Opinions - The Eastern Echo

Ypsilanti needs more heavy industry jobs

By James Tatum · Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013

“More than 2 million manufacturing jobs disappeared during the 2007-09 recession,” said a recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. A fraction of those jobs disappeared from the city of Ypsilanti when the ACH (Visteon) auto-plant owned by Ford Motor Company closed in 2008.

Bin Laden isn’t America’s only terrorist

By John G. Fike · Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013

In September 2001 Osama bin Laden launched a terrorist attack on the heart of capitalism, when al-Qaida operatives flew passenger airliners into the World Trade Center. That horrendous disaster stunned Americans with more than 3,000 deaths, allowing George W. Bush to grab his chance to start the “War on Terror.”

Eastern Michigan’s art, music need attention too

By Jess J. Salisbury · Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013

Did you know that I have the approximate athletic ability of a tree stump? If you’ve read pretty much any of my editorials, you do. I tend to rant about that a lot.

America and the war on everything: a love story

By Anthony Alaniz · Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013

America loves war. We may complain about the costs, why we are putting soldiers in harm’s way and even the reasons why we are going, but in the end, our country’s policies enjoy showering the disenfranchised with democracy bombs. Nothing screams freedom like blowing up a country.

As auto industry crumbles, Ypsi must find a new ‘castle’

By James Tatum · Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013

The World Bank has devised a way to assess the urban competitiveness of a city, a rubric that uses four elements: economic structure, territorial endowment, human resources and institutional milieu.

Al Willman can be heard every week on the Eastern Echo Sports Podcast with Sports Editor Eugene Evans. The podcast can be found on SoundCloud or by searching for the podcast on iTunes.

COLUMN: EMU football will rise again

By Al Willman · Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013

The Eastern Michigan University football team just fired its head coach, the last thing the fans need are people calling for the team to drop down a division or, even worse, cut the program altogether.

COLUMN: Eastern should drop its football program

By Eugene Evans · Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013

There comes a time in life where one must realize when a situation is so inoperable that you have to pull the plug on even if you do not want to.

College life gives students opportunities to explore

By Jumanah Saadeh · Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013

I love college. You know why? Because of the opportunities it gives those of us fortunate enough to be here. Students should actively take advantage of the possibilities this time offers.

Two are better than one: Consider a double major

By Professor Abdullah A. Dewan · Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013

Indubitably, a single major with a minor is no match for a double major in terms of job prospects, higher salary expectations and opportunities for graduate studies with financial support.

Society must find new ways to ‘do good’

By John G. Fike · Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013

Ever notice how difficult it is now to do good? Many do what’s politically expedient, or what they calculate is in their own self-interest. But doing good, especially working with others to stop the effects of economic violence on our citizens, can earn a pretty sharp rap on the knuckles from the boss, the police and the media.

American education not providing desired results

By Anthony Alaniz · Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013

America is facing an education crisis. As a country, our ranking in the world as an educational powerhouse is slowly slipping away. Finland and South Korea are current beacons of educational might. Those two countries produce some of the best students in the world, yet America, one of the most prosperous and wealthiest nations, struggles with the concept of quality public education.

Mayoral power over metropolitan economies

By James Tatum · Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013

After the financial crisis, if it was not clear that we live in a worldwide economy, it is clear now. Stories about auto plant closures have been replaced by hysteria over Greece’s debt burden and our own fiscal crises. Local unemployment rates have been put in the context of data from the International Monetary Fund. The whole affair can make local politics seem trivial. And even mayors with considerable renown like Michael Bloomberg of New York, Julian Castro of San Antonio and Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans can seem inert.

COLUMN: English lost his team's respect, then his job.

By Al Willman · Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013

Ron English proved me right. That was going to be my lead for the column I had planned on writing, after the Eastern Michigan University football coach was fired Friday. I was going to applaud his firing, though curiously timed, because I thought it should have been done a year ago.

Modern news media unreliable, pandering to government

By Anthony Alaniz · Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013

The 24-hour news cycle circus is a great example of American idiocy. A cat on jet-skis juggling flaming chainsaws is not, and never will be, news.

Is it time for America to legalize the use of marijuana?

By Joe Israel · Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013

Two days ago, voters in three separate Michigan communities had the final say in deciding whether or not local police would arrest recreational marijuana users.

Ideas from TED talks may be useful for citizens in urban communities

By James Tatum · Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013

To stay with the theme of my previous column, published earlier this week, I would like to share a few TED “talks” for citizens of urban communities. The TED (Technology, Engineering, Design) conference series was started in 1984 as a forum for the hard sciences, but quickly became a forum for all innovative ideas in areas like health care, public-policy and finance.

Technology takes away conversational intimacy

By Tommy Barker · Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013

Mark Twain put it best when he was quoted as saying, “Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true.” His words emphasize just how powerful personal communiqué is against technology’s inability to properly convey our own complex sentiments and passions.

TED presents ideas local politicians should consider

By James Tatum · Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

I’ve chosen four different TED talks that in total could be watched within an hour, and that I would like to share with local officials in the city of Ypsilanti.

Chivalry, feminism can go hand-in-hand

By Jess J. Salisbury · Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

Modern society seems to have this love-hate relationship with the concept of chivalry.

How can people still trust their government?

By Anthony Alaniz · Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

“If you like your health insurance, you can keep it,” President Barack Obama said in 2009 and 2010 as he advocated for the passage of health care reform. That line is now being played over and over in the news media in light of evidence that Obama’s assurances may have been less than truthful.