COMMENTARY

Wal-welcome

Company officials of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced Wednesday their antidiscrimination policy has been amended to include homosexuals.

COMMENTARY

State legislatures too incompetent

In response to "Frist opposes gay marriage" (SN 6/30), Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., doesn't sound compassionate or conservative saying: "Generally, I think matters such as sodomy should be addressed by the state legislatures." Sorry Frist, but Michigan's legislature, as one example, seemed to not have the backbone to touch our state's outdated law that made oral and anal sex between adults, straight and gay, illegal. Yet the state Legislature can update its salary regularly. They meet three days a week and earn $77,260 a year.

COMMENTARY

Learning to shop

Sending K-12 students to malls for field trips is a good idea as long as it's an appropriate group being sent, such as one that teaches students how businesses market their products. But field trips need to be more than entertainment - rather, infotainment. The Oakland Press reported for a Saturday story that some Michigan educators believe students can benefit from field trips to retail centers. "So much is required of the schools and students these days that any time spent away from the classroom would have to have a valuable academic purpose," Kay Cornell, assistant superintendent for instruction with the Royal Oak School District, told The Oakland Press. But students who aren't of the right age to appreciate the inner workings of the consumer-driven economy shouldn't be expected to grasp the value of hands-on education in the mall.

COMMENTARY

Enjoy who you are, don't attempt to be someone else

I'd like to paraphrase a story I read in a very interesting book, "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff. There once was an old woodcutter who lived in China.

COMMENTARY

Bush's challenge childish, arrogant

I am writing in regards to President Bush's comments on Wednesday regarding the reoccurring ambush-style attacks of our soldiers in Iraq.

COMMENTARY

Nursing College working with 'U'

I appreciate The State News' interest in the College of Nursing and the nursing shortage. However, the editorial "Unhealthy cuts" (SN 6/30) requires clarification of facts. The College of Nursing has not downsized by reducing the number of students.

COMMENTARY

Tolerance needed in times of change

Wake up America, the world and its ways are changing and there is nothing that you can do to stop it.

COMMENTARY

Start to finish

While legislatures across the country are trying to repair state budgets, a team of 20 men and women, led by MSU President M.

COMMENTARY

Front page story one-sided, lacking

I'm writing regarding the story "Anything but black and white," (SN 6/26) about the affirmative action ruling by the Supreme Court and the Monique Walker interview.

COMMENTARY

Republicans not all bad, conforming

I am writing in response to the letter "Conservatives hold one-sided argument" (SN 6/30). I feel Rob Huber has unjustly stereotyped MSU Republicans.

COMMENTARY

Fourth of July can be explosive fun when left to professionals

It's easy to be reminded of the Fourth of July holiday with the senses that fill our memories - the delicious aroma of barbecues, the sun's warm kiss embracing us while we lounge poolside and most fantastic of all are the fireworks that dazzle our eyes in the twilight hours of our nation's birthday.

COMMENTARY

Vanquish vertical

Simply changing the shape of driver's licenses will do little in the battle against the problem of underage drinking. But it will prove to be very effective at wasting money and accomplishing little else. A new law was instated which requires the state to start a $1 million project to issue vertically designed driver's licenses and I.D.

COMMENTARY

Diversity problem not just black, white

After reading numerous articles written on the debate over the recent affirmative action decision, I find myself very upset. I believe there is too much of a focus on how the decision will have an affect on African Americans.

COMMENTARY

Editorial makes too general statement

I have one question in response to the edit "Late advances" (SN 6/30). I am not disagreeing with the viewpoint that sodomy shouldn't be touched by the government. However, on the same platform, shouldn't marijuana be legalized?

COMMENTARY

Race wrong to be advancement factor

Many of you who read The State News are MSU students. You didn't get there solely because you're a minority or a majority.

COMMENTARY

Wealthy, not needy, rewarded by U-M

Elissa Bretz's criticism of State News columnist Jason Miller wasn't true ("Columnist lacks research in writing," SN 6/30), because she misses the reality of what race-based admissions do to applicants.

COMMENTARY

State delivers

Creating additional jobs in Benton Harbor is a step in the right direction of rectifying the underlying issues that fueled the city's riots. But it's a shame it took such an uproar to call attention to the severe economic problems that encompass the area.

COMMENTARY

Costly errors

In trying financial times, it's not good public policy to also deny aid to those who need economic support, but needlessly forfeit money to the federal government. But Michigan is apparently doing both.

COMMENTARY

Mainstream media wrong to ignore minority hate crimes

A while ago I wrote a column about the tragically growing trend of young murder victims due to their real or perceived gender transgressions ("Day offers remembrance, reflection on life's struggles", SN 11/21). The numbers are ever soaring, the victims and perpetrators alike getting younger, the murders ever more brutal. One of the many transgender hate crime victims was 17-year-old transwoman Gwen Araujo of Newark, Calif.

COMMENTARY

Affirmative action fuels discrimination

Andrew Goetz was off the mark in his column dealing with affirmative action ("Conservatives inconsistent with policy," SN 6/26). What most Democrats and some Republicans do not realize is that affirmative action, and other similar programs, are fundamentally flawed.