Opinion - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

Letter: Families of fallen UNM students touched by support

April 17

We would like to offer our most heartfelt thanks for the outpouring of love and support we have received from the UNM community following the tragic accident on the late evening of Nov. 21, which injured Julia Thompson and Joe Mendoza and resulted in the loss of our sweet Briana Hillard and Matthew Grant. Such tragic events are difficult to bear, but the strong, unfailing support we have received has always reminded us that we are not alone. Clearly they were loved by so many. This realization in itself is comforting, and the UNM community has put its arms around us all. The moving and loving memorial service arranged by Pi Beta Phi and SAE was attended by thousands of people. We cannot thank them enough and will always be glad that Matthew and Briana were part of such a loving Greek family.

Opinion

Letter: Divestment in fossil fuels needs Daily Lobo's support

April 17

During the Board of Regents meeting on April 10, 350NM co-leader Tom Solomon and State Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino urged the regents to divest UNM’s fossil fuel holdings, which make up approximately 5 to 10 percent of its $415 million endowment. Fifty “Fossil-Free UNM” supporters — including UNM students, faculty, and staff — attended the meeting to rally support for fossil fuel divestment. To the surprise of many in attendance, the regents were receptive to the proposal.

Opinion

Letter: Businesses, students must collaborate to find success

April 17

Let’s be honest. Times are different. The economy is not where it was before the 2008 crash, and finding a good job in this market is more competitive than ever. I was born in a time when a personal computer was unheard of and cell phones resembled bricks more than communication devices. Yet our world requires not only the new skills of evolving technology, but also the traditional skills that form the foundation of our society. So I did what so many others have done: I went back to school to get the skills needed to make a difference in this world and give my family the opportunities that I took for granted. As a mother, wife and citizen of this country, being stretched thin has become the norm more than the exception. To be competitive and provide for your family, a person needs more than just a degree or certification under his or her belt. Let’s look at some quick facts: According to a recent Gallup survey, 96 percent of college graduates feel they are ready for the workforce, even though only 11 percent of business leaders would agree with that assessment. Most business leaders, as the source of their concerns about college graduates, cite a lack of professionalism and foundational competencies, as well as an absence of implementing those competencies. College graduates need experience and foundational interpersonal skills in order to bridge the gap between the generations that make up our society.

Opinion

Letter: Claims of God's benevolence are false advertising

April 16

I wish we had a fair, loving, all powerful parent God who would rescue all who fervently prayed for help from war, starvation, cancer, addiction, tornadoes, drought, drunk drivers, rape, family violence, blindness, false charges, drones, torture and much more. Hundreds of millions of people throughout human history have prayed desperately to God the best they knew how and received no help. Did Jesus of Nazareth actually live? If he did, did the writers of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible accurately tell Jesus’ teachings and actions? In centuries since, did those people who copied and translated the original writings do a good job and make no important mistakes? Huge questions! Who knows for sure? The Bible says Jesus spoke often about God as a loving Father who would answer prayers and give what we ask for.

Opinion

Dr. Peg's Prescription: Emergency contraception more than a pill

Dr. Peggy Spencer | April 15

Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? The condom broke in the middle of the action, or you were too swept away (or drunk) to even think about protection? Or you forgot to take your pill? If you aren’t ready to be a parent the rest of your life, or to face decisions about termination or adoption, a pregnancy scare can be terrifying. The good news is it may not be too late.

Opinion

Letter: American campuses abroad may uphold systemic poverty

April 13

As non-profit and taxpayer-subsidized, American universities look to augment their treasuries by setting up lucrative campuses in the Middle East, but they can be unwittingly supporting autocratic fusions of monarchy and fundamentalist theocracy. For example, New York University has had a campus built in Abu Dhabi with imported South Asian construction workers laboring in the most egregious conditions of imprisoned slavery — this in a city Fortune magazine has called the richest in the world. But both monarchies and fundamentalist theocracies have had zero qualms in building mansions as palaces and Houses of Worship with slaves and indentured servants, whom they deliberately and systematically keep poor.

Opinion

Letter: Darensburg column falls victim to its own argument

April 13

Daily Lobo opinion pieces are unhinged. I recently read an opinion piece in the Daily Lobo. I wish I hadn’t. I swear I checked my calendar twice to make sure it wasn’t April 1, but since the piece was published on April 10, I can only assume that Mr. Darensburg lacks any sense of self-awareness or irony and that he wrote his partisan tirade sincerely.

UNM students play bean bag toss on Johnson Field Saturday afternoon during Fiestas.

Opinion

Review: UNM's outdoor festival satisfies

Matthew Reisen | April 13

Fiestas 2015! was a huge success this weekend – filling Johnson Field with good music, students, beach balls, hula-hoops and so much more. Hearing the words “miniature-Coachella” was a common happenstance at Fiestas this year, and to any attendee, the reasons for such a comparison were obvious, with the event taking on the very look and feel of a music festival. The skies above may have been mainly overcast but the positive energy was palpable, with people coming and going for a good time throughout the day.

