Opinions - The Eastern Echo

More pieces of democracy go into the wastebasket

By John G. Fike · Sunday, March 9, 2014

While we were away on winter recess, some more pieces of democracy have been trashed or made ready for disposal. We’ve already seen how the Supreme Court has allowed whoever has enough money to buy elections, just as corporate lobbyists buy legislative favors. Now, more of our rights as citizens are being thrown in the wastebasket.

Fix our roads!

By James Tatum · Sunday, March 9, 2014

From casual observance our roads appear to be worse than ever. Which is why I am (and you should be) utterly perplexed as to why our state Legislature intends to waste money to cut taxes rather than fix our roads.

Stop minimizing verbal abuse

By Quinn Ellison · Wednesday, March 5, 2014

The fact that emotional abuse has negative effects on people who are abused is not a new revelation. It is apparent that this is the case from the experiences of people working in the mental health and social work fields, from psychological research and most importantly, from the lived experiences of people who have survived abuse.

A tax cut for Detroiters

By James Tatum · Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Detroit should cut taxes. More specifically, it should eliminate its income tax of 2.4 percent. As part of the city’s plan of adjustment, a formal outline for solvency that was submitted to the federal bankruptcy court in February, it appears the city has other ideas. Namely it intends to collect income taxes from residents known as reverse commuters – people who live in the city but work in other areas. Former Mayor Dave Bing estimated $142 million in income tax revenue went uncollected in 2009, and the city wants that money.

Start listening

By Jumanah Saadeh · Wednesday, March 5, 2014

“Are you listening?” This is one of the most common questions that someone will be asked during their relationships, whether familial, romantic or professional. Our efficiency in communicating is very poor. We focus on talking, not listening.

Universal Income

By Anthony Alaniz · Sunday, March 2, 2014

Switzerland will soon vote on a radical new law that will guarantee every citizen receives $2,800 a month regardless of whether they are working or not. While it may seem okay for the generally socialistic Swiss to even consider such a bill, having such a program in America, where we value the one over the many, could have great benefits.

Race keeps U.S. from caring

By John G. Fike · Sunday, March 2, 2014

Don’t you think it’s curious that while the rest of the developed world has created significant social safety nets, policy makers in the U.S. are still mired down in old-fashioned ideas that those who are poor or ill or old bring their misfortune on themselves?

Opportunity cost, opportunity lost

By James Tatum · Sunday, March 2, 2014

“Colorado Expects to Reap Tax Bonanza From Legal Marijuana Sales” was a headline which appeared in the New York Times over Winter break.

Interracial dating

By Kimberly Lewis · Sunday, March 2, 2014

I was 15 and participating in a program that included all kinds of students from the Midwest. We stayed in Marquette, Mich. for an entire summer going on field trips, taking summer classes, camping and, of course, dating. A group of students were having a conversation about race and dating; Jim, a group advisor, chimed in on the discussion sharing his experiences and explained how college was an eye-opening time for him. Jim said he had never met what he referred to as a black-haired person, a person outside of the Caucasian race, until he went to college.

Eastern is on the right path with reflection rooms

By Jumanah Saadeh · Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014

Stress is an inescapable part of life, but its accumulation is detrimental to our health. Its toll on our bodies, however, could be eased if only there was a place where students could get away from the hubbub of life and just enjoy the blessed silence.

Is it time to end the death penalty?

By Anthony Alaniz · Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014

America has always held itself to a higher standard than the rest of the world, yet the continued practice and use of the death penalty is just one example of how our country morally lags behind two-thirds of the world that has already abolished capital punishment. We, as a country, should be able to take the higher road than we are now.

Bisexuality misunderstood

By Quinn Ellison · Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014

Attitudes towards people who identify as bisexual seem to be lagging behind the growing acceptance of gay and lesbian-identified people.

Attention Deficit Disorder is as much about nurture as it is nature

By Jumanah Saadeh · Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

At one point or another, many of us have joked about having the attention span of a goldfish. The joke “I’m ADD, attention deficit dis… hey look, a butterfly!” and others like it make light of what is actually an overall culture of distraction.

Informed voting can help prevent bad politics

By John Keeth · Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

When people try to pay attention to politics, they are often put off by the arguments that seem to go nowhere, the problems that never seem to get fixed and the steady stream of contradictory information coming from both sides.

Lokale Wirtschaftsentwicklung seminar on economy enlightening

By James Tatum · Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

On Feb. 14th, in room 421 of Pray-Harrold, students from the University of Applied Sciences, Kehl, Germany presented their research on local economic development.

Teach For America helps to inspire students

By Tiffany Williams · Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

I knew I was exactly where I needed to be when Stephanie looked up at me after finishing her math exam and said, “I did it.” I had challenged my students to grow two grade levels in math in one year – undoubtedly a significant feat that I knew would be difficult to attain. But for Stephanie, it wasn’t enough. Even as a sixth-grader, her focus was on completing the same problems her cousins in high school were working on. Her passion was math, and she pushed me, her mother and her grandmother to set the bar even higher. It was my first year of teaching special education students in Philadelphia as part of the Teach For America program, and Stephanie was one of the dozens of bright, young kids that I had the pleasure of working with each day.

We must ensure separation of church, health care

By Anthony Alaniz · Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014

When you rush to the hospital in excruciating pain, the last thing you would expect is to be sent home untreated. Well, that is what happened to Michigan resident Tamesha Means in December 2010 – twice.

Homelessness cannot be written off with stereotypes

By Kimberly Lewis · Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014

I once met a girl that was convinced that the majority of, if not all, homeless people were lazy, uneducated, irresponsible drug addicts.

Diseases resurface with decline in vaccinations

By Quinn Ellison · Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014

Despite the continuing technological and scientific advances in medicine, old disease threats are starting to resurface as public health problems.

College, trade school education should be encouraged

By James Tatum · Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014

In his budget proposal sent to the state Legislature, Gov. Rick Snyder, Republican of the Great Lakes State, requested funds for a 6.1 percent hike in aid to universities. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, asked for $34 million so that he could waive the cost of tuition for community college.