Opinion

Obama's administration will end lies about medical cannabis use

Editor, One change we can expect to see in president-elect Barack Obama's administration is the end of government lies, half-truths and propaganda concerning medical use of cannabis. Due to many government-recorded and verifiable facts, some Americans know the Bush administration's Garrison Courtney, spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration, is not telling the truth when he claims "There is no such thing as medical marijuana.

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Schrader's lifestyle not an issue; government the real problem

Editor, Andres Saenz, Don Schrader may be called an Albuquerque fixture. What's interesting is that your response fixates upon and into individual style or level of thinking that has held us back from progress and momentum of which we are or all can be equal in.

Clinton's cabinet position conflicts with 'change'

President-elect Barack Obama's previous competitor is now teaming up with him as his secretary of state. It was very nice that Obama asked his rival to work with him. He probably recognized the positive influence she could have on the American people and the added effect that she could have on the female population.

Fewer abortions would happen if people exercised self-control

Editor, This letter is in response to James Letterhos' column published Monday. I have been reading the back-and-forth letters and columns on abortion printed in the Daily Lobo for many years, and I have finally decided to take part in the discussion. I am a Christian but will try to make my arguments from a mostly secular point of view.

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University's focus on retention sacrifices quality of education

Editor, Our government created the housing bubble by insisting that lenders extend mortgages to low-income buyers. Our policy induced greedy loan practices through the quasi-public companies Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which backed millions in shaky mortgages.

Ask Dr. Peg

Dear Dr. Peg, I have been addicted to heroin for more than six months now. While I have never used the drug intravenously, I still must smoke every day to function normally. I have wanted to quit since school started, but I'm so scared my schoolwork, job and general life will suffer.

Column: Abortion is a woman's choice

Abortion is perhaps the most dangerous subject in modern conversation. While some say it is a moral gray area, there are others who claim it has no place in today's society. The real question is, Why should the opinions of those who want abortion outlawed make the decision for every person in the nation? To bring some readers up to speed, abortion existed for years before it was legalized.

Admissions Office works hard to make transfer process easy

Editor, I disagree with GPSA President Chris Ramirez. As a former staff member of the Admissions Office and someone who worked on transfer articulation, I know Admissions and the transfer articulation team works very hard with the community colleges and branches in New Mexico, as well as other states.

Freshmen need basic skills more than they need 'real professors'

Editor, I read with dismay the statement that freshmen need "real professors teaching" as opposed to "graduate students," a statement attributed to Manzano High School counselor Ronald Smith in Wednesday's article on admissions. This is very offensive. I have taught more than 200 students at UNM for the past four years and at three other institutions of higher education.

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Long pushed players to succeed

I met Rocky Long in the late '90s when I was on the Athletic Council, a futile attempt on the part of the faculty to exercise some control over UNM athletics. Someone suggested we send a faculty liaison to each of the sports in order to, well, liaise with them.

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U.S. could solve its problems if everyone lived like Schrader

Editor, In defense of Don Schrader, embarrassment is also an expression of pity. It is embarrassing to see someone totally unaware of his public self-indictment. Andres Saenz's diatribe against Schrader is filled with clandestine homophobia and all sorts of latent racism directed against a hapless individual whose only offense is to point out the offensive hypocrisies that govern and corrupt this country.

Obama threatens citizens' Second Amendment rights

Editor, The Second Amendment says, "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Presently, the right to bear arms is being threatened by Barack Obama. A firearm is a tool.

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Abortion-rights arguments ignore the truth: A baby dies

Editor, In their respective letters to the editor, Betty Blackburn and Kysten Diener tell us how society is better because we have unfettered abortion, offering arguments that ignore the fundamental issue: Abortion kills a baby. The straw-man arguments are the slogans and mantras that ignore this basic truth.

UNM needs to encourage extracurricular opportunities

Editor, I applied for a prestigious, unpaid biology internship in San Diego. It is a 40-hour-a-week, 16-week commitment, including lectures, research and field trips. I thought it reasonable to get a jump on the process with the Biology Department to ensure I would get credit for it.