COMMENTARY

Moore tackles gun culture with grim accuracy, dead-on aim

I really wanted to dislike the best documentary made in the past few years. After reading last year's reviews hailing Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" as a brilliant and transcendent look at how America has become a culture of fear, gun nuts and conservatism, it made my mental list of DVDs to rent, and then of DVDs to own. Then, after Moore's scathingly anti-Bush acceptance speech at the 2003 Academy Awards for "Bowling for Columbine," I wanted to watch his documentary even more so I could dispel it as self-serving, politically motivated propaganda to make Moore's stubbly, bespectacled face the beacon of all things liberal and good. Over the long winter break, I finally got around to seeing it.

COMMENTARY

Midnight scream no longer laughable

Having been a Case Hall resident my freshman year and a night receptionist for three years, I have had ample time to watch the degradation of "the midnight scream" ("Harassment stems from finals-week screaming" SN 12/05/03). I say degradation because, when I was a freshman, there was no violent pounding on windows, just stressed-out people riding bikes through the courtyard naked and frustrated people screaming out their anxieties.

COMMENTARY

Bice assumes too much in column

Let's assume you and your posse of moral relativists and freethinkers are correct, Mr. Bice ("Americans fail to think critically, fooled easily" SN 12/04). All God-fearing people must be fools.

COMMENTARY

Having faith is not an irrational idea

I cannot believe John Bice would assume all people of religious faith to be ignorant ("Americans fail to think critically, fooled easily" SN 12/4). Certainly a rational man like Bice would see just how irrational an idea such as that is.

COMMENTARY

Christians can base their faith on fact

John Bice in his recent column ("Americans fail to think critically, fooled easily" SN 12/04/03) has truly encouraged us to think critically.

COMMENTARY

Gender identity clause not enough

I applaud MSU for adding gender identity to the harassment clause of their anti-discrimination policy, but chide the administration for not including gender identity in the discrimination clause.

COMMENTARY

Commuter takes on parking police one phone call at a time

Last semester I paid $3,414 to MSU - and all I got was this lousy $40 parking ticket. Reason being? Our own wonderful Department of Police and Public Safety Parking Services, of course.

COMMENTARY

Education before parking citations

I have a modest proposal for dealing with MSU's anticipated funding cuts that should excite the lovely folks at the Department of Police and Public Safety.

COMMENTARY

No excuses

In their heyday, the Los Angeles - now Oakland - Raiders had the notoriety as the dirtiest football team in the league.

COMMENTARY

Writer's claim is invalid to scientists

Steve Duane asserted in his letter to the editor ("Creationism a belief, can't be disproved" SN 12/4) that creationist views are not debated in scientific settings due to "philosophically challenged scientists." More astonishing than this broadside against scientists is the fact that his sentence immediately preceding this one accurately proclaimed why creationism is not taught or debated in the scientific realm.

COMMENTARY

Fair trial

When America woke up on Dec. 14, a shaggy face crawled from a hole in the ground dominating the airwaves and our attention. Fugitive Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was now neutralized and the ideological culmination of the second Gulf War seemed apparent. When he was captured, he wanted to bargain.

COMMENTARY

Nobody is prepared to enter Spartan Country

Though few gray threads weave through his hair, my father, a model product of the 1950s' school of thought, sat me down on the eve of my departure to this university four years ago. "Kevin, you're going to experience and witness new things in college," he said from beneath his serious brow.

COMMENTARY

Winners & Losers

A lot went down in 2003, from Operation Iraqi Freedom to our own university president heading off to Baghdad to rebuild the country's economy.

COMMENTARY

T-shirts protected by free speech

In regard to this whole "offensive" T-shirt debacle, I need to lend in my two cents. Yes, the shirts were offensive; they didn't offend me personally, but apparently, some people (albeit, it appears to be a small group) found the shirts offensive.

COMMENTARY

Students need to relax, take criticism

In response to Steve Schauer's letter "Math valuable beyond classes" I would like to say a few things. First off, when did this school become so uptight?

COMMENTARY

Kyoto cop out

Industrialized nations would be smart to dust off their spectacles and realize the problem of global warming is looming much closer than it might seem. The United States and Russia, two of the world's biggest producers of greenhouse gas emissions, have rejected the accord aimed at putting an end to global warming.

COMMENTARY

Americans fail to think critically, fooled easily

According to Nicholas Kristof, an opinion columnist for The New York Times, "Americans are three times as likely to believe in the virgin birth of Jesus (83 percent) as in evolution (28 percent)." Somehow, Americans find a claim with no evidence more compelling than a scientific theory with a vast mountain of supporting data gathered from varied disciplines.

COMMENTARY

Trimming budgets

Just hope that MSU President M. Peter McPherson doesn't start sitting down with University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Gov.

COMMENTARY

Seniors' gifts should give back to 'U'

Arthur Alcid

December 4, 2003

Because of the state budget crisis, funding for universities has decreased significantly. Universities are increasingly relying on private donations from alumni to provide additional funding.

COMMENTARY

Creationism a belief, can't be disproved

This is in response to Katie Lander's letter, "Creationism has been disproved". In it she contends that creationism has no place in scientific debate because it's "been disproved by modern science." That's a bald-faced lie.