COMMENTARY

Bigger strides needed to keep campus clean

"Help keep MSU green!" Yes indeed, but just what is MSU willing to forgo for this lofty aspiration?

COMMENTARY

Reader offers advice on campus parking

This is in response to Alex Gebauer's "City parking should be free during class" (SN 9/8). Mr. Gebauer, I am sorry that you have troubles parking off campus, however, you have to take certain things into consideration.

COMMENTARY

Football weekend parallels historical trends, great education

As I was riding my bicycle away from campus on Saturday after the game, I realized that without a cell phone I was able to entertain myself with a simple conversation with just me. I could think to myself or carry on a two-way conversation that did not require me to have to listen to anyone but yours truly.

COMMENTARY

Bush's failure to plan to blame for problems

Mr. Knowles's column, "Opposition is trendy, but Iraq war is justified, more popular than most," (SN 9/13) is typical from those such as himself who criticize any criticism of our actions in Iraq.

COMMENTARY

Safe thinking

Violence erupts everywhere. In many cases, it's out of society's control. There are bad people willing to do bad things.

COMMENTARY

You've got more to apologize for, buddy

Mr. President, congratulations. This week you took a big step toward putting on your big-boy pants: You admitted to a mistake.

COMMENTARY

Health care should be most important

Gateway Community Services closed due to a $70,000 budget shortfall. Most likely more than 1,600 people will not be able to get the necessary health care.

COMMENTARY

Out of where?

"Hi, Mom, I'm coming out." What's her first assumption here? Probably not that her son or daughter is announcing political leanings. But it's official: They're coming out … as conservatives. The first National Conservative Coming Out Day is today, and the MSU College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom are promoting this event on campus. The day is to celebrate right-leaners and enable them to show pride in their political choice. But by using the phrase "coming out," it seems a little backwards for conservatives and detrimental to the campaign's statement. When someone says he or she is "coming out," they are, more often than not, announcing his or her homosexuality. Rarely, if ever, has this phrase been associated for any other group of people. It's most likely not coincidental Republicans have chosen this phrasing to mark their celebratory day.

COMMENTARY

Drunken students ignorant, not racist

In response to Vikram Singh's letter ("Racism toward Indians problem in East Lansing" SN 9/14), I would like to express my outrage about this matter.

COMMENTARY

My first experience studying abroad was much like coming to college

This summer I had the opportunity to travel back in time. During my study abroad experience in London, my confidence acquired from being a junior who knows how to work the system disintegrated.

COMMENTARY

Dialogue must start after storm tragedy

A week ago I was having a conversation with my friends about race and Hurricane Katrina. I argued at the time that it was more important to get relief efforts up and running than to waste time pointing fingers and talking about race.

COMMENTARY

Columnist incorrect; SN wrong to print it

John Knowles' latest 'masterpiece,' "Opposition is trendy, but Iraq war is justified, more popular than most," (SN 9/13) is unfit to be printed in The State News because almost all the facts are wrong, which makes his message laughable at best.

COMMENTARY

Clinton's judge choice also political move

In response to the recent editorial "Inquired views" (SN 9/13), Judge John Roberts doesn't need to answer any question that would relate to something that he might have to vote on when confirmed.

COMMENTARY

Justice selection is about law, not politics

If anybody is under the impression that another white, male Supreme Court justice is something that must be avoided or compensated for, they are either racist or sexist. The purpose of the Supreme Court is to uphold the Constitution as the law of the land.

COMMENTARY

Tragedy watch

It's true. Hurricanes are now fiercer than before because of the Earth's climate change, and Americans can, and need to, help. A new study released last week in the journal "Science" showed evidence that the average number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes increased from 10 per year in the 1970s to 18 each year after 1990, with average tropical sea surface temperatures increasing as much as 1 degree Fahrenheit in that same time. This evidence correlates with the idea that global warming might be the cause of increased devastation from hurricanes. We've got the proof.

COMMENTARY

Even K-12 students can reason against, understand initiative's flaws

This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to instruct a critical thinking and current events class for the Kings-Chavez-Parks, or KCP, program.

COMMENTARY

Current justices best fit for chief position

With everyone's attention focused appropriately on the relief effort on the Gulf Coast, the president is trying to pull a fast one behind our backs.

COMMENTARY

Lack of respect for life shown in column

John Matthew Knowles' column "Opposition is trendy, but Iraq war is justified, more popular than most" (SN 9/13) highlights his lack of respect for other people's lives and their freedoms. While he rightly condemns Saddam Hussein's brutal oppression of the Iraqi people, he ignores that it was the similar ideological conflicts against Shi'a Iran and socialist countries, sold to the American people on half-truths and xenophobia, that provided for Hussein to be armed and supported with the chemical weapons that allowed these crimes to happen. Once again, we are told that we ought to support this war against evil terrorists, and ignore any voices of dissent that sometimes squeak through in the American mass media. How can one claiming to speak for freedom and democracy so callously talk of "pointless dwelling on events in Abu Ghraib." This is about thousands of people tortured, raped and sometimes murdered in prisons that are ultimately under the authority of the American-supported government. Yasir Suhail 2005 graduate

COMMENTARY

For the people

Voters need to decide if they are willing to commit to the same legislator for 14 years. A long-term legislator might be preferable to some citizens, but it might also limit potential government leaders.

COMMENTARY

Vengeful conflict has increased terrorism

I was extremely disappointed after reading John Knowles' column "Opposition is trendy, but Iraq war is justified, more popular than most" (SN 9/13.) He really has no clue why the Iraq war is so wrong. This war is not about oil, as he says the media tries to tell us.