Columnist skewed facts about conflict

I was offended by the last column by Farhan Bhatti ("Jihad needs to be clarified to U.S.

Police briefs 03/10/03

Freedom of speech ignored at meeting

Although I am sure you received plenty of e-mails regarding the incident involving the speech on Feb.

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.

Rogers, congressional delegation offer Turkey $30B in aid for land

Members of Congress met with Turkish leaders Friday and Saturday to discuss a plan to allow U.S. troops to occupy land in Turkey bordering northern Iraq in exchange for $30 billion in aid.Congressmen Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., and Robert Wexler, D-Fla., met with governing party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other members of the Turkish Parliament in hopes of working out a deal for the United States to use Turkish airspace and land for troops in order to activate troops in less time, Rogers said.Rogers said he and his colleagues tried to put the pressure on the Turkish government to stress that time is of the essence, and there is little time to contemplate a final decision.If Turkey does not cooperate with this deal, Rogers said it will be unlikely for the United States to help Turkey again in the future.For more on this story please see Tuesday's edition of The State News.

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.

Tourney hopes hinging

Indianapolis - Through 27 games this season, the MSU women's basketball team was only familiar with the winning end of blowouts. But Ohio State introduced the Spartans (17-11) to the losing end with a 71-55 thumping Friday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. After MSU head coach Joanne P.

Second speaker in series to discuss social justice issues

The MSU 2003 IDEA Coordinators presents speaker Milton J. Little Jr. on Thursday as a part of its Social Justice Series. Little is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the National Urban League. The event will take place at 7 p.m.

Lansing City Council to honor residents

Lansing - Three tributes for hard-working members of the Lansing community will take place at the 7 p.m. city council meeting today. The council will honor John and Judith Peakes for their work on stage productions at BoarsHead Theater, 425 S.

March Madness has 2 meanings

Forget Enron, WorldCom and Washington, D.C. The real crooks are in college basketball. From NCAA suspensions, violations and infractions to Sunday's Duke-North Carolina late-game fracas, the Division I-A ranks of men's hoops are sporting an ugly black eye of corruption this year.

'U' E.L. face slash in funding

To offset about $30 million in state funding reductions, MSU officials are warning students that program cuts and tuition increases are imminent.

Student group launches site

Students Protecting and Representing Education, or SPARE, has gone interactive. SPARE, a student organization focused on combating possible university cuts and tuition increases, has put its message out on the World Wide Web - hoping students will log on and sign up. "We should be taken seriously, and this is a great way to disseminate information," international relations junior Ahmed Baset said. Baset, a SPARE member, said the group's purpose is directed at all Michigan students, and the Web site is a great tool for them to learn about the group. "SPARE is representative of everyone," he said. Baset also is the director of legislative affairs for ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government.

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.

Public safety services remain priority despite reductions

The Shaw Lane fire station is likely to survive another round of budget cuts as officials say funding reductions weren't as deep as expected. Trimming the state budget by about $1.7 billion, Gov.

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.

Garden clubs from across Michigan to participate in show

The Lansing Home & Garden Show will take place March 13-16 at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education.

Band belongs in the corner of Breslin

I have an idea for Breslin Center next year and I believe this idea should be considered very seriously: The band should move into the upper level in the corner.

WWE slams into Breslin Center

World Wrestling Entertainment continued its tradition of knowing which buttons to push on its fans Saturday night while at Breslin Center.Former wrestling champion Ric Flair took on the role of a friend to MSU, talking up a match between Triple H - who guaranteed he would take 20 women to Rum Runner's in Lansing after the show - and University of Michigan alumnus and heavyweight wrestler Scott Steiner."I promise you that Triple H will lay Scott Steiner

Loose horse injures participants at expo

A man and woman were injured by an out-of-control horse during the Michigan Horse Council's Horse Expo 2003 at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education on Sunday.Witnesses say something spooked the horse, causing it to go on a four-minute rampage inside the pavilion.MSU police Sgt.

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.