Editorials

• China Vs. Google and The United States’ response: The Real Story and the Fight for Freedom

  Editorials February 22, 2010 at 2:22 pm Comments are Disabled

  Michael Dematteo, Broadside Correspondent In a recent article published in Broadside that dealt with the ramifications of China’s most recent attempt at hacking Google, Inc., Broadside correspondent Justin Lalputan stated that the United States has “berated” the Communist nation in response to its policy of informational oppression. Mr. Lalputan uses the logic of international political sovereignty and an advancement of Chinese state-sponsored actions. According to Mr. Lalputan’s reaction in “Secretary Clinton vs. China: Is the United States Government Going Too Far with Foreign Google Affair,” it seems that he thinks the United States is taking the role of the meddler and continuing its perceived role as global police in all foreign policies, regardless of the nation in question. As he put it, “the United States has no business telling [China] what to do.” While he makes valid arguments in some parts of the report, the article is hypocritical at best and could not be further from the truth. Edmund Burke once wrote that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” In an era filled with the blossoming of freedom and democracy progressed by the actions of good men, evil still may […]

   

• Letter From Student Government: Student Government Reaches Out

  Editorials February 22, 2010 at 2:19 pm Comments are Disabled

  Jennifer Mancini, Student Government Senator I was thrilled when Student Government was given permission to have our own column in Broadside to relay to the student body the current projects, recent accomplishments and things we hope to see in the near future. Before I became a member of Student Government, I really did not have any idea of how much work actually goes on behind those glass doors across from the Information Desk in the Johnson Center. Because of that, I want to personally make you aware of the effort George Mason University’s Student Government is putting in on your behalf. University Services Committee is in the process of bringing Car Sharing to Mason. Car Sharing is comparable to a rent-a-car service on college campuses, but provides an eco-friendly car that can be reserved months or minutes in advance. Gas and insurance are included in the overall price. Cars range from minis to BMWs to pickup trucks, or even hybrids. Check back to this column for more updates. University Services is establishing a “Housing Town Hall” to help students who have concerns throughout the year with their housing arrangements, as well as for students to be able to find out […]

   

• Mason Community Prevails Through Record Snowstorms

  Editorials February 18, 2010 at 10:27 am Comments are Disabled

  The past few days have been a test for everyone in the Washington, D.C. region; the consequence of over three feet of snow has made achieving normal, everyday activities very challenging. You have all been inconvenienced by the inclement weather, but somehow you have survived, and during this process have made us all very proud of the Mason family. You have stepped up in these most difficult of times. Knowing that there is no way to mention all the outstanding efforts of the Mason faculty, staff and students, noted are just a few of the many examples of different university efforts that far exceeded our greatest expectations: Physical Plant/Facilities Staff: On a 24/7 basis for the past 4-5 days, these dedicated men and women plowed and shoveled unprecedented depths of snow to clear the roadways and sidewalks throughout our campuses. These staff members put aside clearing their own homes to work on our campuses. Many of the staff stayed at local hotels since commuting back and forth was not practical. Campus Police Staff: Similarly, on a 24/7 basis the campus police department has kept the campuses safe, secure and attended to any emergencies that occurred. The university had thousands of […]

   

• The Non-Issue of ‘Climategate’ and The Real Issue of Climate Change

  Editorials February 18, 2010 at 10:25 am Comments are Disabled

  I was initially annoyed by Alan Moore’s recent piece on the opinion page in Broadside; I’m now thankful for the opportunity to set the record straight. After thoroughly refuting the baseless claims he made in his last piece about climate change that appeared in Broadside, I can’t pass up the chance to further educate Mr. Moore on the truth about climate change and the so-called “Climategate” scandal. However, doing so is easier said than done; like his previous piece, this one is so chock-full of errors it would take pages to refute them all. In fact, the quality of Mr. Moore’s arguments is so ridiculously feeble that I’m assuming most people that had the misfortune of reading them realized what they are: a distasteful and deceitful attempt to mislead the George Mason University community. That said, I will point out the inaccuracies in some of his more inflammatory claims. First of all, the so-called “Climategate” scandal is a non-issue. To give you a little background, the scandal in question is the result of computer servers at the Climate Research Center in the U.K. being hacked in late last November. The perpetrators of the crime released stolen e-mails to the public […]

   

• Teen Pregnancy on the Rise; Statistics Shock Citizens

  Editorials February 15, 2010 at 3:01 pm Comments are Disabled

  Justin Lalputan, Broadside Correspondent Last week, I was browsing the Internet when I came across an article that was talking about teenage pregnancy. Apparently the rate of pregnancy is on the rise again, despite a decreasing trend in the past couple of years. Citizens and officials have become concerned with the statistics, and now, debates about what should or shouldn’t be taught in the classroom are raging once again. Parents of the more conservative nature are against students being taught how to use birth control in the classroom. They feel that if they don’t teach students how to properly partake in safe sex, then the students will simply not have sex. Yes, if someone is abstinent, then he/she knows that there is a zero percent chance of them getting a sexually transmitted disease or sexually transmitted infection. It is also true that if someone is abstinent, they will not get pregnant. However, in today’s society, it is simply not realistic to say that teenagers will not have sex if they are not taught how to do it safely. Look at the culture that America has today. Almost everything has some sort of sexual appeal involved. From Lil Wayne telling girls […]

