COMMENTARY

Live movie

Like white, there are different shades of black. In many movies, blacks are portrayed in prisons and ghettos, with boisterous attitudes, slick motives and other most commonly associated situations. "Barbershop," "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and "Bad Boys," to name a few, all have a limited view of blacks. MSU Assistant Professor Jeff Wray, who is directing a film called "The Soul Searchers" this summer, is trying to move away from such hackneyed roles in the movie. "We rarely see black folks depicted in a way that's expansive about humanity," Wray said in Thursday's story in The State News.

COMMENTARY

Alumnus, soldier to be forever missed

It's with great sadness when I discovered that an old friend and colleague from MSU, Adrian Butler, had perished in Iraq.

COMMENTARY

Affirmative action offensive; Initiative should appear on 2006 ballot

In a constitutional democracy, there is no more important event than that of an amendment to the Constitution.

COMMENTARY

Seat belt campaign waste of resources

This letter is in response to "Police launch 2-week safety-belt campaign" (SN 8/9). Michigan State police Trooper Tom Tucker said the area chosen is highly traveled. I wonder how many lives they save by enforcing in a 45 mph zone?

COMMENTARY

Test case

Many students at MSU have been at a party that's gotten broken up by the police, or at least have heard stories about one from a friend.

COMMENTARY

CAFTA will result in job loss like NAFTA

Call me a nerd, but the night the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA went to the House, I sat up watching C-SPAN intently, waiting and waiting for the result I had been hoping for - for logic, for sensibility, for the best interest of Average Joe living and working in Every Town, USA.

COMMENTARY

Future fuel

A responsible energy policy backed by the White House - can it be true? In light of such things as Vice President Dick Cheney's closed-door meetings with energy company executives, and the Bush administration's suggestion to drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, it would come as a surprise if the White House walked the straight and narrow path on energy policy. On Monday, President Bush signed energy legislation that purports to take a long-term approach to solving problems such as reliance on foreign oil, high gas prices and the environmental effects of burning fossil fuels. Some of the main points of the plan include $14.5 billion in tax breaks for energy companies in hopes they will work to further development of renewable energy sources and the promotion of efficiency, an extension of daylight-savings time, new efficiency standards for commercial appliances, $1 billion for coastal environmental management for states where there is offshore oil drilling and a $1.8 billion program to promote clean coal research and development. At 1,724 pages, the bill is quite complicated.

COMMENTARY

SN Opinion Page caters to liberals

I'm writing in reference to Megan Frye's column, ("Opinion editor beseeches upon public to stop whining, start writing" SN 8/8). I recently returned to the U.S.

COMMENTARY

Tough love

She might just be one mother, but she's got the opportunity to represent thousands of them. Californian Cindy Sheehan showed up at President Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch with one goal in mind - getting some answers.

COMMENTARY

Bush's comments often misconstrued

This letter is in response to "Keep it out" (SN 8/8). Contrary to The State News' assertion, President Bush's statement was not an attempt to indoctrinate the youth of our country with religious beliefs.

COMMENTARY

LGBT community deserves respect

I know homosexuality is a constantly discussed and heated issue among Christian conservatives, politicians and people who just don't understand.

COMMENTARY

Popularity of detrimental activities reflects society's love for danger

Forget baseball: Cars, booze and cigarettes are the real American pastime. The rule of thumb is if there's not a significant risk for severe injury or death, it's not fun. For instance, consider diving boards at the pool.

COMMENTARY

Board battle

Although the members of the MSU Board of Trustees are well into adulthood, they could use a little motherly advice.

COMMENTARY

Off the ball

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, nearly everybody, regardless of political bent, acknowledged that terrorism is a problem the United States must deal with.

COMMENTARY

Opinion editor beseeches upon public to stop whining, start writing

I need to clear something up. There's a rather common misconception I've become aware of via e-mail and word of mouth.

COMMENTARY

Bice column lacks both viewpoints

I'm a semi-regular reader of The State News. Your columnist John Bice has a narrow mind and an agenda, proving it many times in the article "Homosexuality as a sin one more example of Bible's primitiveness" (SN 8/1). First he uses Bertrand Russell, an atheist, as a reference without an opposing view.

COMMENTARY

Keep it out

The strong influence of religion on President Bush is well-known, but it still is a surprise that he recently advocated the teaching of intelligent design alongside evolution in public schools.

COMMENTARY

Letter writer sorry for any confusion

The last letter I wrote was not intended to insult anyone or trivialize their lifestyle, nor was it an attempt at humor ("Bible says all sin is equal in God's eyes" SN 7/28). Ruben Garza has responded as saying that my comments support the faulty logic that leads to the persecution of homosexuals ("Being gay doesn't equate to all sins" SN 8/1). Garza severely misinterpreted my message. I join Garza in being outraged at the mistreatment and limited rights that homosexuals receive.

COMMENTARY

Ticket policy will hurt attendance

The new ticket policy is absolutely ridiculous. I bought season football tickets during each of the four years that I was an MSU student.

COMMENTARY

Sexuality argument discussion-worthy

Contrary to the statement yesterday by Chris Larmore, I think it is important during the past couple of weeks that there has been discussion about what it means to be gay ("Letters leave out big campus issues" SN 8/1). The diversity of ideas reflected in the opinion section indicates that a lot of people care very passionately about religious issues and public policy related to homosexuality.