Opinion

Thoughts from the Georgetown community.

Editorials

We are all to blame for sensationalist media

Even for the exceedingly low standards applied to the American press, in these past few weeks our media machine has outdone itself. The public has been exposed to an uncommon amount of sensationalized, dubious news reports surrounding topics like insurance coverage for contraception and the Invisible Children documentary about Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. Although not altogether uncommon, this round of media malarkey is especially destructive for what it covers up—the civilian killings in Afghanistan, a pressing transportation bill in the house, Voter ID laws, and more. Sensationalism has become a natural part of our media’s culture, as people follow trends instead of properly informing themselves. We must commit to consuming thoughtful, competent media and shaping a society where others do the same.

By the March 15, 2012

Editorials

Voter ID laws undermine American democracy

On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department blocked a proposed voter identification law from taking effect in Texas, saying it violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The measure, approved in May 2011, would have required voters to show photo identification in addition to already stringent voter registration requirements in the state. The DOJ’s move is undoubtedly the correct one, but more must be done to combat these overt conservative efforts to disenfranchise minority voting blocs.

By the March 15, 2012

Editorials

Military culture must change after killings

In the early morning of March 11, a U.S. Army sergeant stationed near Kandahar, Afghanistan, slipped away from his base and murdered 16 civilians, including women and children. Evoking memories of the Haditha killings of 2005, as well as the recent urination on civilian corpses by U.S. Marines and the burning of Qur’ans on military bases, the tragedy provides an opportunity for the leaders of our armed forces to examine a military culture in which these atrocities arise.

By the March 15, 2012

Voices

To the old, new social networks hard to pin down

Last Thursday, a couple of my friends and I were asked to appear in a news segment for CNN. What hard-hitting story marked my national television debut? No, it wasn’t an in-depth commentary on Harry Potter—it was a piece on not-so-new social media sensation, Pinterest.

By March 1, 2012

Voices

Finally, an online home for politically-minded loudmouths

Recently, Votizen, a new media startup, has grasped the attention of entrepreneurs and policymakers alike—including the 2012 U.S. presidential hopefuls. The startup seeks to change how our democracy works by using a national database of 200 million voting records to connect to friends on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn on the basis of ideological preferences.

By March 1, 2012

Voices

Virginia is for lovers, unless you love women’s rights

With presidential campaigns intensifying in the face of the upcoming elections, attention has recently been drawn to the state of Virginia and its numerous reproductive rights bills targeting issues like contraception and the definition of personhood. News of these bills, currently being discussed in the state’s legislature, has spread over the past few weeks.

By March 1, 2012

Voices

Carrying On: “I’ll make a man out of you”

Princesses, distressed damsels, and sidekicks—for years these roles have composed the majority of female roles in children’s literature and film. Even Pixar, with twelve animated major productions since 1995, has yet to produce a film with a female protagonist. This comes as no surprise.

By March 1, 2012

Editorials

Crimes expose twisted safety priorities

On Sunday, February 26, Georgetown students received email alerts from the Department of Public Safety regarding two crimes committed that day against students within blocks of the front gates: one sexual assault and one armed robbery. These reports are worrisome not only because the very occurrence of such crimes so close to campus is shocking, but also because the language employed in the reports perpetuates a blame-the-victim attitude with regard to sexual assault that is harmful and irresponsible.

By the March 1, 2012

Editorials

Georgetown undervalues alternative opinions

On Sunday, the Georgetown Occupy contingent facilitated eight hours of workshops and teach-ins in Red Square, in direct response to a Wall Street Boot Camp training session that occurred on the same day. Georgetown students, faculty, and even alumni from the Chimes a capella group contributed to the vibrant discussions of the day.

By the March 1, 2012

Editorials

Racial prejudice alive and well in America

This month, several media outlets have been criticized for their use of racial slurs in coverage of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin’s ascent to stardom. ESPN.com published an article about Lin with the word “chink” in its headline, a clear allusion, intentional or not, to the racial epithet, and Fox Sports reporter Jason Whitlock publicly apologized after tweeting a joke about Lin’s sexual capabilities. Saturday Night Live responded with a skit in which four reporters, two black and two white, made racial jabs at Lin. The script flipped when a white reporter began making jokes about blacks, and the others admonished him for his offensive allusions to social conditions still stifling the growth of black communities—which they had all done to Asians moments before.

