Opinion

Have you ever had a crabby old person in your life who tried to make you feel guilty by telling you Great Depression anecdotes like "I used to walk 15 miles in the snow to go to school!" and "Back in my day, we didn't have color TVs with the ‘Mary-o' Brothers—we mined for coal in our spare time, and we liked it!"? Well, according to a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, it may be time to dig deep and prepare for lean times like Gramps oh-so-bravely did.

Have you heard? The Democratic Party has split into two: the Clintonites and the Barackers. The Clintonites consist mostly of people without a college education, Catholics, white women, regular church attendees, union members and those "blue-collar workers" with whom she loves to drink beer. The Barackers are those who curse Hillary Clinton for sticking Barack Obama in two parallel universes: first, in the final primaries against Clinton, and then in the battleground states against John McCain. Meanwhile, the Republicans have proven how smart they are by keeping with tradition.

Martyrdom is one of the most longstanding and beautiful traditions in the Christian faith.

Since we had a woman-biased article on "male domination" in last week's New University ["The Problem with Iron Men," May 19, 2008"] I thought I should offer an alternative perspective. The article one-sidedly claimed that men in general sexualize and objectify women. The article made it seem like "white males" have all the power, and I could not disagree more. Women's suffrage has come a long way from the sexist ideas of the past. And yes, it's awful that there are still some men who rape, beat, oppress and objectify women. Thankfully, those men are not the majority. Nobody likes those guys.

The May 15 California Supreme Court ruling was a victory for same-sex couples all over the nation. This case marks one more step in the fight for civil rights in our country. Chief Justice Ronald George wrote the court's decision in Lockyer v. City and County of San Francisco.

If there is a legitimate and sincere desire for equality and a lifestyle free from beliefs imposed by others, then the appropriate ruling should have been to ban all marriage as recognized by the state in favor of domestic partnerships for all couples.

As I stood at the Muslim Student Union table on Ring Mall last week, I noticed a young boy standing with his mother at the mock apartheid wall. David was 5 years old, and he carried a stuffed animal in his hand. As I approached them, his mother said, "I am usually at work at this time, but I just wanted my son to see this."

The Supreme Court upheld Kentucky's right to use lethal injection for capital punishment this past month, despite the fact that most of the Western world abandoned capital punishment long ago. This ruling shows that in at least one respect, America is failing to cross the threshold into becoming a sensible society.

Wanted: A photogenic man or woman (must not scare children and small animals), from a swing state, preferably Ohio. He or she should have a background in politics and public service, but must not be too controversial or outspoken. PR-friendly family and cute dog a plus.

Does presidential candidate John McCain have more years of experience, or just fewer years until he becomes senile?

After 60 years, I would venture that the situation in Israel and the Middle East is nigh insoluble. As our own campus microcosm suggests, this issue is a tinderbox, to put it lightly. The stalemate is enervating and the tension is palpable.

Why are we surprised when we hear about school shootings, domestic abuse and rape? Jackson Katz, an anti-sexist male speaker, writer and film producer, says that considering how we socialize people according to gender, we should expect these problems.