Opinion - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

Sex and Relationships Issue — Column: The struggle of living with chronic pelvic pain

Hannah Eisenberg | October 25

It took five years, two dozen doctors and roughly $5,000 in medical bills for me to be diagnosed with vulvodynia, a condition defined as chronic vulvar-vaginal pain lasting more than three months, without any identifiable cause. I was the ripe old age of 20 when vulvodynia set up shop in my nether regions, causing a daily, raw pain. I attended doctor appointments religiously, in sheer horror at what my body was going through. I wanted to know where the pain had come from, what it was called and how I could fix it. Ultimately, however, I would leave with more questions and a gnawing sense of despondency.

Opinion

Letter: Hillary Clinton — Cold creepiness with a side of corruption

Daily Lobo Readers | October 25

Editor, On Oct. 16, failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took her public pity party (and not so subtle hopes of somehow magically overturning the 2016 election) abroad, calling out WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as "a tool of Russian intelligence...a kind of nihilistic opportunist who does the bidding of a dictator" in an interview on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's show, "Four Corners." Clinton's evidenceless accusations don't seem to carry much weight with Assange himself. He doesn't find her "a credible person." "It is not just her constant lying," he says. "It is not just that she throws off menacing glares and seethes thwarted entitlement. Something much darker rides along with it. A cold creepiness rarely seen."

Opinion

Letter: Trump's antics threaten the world with war

Daily Lobo Readers | October 25

Editor, Former State Department Advisor Eliot Cohen recently gave a blunt, but frank assessment of the current White House Occupant. His words are a warning for worse things to come. Cohen sees in the so-called President “a reprehensible human being” whose “rotten character...plays to the worst instincts,” which makes the man “extremely erratic” in a stunningly predictable fashion. Given the (inter)national predicament, the country is extremely lucky to have “a benign junta” that keeps the “somewhat crazy President” in relative check. Yet even the generals in the administration cannot contain the dangerous “ignorance” of “his (adolescent) ego” which keeps lashing out at anyone who dares to question his impulsive narcissism. A lifelong addictive self-obsession has made the so-called President chronically sick with himself. Hence, Cohen concludes, “He’s a liar, a bully, an ignoramus and a demagogue.”

Opinion

BioBlog: The Time Conundrum

Guest Columnist | October 22

Editor's Note: This piece was originally published online in the UNM BioBlog on Feb. 12, 2015, written by Bryan McLean. This is part of our project to help connect the Daily Lobo audience to more members of our community. Everything in biology has a history. Biodiversity waxes and wanes.

Opinion

Letter: Black Student Alliance supports Lobo athletes kneeling during national anthem

Daily Lobo Readers | October 22

Editor, The Black Student Alliance is in full, unwavering support of our student athletes’ decision to kneel during the national anthem. It is their right as American citizens to peacefully protest — when and where they choose to exercise this most basic of human rights, as Americans, is completely up to their discretion. As student athletes and respective leaders within their communities, they are not infringing upon the rights of others, but instead advocating for their own and protecting others'.

Opinion

Letter: War with Iran would be indefensible

Daily Lobo Readers | October 22

Editor, As many analysts had expected, President Trump recently declined to re-certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement reached under the Obama administration. Then-President Obama repeatedly stated that he preferred this diplomatic solution over another unnecessary war in the Middle East or a nuclear armed Iran. While it is still too early to say where this new action will lead, this could be the first step toward a war in the Middle East similar to George W Bush's bloody and unsuccessful occupation of Iraq back in 2003.

Opinion

Letter: Indigenous peoples should be respected on campus

Daily Lobo Readers | October 18

Editor, On Sept. 13, 2017, I presented a research poster titled “The Strength of the Native American Vote: How Voting Attitudes Among Native American Students Affects Political Participation,” for the Ronald E. McNair Scholars and Research Opportunity Program, inside the Student Union Building. My research focuses on how Native American students, who attend the University of New Mexico, feel about voting and political systems. I knew people were going to come by my poster and possibly ask me questions or have me summarize my research and data I collected, all situations expected at research conferences.

Opinion

Letter: The "cult of ignorance" is destroying America

October 18

Editor, The New Mexico Public Education Department is refusing to answer who or what is behind the push to lower scientific standards for students of public education, in this failed state of New Mexico. "The agency has declined requests to name anyone it met with, as speculation has swirled around possible political motives and concessions to skeptics of human-caused climate change and scientific evolutionary theory."

Opinion

Letter: Here's how UNM could help Puerto Rico recover

Daily Lobo Readers | October 15

Editor, As a UNM alum from several decades ago, I would like to joyfully share a new idea about how to help Puerto Rico. This administration's abysmal response to the direly urgent catastrophic destruction of the agriculture, the electrical power, and the infrastructure of the island is shocking indeed. Last night I told a new UNM friend that if I were much younger, in my twenties or thirties, I would find a way to go there and help however and wherever I could.

Opinion

Column: Student-parents face unique challenges

Nichole Harwood | October 15

Choosing the path of a student is one that is often filled with chaos as one strives to fill every role they are expected to fill as adults. In many instances, the student finds they bit off more than they can chew, and these different roles will often suffer for it as a student works hard to complete their education. But what if one role cannot suffer? No matter the assignments that pile up or the test that must be studied for, one role that certain students cannot let suffer is that of a parent.