By the March 1, 2012

Voices

Endemic intolerance: The flippancy of anti-Mormon bigotry

This Tuesday, Rev. Franklin Graham, the influential son of the famed evangelist Billy Graham, told MSNBC’s Morning Joe that Mitt Romney is not a Christian. Even though Romney, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, considers himself a practicing Christian, Graham said he outwardly respects Romney’s faith but considers it too unfamiliar to be grouped with his own.

By February 23, 2012

Voices

Overzealous GUSA candidates take battle to YouTube

Dorm-storming, flyering, and Red Square antics were once enough to win an election. But members of today’s generation of would-be GUSA executives would be remiss if they neglected to engage students on the Internet as well as in real life. Whereas online campaigning may have started out as a way to get a leg up on the competition, it is now expected that candidates keep up appearances on multiple social networking sites.

By February 23, 2012

Voices

Carrying On: Paying to stay competitive

With Georgetown’s new science center, Regents Hall, just months away from completion, the time has come for Georgetown to shift its focus towards its next major project. And so, last week, the University revealed revised plans for a new athletic training facility, which will be submitted for final regulatory approval in the coming months.

By February 23, 2012

Voices

Revive the Romantics and invigorate contemporary poetry

Few poets since William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg have gained the reputation that poets used to enjoy. Often, critics place the blame for this on a dearth of creativity in recent generations. But instead of drawing such a conclusion, the problem may instead be that contemporary poetry is simply weakened by changing conceptions of the definition of art.

By February 23, 2012

Editorials

Government, colleges failing students on debt

A group of students at the University of California, Riverside have proposed a plan to put themselves through college while avoiding massive student loans: students would pay their tuition after graduation by giving up 5 percent of their annual income over a twenty-year period.

By the February 23, 2012

Editorials

Vandalism displays need for wider dialogue

In the early hours of Saturday morning, a vandal spray-painted the words “U.S. wanted for murder” in capital letters on the campaign banner of GUSA executive candidates Colton Malkerson (COL ‘13) and Maggie Cleary (COL ‘14), which was in the form of the United States flag. A heated debate on campus revealed the divergent opinions on whether this was a legitimate form of expression, or whether the insult of a national symbol should be condemned regardless of circumstance.

By the February 23, 2012

Editorials

MPD’s bogus statistics betray public trust

Because of a statistical manipulation, Chief Cathy Lanier’s Metropolitan Police Department reported an impressive 94 percent homicide closure rate for 2011. But by artificially inflating its success, MPD is exaggerating how much safer the city has gotten during Lanier’s tenure, and in effect betraying the trust of the public. The artifice is especially puzzling in light of the fact D.C.’s violent crime rate has dropped in real terms during Lanier’s tenure.

By the February 23, 2012

Voices

Approaching one year, Japan disaster already overlooked

Usher videos don’t normally cause me much concern. Occasionally I feel a twinge of curiosity—how is his head still affixed after all that bobbing? Usually a glance is more than enough, and I move on. The “Without You” video, however, was different. After watching it with my roommate, I was filled with distaste.

By February 16, 2012

Voices

Carrying On: Longtime hostility against Iran

While watching the Republican debates over the past few months, I’ve been taken aback by the incredibly violent rhetoric that the candidates direct towards Iran. The three main contenders left in the Republican field, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich, have all asserted they would use necessary military force to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center claims that at least 58 percent of Americans agree with the Republican candidates, including half of the nation’s Democrats. As a result, I’ve found myself wondering how Americans can be so eager to start another war after our more than 10-year debacle in Iraq.

By February 16, 2012

Voices

From finance to fielders, navigating the New York Mess

Earlier this week, a professor of mine asked the class if anyone was a baseball fan. I raised my hand but was tempted to add a disclaimer: As a Mets fan, I felt that this affirmation required a pretty loose definition of the word “baseball.”

By February 16, 2012