COMMENTARY

Filtered

The U.S. Supreme Court should cast aside Congress’ latest attempt to prohibit the posting of explicit material on the Internet as an ineffectual attempt to perform a task that should belong to parents.Justice Department attorneys argue it’s futile to try and keep children off of particular sites on the Internet, with Web navigation as easy or easier than changing the channel on a television.The court is expected to rule next year on whether Congress overstepped the Constitution with a 1998 law meant to curb children’s access to Internet pornography.But just like the protections in place to keep children from accessing pornography on cable TV or to block out particular programming, parents do have access to software to help police their child’s time on the Internet.The use of Internet filters by parents, schools and libraries is a more effective way to keep kids from accessing porn sites - and protects First Amendment rights online.Protecting children from illicit material should be, above all, a parenting issue.

COMMENTARY

Legislators focus misguided with bill

With all the recent tragedy in the United States it is hard to believe members of the Legislature are focusing their efforts on punishing minors and students like us for underage drinking.

COMMENTARY

All you need is to stop showing so much love

For a while now, I have felt vaguely threatened by Oprah Winfrey, and only recently have I realized why.

COMMENTARY

Discrimination affects whites too

You know what? I could be a rich man by now. If I knew all the times I’ve been thrown out of stores I could get $1,000, I would cause a ruckus in every store I went to. I know that is a harsh exaggeration, but I have a point. I have lived in East Lansing for about 17 years.

COMMENTARY

Coverage of racism discriminates too

I have been exceedingly disappointed in the coverage of racism and race relations in The State News as of late.

COMMENTARY

Fieger time

He may be best known for his bombastic style and famous clients, but attorney Geoffrey Fieger proved he has a caring side, too.Tuesday, the MSU-Detroit College of Law announced Fieger, a 1979 DCL graduate, is donating $4 million to give the school the nation’s first trial practice institute for law students.Participants in the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute will have the opportunity to gain experiences through high-tech trial courtrooms, clinics and simulations.The institute is a two-year program designed in collaboration with practicing trial lawyers and judges, giving law students special real-world experience and other lessons to help them be more successful in the courtroom.Fieger’s donation will also help support an annual lecture series that showcases nationally known trial lawyers.

COMMENTARY

DeWeese blew it with missed vote

Gretchen Whitmer is one of the hardest working legislators in the House of Representatives. While she and I do not agree on everything, in the Legislature or on the football field, we were a part of a concerted effort by university administrators, student advocacy groups and legislators throughout the state to repeal the tuition tax credit. Contrary to allegations of partisanship on Whitmer’s part, this was a bipartisan effort to do away with an underutilized program and put dollars back in the pockets of students - a bipartisan effort that failed by one vote. Not only is it not partisanship to point out the measure failed by one vote - it is important for the community to know it failed by the vote of a tardy local representative, Paul DeWeese, who is now running to represent much of the impacted constituency in the state Senate. Rep.

COMMENTARY

How can SN support affirmative action?

I found the editorial “Colorless” (SN 11/27) very ironic, bringing light to the fact that the ethnicity of the Council of Racial Ethnic Students and the Council of Progressive Students liaison is irrelevant.

COMMENTARY

Mall case coverage out of proportion

Am I the only one who thinks there was a huge overreaction by The State News regarding the African American students who were kicked out of the Meridian Mall? I certainly hope not.

COMMENTARY

Safe border, eh

Kudos to MSU President M. Peter McPherson for his involvement in the call for border security talks between the United States and Canada. A letter signed by 21 U.S.

COMMENTARY

Americans need to focus on problems at home before going abroad

It was a little scary on Tuesday morning as I prepared to come to campus. I usually watch “Today” on NBC - one eye on the TV and the other trying to see how badly I have put myself together. In the middle of this fashion disaster, I watched two interesting events unfold.

COMMENTARY

Students power hurt with trustees

On Nov. 13, ASMSU’s Academic Assembly held a forum on how to improve the student body’s ties with the MSU Board of Trustees.

COMMENTARY

MIP or RIP

The fear of getting in trouble for a minor in possession of alcohol infraction is outweighing too many students’ concern for their safety - a dangerous trend that current enforcement policies encourage. Cracking down on underage drinking does not teach responsibility, it only causes students to fear for their legal well-being.

COMMENTARY

Sept. 11 discussions leave out black voices

Within a couple of days following the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, I brought a copy of John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty” to my class on African American political thought, a class with a good mix of white and black students.

COMMENTARY

Colorless

ASMSU’s director of racial, ethnic and progressive student affairs is not a minority - but that shouldn’t be a hindrance to the job. Melanie Olmsted, who is white, was approved by both assemblies of ASMSU to be the official liaison between the undergraduate student government and the Council of Racial Ethnic Students and the Council of Progressive Students. But even though Olmsted is only affiliated with Women’s Council - she’s the group’s former leader - she can be an effective communicator with other groups.

COMMENTARY

Show character, turn down money

It seems as though the Meridian Mall-American Civil Liberties Union debate has come to a close, and a disappointing one at that. Although the truth will be known only to Deb employees and its 10 offended shoppers, the case was an interesting one because both sides refused to accept responsibility and firmly defended themselves. Clearly, Deb and Meridian Mall security did not want a court case, so they agreed to do what was necessary to end the whole affair: Apologize, encourage a diverse workforce and most shockingly, pay the students $1,000 each. I do not view this as a victory for the 10 shoppers claiming discrimination.

COMMENTARY

Charity thanks U for efforts success

On behalf of the American Cancer Society and breast cancer patients and their families throughout mid-Michigan, I would like to thank the students and faculty of MSU for their incredible support of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

COMMENTARY

Federal drilling ban takes states power

The recent signing of a bill banning oil drilling under the Great Lakes is an insult to the people of Michigan and an assault on our ability to manage our resources as we see fit.

COMMENTARY

Cloned

The debate over stem cell research and human cloning has left many camps divided, but new developments threaten to force lawmakers’ hands to a potentially foolish and careless decision. On Sunday, Advanced Cell Technology Inc. of Worchester, Mass., announced that its scientists have created the first cloned human embryo.

COMMENTARY

Language is barrier to learning math

I am writing this letter in response to the article “Math problems left unsolved,” (SN, 11/16). I agree with the Department of Mathematics Chairperson Peter Lappan that foreign teaching assistants’ accents are not the real problem.