Opinion

Letter: The nation must take control of its gun problem

Daily Lobo Readers | October 15

Editor, This letter is in response to the articles covering the recent shooting in Las Vegas. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states: "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." Obviously the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard, whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded.

Opinion

Letter: Repealing the Clean Power Plan directly harms the Earth

Daily Lobo Readers | October 15

Editor, When I met my stepmom eight years ago, she had just moved to New Mexico from China. When I asked how different China was from New Mexico, she said one of the most striking differences is the clean air we have here. This was one of the first times I wanted to research how people could have such disregard for their environment. Now I’m a student at UNM studying economics and sustainability studies.

Opinion

Letter: Trump's administration has done nothing to curb violence

Daily Lobo Readers | October 10

Editor, On Friday Jan. 20, 2017, President Trump declared, “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.” On Oct. 5, 2017, the White House whined “that only 5 percent of media coverage has been positive about this President and this administration, while at the same time, you have the stock market and economic confidence at an all-time high; ISIS is on the run." Here, in the reality-based community, the bull stock market began in March 9, 2009, which was one year after Obama took office. Why did Trump call Obama's economy carnage? ISIS has been on the run for years. The reason our dear leader hasn’t received positive news coverage is because the GOP hasn't accomplished ANYTHING in 10 months. Republicans control the White House, the Senate, the House and the Supreme Court, yet they simply can't GOVERN!

Opinion

Letter: Time to stop squeezing The Juice

Daily Lobo Readers | October 10

Editor, A few minutes after midnight on Oct. 1, authorities at Nevada's Lovelock Correctional Center released O.J.

Opinion

Letter: It's too soon to identify Las Vegas attack as terrorism

Daily Lobo Readers | October 8

Editor, A deliberate and thoughtful approach is needed when describing the recent attack in Las Vegas. A multiplicity of people have used “terrorism” to describe the event. Policy makers, such as Rep. Jim Cooper and even the famous YouTube star Casey Neistat used “terror” in their reference to the Las Vegas attack. Such labeling demonstrates a lack of understanding as to what terrorism is. Recent Daily Lobo articles precisely referenced the man as a “gunman,” not a terrorist.

Opinion

BioBlog: How long would it take you to fall through the Earth?

Felisa Smith | October 8

Editor's Note: This piece was originally published online in the UNM BioBlog on Nov. 30, 2016, written by Felisa Smith. This is part of our project to help connect the Daily Lobo audience to more members of our community. If there were a tunnel from one side of the Earth, through the core and out the other end, how long would it take to fall through it? Biology Professor Dr. Felisa Smith discusses this classic physics question in the UNM BioBlog.

Opinion

Column: A closer look at Marvel's representation of women on screen

Nichole Harwood | October 8

Representation of women in the media in both film and television has always been rather skewed. These representations almost always consist of women bending to the stereotypes that society deems acceptable to be considered beautiful. However, beyond just the superficial representation of women in film and television, these portrayals also do damage in the character department. According to an overview of a series of studies conducted by Dr. Stacy Smith of the University of Southern California and her research team titled Gender Stereotypes: An Analysis of Popular Films and TV, “females take up half the space in society, yet, especially in films aimed at children, they appear much less frequently than do males. Nevertheless, when they do make it onto the silver or small screen, their portrayals can undermine their presence by being ‘hyper-attractive’ or ‘hypersexual’ and/or passive.”

Opinion

Letter: NFL and Lobo protests should have been "nipped in the bud"

Daily Lobo Readers | October 8

Editor, I am tired of seeing everybody “tip-toeing through the tulips” concerning the NFL and UNM Lobo football players’ protest, for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. There is a right and wrong about this issue that should have been addressed from the very beginning. It is absolutely wrong for these football players to choose to protest during the playing/singing of the national anthem. This is extremely disrespectful. The football field is NOT the venue they should be using to air their grievance. These players, like everybody else, have the right to protest whatever issue they choose. However, there is a right time and place to do so.

Opinion

Letter: Adults need to set a good example for young people

Daily Lobo Readers | October 4

Editor, If we adults want kids to be honest, are we always honest with them? If we adults want kids to be open and creative, do we welcome their questions, treasure their curiosity? Do they feel they can ask us about anything? If we want kids to be dependable, de we keep our promises? If we want kids to apologize and ask for forgiveness when they wrong us, do we apologize and ask forgiveness when we wrong them?

Opinion

Column: In face of shooting, prayers are not enough

Kyle Land | October 4

Three years after his son, Daniel, was murdered in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Mark Barden said to “Entertainment Weekly,” “Thoughts and prayers and moments of silence are not enough.” This is the mindset America should have when tackling the epidemic of gun violence. Thoughts and prayers do not prevent gun violence. Legislation does. On the night of Oct. 1, a lone gunman ascended to the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and proceeded to open fire into a crowd of thousands of concertgoers below. In total, 59 people were killed with hundreds more injured. It was the worst mass shooting in modern United States history.