Opinions

The battle for the 51st state: Against Puerto Rican Statehood

By David Konarske · Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012

This election year saw lots of partisan bickering, lots of yard signs and lots of stump speeches. For the most part, it wasn’t much different from past elections. However, there was a unique development that seems to have gone unnoticed by many Americans: The people of Puerto Rico have voted that they want to add their star to the U.S. flag and become the nation’s 51st state.

Corrections

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012

In the Nov. 11 Eastern Echo article “Get money out of politics: Cost to elect president was around $6 billion,” the figure spent in opposition to Hoekstra was incorrectly stated as about $1.4 million and should have read about $1,455.

Windows 8: A step forward

By David Konarske · Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012

Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system has been out for almost three weeks and it is a good next step in the evolution of the OS. I downloaded my upgrade the day after it came out and only paid $15 for it since I bought my laptop in June.

Syrian president must be held accountable

By Robert Uldricks · Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012

Now that the election is over, something should be done about the very sticky situation in Syria. It would be in the best interests of America if we helped Syrians fire their leader.

Elections indicate progress

By Patrick Seick · Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012

With the closing of election season, we can revel in two immediately obvious conclusions: First, the incessant, oft uninformed political chatter on social media will end and second, the re-election of President Barack Obama wasn’t the only thing social liberals had to cheer about.

Focus on achievement gap hurts students

By Jodi F. Bullock · Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012

According to AnnArbor.com, over the past six years Ann Arbor Public Schools paid a firm $441,000 of taxpayer money to consult with the district on addressing the achievement gap. Yet for all the money spent, 27 of 33 Ann Arbor schools were recently cited for failing to meet the state of Michigan’s standards.

Get money out of politics: Cost to elect president was around $6 billion

By James Tatum · Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012

The election season is over and by estimates from the Center for Responsive Politics, it cost $6 billion to elect our president. Records from the International Monetary Fund show that is more than the gross domestic product of several small nations like Grenada, Malawi and Belize.

Federal government needs to let states decide on drugs

By Chris Hoitash · Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012

So, who wants some legal weed and a political science debate? The November elections are over, but the aftershocks shall permeate the political sphere for some time. A new dilemma has formed from the elections, and the answer isn’t as clear to the powers that be as it needs to be.

Be humane when you have choices to eat meat

By Jumanah Saadeh · Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012

There is so much to say on the topic of eating meat: The treatment of animals at the slaughterhouses, how the meat is processed, the health considerations in eating meat, accessibility of quality meat, mass consumption and so on.

Letter to the Editor

By Arturo Rodriguez · Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012

Dear Editor, In response to the Oct. 17 Eastern Echo article, “Dream Act a bad idea, gives scholarships to wrong people” by David Konarske, I applaud his strong stance on the controversial issue and further appreciate his opinion on the subject. It isn’t an everyday occurrence that undocumented students, not “illegal immigrants,” receive the attention and publicity they deserve.

Getting tired of just a two party system

By Patrick Seick · Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012

By the time these words are printed and read, the oh-so important presidential election will already be over. We will know whether our country will ascend to unprecedented heights of glory or plummet to the status of a developing nation. Of course, the closing of the electric campaign season means, perhaps most importantly, the end of irritating, often-misinformed tweets and Facebook statuses pertaining to elections.

Concept by Sammy DeMarco and drawn by David Woodward (The Eastern Echo/2012).

Deliver worthier news, not just horse race stats

By Sammy DeMarco · Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012

Answer this question: Why was it important to know which presidential candidate was leading in the national polls on October 22? If you properly answered “It wasn’t” then you may move on to the next column. However, if your interest is sparked, continue reading.

‘Star Wars’ distracts from disaster, politics

By Robert Uldricks · Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012

Lately something happened to shock me out of a state of newsy apathy. Between the onslaught of mind numbing political drivel and the terrifying prospect of New York City going without subway service, I heard on Halloween that the Walt Disney Co. had bought Lucasfilm Ltd., the company behind the 1977 sci-fi classic “Star Wars.” Finally the news media reports something of substance.

Disney, ‘Star Wars’ merge unwelcome

By Chris Hoitash · Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012

As Friedrich Nietzsche once famously said, the Force is dead. Who killed it? Hard to say, really. An Oct. 31 Associated Press article said “A decade since George Lucas said ‘Star Wars’ was finished on the big screen, a new trilogy under new ownership is destined for theaters after The Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that it would buy Lucasfilm Ltd. from him for $4.05 billion.”

Economy not only important issue

By Casey Wooley · Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012

The presidential debates are over, and we’re winding down the last few days before the election on Nov. 6. The candidates are crisscrossing the nation, hitting the very limited barrage of swing states that remain, seven now according to NBC News, and those of us here, enshrined in reality, are ready for it to be over with.

Why is fair pay a controversy?

By James Tatum · Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012

The most inept comment to come from a Republican official this election season wasn’t from Richard Mourdock, the Senate candidate in Indiana, or from Todd Akin, a candidate in Missouri, both of whom made outlandish comments about rape. Women’s health wasn’t the issue either.