Opinion

Opinion

Staff editorial: Virginia Tech Tragedy Starts Conversations

April 19

AU students, like countless others around the world, have spent the last few days grappling with the loss of those at Virginia Tech. We, as a campus, mourn the loss of our peers and the lives they could have led, and struggle to understand why someone could commit such a senseless act of violence against so many innocent people.

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Opinion

Mind of a Killer, Mindset of a Nation

By Paul Perry | April 19

Given the weight of the tragedy at Virginia Tech that is upon us, as well as the fact that this will be my final article for this newspaper, I am at a loss for words. All of the talking heads, the pundits and the commentators have left me without much to say because they are talking all of our heads off dissecting this situation.

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Opinion

Predictions: Legalized Marijuana and No More SG

By Tom Noble | April 16

When writing every other week for The Eagle, it is hard to decide what exactly to write about. I haven't really found the right formula. At any time, there are a dozen different things I could cover. Seeing as how this will be my last column, I want to use the space provided to list some things that, with any luck, will occur in the next 12 months.

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Opinion

What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Capitalism?

By Jared Kotler | April 16

I think it is pretty safe to say that AU is a very liberal college. I also think this is a very positive thing and in fact, I consider myself to be quite liberal. Unfortunately, for many students liberal is just a label when in fact their philosophy is more leftist than anything else.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Eco-Sense: On A Roll

April 16

Members of AU's Eco-Sense club attended the "Step It Up" rally Saturday to call Congress to action on carbon emissions. The D.C. rally was part of a nation-wide group of simultaneous rallies designed to bring attention to the issue. The highlight of the rally was the creation of a human postcard showing rally attendees forming "80 percent by 2050," a specific call to reduce carbon emissions.

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Opinion

OP-ED: What's Up with the 2007 Farm Bill?

By Andrew Wolf | April 16

This year, a bill will pass that affects the food we eat, the people who grow it and the impact this food has around the world. Each year, U.S. taxpayers spend $20 billion to subsidize 25 percent of the nation's commodity farmers who grow crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans.

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Opinion

Letter to the editor

April 16

Ms. Hanson's article is disingenuous about the risks posed by studying abroad. Granted, being away from home and the comforts of the United States can "seem" very scary, but there are relatively few cases of crime or violence against students studying abroad when you take in the full volume of students going abroad.

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Opinion

My Philosophy: Protect Citizens, But Let Them Be Free

By Erin Wildermuth | April 12

I am a philosophical anarchist. The idea of a group of people coming together and imposing their will on others is morally abhorrent to me. It is probably morally abhorrent to most people. However, public opinion changes when that majority claims to be working towards the common good, when they are acting on behalf of the state.

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Opinion

My Philosophy: Big, Benevolent Government

By Jong Eun Lee | April 12

I support democracy and I support the treasured American principle for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." However, I also believe in the role of a benevolent big government to promote this principle in our society. I am aware that most Americans are individualistic and reluctant to trust the power of the government.

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Opinion

CORRECTION from April 12

April 12

A headline accompanying a jump of an article titled "Student safety top priority abroad" incorrectly stated "AU doesn't buy insurance for students studying abroad." In reality, while AU does not purchase the specific SOS type of insurance mentioned in the article, it has "always purchased health insurance for our students that covers accidents and other medical emergencies, that includes medical evacuation when required," according to AU Abroad Director Sara Dumont.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Drinking Age Proposal Is A Catalyst for Debate

April 12

John McCardell, president emeritus of Middlebury College, recently began advocating for a qualified lower drinking age. People ages 18 to 20 would be given a "drinking license" similar to a driver's license after completing a required alcohol education class.

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Opinion

Letters to the editor

April 12

More Rove protest reactions I would like to point out something that the heated emotions surrounding the erstwhile citizen's arrest of Karl Rove may have caused people to overlook. The protesters who laid down in front of Mr. Rove's car and made such a big deal about being forcibly removed by Public Safety and the Secret Service seemed to forget one very important fact: The job of the Secret Service is to protect certain people.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: Health Center Reforms: A Good Place To Start

April 12

In response to many complaints and based on the success of a similar program to gather student feedback on the low-flow showerhead controversy, the SG has launched a section of its act.ausg.org to gather student feedback about the Health Center. The Health Center also began using a comment box in mid-February to gather student feedback.

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Opinion

Staff editorial: At Rove Event, No One Group Was To Blame

April 5

More than 80 protesters tried to stage a citizen's arrest of White House adviser Karl Rove after he spoke at a College Republicans event Tuesday night. About 16 of the protesters laid down in front of Rove's car as he tried to leave campus, causing Public Safety and Rove's Secret Service detail to break up the protest.

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Opinion

The Wrong Side of History

By Paul Perry | April 5

There are certain issues and stances on which we look back and wonder, "How the hell could people have ever felt this way?" From the big, scary phenomena such as slavery and genocide, on down to lesser concepts such as the denial of suffrage for women and African Americans and Prohibition, we wonder how society, as a collective, could have ever deemed such practices to be feasible and just.

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Opinion

Letters to the editor

April 5

MC Rove comes to AU I would like to take this opportunity to respond to widespread campus concerns following the protest of Karl Rove's presence at the College Republicans' event Tuesday evening. As one of the students who participated in the actions to detain Karl Rove in a citizens' arrest, I speak for all of us in saying we take seriously campus concerns about AU's image in the media and student behavior during the protest.

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Opinion

Campus Voices: Protesters vs. Organizers

April 5

This is an Official Arrest Warrant for Karl Rove Tuesday night was a travesty. A fugitive from the law snuck onto our otherwise safe campus, took part in a clandestine meeting and was then able to escape into the dead of night. For those not in the know, that night the College Republicans hosted White House Chief Political Officer Karl Rove in a secretive closed event.

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