Editorials

Opinions from the Voice’s official editorial board.

Editorials

A satisfying compromise on contraception

In a meaningful act of compromise last Friday, the Obama administration expanded the number of religiously-affiliated organisations exempt from the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate. Originally the mandate only exempted houses of worship from the act’s requirement for the provision of contraceptive coverage in employee health plans.

By the February 7, 2013

Editorials

MPD’s sexual assault record condemned

According to a report published by Human Rights Watch last week, sexual assault survivors cannot expect anything more than skepticism, dismissal, and victim-blaming when reporting an assault to the District’s Metropolitan Police Department. The report clearly exposes MPD’s mistreatment of survivors as well as their mishandling of sexual assault cases.

By the January 31, 2013

Editorials

Non-English speakers face discrimination

This past week, the all-Republican Board of Commissioners in Carroll County, Md. voted unanimously to make English the official language of government business. The ordinance follows in the footsteps of Frederick County and Queen Anne’s County, making Carroll the third county in Maryland to declare an official language.

By the January 31, 2013

Editorials

DoD’s women in combat decision inadequate

In an announcement last Thursday, outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta declared that the Pentagon will lift its official ban on women in combat that has been in place since 1994. According to the Department of Defense, this means that the approximately 237,000 positions which women were previously barred from holding will be going under review.

By the January 31, 2013

Editorials

Divest from fossil fuels to preserve values

Yesterday, a group of students presented a letter to President DeGioia asking the University to freeze all new investments in fossil fuels and divest from current holdings within the next five years. The students, known as GU Fossil Free, also demand that Georgetown increase transparency and accountability in the investment process.

By the January 24, 2013

Editorials

License plates highlight statehood struggle

Two weeks ago, Obama finally announced his decision to use the District’s “taxation without representation” license plates on the presidential limousines in time for last Monday’s inauguration. Although it is a small act, the President’s use of the politically significant plates is a meaningful step forward in the struggle for D.C. statehood.

By the January 24, 2013

Editorials

Obama faces high expectations in second term

This past Monday, President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term. His inauguration speech was a refreshingly progressive call for action, unequivocal about what needs to be done but broad enough to inspire and allow for policy maneuvering.

By the January 24, 2013

Editorials

SAC needs better incentives, fewer hoops

With the start of the spring semester officially underway, various changes in student life seem to finally be taking effect. In particular, the Student Activities Commission is making changes on campus that promise to have a large impact on the wellbeing of student groups. The inaugural Spring Student Activities Fair took place this past weekend, giving student groups the chance to reinvigorate their membership base.

By the January 17, 2013

Editorials

Sincerity indispensable to fight corruption

On Jan. 8, D.C. Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At-Large) proposed a series of promising legislative initiatives to make D.C. governance more accountable and just. We congratulate the D.C. Council for responding to concerns expressed by citizens of the District for the opportunities of corruption that exist in the city government, and we hope that they establish effective guidelines for good governance.

By the January 17, 2013

Editorials

Earnest efforts required to protect women

As the 112th session of Congress drew to a close on Jan. 3, its failure to renew the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) demonstrates the serious dysfunction that plagues our government. First passed in 1994 and continually renewed by Congress without conflict up to this point, the Act expired this past October and must now wait until newly-elected legislators put it on their agenda.

By the January 17, 2013

Editorials

DPS needs to improve laptop protection

There’s been an unfortunate spike in crime at Georgetown this semester. This November, thefts alone increased 44 percent from October. The fact that the majority of these thefts have occurred in public places like the Leavey Center is particularly worrying, as is the fact that a third of the incidents were laptop thefts. Students understand the need to protect their valuable personal belongings, but generally fail to actively do so. Responding to the increase in thefts, the University’s Department of Public Safety has launched a campaign to encourage increased vigilance.

By the December 6, 2012

Editorials

Reconsider District school consolidation

Last month, D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson announced her plan to close 20 traditional D.C. public schools before the beginning of the next school year. This plan is estimated to displace approximately 3,000 students across six of the city’s eight wards. Henderson’s reasoning behind the closures is that a consolidation of schools will strengthen DCPS by redirecting funds from the maintenance of under-enrolled schools to the improvement of academic programs.

By the December 6, 2012

Editorials

‘Fiscal cliff’ threatens student prospects

As the U.S. edges closer to the sequestration stipulated in the Budget Control Act of 2011, debate is heating up between President Obama and the House Republican leadership about how to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” Originally conceived as a perverse incentive for Congress to agree on an acceptable debt-reduction solution, the Act stipulates an automatic spending reduction of up to $1.2 trillion of the federal budget on Jan. 1, 2013 if a budget compromise cannot be reached before that time. While politicians on both sides of the aisle badger on about the need for a grand compromise of revenue increases and spending cuts, it is clear that any austerity deal that puts the overall health of the economy at risk is unacceptable for America’s college students.

By the December 6, 2012

Editorials

Little hope for Doha environmental conference

This week and next, signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its principal treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, are gathering in Doha, Qatar, to coordinate an international... Read more

By the November 29, 2012

Editorials

Look to living wage bill for D.C. Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart was the target of protests at stores nationwide on Black Friday, when many workers threatened to walk out over a long list of complaints about unfair labor practices–unlivable wages,... Read more

By the November 29, 2012

Editorials

ACC an unlikely option for GU basketball

In the latest installment of the NCAA conference realignment saga, Rutgers announced last week that it would be leaving the Big East Conference for the Big Ten, and yesterday Louisville... Read more

By the November 29, 2012

Editorials

Section 5 of Voting Rights Act still necessary

On Friday, Nov. 9 the Supreme Court agreed to review Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a key piece of Civil Rights-era legislation that requires the U.S. Department... Read more

By the November 15, 2012

Editorials

A vote for a minor party could make it major

Last week’s elections marked a significant victory for the District’s Libertarian Party. Although he predictably lost the race for D.C.’s House Delegate seat to 11-term incumbent Eleanor Holmes Norton, Libertarian... Read more

By the November 15, 2012

Editorials

Consider B of A, (Product) Red’s social impact

On Monday, U2 frontman Bono came to campus to speak about the potential for political activism to address poverty and related social ills. The event was co-sponsored by Bank of... Read more

By the November 15, 2012

Editorials

Occupy Sandy provides model for disaster aid

Last week, various Caribbean nations and much of the American Eastern Seaboard were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, reaching 1,000 miles in diameter. The storm... Read more

By the November 8, 2012