Spread of anti-Semitism felt near and far

By Josh Vizer / November 21, 2003

This weekend the Jewish community was faced with another episode in a series of worldwide tragedies. Jews praying in two synagogues in Istanbul were simultaneously attacked in bombings that together claimed the lives of 20 people and injured more than 300 others. In a country of 68 million with a population of 25,000 Jews, these...

Support for vets should be non-partisan

By Alex Moore / November 21, 2003

“Veterans Day ribbon?” I chimed, holding a little red, white, and blue ribbon into the unceasing flow of noontime traffic through the Reynolds Club. Each time it sounded more like a plea. I think I could have passed out free whiskey at Brigham Young University faster; only the tiniest fraction of the mass of people...

Bush administration mistreats military

By Gautham Rao / November 21, 2003

The Bush administration is either incredibly out of touch with the medical care of America’s troops, or it knows about major problems but simply doesn’t care. You decide. In January, when the President actually had the decency to visit wounded troops, he said: “Having been here and seeing the care that these troops get is...

Campaign finance reform is needed now

By Gregory Pesce / November 21, 2003

Last week, Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) became the third presidential candidate to reject public financing for the primaries, following in the footsteps of former Governor of Vermont Howard Dean and President George W. Bush. The departure of Kerry, Dean, and Bush—all of whom also rejected public funding in 2000—highlights the growing need to reform...

Winter, relationships: They don’t mix

By Persis Elavia / November 21, 2003

Last Friday, I was walking towards Pick when I was sideswiped by a screaming gale of wind that left me apologizing to the foreign student I crashed into. Picking myself up, I outwardly cursed the blasted weather that is part of Chicago, and continued towards Cobb. Now, I tend to have a pretty clean mouth,...

Seeds of democracy can’t be sown by force

By Enrique Gmez / November 21, 2003

As a thoughtful Democrat, I go to great lengths to comprehend the foreign policy agenda of the Bush administration. Making sense of our military commitment in Iraq—not to mention other possible entanglements in North Korea and the Middle East—is not always easy, especially since President Bush has been less than eloquent in his defense of...

Gender-neutral Bathrooms

By Maroon Editorial Staff / November 21, 2003

A recent panel called for additional gender-neutral bathrooms in central locations on campus, such as Cobb Hall and the Regenstein Library. The panelists cited the need for an inviting space for transgendered students who feel uncomfortable using men’s and women’s restrooms. Accommodating these students is not unlike accommodating Jewish students on campus by offering Kosher...

Bush’s secrecy blocks view of White House actions

By Emily Alpert / November 21, 2003

It’s an oft-cited fact that Bush has held fewer press conferences than any contemporary president except Nixon in his second term—a paltry 9 besides Clinton’s 33 and Bush Sr.’s 61 at the same point in their terms. Now, as of last Wednesday, the Bush administration has effectively cut off financial questions from Congress as well,...

Republican energy bill environmentally unfriendly

By Sarah Eldridge / November 18, 2003

You don’t know how relieved I was to find out that the Senate and the House had agreed on the first comprehensive energy bill in years. The bill is scheduled to go before the full House on Tuesday. It’s about time that we renewed our commitment to federal tax breaks and subsidies for fossil fuel...

Concert experience reveals distrust

By Megan Wade / November 18, 2003

How much do you trust your fellow students? That is a little vague. Let me ask instead, would you ever automatically believe that all other students were intentionally trying to deceive you? If you answered yes, then things are worse than I realized. As it is, I feel the trust we have for each other...

Dean’s Confederate flag remark angers

By Joel Lanceta / November 18, 2003

Howard Dean’s comments about poor white Southerners, where he so earnestly implored those with the Confederate flag on their bumpers to vote Democrat and did not even apologize for the remark until recently, just earned him another enemy: me. Yes, I admit it; I’m technically a Southerner, from the state of Kentucky. But I’m also...

Putting the B.S. back in CBS

By Matt Zakosek / November 18, 2003

Earlier this month—Election Day—CBS CEO-Chairman Leslie Moonves cancelled The Reagans, an allegedly inflammatory made-for-TV biopic about the former First Family that was supposed to air during November sweeps. I say “allegedly” because its conservative critics managed to condemn the movie without even watching it. Their first complaint about the film was perhaps the most ludicrous....