTARY

Napster not doing anything illegal

Napster’s “illegality is undeniable?” Hmm. The illegality of its users might be undeniable, but the legality of Napster itself is not so simple (“Logged off,” SN 2/13). Napster does not possess, transmit or in any way deal with copyrighted material.

COMMENTARY

Attending Mardi Gras can be overwhelming

John Lafleur

February 16, 2001

Last year, I escorted two young women through their first experiences of Mardi Gras. I considered myself capable of doing so because I lived in the New Orleans area for more than 20 years.

COMMENTARY

Continuing to celebrate MLK Day was the right decision

The MSU Board of Trustees’ unanimous decision to indefinitely uphold Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday is commendable.For the past three years, MLK Day has been observed at the university strictly on a trial basis.

COMMENTARY

Ad reflects need for coverage, awareness

Mary Sell

February 16, 2001

Believing that people, though sometimes stupid, are basically good on the inside has made going through life a little easier for me. Believing when someone hurts or offends me, they truly might not realize how what they said affected me, has made me a more forgiving person. And believing there is a difference between being racist and being unaware has made me realize The State News has a problem. On Monday, we ran an ad for a sorority’s self-defense class.

COMMENTARY

Ad reinforces stereotypes

I agree 100 percent with Angela Pok’s letter that stated the depiction of the perpetrator in the self-defense ad was offensive (“Self-defense ad offensive, wrong,” SN 2/14). Although I did not assume the man was black, he was obviously a man of color - which could be Latino, Asian, Arabic or black.

COMMENTARY

McPherson

MSU President M. Peter McPherson’s address introduced and emphasized many good programs the university will be carrying out in the next few years. McPherson gave his eighth State of the University address Tuesday.

COMMENTARY

Government responsible for social divisions

Blacks in our county are more likely to lose years of their lives to homicide, cancer, heart disease, infant death and AIDS than other people in Ingham County.