COMMENTARY

Some things are meant to offend, get reaction from society

Ed Ronco

February 23, 2004

When you discuss controversial issues in the newspaper, you get a wide range of emotions in return. Today's editorial cartoon is a good example of that. People will write letters or e-mail or call our newsroom wondering how I, as an editor, could print something like today's cartoon and how we could casually use a word as vulgar and offensive as "fags." I assure you, its use on today's Opinion page is anything but casual.

COMMENTARY

Restructuring hurts liberal arts classes

Here is a short summary of "Realizing the Vision: Liberal Arts in the 21st Century Land-Grant University." Though there will no longer be classes in which questions about citizenship, policy or the self can be asked, the university resolves to help each student understand better what it means to be human; to develop the intellectual, creative and productive capacities to be an educated and engaged citizen; and, therefore, to be able to contribute more fully to professional, civic, cultural and community life. Though the university plans to eliminate the college in which the humanities exist, it anticipates the strengthening of graduate programs through synergy. Though undergraduate classes now will be larger and thus unable to contain a writing component, the university thinks a student could reach an understanding about "what it means to be human" through a multiple-choice test and a class taught by more temporary faculty.

COMMENTARY

Four years of Bush leaves world divided

Think back to the last presidential campaign. What a difference four years make, don't they? Remember how, back then, it seemed more like a competition to be the most boring, inoffensive candidate possible?

COMMENTARY

Lower prices mean more caf business

I would like to thank the Division of Housing and Food Services for the coupon it placed in my mailbox for a free meal.

COMMENTARY

Nation should allow same-sex marriage

As a nation, are we bored? I am beginning to doubt that the national pastime is actually baseball. I think we should finally admit that picking on every nonwhite, non-heterosexual, non-Christian, non-middle- or upper-class, non-able-bodied person we can find is really what we crave. As a nation, we are willing to bomb, destroy and terrorize other countries in the name of freedom, but at home we are unwilling to grant the freedom of love to anyone who is not heterosexual.

COMMENTARY

Packing of programs creates long names

MSU has a unit whose name is the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages. It will presumably become part of the new College of Communication, Arts, Languages and Media.

COMMENTARY

Not again, Nader

Go home, Ralph Nader. This might sound blunt, it might be mean, but it's exactly what most Democrats were thinking Sunday morning when environmental activist and consumer advocate Nader announced he was running for president as an independent.

COMMENTARY

Stop it

Mahatma Gahndi once wrote, "An eye for an eye and soon the world will be blind." Vengeance is an inescapable aspect of the human psyche.

COMMENTARY

Apartment living not all good; dorm life has major benefits

If there are two simple things I've learned in my three and a half years at MSU, they are that convenience and community are indelible. In order to understand where I'm headed with the ensuing tirade, I must first digress.

COMMENTARY

Slow down

Two weeks is the perfect amount of time to do a lot of things. Wimbledon, a long vacation, even a two-week seminar on something.

COMMENTARY

College shuffle has too many questions

I am writing in response to the article "Provost to release blueprint" (SN 2/18). The re-envisioning of the liberal arts and sciences by Michigan State University leadership may indeed by a necessary step in keeping MSU competitive and serving of the citizens of Michigan.

COMMENTARY

Marriage about love, not gender

I wish that we could skip the days of this oppressive stupidity and move on to where relationships are people's own business. Remember when America didn't think that there should be interracial dating?

COMMENTARY

Why west?

If you're going to move one of MSU's strongest colleges out of Mid-Michigan to Grand Rapids, it has to be for a better reason than the one MSU spokesman Terry Denbow gave - "We can't define what the move is." And if one of the university's top officials doesn't even know the reason why, wouldn't it make more sense to wait and announce such a move once the position can be defended? Since the beginning of the semester, discussions have been held regarding a potential move of the College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids.

COMMENTARY

White scholarship makes valid point

The editorial "Crass cash" (SN 2/17) was a valid "opinion," but was very insulting to all those with ample intelligence who read it.

COMMENTARY

RWU creative, brings attention to issues

Reading Tuesday's editorial, I can't say that I was surprised at your staff's stance on the white-only scholarship offered at Roger Williams University ("Crass cash" SN 2/17). What appalled me, though, was how quickly you labeled this act "completely and utterly ignorant." Perhaps The State News should do a little research before insisting your opinions on others. I do realize that racial relations are no laughing matter.

COMMENTARY

Apology inadequate for OutKast number

I personally did not see the performance by OutKast at the 2004 Grammys. The day after, however, images of Andre "3000" Benjamin's misrepresentation of Indigenous people was posted on Native Web sites and Native newspapers throughout Native country. My reaction to this situation was one of sadness, shock and a part of me was glad.

COMMENTARY

Domestic gun terrorism should be foremost U.S. concern

Homeland security is grabbing American political attention. It's our nation's foremost problem - hence, the war, the spending, the colors, the duct tape. And the upcoming presidential election certainly lends itself for candidates to bring a viable solution to the public.

COMMENTARY

Sensible move

What does the average MSU student miss most about dormitory life? The curtailed freedoms? The inebriated sign-ins, followed by next-day disbelief and remorse about who was "signed in"? Perhaps the waffle machine? In a roundabout way, the average off-campus dweller or squatter misses all of those.

COMMENTARY

Finance class would better prepare 'U'

I am writing in the defense of Ryan Gartland ("Math requirement waste of time, cash" SN 2/12), in that the arguments presented against him were not completely sound.

COMMENTARY

Abortion issues not truthfully explained

Again, I find myself rolling my eyes as yet another female college student regurgitates the propaganda she's been fed as a part of the "first generation to have had the right to abortion since birth" ("Women should make decisions about own bodies, need choices" SN 2/12). Lindsay Staron tries to convince me that abortion is safe.