Opinions - The Eastern Echo

No, you do not have the right to not be offended

By Jacques Vorves · Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016

No matter how hostile, how vitriolic it may be at times, freedom of speech is not something we should take lightly.

'Electioneering' and the Front National

By C.A. Joseph Peters · Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015

In the U.S., we use a first-past-the-post system in our elections, meaning that whoever wins a majority of the vote—even if this is only 51 percent versus 49 percent—wins that election.

Political parties need to respond to their voters

By C.A. Joseph Peters · Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015

The Democratic elite may support Clinton, one of my classmates told me in one of our many political back-and-forths, but Democrats as a whole support Bernie Sanders.

The opioid epidemic is a lie

By Michael Negron · Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015

Many people have talked about the failure of the war on drugs. It's no secret that in spite of decades of attempts, little to nothing has improved.

The case for boots on the ground: why the U.S. should send ground troops to fight the Islamic State

By Mathew Weick · Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015

After the Paris attacks, Francois Hollande swore to wage a merciless war against Islamic State, against which France, Germany, the United States, and even Russia have all intensified their strikes.

Stop the Christmas 'tug of war'

By Jane Mandley · Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015

In a previous article I brought some issues to light that can help explain why some Christians may react so extremely and perpetuate this War on Christmas.

The shooting in Colorado shows how little people actually know about Planned Parenthood

By Micaela Stevenson · Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015

If you were paying attention to the news like I was, it was hard to miss the active shooter outside of a Planned Parenthood in Colorado over the Thanksgiving recess.

College students should be tax exempt

By Micaela Stevenson · Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015

Like many students, I am employed through my university, and, even though I have a place to live with a meal plan, I often find myself desperately trying to scrape together enough money to buy my textbooks at the beginning of each semester (and I know I am not the only one who gets a twinge of pain after searching endlessly for the textbook I need and shelling out hundreds of dollars). With the cost of attending college, combined with the often low-income status of many students, college students should not be taxed. According to Time, the average person will pay 20 percent of their federal income to taxes.

Trump's "great, great wall"

By Jacques Vorves · Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015

Contrary to what people like Donald Trump might believe, our borders are not being overrun by Mexicans.

Are Christians' fears over the "War on Christmas" justified?

By Jane Mandley · Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015

Having closed the doors on Thanksgiving dinner, we’ve taken the full plunge into the Christmas season.

When art enables abuse

By Michael Negron · Monday, Nov. 30, 2015

In most forms of journalism and critique, there's an aspiration toward objectivity. Certainly, some forms call on it more than others, but in the world that I come from—music criticism and, in a larger context, culture journalism—the opinions of the writer are inextricably linked to the subject they're courting.

College sports should be defunded

By Micaela Stevenson · Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015

Most people now need a college degree in order to achieve the lifestyle they desire, if not something close to it.

Why college students should read on a regular basis

By Micaela Stevenson · Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015

Many college students do more than just go to class. They go to work, they go to clubs, they study, they have friends or families and some even have children they need to take care of.

Commuters can sometimes take family for granted

By Zubin Khan · Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015

Commuting from home has become much more common for college students. In a recent national survey titled “How America Pays for College 2014” by Sally Mae, 54 percent of college students are now living at home.

EMU should offer more support for its premed students

By Micaela Stevenson · Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015

Anyone who knows me knows I am premed. I love to talk to people and I am fascinated with the human body.

France, Beirut and social media

By Zubin Khan · Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015

A series of horrible terrorist attacks across Paris left over a hundred innocent people dead, Friday, November 13.

Trump and Carson: vast differences

By Jane Mandley · Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015

When looking at the two Republican front runners—Donald Trump and Ben Carson—there are a great number of differences between them that cause people, who are thinking of voting Republican, to lean one way or the other.

We need to raise our girls to be strong and to want to pursue their dreams

By Micaela Stevenson · Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015

When most girls are younger, even though they are not directly told be so, girls learn to be cute.

Nous sommes tous Français: We are all French

By C.A. Joseph Peters · Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015

In Paris, Friday evening, in a half-dozen cooperated attacks, men with AK-47s, grenades, shotguns and suicide vests attacked a restaurant, a sold-out concert hall and bombed a stadium.

Stop normalizing violence

By Micaela Stevenson · Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015

We live in a violent day in age. People are killed daily for a variety of reasons and frequently, none of it makes much sense.