Being gay doesn't equate to all sins

The idea that someone would equate lying to his parents about a bad grade or sneaking a friend into the cafeteria for free food to the many controversial and complex issues of homosexuality is both insulting and laughable ("Bible says all sin is equal in God's eyes" SN 7/28). It is insulting not only because it trivializes the basic American rights we gays are denied each day - such as marriage, hospital visitations for our dying partners, tax advantages which come with marriage, adoption rights and my right to defend this country I love so much, etc.

Pro-marijuana report released

An organization pushing for looser marijuana laws released a "Truth Report" in late July in an attempt to dispel the federal government's claims against the drug. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, wrote "Your Government Is Lying To You (Again) About Marijuana" as an updated response to a letter sent by a White House official in 2002 to every prosecutor in America to convince them to become more harsh on marijuana cases, NORML Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano said. "This is a policy on ideology," Armentano said about the government's attacks on marijuana.

City streets: Do you think they should legalize marijuana?

"They should legalize it, it's definitely not as bad as it's made out to be." Jeff Pink psychology senior "Yes, I don't think there's evidence that it does a lot of harm." Ashley Ballard psychology junior at Western Michigan University "Just imagine if the government made it legal, they could be making the money themselves." Randy Rivas residential building and construction sophomore at Lansing Community College "I have no definite opinion, there's a good and bad side to marijuana, just like everything else." Nicolas Hampton East Lansing resident

Writer's 'sin' letters redundant, wrong

I fail to understand why The State News continues to print the hateful rhetoric of Benjamin Greathouse when it is clear he is the sole voice of his self-proclaimed "majority opinion." Perhaps he failed to notice that his third letter in just as many weeks was literally surrounded by dissenting opinions. I suppose I should be thanking him, though.

Homosexuality as a sin one more example of Bible's primitiveness

An interesting religious conversation took place recently in the letters section of The State News. The discussion, on sin and homosexuality, reminded me of a quote from the brilliant British philosopher Bertrand Russell, "When two men of science disagree, they do not invoke the secular arm; they wait for further evidence to decide the issue.

Tickets, please

During any other summer, getting MSU football student vouchers in the mail is one of the reminders that fall - and the beginning of the next school year - is coming.

Provost, board secretary start posts today

Two MSU administrators officially begin their new roles with the university today. Kim Wilcox becomes MSU's new provost and Alison Barber officially takes over duties as the new secretary of the Board of Trustees and executive assistant to the president.

CAFTA raises worry about Mich. jobs

President Bush's proposed Central America Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, passed through Congress Thursday by only two votes, expanding trade into six Latin American countries. Many Michigan legislators are concerned the newly passed agreement will mean fewer jobs in Michigan - much like the 24,000 Michigan jobs lost as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, said Rep.

Coach Smith heads local diabetes walk

The day before MSU football players report for practice, head coach John L. Smith has taken on the task of rallying support for an entirely different cause. This Saturday, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF, will hold a Walk To Cure Diabetes on campus, kicking off at Ralph Young Field.

Primary interest

Four candidates will compete in the odd-year election primary held on Tuesday. Two candidates will continue on to the general election in November.

'Stealth' lacks plotline, acting, fails to take off

As its unfortunate title suggests, "Stealth" should have stealthily stayed out of theaters and off the big screen.

Police probe

The State News has been discussing the April 2-3 disturbances for quite some time now, and often the topic has been whether police officers acted improperly.

MIDDAY UPDATE: 2000 MSU graduate dies in Iraq

A 28-year-old MSU alumnus died while serving in Iraq on Wednesday. Spec. Adrian J. Butler was killed while riding in a vehicle after a bomb exploded near it, his mother said. The 2000 graduate entered the military with the intent of joining the FBI, his mother Peggy Donaldson said.

Yoakam brings back rock, twang with 16th release

There's a little bit of truth to that joke about country music. You know the one: What do you get when you play a country song backward? Um … I don't know.

Lucas-Perry, Grantham finish Big Ten team tour

MSU junior guard Victoria Lucas-Perry and junior center Katrina Grantham each scored six points in the fifth and final game of the Big Ten Foreign Tour Team's trip to Europe. The squad finished with a 5-0 record, after a 110-40 rout against Luxembourg Musel Pikes in Remich, Luxembourg, on Monday night. Lucas-Perry led the Big Ten team in rebounding for the tour with an average 4.8 rebounds per game, while averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 assists per game.

Granholm promotes technology on trip

Lansing - Gov. Jennifer Granholm and presidents of some of the state's universities focused on biosciences Wednesday as the governor's five-day economic development mission to Japan continued. The Michigan delegation met at a seminar in Osaka with researchers and representatives of about 70 companies that specialize in pharmacology, oncology and various medical treatments, Granholm's spokeswoman Liz Boyd said. MSU President Lou Anna K.

Police briefs 07/28/05

Police pinpoint identity of human remains found in Red Cedar River

The two bags of human remains discovered in the Red Cedar River in June were identified by local law-enforcement agencies Tuesday as those of 28-year-old Charlotte resident Leon W.

New ticket system in place

This year, instead of receiving football tickets by mail or picking them up at Jenison Field House, student season tickets are now contained on MSU student ID cards. Senior associate athletics director Mark Hollis said this is only changing the process for students to get into football games. "Please understand, there is no change in the policy for admission into the games," Hollis said via e-mail Tuesday.

British gov't should try to understand deeper issues behind attacks

As horrific and paralyzing as the July 7 and 21 bombings are for London commuters, the British government seems to be more concerned about showing resilience than understanding why their largest city is being bombed. As reported by Sarah Lyall in the July 27 edition of The New York Times, "Prime Minister Tony Blair promised on Tuesday not to 'give one inch' on British policies in the Middle East, and he said Britain's three main political parties were moving closer to introducing stricter anti-terrorism laws for Parliament to consider in the fall." Rather than not giving an inch, maybe Blair should try to understand these terrorist acts and the people behind them instead of discounting them as senseless acts of destruction.