Opinion - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

UNM must continue to fund its sustainability program

February 27

Editor, As a young organic farmer in Albuquerque's South Valley, I am impressed with the strong leadership that UNM's Sustainability Studies Program has demonstrated with regard to healthy, sustainable and local food. Three of this program's numerous accomplishments are organizing the first-ever farmers' market on campus, supporting the development of Dragon Farm at South Valley Academy charter high school and initiating a statewide alliance of diverse stakeholders to cut greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and create a carbon-neutral local food shed.

Opinion

No one should be barred from right to self-defense

February 27

Editor, In response to the letter by Melanie Unruh published in the Daily Lobo on Wednesday in which she argues against carrying guns on campus, I offer the following for the consideration of readers. First, to carry a concealed firearm on campus is against the law.

Opinion

Move toward vegan dining reflects nationwide shifts

February 27

Editor, In response to the article titled "On-campus food selection has support of some students" published in the Daily Lobo on Monday, it was encouraging to read Shara Marron's acknowledgement that the University needs to expand the availability of vegetarian and vegan dishes in order to meet student demand.

Opinion

Closing US military bases wouldn't end war for good

February 26

Editor, I mostly agree with William Bolt's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Thursday in support of Rep. Ron Paul for president. To be honest, I like Paul a lot, and if not for his stance on the military, he might have my vote. However, closing all foreign military bases is a very bad idea.

Opinion

Column: Dealing with a drug abuser

February 26

Dear Dr. Peg, I live with my roommate, Ted. He smokes a lot of pot and regularly uses painkillers and ecstasy. He isn't doing bad in school and is very normal otherwise. Should I help him to quit, or is there anything to worry about? Dear Ted's pal, You are in a tough spot.

Opinion

Teaching kids tolerance would help stop violence

February 26

Editor, February - also celebrated as Black History Month - is coming to an end. For the past few years, we have celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday. What I find amazing is that when former President Ronald Reagan signed the bill creating the holiday, it took almost a decade before all 50 states recognized it.

Opinion

People are reluctant to vote but are quick to complain

February 25

Editor, This is in response to Don Schrader's letter published in Tuesday's Daily Lobo. We know Schrader has strong opinions on many subjects, and we see the logic in many of them. His pride and reasoning behind refusing to vote, however, escapes us. We know Schrader is a particularly outspoken advocate against the war in Iraq.

Opinion

Article on resignation lacks accurate picture of conflict

February 25

Editor, After reading both representative Erin McSherry's official complaint and the response given by former elections chairwoman Michelle Touson last week, we believe the Daily Lobo stories regarding recent GPSA controversies have failed to present an accurate picture of the conflict.

Opinion

Licensed gun holders are law-abiding, responsible

February 25

Editor, Melanie Unruh, in her letter published in Wednesday's edition of the Daily Lobo, is proving a very common and troublesome fact about certain sectors of American society. In her letter, she asks if licensed gun holders would make the campus safer and answers her own question with a "no.

Opinion

Raza Graduation rewards underrepresented students

February 25

Editor, Luke Marczak wrote a letter published in the Daily Lobo on Feb. 18 in which he raised concerns on Raza Graduation. He asked for one thing specifically: objectivity. Well Marczak, here it goes. According to the U.S. Census, in 2007, of the 86 percent of adults nationwide who reported finishing high school, only 29 percent had college degrees.

Opinion

2001 saw fiery negotiations on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

February 25

Editor, In his column published in the Daily Lobo on Wednesday, Matthew Chavez makes two assertions that miss the mark. The first assertion concerns the creation of a Palestinian state and the author's statement that "Israeli officials rejected the generous offer - peace for partial deoccupation - Palestinian negotiators presented them at the beginning of 2001.

Opinion

Column: Castro: Our favorite scapegoat

Richard M. Berthold Columnist | February 22

Fidel Castro, the last truly iconic figure from the 20th century, is relinquishing power, at least officially. By most measures, Castro has been an eminently successful dictator, unchallenged in a half century of authoritarian rule and surviving every attempt to assassinate or remove him by a powerful neighbor only 90 miles away.

Opinion

GPSA is more productive than ever this semester

February 22

Editor, Thomas Verstynen said in a letter published in the Daily Lobo on Monday that GPSA is unproductive. I attended my first GPSA meeting in the spring of 2007 and vowed never to return. The group of 12 to 15 graduate students argued about the use of a word for more than 40 minutes.

Opinion

Thank goodness for those who avert inconveniences

February 22

Editor, Thank you, Dennis Kinzler, for your letter to the Daily Lobo on Monday warning me that there are so-called scientists who fear-monger using global warming. To think, I was starting to believe science. But luckily, you have used science to prove that science is wrong.

Opinion

Garcia needs to step up, get GPSA back on track

February 21

Editor, The GPSA president and council chairs receive a lot of money for what they do. They receive tuition reimbursements and large stipends. In fact, a big percentage of the GPSA president's tuition is paid by you and me. I've been a graduate student at UNM for the past 2 1/2 years without ever noticing GPSA.

Opinion

GPSA is working to make University a better place

February 21

Editor, One thing I have learned from my experience of community organizing and campus activism is that one person does not make an organization. GPSA is not about one student or leader, Joseph Garcia or any council representative or other leader. We tend to operate with the myth that people act alone - that Rosa Parks wasn't a trained NAACP organizer working with many other activists, or César Chávez didn't have the help of thousands of organizers working with him in the United Farm Workers.

Opinion

UNM needs a more ethical, better-quality food provider

February 21

Editor, I understand the contract with Aramark, the sole food-services provider at UNM, is up. Requests for proposals have been issued and UNM has received bids from two companies besides Aramark. This is great news, because if you listen to dormitory-dwelling undergraduates, the quality of the food Aramark provides is no better than prison food, and there's a reason for this.

Opinion

Paul is the best candidate because he opposes war

February 21

Editor, Don Schrader, in a letter published in the Daily Lobo on Monday, said a vote for any potential candidate is a vote for murder. I mostly agree with him. I would completely agree with him were it not for Rep. Ron Paul. Paul is the only candidate who not only opposes the war but also opposes the building and keeping of an American empire.

Opinion

Column: 'Causal Trifle' clouds Israel issue

Matthew Chavez | February 20

Last week, President Bush's theorists introduced a revolutionary new principle in the field of logic: the Causal Trifle. Responding to criticism that the Israeli government's annexation of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem threatens to derail negotiations, the Bush administration countered with the logic that seemed to puzzle an exhausted White House press corps.

Opinion

Exploitation by Aramark could make UNM suffer

February 20

Editor, Aramark, the provider of food not only to UNM but to numerous state penitentiaries as well, is one of the biggest abusers of workers' rights by exploiting its hold on numerous campuses around the country. When Aramark promised to renovate the dining hall, Arizona State University gladly signed a $30 million contract, unwittingly putting itself at the whim of Aramark for subsequent years to come.