   

• Meat: Love It Or Hate It; The Conscience of a Meat Eater

  Editorials February 15, 2010 at 2:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  Meridith Kaufman, Asst. Opinion Editor Personally, I love eating meat. I am a full-on carnivore and I love it. But the more I discover about the process of how that slab of beef gets in front of me, the more I want to just stop listening. In December, I made myself listen. I went to a book reading by Jonathan Safran Foer about his book, Eating Animals. I haphazardly did not review what his new book was about; I just knew I liked his older fiction books and I liked him as an author, so I went. What I got was a lecture on how not only was I completely harming animals by supporting the farming industry as it is now, but that I was killing the Earth as well. Needless to say, I left before I could choke down a vegetarian brownie. After I gained a little bit of my ego back I made myself listen and learn about the mass production of meat in the United States of America. Most of the meat we eat in America is produced by factory farming. Factory farming is when animals are born and raised to produce their meat, milk and eggs […]

   

• The Obamateur Hour; The State of the Union Address Falls Flat

  Editorials February 15, 2010 at 2:53 pm Comments are Disabled

  Alan Moore, Staff Writer Pundits and government officials alike touted President Obama’s State of the Union address prior to its delivery as an opportunity to hit “reset” on the fledgling administration that has consistently been under fire. Not only did Obama fail miserably in that regard, but he continued the incendiary tactics and partisan rancor that sickens Americans on both sides of the aisle. His finger-wagging at the Supreme Court for overturning parts of campaign finance laws that were deemed violations of free speech was atrocious. Not only was it inappropriate to scold the Supreme Court like a hotheaded stepchild during the State of the Union, but Obama’s accusations were undeniably false. He insinuated that foreign companies will be able to contribute money to federal elections in the United States which is a complete misrepresentation of the ruling and is irrefutably wrong. It was so bad that even some of Obama’s allies in the media, like Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times, called him out on this fabrication. The slight was certainly noticed by Justice Alito who took the unprecedented action of a Supreme Court Justice by mouthing “not true” while being lambasted by the president. Republicans were not […]

   

• It’s Never About Weather; Ignoring Global Warming Will Not Solve It

  Editorials February 15, 2010 at 2:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  Anandraj Singh, Staff Writer Discussing anything even remotely related to climate change these days is a frustrating endeavor. If it’s not someone shouting, “the weather’s getting colder, so what the scientists say must be wrong,” or “it’s all just a conspiracy,” then it’s some other form of hatred. It’s always a question about what one can do, how things are either being done out of proportion or not being done enough. The lack of consensus on the issue alone is a sore selling point — as is the frustrating branding and marketing of it by both those for and against it. Those against it nearly riot that it’s a conspiracy. Those that are for it either focus too much on condemning the former group, or not enough time to properly explain it to the common man. What both groups fail to realize is that this entire affair with climate change is not about the weather. It’s not about how cold, hot, wet or dry it is wherever you are. It isn’t even about the economy. The entire affair boils down to a simple, succinct little tablet of wisdom that has served to protect our ancestors for generations before they were […]

   

• New Year’s Resolutions; Can’t Keep Your Resolutions? No Problem!

  Editorials February 15, 2010 at 2:08 pm Comments are Disabled

  Stephanie Tran, Staff Writer So you’ve been back to college for about three weeks, managed to finally get to the right classrooms, reunited with all your friends . . . and are now trying to forget the New Year’s resolutions you quickly made and even more quickly forgot. You’ve probably dropped your resolutions for several reasons or excuses, depending on how honest you are with yourself: no time, not enough energy, too much schoolwork. When making resolutions, you should try to avoid making resolutions that, well, you doubt you can keep. Sounds pretty obvious, doesn’t it? The Harvard Health Publications website lists common mistakes that you’ve probably already made when making your resolutions Jan. 1. Maybe your resolutions are too vague, too numerous or too lofty. In addition, making resolutions that conform to other people’s expectations or values instead of your own takes away the biggest force behind fulfilling resolutions: your personal motivation. You need to make resolutions for the right reasons and in the right way, then you’ll be more likely to stick to them. With this advice in mind, reconsider those resolutions you made rashly and evaluate them. Then follow the Harvard Health Publications website and break down […]

   

• Sailing the Internet: Two Teen Sailors Vie for a Family’s Attention

  Editorials February 2, 2010 at 7:15 pm Comments are Disabled

  Brandon Minster, Staff Writer A few months ago, my family became regular followers of the blog of Jessica Watson, a 16-year-old Australian girl attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world. Jessica was a perfect fit for my family. She appealed to my daughter’s inner sexual liberator, constantly on the lookout for a good girl empowerment story. Jessica also appealed to my inner misanthrope, always open to new tales of those who give society the proverbial mooning and set course for a life of solitude. Just about every day Jessica updates her blog. A content-heavy website features a map showing her current location, typically in the middle of some ocean, and bearing the modern-era disclaimer that the map is not to be used for navigational purposes. Also on the website are periodic video updates. My kids enjoy these the most. My son loves that the start and end of each video is Jessica fiddling around behind the lens, trying to find the camera buttons. Intellectually, he knows she is sailing by herself, but it’s not quite real to him until he realizes she has to be her own camerawoman — then he cracks up. My daughter […]