Opinion - The Daily Lobo

Opinion

Letter: Reactions to recent killings could be positive development

February 19

The recent execution-style killing of three Muslim American students in North Carolina by a man who had posted anti-Islamic and anti-religious messages on social media could hopefully be the catalyst for some positive change in this country. While some stupid, racist people with low self-esteem have actually praised suspected killer Craig Stephen Hicks on social media for what he did, the overall reaction of many ordinary non-Muslim Americans has been horror and rejection of this cowardly act of terrorism. Average non-Muslim Americans need to understand that the mainstream media has corporate sponsorship which makes money from invading and taking the natural resources of Muslim countries.

Opinion

Column: Students should utilize the SHAC

Dr. Peggy Spencer | February 19

You know that feeling you get when you’re up on stage accepting your Oscar and you forget to thank your director? Neither do I. How about the feeling when you have a party and you forget to invite your best friend? You make all the arrangements and are careful to invite your other friends, but somehow you just assume that your best friend knows because, well, they’re your best friend. I’ve been there; in fact quite recently and right here in this column. My last article was about sexual assault and resources to tap into if it happens to you. Yet I somehow managed to not mention the resource most near and dear to me and most convenient and immediate to you on campus: our very own SHAC. I guess I figured SHAC was a given. My grown children know all about this. They are always the last ones to hear plans for a family reunion. I just assume they know by osmosis or something. Chalk it up to my middle-aged brain.

Opinion

Letter: Jail should be option for threatening individuals

February 19

The individual who shot three innocent Muslims in cold blood showed himself as a nut when he first approached two of the individuals in a parking lot in what apparently was a hostile posture with a gun in his possession.

Opinion

Letter: Slain Muslims should have called police first

February 17

The unprovoked and opportunistic murder of three young Arab-American college students in Chapel Hill, North Carolina could well have been avoided if the victims had brought in the police earlier. When the white, middle-aged gun nut who eventually executed them had threatened them, and walked up to their door with a gun – had they warned him they had told the police, this could have made him back off.

Opinion

Letter: A loving god would not allow religious massacres or Hell

February 16

Would a loving human parent slam and lock the door forever against a son or daughter regardless what evil they have done? Would a loving parent-God sentence billions of people, or even one person, to never-ending torture with no pardon, no parole? To all who believe in God, do you believe in hell? I would never want to spend eternity with such a cruel monster God.

Opinion

Letter: Community solutions needed after recent sexual assaults

February 16

On Thursday evening, as I was working on homework and having a cup of coffee, my partner informed me that there had been a sexual assault at Zimmerman. I’ve spent countless hours studying at that library. It always felt safer than Parish, even though Parish is open later. When I was younger, I used to play hide-and-seek in the stacks. I’ve shown up, like many other UNM students, in pajamas during Finals Week.

Opinion

Column: Judiciary can't work without proper funding

Chief Justice Barbara J. Vigil | February 13

Our courts require additional resources to meet the justice needs of New Mexico’s citizens. Each day, courts address the aftermath of strained social and economic conditions including crime, child and domestic abuse, and broken family and business relationships. Our independent court system also supports economic growth and investment by enforcing contracts and resolving business and property disputes. And it does all of this with less than 3 percent of the state’s overall budget. Inadequately funding the Judiciary undermines our ability to serve the public and fulfill our constitutional responsibility to provide fair, timely and impartial justice to all New Mexicans.

Opinion

Letter: ASUNM license resolution disregards one side of story

February 12

The UNM Conservative Republicans are disappointed to find that ASUNM recently passed a resolution supporting the issuing of licenses to illegal immigrants. Last school year, our student organization showed documentaries with the goal of informing the UNM community of the economic cost of illegal immigration and the security risks of an open border policy.

Opinion

Letter: Fewer cyclists would die if all obeyed traffic laws

February 12

I am not surprised that New Mexico has the dubious honor of being the second deadliest state for bicyclists. New Mexico’s rate of bicyclist injuries is 50 percent higher than the U.S. average. While both of these facts are troubling, I find that experts and public officials are placing much of the blame in the wrong direction. Officials state that primary reasons for the appalling number of bicyclist deaths and injuries are New Mexico’s high rate of substance abuse, lack of bike lanes and poor street infrastructure. In addition to the reasons listed, they also state a need to increase motorists’ awareness and understanding of motor vehicle laws pertaining to bicyclists and motorcycles.

