Opinions

---

Letter to the Editor

I hate to say it and it probably sounds like blasphemy, but when you look at it objectively it is time to fire Reggie Witherspoon.

Victim Blaming Appalling in Canadian Rape Case

Earlier this week, a judge in Canada made a controversial ruling in a rape case. After 40-year-old Kenneth Rhodes was found guilty of raping a 26-year-old woman, Judge Robert Dewar gave him a two-year conditional sentence that he will serve at his home. This would already be considered a very lenient sentence for a rape case, but Dewar's ruling was made even more problematic by the remarks he made at the sentencing. When giving the sentence, Dewar stated that "sex was in the air" when the victim was raped and that she "wanted to party." In the aftermath of this, many have stated their outrage at Dewar for his statements, calling it a particularly egregious example of victim blaming. The Spectrum firmly agrees with this sentiment.

DADT Repeal Should Be a Gradual Process

Last week, President Obama stated that he believed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which he had previously defended, was unconstitutional. This was an important move for Obama because it finally showed him moving to the left on the issue of gay rights.

Ahmadinejad Hypocritical in Supporting Revolts

As countries such as Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia have revolted against their oppressive leaders, many people have come out in support of them. The latest person to come out in support of these revolts is a rather unlikely one, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad's support for the protestors was surprising, due to his rather poor track record of dealing with unrest in his own country.

2012 or 2020?

2012 keeps getting closer and closer. Even though all of that stuff about the Mayans and the end of the world is probably garbage, I couldn't blame you for believing in it, what with all of the crazy things that have been happening in the world lately. Who could argue with you?

Breathing Tube Case Not a Fault of Canadian Health Care System

Six years ago, America was captivated by the case of Terri Schiavo, a woman being kept on life support by a feeding tube.

Wisconsin Protestors Have Reasonable Demands

Last week, Scott Walker, the newly elected Republican Governor of Wisconsin, introduced a budget bill that contained an increase on the costs of benefits to public employees and restricted their collective bargaining rights. The bill was met with disdain, to say the least. For the past week, protests have been occurring in Wisconsin's capital, Madison, where the governor has faced some rather harsh criticisms. Protestors take issue not only with the increased amount of money that state workers would have to pay toward their pensions and health insurance plans, but also with the bargaining rights they would lose under Walker's proposal. Under the plan, unions would no longer have the right to agree or disagree with a proposal before it takes effect.

You. Us. We. Soon.

Carmelo Anthony is finally a Knick. Instead of worrying about where the next free-agent saga will come from (although I'd bet on Utah's Deron Williams milking the spotlight), let's consider what this trade means for the future of New York basketball. The Knicks gave up three starters whose average age is under 24, including one player, Raymond Felton, who will more than likely become an NBA All-Star at some point in his career. Furthermore, Isiah Thomas James Dolan and company shipped away a 2014 first-round draft pick, along with Timofey Mozgov, a 24-year-old center who has started 14 games this season, and who put up promising numbers (23 points and 13 rebounds) on Jan.

Violence In Libya Could Be Worst Yet

With the revolutions occurring in Egypt and Tunisia, 2011 has already been known as a major year of revolution in the Middle East, and many journalists have taken to calling it the Arab Spring. The latest nation to look to overthrow an oppressive leader, Libya, has been controlled by Muammar al-Gaddafi for 42 years now.

Comrades of Another Snowy State Need Our Support

With budget slashing everywhere, including SUNY, it's only a matter of time before union busting rears its ugly head here. Last week in Wisconsin, a political storm erupted over Governor Scott Walker's plans to charge state employee unions more for their pensions and health care and take away their collective bargaining rights.

Letter to the Editor

Students at UB struggle financially at least as much as other citizens across the state. Many of us work during the semester not out of want, but out of necessity ? to pay for books, rent, food, tuition, and the like. In that way, The Spectrum's Tuesday, February 8, 2011 editorial struck a chord: sending more money to Albany is not the answer to the current SUNY issues.

Sentence Is Excessive In Pieri Case

Earlier this week, John Pieri, an Amherst man, became the first person in the history of New York State to be prosecuted as an accessory to a hit-and-run crash. In March of 2009, Pieri was in the car with his girlfriend, Andrea L.

Planned Parenthood Repeal Wastes America's Time

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a controversial bill, revoking all government funding from Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion-providing organization. The bill sparked a great deal of outrage, and many saw it as an infringement on the ruling on Roe v.

Assault Of Logan Reflects Danger Faced By Journalists

Last Friday, CBS correspondent Lara Logan was brutally attacked in Cairo's Tahrir Square in Egypt, shortly following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. When news of Logan's ordeal hit American shores earlier this week, there was an understandable bit of outrage.

Chevron Unlikely To Pay Anytime Soon In Pollution Lawsuit

On Tuesday, an Ecuadorian court ruled that Chevron Corp. should be made to pay $8.6 billion as restitution for pollution in the Amazon jungle. This is being considered one of the most important environmental rulings of all time, with only the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico having larger ramifications. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the Ecuadorian government will see any of this money anytime soon. Chevron has not expressed any desire to pay this money, stating that it will fight the ruling both in the Ecuadorian appeals courts, as well as internationally.

Another Sex Column

Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex sex. I bet the presence of that word alone got you to read this column.

Letter to the Editor

The hype's been about the recently resigned Lee, whose name we can now toss onto our growing heap of debauched, deranged or just generally embarrassing political figures.

Budget Cuts Symptom Of Troubled Economy

When President Obama revealed his 2012 budget proposal on Monday, many people bristled at what was being suggested.

Egypt's Interim Leader Should Respect Wishes of the People

It's Just Sex