Opinion - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

Changes to policy would remove needed coverage

April 1

Editor, I feel fortunate to have the type of cancer I am living with. How many UNM staff can say that? Cancer and other catastrophic life-altering diagnoses are becoming the norm these days. And as I review the catastrophic leave policy that is currently out for comment by staff, faculty and students, I am stricken by the fact that the proposed changes do away with much of the coverage previously afforded to my co-workers struggling with chemotherapy, dialysis or other intermittent out-patient care for their diagnosis.

Opinion

UNM making statement by charging group for cleanup

April 1

Editor, I am astounded that the only story that made it to the front page of the Daily Lobo was not about the 600 or so people who demonstrated peacefully against the UNM war research facilities March 15, but rather about a few individuals who apparently did some silly graffiti in the area.

Opinion

Cleaning and babysitting not responsibility of police

April 1

Editor, I always get a kick out of what crazy leftists say, but Terry Riley's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Friday arguing that Stop the War Machine should not have to pay the fine by blaming the police really made my day. He seems to be upset that the police didn't get involved during the event to stop any of the destructive behavior.

Opinion

Israel-Palestinian outcome will be two separate states

March 31

Editor, I am rather amused by Vicki Johnson's letter comparing Israel to Communist China published in the Daily Lobo on Thursday. Let us take a step back from these absurd comparisons. It is never wise to compare the complexities of one region to another very different region.

Opinion

Torture incidents in Israel don't compare to China's

March 31

Editor, Vicki Johnson's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Thursday contains refugee figures extremely inaccurate and four to six times higher than the numbers given even by the Palestinians and the UN. Following is the highest official UN estimate: In 1948, there were 726,000 Arab refugees, according to the Final Report of the United Nations Economic Survey Mission for the Middle East published by the United Nations Conciliation Commission issued on Dec.

Opinion

Military dishes millions for UNM's weapons research

March 31

Editor, The story "Campus was vandalized during protest, police say" published in the Daily Lobo on Wednesday makes no mention of exactly why approximately 600 students, activists and community members from 50 different organizations choose to mark the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq on UNM campus.

Opinion

Entertainment is not free; music should have a price

March 28

Editor, I must respond to the latest letter in the Daily Lobo by a student complaining about the Recording Industry Association of America's lawsuits. Marco Gutierrez, in his letter published Wednesday, employs an emotionally loaded analogy comparing being served with a lawsuit to extortion and even a contract murder by the mafia.

Opinion

The base of education is in values, never just the facts

March 28

Editor, This letter is in response to Johnny L. Wilson's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Thursday. Wilson, I appreciate your statements, though I do not agree with the position of your organization. I am not writing to criticize those positions but to make sure that readers of your letter do not unfairly distinguish between moral values and factual information, as though they are opposite.

Opinion

Contrary to popular belief, hookah smoke is not safe

March 28

Editor, The beautiful picture on Page One of Tuesday's Daily Lobo was a great shot of spring arriving on campus - a young couple, a picnic cooler, a beautiful spring day. We hate to be the ones to offer a discouraging word, but someone has got to do it. The only thing about this beautiful scene that calls for comment is the hookah.

Opinion

Police should help out, not just collect evidence

March 28

Editor, I read an entry on the Stop the War Machine Listserv today that spurred me to write this letter. At issue is red handprints around the UNM campus placed during a demonstration by Stop the War Machine. The University's argument is the "damage" happened during the demonstration on March 15.

Opinion

Sex education should be based on facts, not morals

March 27

Editor, This letter is in response to John Bauer's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Tuesday. Bauer, please let the rest of us decide what our sexual values are. Your input is certainly fine, but the underlying expectation that we all adopt your values is insulting.

Opinion

China compares with Israel in human rights violations

March 27

Editor, Readers found Richard M. Berthold's column published in the Daily Lobo on March 14 in which he compared Israel with the Nazi government objectionable. In late 2006, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the U.

Opinion

Diet, exercise prevent diabetes

Peggy Spencer Columnist | March 27

Dear Dr. Peg, It seems like a lot of people have diabetes now. Some of my friends even have insulin pumps. If I stop eating sugar, can I prevent getting diabetes? Dear Sugar-free, You're right. A lot of people have diabetes now, more and more every year. It is a huge health problem and a major cause of disability and death.

Opinion

RIAA must stop targeting students at universities

March 26

Editor, The mob often takes out its enemies in a gruesome fashion as a way to warn others to fall in line. That could be said about the campaign over the past four years instigated by the dreaded Recording Industry Association of America, which has been on a mission to stop or slow down the practice of illegal music downloading from the Internet.

Opinion

University must support students who are parents

March 26

Editor, I'm glad to read that the UNM Board of Regents has decided to recognize parents by forming a parents' association. After all, parents and families are important to the future of UNM. But parents of UNM students aren't the only families connected to UNM.

Opinion

Israel column was shallow, deceptive and full of hatred

March 26

Editor, A number of articles were published recently in the Daily Lobo concerning the Israeli-Arab conflict. While the majority of them, if not all, were superficial and misleading, the last one, by Richard M. Berthold, was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Opinion

Sex education should have foundation in moral values

March 25

Editor, Jason Darensburg's letter published in the Daily Lobo on March 13 concerning high rates of sexually transmitted infections among teenagers sadly misses the mark. To blame the Bush administration and religious fanatics for these sad statistics lacks both depth and understanding.

Opinion

Tirade on Israel marked by inexplicable jaded hatred

March 25

Editor, Richard M. Berthold joined academics' agitation propaganda against Israel in the March 14 edition of the Daily Lobo. Agitation propaganda is used to discredit and delegitimize Israel's right to existential defense. Appallingly, Berthold juxtaposes the actions of Hitler's racist Nazi regime with Israel's justifiable security efforts as he declares "the haunting echoes of that same evil presence in Israel's policies.

Opinion

China can no longer conceal Tibet's plight

Santhosh Chandrashekar columnist | March 25

What happens when you jam the lid on a pot with contents ready to spill over? Tibet. The obscure Himalayan country that inspired a few Hollywood flicks was a lost cause just a few weeks ago. But not anymore. The snow lion's roar may well wake up the international community to the cause of Tibet.

Opinion

FDA should disapprove of toxic chemical in food

March 24

Editor, Aspartame is a proven neurotoxic artificial sweetener whose approval was forced in 1981 by the then-CEO of Searle - none other than Donald Rumsfeld. He made $12 million to $15 million on that deal alone. Efforts proceed in Hawaii and New Mexico to ban it.