Here’s a look at editorials from campus newspapers across the nation.
SUV makers should improve fuel economy
(University of Michigan)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The term “energy crisis” — a favorite among primetime news anchors and political speechwriters — does not adequately describe the energy situation in the United States; it is a dismissive (if ominous) expression often used to explain away the United States’ conspicuous consumption. When Californians face rolling blackouts on hot days, it’s because of the “energy crisis.” When gas prices skyrocket, the “energy crisis” is invariably responsible. It’s a convenient, non-human, seemingly inevitable scapegoat. Blaming this illusive crisis shifts the blame from those most deserving of it: people.
Think about it. The U.S. Department of Energy is currently run by a man who once co-sponsored a bill that would have abolished it. Consumerism dictates that bigger is better. Less is never more; more is more. Although the world’s population is only about 5 percent American, the Bruntland Commission reports that the United State consumes approximately 30 percent of the world’s resources.
Despite the grim reality, U.S. leaders are doing little to stop the energy crisis from becoming the energy disaster; the U.S. House of Representatives voted 269 to 160 Wednesday not to require sport utility vehicle manufacturers to significantly increase fuel efficiency by 2007.
Gay marriage and the DOMA
(University of Minnesota)
MINNEAPOLIS — According to the 2000 census, Minneapolis was ranked third in the nation for the concentration of same-sex couples who live together. This ranking displays the acceptance of homosexuals in the community; however, same-sex couples still cannot legalize their unions in Minnesota and many other states. As other countries continue to legalize homosexual marriages, the United States needs to catch up and grant equal rights and benefits to its citizens regardless of their sexual orientation.
Brian Wiedenmeier, the co-chairman of the Queer Student Cultural Center at the University of Minnesota, sums up the need for same-sex marriage: “It’s an outrage that gay and lesbian citizens cannot marry or partner. They cannot take advantage of things that heterosexual married couples can, such as tax breaks, estates or wills and married status within adoption proceedings.”
Many problems can arise for homosexual couples who cannot receive the same benefits as heterosexual married couples. For example, if a homosexual partner dies, the surviving half of the couple will have a more difficult time receiving inheritance because he or she is not considered a spouse. Also, same-sex couples cannot take advantage of the married status for a variety of legal proceedings, making situations such as adoption and home ownership increasingly difficult. The practice of denying homosexuals the same rights as heterosexuals is clearly discriminatory.
Voting system needs fixing
(California State University-Long Beach)
LONG BEACH, Calif. — After the election fiasco in 2000 in which the U.S. Supreme Court appointed George Bush to the presidency, the prevailing sentiment throughout most of the country was that some sort of election reform is drastically needed in this country.
This week, a panel headed by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford delivered its recommendations to Bush and Congress, both of whom greeted it with muted enthusiasm.
The irony of having Ford head a commission on elections should not be overlooked, either.
The biggest suggestion from the commission was for a national voting holiday, structured to follow Veteran’s Day.
If Americans cannot stop off at the polling place on their way home from work, why would they cut short the chance at a four-day weekend? Another major problem that needs addressing is standardizing the methods of voter registration. This would be too unwieldy on a national level, so each state should have to take responsibility for its voters.
U-Wire news service.
