STORM: TOMS: A Compassionate Compromise?
Meg Storm, Columnist
Is it possible that in this time of government run bailouts and a growing population in need of financial assistance that a small shoe company with the motto “One for One” is actually changing the face of giving, while blurring the line between welfare and charity?
CUEVAS: Clearing the Air for Air Safety
New York State’s plan to exterminate two-thirds of its Canada geese population is part of an even greater regional scheme to reduce the population in 17 Atlantic states by nearly half. Officials are calling it a mass euthanizing for the sake of “aviation and passenger and property safety,” but isn’t slicing the population a bit extreme?
STROSTER: Obama Can Do Only So Much
Lianna Stroster discusses the reasons for Obama’s waning approval ratings and begs Americans to be more realistic in our presidential expectations. Do low ratings reflect reviews of Obama specifically, or do they reflect our unquenchable demand for immediate satisfaction?
PETERSON: A Civilian Wrestles With War
Tim Peterson, Associate Editor
Whether or not one agrees with a war, he should not surrender to its leaders carte blanche. The more that people engage with war, the more familiar they will be with its costs and benefits, the more they will be able to understand its necessity and to apprehend its excesses.
BAIN: An American Fable – Race Baiting and Crying Wolf
Sam Bain, Columnist
All too often, conservatives are the ones accused of racism by liberals who claim to be proponents of fairness and equality. But it’s the left that’s using race as a political wedge to dishonorably gain votes and lash out against opponents.
PANDYA: Reactionary Politics and Financial Reform
Om Pandya, Columnist
On Wednesday, President Obama signed new financial reforms into law. But its punitive measures – designed to punish financial institutions – will ultimately hurt the consumer the most. And unfortunately, instead of being a responsible piece of legislation that could prevent the next crisis, it’s yet another example of the reactionary politics we have come to expect from the Obama administration.
LIFSON: Incumbent Mind Tricks
Matthew Lifson, Columnist
Americans tell each other they can’t stand career politicians, but there is no better predictor of electoral success than incumbency. Over the last ten years, the average reelection rate was 96% for congressmen and 85% for senators. Even during extraordinary election years like 1994, when Republicans took back Congress armed with their Contract with America, the reelection rate for incumbents was 90% in the House and 92% in the Senate.
RUSHFORD: We Must Not Forget About the Oil (Spills)
Stephanie Rushford, Columnist
The news crews will soon leave the Gulf of Mexico, enabling Americans to forget about the Gulf oil spill. But, Americans must not be shocked by more large-scale spills in future if they are complacent in doing nothing to change the status quo.
MCNAMARA: Silent Springs, Silent Suffering
Lindsay McNamara, Columnist
Instead of allowing anything to sit on our bathroom shelves and under our kitchen sinks, a company should first have to prove that a chemical will do no harm — instead of, like DDT, destroying ecosystems and leading to cancer.
