COMMENTARY

Minimum wage hike helpful to economy

Both an editorial, "Long-awaited raise" (SN 3/16), and a letter, "New wage increase won't help economy" (SN 3/16), slam the proposed Michigan minimum wage hike. They said this might hurt those it is intended to help and might hurt our already fragile economy. As one who tried to live on minimum wage for a number of years after graduating from college, I heartily disagree. I dare to say that slave owners in the past said the same thing about the abolition of slavery, that the country would fall to pieces if the labor had to be paid. Sure, I could start my own business if I could pay employees 10 cents an hour because I can't afford more than that.

COMMENTARY

Take 5 to vote

ASMSU and RHA want you to vote in their elections this week. MSU's undergraduate student government and the Residence Halls Association are making it incredibly easy for students to vote for this year's student elections. They can vote either today or Wednesday. And it's online. ASMSU plans on having laptop computers stationed around campus so students can vote between classes for candidates to represent different colleges, halls and on a proposed $3 tax increase. Members of ASMSU say their tax increase, which would bring the ASMSU per-semester tax to $16.75, would help them continue and expand vital services. It's clear our student government is trying to make voting as easy for students as possible.

COMMENTARY

Differences must be known, embraced not ignored by majority

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in class examining a photograph that was pretty intriguing. Taken at some sort of carnival, the dark background shows a merry-go-round ride with a bunch of two-person seats.

COMMENTARY

Bill might help more than writer believes

I would like to respond to the letter from Charles Szafir "New wage increase won't help economy" (SN 3/16). He says, "there are more efficient ways to do it (help poor people) (such as tax breaks for those in lower income brackets)." Tax breaks to low-income people will not do anything.

COMMENTARY

Bice merely spouts opinions, not fact

I find it interesting that John Bice's latest column, "Readers missed point in column; Bible not literally true, unchanging" (SN 3/17), does not address real evidence and merely spouts out his opinions. He does not address the fact that we have a great abundance of manuscript copies of the New Testament, but merely quotes an opinion unsupported with evidence. Consider this: We have more than 24,000 copies of the New Testament.

COMMENTARY

Bice's explanations incomplete, flawed

John Bice's column, "Evolutionary theory, science needed to vaccinate irrational beliefs" (SN 2/16), falls short on several points: • Bice determines truth by popular opinion.

COMMENTARY

Good community effort

East Lansing's parks and facilities are good already. Improvement and public involvement will make them even better. The Community Parks and Recreation Plan steering committee met with the public last week to gain input on the development of a new five-year parks and recreation plan.

COMMENTARY

MSU will get more green

Small universities should have the chance to increase their funding, but MSU has more bang for its buck. A Republican proposal by a Senate panel last week might mean 11 Michigan universities would see a funding increase of less than 2 percent this fall.

COMMENTARY

Penetrable fortress

In the never-ending quest to keep students safe in residence halls and keep trouble-makers out, MSU officials are considering a change in how students are checked in after midnight. A new policy would require night receptionists to take residents' guests' ID cards, which could then be reclaimed when they leave the hall.

COMMENTARY

Taxing workaholics not biggest concerns

In response to the State News editorial, "Taxing workaholics" (SN 3/13), regarding a University of Michigan professor of economics' proposal to levy a workaholic tax on higher-income earners who might be placing their own physical and mental health in danger by working excessive hours, I wholeheartedly agree that this idea is ridiculous. People working too hard in order to make more money is by no means one of the major economic concerns of our era.

COMMENTARY

ASMSU more than bluebooks; elections worth students' time, effort

What are you doing tomorrow? How about Wednesday? The answer better be voting. ASMSU, the undergraduate student government, is holding elections online at studentelections.msu.edu from 7 a.m.

COMMENTARY

'Crash' not great; doesn't stop racism

I am writing partially in response to Stefanie Spiro's letter, "Brilliant films deserved recognition at Oscars" (SN 3/13). I agree with Ryan McCormick's column, "'Crash' doesn't deserve best picture nomination" (SN 3/02), in that the film was a shallow attempt to produce strong sentiment regarding various differential issues in society. Regarding the highly debated character portrayed by Sandra Bullock, the whole turning-to-her-maid-in-desperation affair was indeed pretty weak.

COMMENTARY

SN editorial cartoon inaccurate, just spin

Hey, Mike Ramsey: You are entitled to your own opinion on the war in Iraq. If you don't support it, fine.

COMMENTARY

Writer: Stop whining about parking, adapt

This is in response to "New trucks don't help parking woes" (SN 3/14). Will everyone quit complaining about getting tickets?

COMMENTARY

Bice misinterprets studies in his column

This letter is just to correlate with Rudy Bernard's excellent column "Scientists don't need to dismiss religion to be credible, accurate" (SN 3/14), which he wrote in response to John Bice's column, "Evolutionary theory, science needed to vaccinate irrational beliefs" (SN 2/16). Bice quotes from Elaine Ecklund's survey of 1,646 professors and drew the conclusion that "Natural science faculty were less likely to believe in God than social scientists." However, a careful reading of Ecklund's paper shows that isn't what she said.

COMMENTARY

Bible clearly implies Jesus, God are same

I am writing in response to Abdulahi Sufi's statement made in his column, "Wells Hall preachers don't consider what they say or who they judge" (SN 3/13), stating that Jesus never claimed to be God. Although Jesus never blatantly said "I am God" in the New Testament, his claims to be God are quite obvious. Sufi says John 10:30 is not a claim to Christ's deity but further study of the context makes it much clearer; "I and the Father are one." "Again, the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many great miracles from the Father.

COMMENTARY

Remembering Iraq

Sunday, this country will have another monumental anniversary, although it's doubtful we'll celebrate it.

COMMENTARY

Readers missed point in column; Bible not literally true, unchanging

Joshua Romero's recent letter, "Manuscripts support many Bible passages" (SN 3/02), contained some fictions. First, Romero mischaracterized my column "Truth of Bible can't be believed" (SN 2/21), making it appear that I was arguing something I wasn't. With regard to New Testament manuscripts, Romero claimed I had indefensibly asserted, "We can't know what the originals said." In reality, I wrote, "It's impossible to know with certainty what the original manuscripts said." Rephrasing a person's assertion to make it easier to attack is a popular and effective strategy, albeit intellectually dishonest. More annoying, however, was that Romero skirted my central point.

COMMENTARY

No more Canadian trash

Cleaning up after a party can be bad enough. Imagine being responsible for the waste of another country, plus 12 other states. That's a lot of trash.

COMMENTARY

Problems don't only come from ignorant

I'm confused. Why exactly does The State News care enough to publish an editorial, "Talking it out" (SN 3/03), about what SpartanEdge.com is printing?