Opinion

Opinion

Column: Water is life, and clean water is a responsibility

Cathy Cook | March 5

Water is life, according to Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Water Protectors and the astronomers who found seven potentially habitable planets in another galaxy (why are they potentially habitable? The distance between them and their star means water could exist on their surfaces). My week had a theme: I covered a NoDAPL crash course, a talk on water quality protection in an era of uncertain environmental regulation and I paid a visit to the Edward Skeats exhibit at the UNM Art Museum.

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Opinion

Letter: Yiannopoulos' comments were taken out of context

Daily Lobo Readers | March 1

The politically lame at the Washington Post and Salon, and their friends here at UNM, have recently took to expressing their best virtue signalling yet over a deceptively-edited video clip of Milo Yiannipoulos sharing his relationship views. I want to address Milo's statements head-on, because the implications are serious.

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Opinion

Letter: New immigration policies make schooling secondary to safety for some

Daily Lobo Readers | February 28

Editor, It has been over a month of bad news for me. I have always tried to be exceptional in my school work. I started off as a psychology major and during my second year I decided to start working on a minor in statistics because I want to pursue graduate education. Aside from trying my best in all my classes, I am currently working as a research assistant in a laboratory and enrolled in El Puente research fellowship. I am also part of the Psychology Honors Program, where I have been working on writing a thesis which I hope to finish sometime in 2018.

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Opinion

Column: The importance of kindness in times of political tension

Nichole Harwood | February 28

Few things in life can radically impact how an individual treats another more than politics. Friends, family and coworkers will seemingly transform into strangers when they passionately defend their own political views, spewing harsh and cold words to those who oppose them. This is one of the reasons many households and workplaces do not allow politics to be discussed at all. These rules, however, do not hold true in social media or in public outside of homes among family and strangers alike.

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Opinion

Letter: Trump election remains illegitimate

Daily Lobo Readers | February 26

Editor, The “basket of deplorables” is gradually waking up to their newest American nightmare.

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Opinion

Column: Milo's downfall shows even the alt-right limit speech

Jonathan Baca | February 26

After all the riots and battles he caused on campuses in the name of free speech, alt-right activist and former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos’ career has completely imploded — ironically because of something “unacceptable” he said. Yiannopoulos — a gay, Catholic British alt-right firebrand — raided and pillaged across U.S. liberal college campuses as part of his “Dangerous Faggot Tour,” essentially a hate-filled series of live trolling events. There were riots at UC Berkeley when he was scheduled to attend, and because of the huge car fires and mayhem that violent anti-Milo protesters had created, campus police decided it was too dangerous for him to appear.

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Opinion

Letter: Trump's deportation order is pure racism

Daily Lobo Readers | February 22

Editor, Regarding Trump's executive order to deport undocumented or, as most xenophobes put it, "illegal aliens" is not to fix reform or even enforce the laws that already exist. It's a racist action pure and simple, perpetrated by a fascist neo-Nazi bigot with plenty of supporters who have hated, feared anyone of color or non-white for centuries. Probably due to their own lack of culture. And (they) are still angry that they lost the Civil War! I honestly think you are not even from this planet! Aliens! Viva la revolution!

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Opinion

Letter: Yiannopoulos supporters suddenly silent on pedophilia comments

Daily Lobo Readers | February 22

Editor, For those of us who campaigned against UNM’s special treatment of speaker Milo Yiannopoulos, including the waiving of a security fee regularly charged to student groups, it’s been satisfying to see his recent fall from grace due to comments he made last year that appeared to advocate pedophilia. However, it’s interesting to note that members of our community defending his visit in the name of the First Amendment have been notably silent on the pedophilia comments that led to the cancellation of his book contract and the dis-invitation from speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

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Opinion

Column: Why the anger in comment sections?

Cathy Cook | February 20

When it comes to online comment sections, I break the rules. Even my browser tells me: never read the comments. Roommates remind me not to feed the trolls. I just want to read, respond and reimagine the people on the other side of my screen. Different comment sections have reputations: Facebook is mundane if somewhat surreal, Imgur sas the same five jokes in the first 10 comments, and YouTube has the comment section the devil would avoid if he had high speed internet (we all know the devil has dial-up, that has to be part of hell). YouTube comments are Bad with a capital B. Some of these tropes are true, but not universally. And even when they are true, I feel compelled to scroll. In my experience, the quality of comments has more to do with what content the commenters are responding to than what platform they’re responding on. Undeniably, though, anonymity does something to people. They get braver; they get meaner.

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Opinion

Letter: In reality, pot is completely harmless

Daily Lobo Readers | February 19

Editor, Brad King wrote, "NM liberal lawmakers seem to be clamoring to climb on the pot legalization bandwagon, just like our ill fated neighbor to the north."  Here in the reality-based community, "Colorado’s GDP increased by 3.6 percent in 2015, the fourth most of any state in the country.

