In the four years I've worked at this paper, I've never used the word "I" in a published sentence. So when I decided to write my goodbye column, it was hard to get started.
Climate Change. Global Warming. Sustainability. Environmentalism. These divisive partisan issues form the foundation of a constant debate between conservative and liberal forces. Congressmen and congresswomen on both sides of the aisle carefully select language that resonates with key demographics. While the millennial generation hasn’t been a huge factor in politics in the past, many of these voters make up a large portion of the up-and-coming "rising electorate," the given name to a voting demographic that is comprised of millennials (voters age 18-30), unmarried women and certain minorities (Latin Americans and blacks). The U.S. census shows this group will encompass nearly half of the voting population in the coming elections. As political capital and influence shifts toward the rising electorate, there are important questions about its implications for key environmental issues.
It’s been more than two months since students went missing in the Guerrero state town of Iguala, Mexico. The young men had confrontations with the police while protesting unfair employment practices for teachers who discriminated against rural applicants and favored urban ones. The police killed three students and three bystanders in their altercation with the protesters. The allegation is that the police then captured 43 of the young men and handed them over to Los Guerreros Unidos, a drug gang, for execution.
During the last few weeks, America has been in an uproar over the cases of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and now Eric Garner. Many columnists, myself included, commented on these developments as they happened, sometimes with too much haste and without considering their impact. I think it’s important to take a moment to point out when the truth was bent and sometimes completely ignored.
No one ever says, “Wow. That’s just those Generation X kids,” or, “She is such a baby boomer!” In contrast, each member of today’s younger generation is categorized as being just another millennial in a spoiled and dumb youth population.
A few weeks ago, I got an email asking for advice on how to practice safe BDSM sex.
Holidays are treasured in part because they are times, sanctioned by God or the government, for us to reunite with distant and not-so-distant relatives. Unfortunately, this aspect can also make them nerve-racking and awful. You don’t get to pick and choose who your family members are, and the same applies to your family members’ political leanings.
Although the onslaught of Christmas merchandise that begins appearing in October might have you thinking December started weeks ago, it’s only been here for three days. It is officially the holiday season.
Do you remember, as children, the many times that we were scolded for something we did? Remember when we would point something out that our brother, sister or classmate did to try and excuse our actions or at least redirect the scolding? Well that juvenile failure to confront the truth is still happening. More recently however, it has made appearances in discussions on FOX, CNN and at dinner tables across the country.
Last month, Republicans dominated midterm elections across the nation. No one can deny the power right-wing lawmakers will hold once January rolls around as they now enjoy a strong grip on two-thirds of state legislative bodies.
This past weekend, still recovering from our Thanksgiving feast, I participated with my family in our tradition of having Saturday morning breakfast at Einstein Bros. Bagels. We’ve been doing this every week since before my younger sister was born — almost 17 years. We’ve cycled through all the menu and manager changes as time has passed and are familiarized as regulars by the staff.
Two years ago in Mobile, Alabama, an 18-year-old white male, Gilbert Collar, was shot and killed by a black campus police officer. He was running around campus, high and naked, when he approached the officer at the campus police station. Collar was unarmed, but the officer still deemed him a threat and decided to use deadly force against him.
One week ago, it was announced Darren Wilson would not stand trial for the death of an unarmed black 18-year-old named Michael Brown.
Recently, Rolling Stone magazine published a story exposing the University of Virginia’s extreme lack of attention to the dangers of sexual assault its students face.
One summer night two years ago, a dog named Lilly lost a leg and saved her owner’s life by dragging the unconscious woman off a set of train tracks to avoid an oncoming freight train.
[The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Alligator.]
The glorious day of Thanksgiving is almost upon us. Nothing tops dedicating a whole day to eating platefuls of food, drinking wine and watching football. Thanksgiving is a timeless holiday where we take a moment to slow down, be with the people we love and be thankful for everything we have. Unfortunately, some people are not thankful for what they have. They just want more, which in turn, has cast a dark shadow over Thanksgiving, rendering it less meaningful. This shadow is caused by none other than the dreadful day after Turkey Day: Black Friday.
Solutions by The State News