Opinion

Popular opinion says U.S. is unhinged

Jason Darensburg | April 10

No one looking at America from a balanced perspective can deny any longer that the country has gone collectively insane. Certainly there are some rational, intelligent Americans still around, but we must face the fact that a large segment of the population is totally nuts. Worse, the ruling class is sociopathic and inherently evil. This untenable situation has serious implications for our nation’s future stability, our living standards, and for democracy itself.

Opinion

Letter: Case law cited in suspension unconnected to funding issue

April 9

I find the ruling of ASUNM Justice Seth Barany against Sen. Rebecca Hampton, and the Daily Lobo article covering the ruling, disturbing on many levels. First of all, it is irresponsible, dangerous and unacceptable for Justice Barany to incorrectly quote a U.S. Supreme Court case to legitimize a ridiculous decision by ASUNM. Second, the ASUNM law that is cited applies to ASUNM as a whole, not to a single senator.

Opinion

Editorial: Daily Lobo will now include non-gender-specific pronoun

Daily Lobo Editorial Board | April 9

In a recent edition of the Daily Lobo, the staff was faced with a new issue that is likely to crop up more and more: gender-specific pronouns. A source asked that we not use a gender-specific pronoun and instead asked that we use they/them when referring to this person. In a news story, this is a nearly impossible request to honor — when an article includes quotes and voices from multiple people, using they/them to refer to a single person can make it confusing for a reader to know who is being referred to. We understand there was no simple solution. None of the standard journalistic references offer a guideline on this and conversations on the subject offer widely varied and often conflicting solutions. While the Daily Lobo editors did their best to handle this request immediately, it is obvious that a good long-term solution is needed.

Opinion

Don't overlook benefits to state from solar industry

April 8

Editor, You might wonder who is benefitting from solar PV being installed on homes, businesses, schools and cities in New Mexico.

Opinion

Red Faction supports Muslims, other groups

April 7

Editor, As a co-founder and member, of a politically left student club on campus, I would like the opportunity to speak to some issues that have been raised in the Daily Lobo these past few weeks. I would like to start off by giving some background information on who we are. Red Student Faction is a chartered student club at UNM that has been on campus for one year. Our guiding principles are to critically interrogate systems of oppression and join others in systemically challenging oppression and exploitation.

Opinion

ISIS panel was an attack on Christians, non-believers

April 7

Editor, In defense of Michael Noah Guebara, the ISIS panel did in fact turn the discussion into a personal attack session against Christianity. As the student who sat right behind Guebara, and also engaged the imam throughout the entire discussion session, I can attest to the fact that the imam was presenting a whitewashed version of Islam that does not exist in reality. There are several points that need to be addressed, but before that it must be mentioned that the Muslim Student Association did not upload the entirety of the discussion – there is an important part of the discussion missing, which is about jihad.

Opinion

ISIS discussion was intended to denounce religious violence

April 7

Editor, Has the quality of education in America become so empty and meaningless that a UNM student would actually post an online video claiming the Muslim Student Association was holding a pro-ISIS rally at UNM? I am seriously concerned for the future of my country if a man can actually earn a high school diploma and be accepted at a university while being so woefully inadequate on such a basic level of critical thinking. Let me attempt to disabuse some of my fellow human beings at UNM about the MSA’s alleged support of ISIS.

Opinion

A sonnet in memory of Hector Torres, who was killed in 2010

April 6

The verses below, in Sonnet form, are written in honor of Hector Torres, a UNM professor killed five years ago. This Easter Monday would have been his 60th birthday.

Opinion

Defunding care for mentally ill can lead to tragedies

April 6

Editor, In the wake of the Germanwings Flight 9525 tragedy, it is hard not to ask questions about how better and more effective mental health services might prevent future catastrophe on large and small scales.

Opinion

Religious prejudice overtakes racism in the United States

April 6

Editor, In our country today, racism is being overtaken by religionism. That is quite a feat because there are all these completely different races constituting our epiphenomenon of a nation. Discrimination based on racism is on the decline because the laws that apply are well exercised by now. Not so with religionism, where there is dangerous regression.

Opinion

Letter: Video misrepresents MSA's position on ISIS, objective of event

April 3

Editor, Recent events on campus have created some division on campus. This was highlighted in the “ISIS Panel” that the Muslim Student Association held on AWednesday. Sadly, this event was misunderstood by a single student, and he presumed this was a pro-ISIS panel. The MSA stands firm in saying that this event was anti-ISIS, and MSA members had made this clear throughout the panel.

Opinion

Letter: Empathy is the core of religion, not antipathy

April 3

Editor, If I was a photographer, a baker or a florist, it would never occur to me to deny service to another human couple because they were different? If they were Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Scientologists, or Atheists, I’d take my camera equipment to the synagogue, the mosque, the church, the temple, the celebrity center, or the botanical gardens, and take the most exceptional photographs I could. If they were in the Tea Party I’d knock out some gnarly Obama jokes.