Opinion

Letter: Current trends portend bleak future for universities

February 12

In a recent “communique” Provost Chaouki Abdallah asked, “What will the American university look like in 2025?” Well, it will be far too expensive for the average American, unless he is an athlete, and administrations will be much larger and modeled after corporations and make even more money than the faculty and staff.

Opinion

'I don't believe in random acts of kindness'

Dan Young | February 11

I don’t believe in random acts of kindness. This is not expression of a value judgment or a misanthropic sentiment. I simply don’t believe that random acts of kindness exist. If the phrase is intended to identify a category of actions, I don’t believe that category exists — it is a conceptual void. To make my position clear, it is necessary to examine the concepts of randomness, kindness and action.

Opinion

Danger no excuse for N.M. police shootings

February 10

What is it that makes Mayor Richard Berry think that the citizens of Albuquerque don't realize and appreciate the fact that police officers have a difficult and dangerous job? In his remarks to the Albuquerque Bar Association, he urged the public to demand accountability from the police department while at the same time recognizing the dangers of police work. Is this just another attempt by the mayor to gloss over the real issue - that the U.S. Department of Justice has cited APD for operating in a culture of aggression and a pattern of violating citizen's constitutional rights?

Opinion

Letter: Columnist's reasoning reflects personal agenda

February 9

Mr. Darensburg’s impassioned analysis of New Mexican emigration touches upon the main cause: graduates getting “much better pay for the same skills in neighboring states.” But the rest of his reasons just reflect the important issues at the top his mind and not of the typical person deciding where to live.

Opinion

Letter: Free community college worth every penny

February 9

Editor, Obama said he wants to make community college free.

Opinion

Letter: MLK's prophetic legacy condemned, forgotten

February 9

Prophet Martin Luther King Jr. damned the Vietnam War in his most controversial speech on April 4, 1967 — exactly one year before he was assassinated. King damned the U.S. mass-murder of Vietnamese people. King said, “The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my own government.”

Opinion

Column: Income inequality, crime are behind New Mex-odus

Jason Darensburg | February 6

People are leaving New Mexico in droves. The evidence is irrefutable. The latest proof comes from a recent study released by moving company United Van Lines: the Land of Disenchantment ranked ninth on the annual list of “most moved from” states. New Mexico was the only Southwestern state to show a high departure rate; Texas and Colorado were among the top 10 “moved to” states. Oregon won the prize for “most moved to” state, according to the study. South Carolina, Florida and Vermont were also popular places to move to. Earlier this year Albuquerque Business First published “Gone for Good,” a series of articles featuring interviews with New Mexicans who had just left the state or were planning to leave. The most common complaints focused on high corporate taxes and the increasing crime rate in Albuquerque. But that’s only part of it.

Opinion

Column: Ridesharing services need better regulations

Monica Youngblood | February 5

If you live in Albuquerque or Santa Fe, you have probably heard of Lyft or Uber. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are ridesharing services that connect passengers to drivers via a smartphone app. It’s a convenient and safe way to get a ride, and it is a proven job creator. But currently, there are no regulations for ridesharing companies, and therefore their future in New Mexico is uncertain. That needs to change.

Opinion

Dr. Peg's Prescription: Tips and resources for dealing with sexual assault

Dr. Peggy Spencer | February 4

Sexual assault has been in the news around here lately. UNM got a big visit and analysis by a law firm, which raised a number of questions. How much does this happen here? Who are the perpetrators? Do we have too many policies? Are the policies clear? Does the campus have enough lighting? Do people get attacked on campus or off?

Opinion

WIlderness Act helps New Mexico

Michael Neville | February 3

On Sept. 3, 1964, just more than 50 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law. This landmark legislation established the National Wilderness Preservation System which initially designated 9.1 million acres as protected wilderness. The bill resulted in more than 100 million acres of designated wilderness areas, an expansion that has greatly benefited the American people.

Opinion

SUB food overpriced, owned by corporations

February 3

Editor, Past: Public universities directly hired work study students to work in eateries in Student Union buildings. Food was mainly real and cooked and inexpensive. Being essentially government jobs, there was job security.