Opinion - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

Recent court case clarifies intelligent design debate

November 8

Editor, I am grateful for the increasingly high tone of the current discussion on evolution and intelligent design in the Daily Lobo. Contrary to the first letter in the series, Charles Darwin did not invent evolution. His thought was preceded by the work of Charles Lyell, a high British church official, who concluded from the geologic record that the world was much older than biblical accounts.

Opinion

Independent film portrays the beauty of relationships

November 8

Editor, It seems the most popular and financially successful movies are often about men who act like juvenile delinquents, who view women solely as sexual objects to be used and tossed away, or some guy having superpowers. In the movies, many people do not work; they trivialize marriage and family; they glorify violence; or they have some ideology they want to clandestinely suggest to the audience.

Opinion

Motorists endanger bikers by neglecting their rights

November 8

Editor, Cyclists do and should continue to have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists. The problem is a vast majority of Albuquerque motorists fail to recognize this fact. Five years ago, I gave up my car, and since then, I have commuted exclusively by bicycle.

Opinion

Events described in Bible extensively documented

November 8

Editor, I was deeply insulted by Debbie Cox's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Wednesday in which she calls creationist theory an outdated fairy tale. If she is referring to the Bible, then she is completely wrong, because it is one of the most extensively documented books in history.

Opinion

Bicyclists need to follow same rules as motorists

Daniel V. Garcia | November 7

Editor, This is a problem all over Albuquerque, but on the UNM campus, it seems to be worse. According to the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division's driver license manual, bicycle riders have the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle drivers. They must stop at traffic lights, signal their intentions and obey other traffic laws.

Opinion

Schmidly refutes his beliefs by developing golf course

November 7

Editor, It can be argued that President David Schmidly may have the most to lose if the North Golf Course is lost to development. Schmidly received his Ph.D. in zoology. He won the Joseph Grinnell Award in 2003 that recognizes excellence in education in mammalogy.

Opinion

Intelligent design has no place in public schools

November 7

Editor, After reading all the letters debating intelligent design versus evolution for the past couple of weeks, I want to comment on what I feel is the most pointless argument in favor of intelligent design. It is, to paraphrase, "I can't possibly imagine how all this complexity I see in the world could have come about through random events, and therefore, God did it.

Opinion

Survey doesn't accurately reflect UNM's sustainability

November 7

Editor, I am referring to the article titled "UNM gets C on sustainability exam" published in the Daily Lobo on Oct. 30. The surveys that were compiled, which ultimately gave UNM its C rating under "Administration" concerning sustainability, were never seen by myself or discussed in any of the Sustainability Task Force meetings.

Opinion

Logical fallacies weaken intelligent design theory

November 6

Editor, Shay Talley's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Monday, while lucid, is also demented. While sporting logical fallacies - I smell three right off the bat - Talley's argument suffers mostly from its internal contradictions. Did you spot them? For instance, the question, "What do we do with the intelligent design we observe in nature?" can be answered simply: Appeal to the authority.

Opinion

Golf course development would be tragic for many

November 6

Editor, As a UNM student and a member of the UNM community, I was severely disappointed to learn that the North Golf Course may soon no longer be an open space. I cannot begin to express how important the golf course is, not only to families living in the area, but to UNM students and many Albuquerque residents.

Opinion

Bush blind to aftermath of his destructive actions

November 6

Editor, This is in response to President Bush's "we're at war" speech aimed at Congress a few days ago. President Bush's obsession with his search for his ladylove "Dulce Iraqueña Aceitosa" under the guise of fighting terrorism, including the illusive Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorists, is similar to that of Alonso Quixano de la Mancha and his fight against "ferocious giants" - the illusive windmills - under the guise of searching for his ladylove Dulcinea del Toboso.

Opinion

Editorial: Golf course development clashes with community

November 5

The North Golf Course is a misnomer as it hides more than it reveals. While golfers use it, the stretch is also a crucial place for community members - be it for walking their dogs, jogging or to just have neighborhood picnics. But all this may change if the Board of Regents has its way.

Opinion

An attack on Iran will put U.S. on path to endless war

November 5

Editor, Does the prospect of endless war bother anyone else but me? I remember the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as vividly as anyone else. I watched the whole thing unfold live on television. I remember the talk of war followed shortly after by a full-fledged invasion.

Opinion

Constitution doesn't give anyone the right to breathe

November 5

Editor, I am deeply distressed with everybody on this campus who thinks there is a constitutional right to breathe. That's correct. All you people whining about smokers ought to get it straight: There's no such thing as the right to breathe, so just get over it.

Opinion

Proponents of creationism don't have a hidden agenda

November 5

Editor, Regarding the debate about intelligent design, and specifically Mark Erasmus' letter printed in the Daily Lobo on Friday, the question is not whether intelligent design is real science. The question is what do we do with the intelligent design we observe in nature? Michael Behe and William Dembski are not necessarily interjecting religion into the debate, but they are addressing the elephant that is sitting in the middle of the room.

Opinion

Intelligent design is not science, despite claims

November 2

Editor, It is time to put the intelligent design debate to rest. Proponents of intelligent design aggressively market their viewpoint as real science, insisting it is not religion-based. One leading advocate, Michael Behe, writes, "The conclusion of intelligent design flows naturally from the data itself, not from sacred books or sectarian beliefs.

Opinion

There are better sources of nutrition besides urine

November 2

Editor, In response to Don Schrader's letter to the Daily Lobo on Thursday, the mere thought of drinking my own urine is absolutely disgusting. And I also don't think it's very sanitary to wash my body and hair with my own urine. Stagnant urine in a toilet smells very bad, so imagine how someone would smell after washing themselves in their own urine.

Opinion

You put everyone at risk when you choose to smoke

November 2

Editor, I am writing in response to Ward Abbott's letter published in the Daily Lobo on Tuesday claiming that the smoking ban is not based on scientific proof of threat. This is an extremely uninformed opinion of a former staff member that needs clarification.

Opinion

Translating academia jargon

Richard M. Berthold | November 2

Reading all the recent reports concerning incompetence and seeming criminality in the administration, you may have noticed President David Schmidly and other administrators sound hauntingly like attorneys, politicians or government spokespeople. And indeed they do, because like these other groups, they often need to avoid speaking the truth because it might be embarrassing, yet for a variety of reasons are loathe - unlike the White House - to tell outright lies.

Opinion

History says urine therapy a good way to stay healthy

November 1

Editor, For at least 9,000 years in Mexico, 5,000 years in India and for centuries in other places, millions have drunk their urine for health. Writers from England, France, Germany, India, Israel, the Philippines, the Netherlands and the U.S. have praised the practice.