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Opinion

Column: The history of "fake news"

Nichole Harwood | February 19

In a world where the legitimacy of news is constantly called into question by politicians and readers alike, whose responsibility is it to determine what is "fake news" and what is not? It is both the reporter's job to write factually accurate news, and the reader's responsibility to check the legitimacy of their choice in news outlets, whether this outlet is online or through a news network. But all news has one measurement in common that is ultimately connected to its value and newsworthiness: the ability of news in any form to catch the eye of a reader, a viewer or a listener.

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Opinion

Column: The absurd consequences of a "right to privacy"

Thomas L. Knapp | February 15

British MP David Davis's text messages poking fun at the appearance of a female colleague make him the latest whipping boy for those determined to root out sexism and misogyny in public life, the Daily Mail reports. Curiously, they also make him the latest poster boy for exponents of an expansive "right to privacy" like Brendan O'Neill of spiked magazine.

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Opinion

Column: What to wear in the face of fascism

Cathy Cook | February 15

There’s been a lot of talk about fighting fascism in my Facebook feed lately, but are you really prepared to resist an Orwellian police state? And when I say prepared, I mean do you have the right outfit? Of course not! The 2000s were a fashion nightmare from which we are only just awaking, which is why I’m here to tell you what looks will be hot in the picket line this fall.

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Opinion

Letter: Lovers should be shared, not caged

Daily Lobo Readers | February 15

Editor, Like many people, I am able to be openly and honestly in love with more than one person at the same time. We teach children to share food, toys, and friends. How selfish and cruel the child who demands that his child friend have no other friends or playmates! We adults can learn to share our lovers with others. We enjoy a variety of flowers, fruits, vegetables, colors, books, songs...Many of us also enjoy a variety of lovers!

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Opinion

Column: An eco-friendly, and cheaper, way to celebrate Valentine's Day

Celia Raney | February 14

Once a year we are assaulted with pink and red heart-shaped boxes, giant stuffed bears and overpriced chocolates. But at what cost? As stated in a report by the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend over $18.2 billion on Valentine’s Day this year. Of that money, at least $4.4 billion will be spent on jewelry.

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Opinion

Letter: UNM has a long history of activism

Daily Lobo Readers | February 12

Editor, Racism, sexism and prejudice and the logical response to them -- activism -- have a long history at UNM. After the Vietnam era, the '90s saw renewed tensions, with many incidences of hate crimes on campus. In 1995 a report was delivered to the vice president of Student Affairs by the Anti-Defamation League and the Dept. of Campus Affairs/Higher Education. The report compiled from 1992 to 1995 over 20 racist/hate crimes at UNM, mostly dealing with White Nationalist propaganda, graffiti and swastikas targeting Black, Jewish, Gay and Lesbian, feminist, and Hispanic students and campus organizations (UNM Board of Regents Minutes, CSWR). These incidences caused UNM President Peck to immediately denounce such activities at a press conference saying that UNM didn’t tolerate hate speech.

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Opinion

Letter: The USA should condemn its own crimes before the crimes of others

Daily Lobo Readers | February 12

Editor, I absolutely condemn the beheadings and mass murders committed by ISIS! Are the beheadings done by U.S.-backed Saudi Arabia less evil than ISIS beheadings? Was the U.S. murder of tens of thousands of women and children in Iraq less evil than ISIS murders? Was the U.S. murder of hundred of thousands of women and children in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia less evil than ISIS murders? Is the U.S.-backed Israeli murder of hundreds of Palestinian boys and girls less evil than ISIS murders?

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Opinion

Letter: Marijuana legalization will lead to trouble

Daily Lobo Readers | February 9

Editor, I would like to offer an opinion that I am pretty sure will not be well received, but I pray it will be published and considered.

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Opinion

Letter: Free speech is reality

Daily Lobo Readers | February 9

Editor, A Lobo reader quoted a professor, "We need to use standards of universality and logic, otherwise, freedom of speech masks reality." I disagree! Free speech is reality. Everyone has the right to express opinions without interference or censorship. To seek, receive, impart information and ideas through any media they choose. With that being said, freedom of speech is not without its limitations. With this freedom comes consequences which relate to: libel, slander, obscenity, sedition, incitement etc.

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Opinion

Letter: Be kind, be respectful, pay it forward!

Daily Lobo Readers | February 8

Focusing on positive aspects of our lives can be one way to find comfort in the midst of the current uncertainty, concerns, and challenges not only in our daily lives but also in our country. Taking the time to appreciate what we DO have and the things around us that bring us joy can help alleviate the negativity we are subjected to. Most importantly, today is a great time to show gratitude, appreciation, and respect for the good things and good people in our lives.