COMMENTARY

Giuliani showed superb leadership on Sept. 11

Mike Ramsey's dismissive cartoon of Rudy Giuliani, (SN 2/16), demonstrated utter ignorance of his great strength as a candidate: Giuliani doesn't have to talk about "9/11," because everyone already knows of his outstanding leadership at that critical time. For those few terrible days in September, he was perceived as a kind of acting president — such leadership is what being president is all about. That's why he is consistently leading in the polls in Michigan and across the country — even ahead of Hillary Clinton! Of course, your myopia is unsurprising, given your long-standing editorial policy of treating all Republicans as the devil's spawn and of kissing the butt and feet of any Democrat. Come November 2008, no doubt your entire staff, along with the other pathetically predictable MSU students, will trudge to the polls like bleating sheep to vote straight Democrat no matter who that candidate is. T.E.

COMMENTARY

Writer's new material criticizes other religions

Over the last several years, I've been a big fan of John Bice's humorous columns. I always flip to the Opinion Page in hopes of finding new material by Mr. Bice, and I am frequently rewarded with a comedic gem.

COMMENTARY

Voices left out of American history

Frederick Douglass. Granville Woods. Rosa Parks. Malcolm X. These names aren't recognizable because of what we read in our primary school textbooks.

COMMENTARY

Many people are dying in name of different faiths

Religion — what a mess. It is the cause for countless deaths and destruction, and the only lives it saves are the few who don't commit suicide because it is a sin. Yet people still believe in an all-powerful being they can't see, hear, touch or feel.

COMMENTARY

State partnership with China will help economy

Although Gov. Jennifer Granholm has been in her new term for more than 45 days, her voice last year is still somewhere in my mind: "My opponent eliminated jobs in Michigan and created thousands in China." I heard "China" all the time.

COMMENTARY

Corn-based ethanol not answer to energy needs

Your editorial "Ethanol could save state's economy" (SN 2/13), on E85 ethanol had some nice sentiments and even some inspiring rhetoric on dependence on foreign oil, but ultimately, your facts were the wrong ones. E85 corn ethanol is not the savior that will lead us out of the foreign policy disaster that is foreign oil.

COMMENTARY

Olin offers HIV testing, education year-round

As an MSU student and a Michigan Department of Community Health-certified HIV counselor, I was disheartened by the article "Lansing Area AIDS Network to offer free HIV testing every Monday until March 5" (SN 2/13). Although the Lansing Area AIDS Network is a valuable resource to the surrounding community, it is important that MSU students are aware of the resources offered on campus. I volunteer as an HIV counselor weekly at Olin Health Center, as do a number of other student counselors who also are MDCH-certified.

COMMENTARY

Media, public must focus on hard news, cut out celebrity obsession

A couple of days ago, while I was idly flipping through channels in my room, I saw something I could not believe.

COMMENTARY

Resolution must see follow-up action

After much partisan deliberation, the House of Representatives passed a resolution Friday that calls President Bush to task on upping troop levels in Iraq. Sort of. In a vote of 246-to-182, with 17 Republicans supporting it, the Democrats were able to push their nonbinding resolution though the House that decried the war, of course, supported the troops. While it's nice to see that the Democratic Congress, or even Congress in general, has found the backbone it has so sorely lacked since 2001, the passage of the resolution in the House isn't the final solution. First of all, the resolution was killed in the Senate on Saturday, losing by only a 49-47 vote.

COMMENTARY

Lansing group champions HIV testing

The Lansing Area AIDS Network, or LAAN, has found an important way to increase awareness about HIV and AIDS. It is dovetailing its program to promote its free HIV tests with Black History Month. The simple fact of the matter is that blacks make up 13 percent of the American population but account for roughly 50 percent of HIV infections.

COMMENTARY

Law enforcement policies about underage drinking too stringent

Revered New York Times columnist Tom Friedman often laments over the nonsensical use of American funds in the Middle East.

COMMENTARY

Ethanol is not equivalent to gasoline to power cars

I follow The State News on a number of issues in which it stays constant, but your editorial on ethanol, "Ethanol could save state's economy" (SN 2/13), really surprised me.

COMMENTARY

Great Issues didn't bring hate speech to campus

I'm writing in response to ASMSU's wrongful removal of Great Issues from Programming Board, "ASMSU cuts Great Issues Program" (SN 2/12), and "Group's removal was not warranted" (SN 2/12). I have supported and attended Great Issues' events since I have been a student, and not one of their programs has ever fostered messages of hate or intolerance.

COMMENTARY

No evidence shown in criticism of cartoonist

Meredith Phillis should be ashamed of her recently published garbage, I mean, letter, titled "Cartoon distorts current status of global warming" (SN 2/12). Only a fool would be unable to make sense out of Mike Ramsey's cartoon. Ironically, it wasn't Ramsey's cartoon that lacked credibility, but was in fact Phillis' rant that failed to make any valid assertion in regard to global warming.

COMMENTARY

God loves every person regardless of sexuality

In his letter "Marriage defined in Bible as man, woman" (SN 2/12), Zach Garris picks and chooses which part of the Bible to use for his view of marriage. First off, God didn't write the Bible — various men who were "inspired by the holy spirit" wrote different passages during a 1,500-year period.

COMMENTARY

Living in co-op exposes students to diverse beliefs, backgrounds

My roommate has a crush on his classmate. He's been trying to convince her to stop by our house for weeks now.

COMMENTARY

Group seeks to spread respect, end hate at MSU

While "I Stop Hate: MSU United" appreciates the attention that Joey Nowak's article "New initiative aims to embrace diversity" (SN 2/13), brought to the initiative, the members of the initiative would like to articulate more publicly the vision and purpose of "I Stop Hate." Currently, more than 60 student organizations have pledged to support "I Stop Hate: MSU United," including representatives from Council of Graduate Students, ASMSU, Residence Halls Association, hall governments, international student organizations, religious organizations, political organizations, fraternities and sororities, women's groups, Council of Racial and Ethnic Students/Council of Progressive Students organizations, LBGTA groups, racial-ethnic and cultural groups, and student chapters of charity groups. "I Stop Hate: MSU United" seeks to encourage all Spartans to make a conscious internal commitment to support the vision of a campus where all members of the MSU community respect and value one another.

COMMENTARY

Service tax will benefit state deficit

In the wake of Michigan's budget crisis, Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposed a plan for a 2 percent tax on services, yielding approximately $1.5 billion. According to the Detroit Free Press, the new tax plan involves 132 services.

COMMENTARY

Nuclear programs react to American aggression

Although Pete Nichols likes to discuss responsibility, "U.S.

COMMENTARY

Romney announces bid in Michigan

With an ever-increasing field of potential candidates, the 2008 run for the White House is starting to heat up in earnest. Seemingly every day, a new candidate either formally has thrown his or her hat into the ring, formed an exploratory committee or has begun glad-handing around the country in order to drum up support in a bid for the presidency. The latest addition to the roster of presidential hopefuls is Mitt Romney, the Republican former governor of Massachusetts. Romney, however, didn't announce his candidacy in Massachusetts, where he lives.