Category: Opinion

California State University officials see that closing the doors for enrollment as a solution towards the budget crisis, but by doing so they’re taking away the chance for students to create a better life for themselves. Axing thousands from the opportunity to attend college will not only hurt the future of the economy but the future of education as well.

The Trayvon Martin shooting unavoidably has race written all over. Martin’s skin color, George Zimmerman’s racial background, even the teenager’s hoodie. Now set that aside, and one is left with initial problem. What right did Zimmerman have to interrogate Martin in the first place? He is not a police officer.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has invested in a $54 million ad campaign, graphically depicting the realities of diseased smokers for the next 12 weeks. Since the campaign’s first run on March 19, smoking cessation agencies like 1800-QUIT-NOW have doubled in both inquiries and phone calls – a sign that the ads are actually working.

The March 11 massacre of 17 Afghan villagers that resulted in Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales to be accused of the crime has raised concerns about the military’s handling of soldiers and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights emphasizes the importance of separation of church and state. Both the Bible and the Bill of Rights agree on the fact that religion and politics do not mix, just like oil and water. At one point or another, they are bound to disconnect due to the differences of ideological values and components.

The United States Supreme Court is currently considering whether the healthcare reform act signed by President Obama in March 2010 is constitutional.  Although the act may not be perfect, it has made healthcare more accessible and affordable to millions of Americans, and has especially benefited young adults.

In the current Rutgers University case involving the September 2010 suicide of 18-year-old freshman Tyler Clementi, his ex-roomate Dharun Rhavi was convicted Friday on fifteen charges including invasion of privacy, the hiding and tampering of evidence, and bias intimidation, in other words, a hate crime. Should bullies be held accountable for related suicides?

Five weeks into the school semester and the protests against the budget cuts are still going strong, but they’re not getting the job done and are not being directed at the right source of the problem. Only in Sacramento can these problems be properly addressed.