Opinion

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Getting the best out of a liberal arts institution

Brandy Melville lacks clothing size diversity

Comfortable. Cozy. Soft. Trendy. Casual. Stylish. Cute. These are all words that my peers replied with when I asked them about the popular female clothing brand, Brandy Melville. This brand has gained an insane amount of popularity in the last year. The products are, in my opinion, just as described—a socially acceptable way to wear pajamas outside.

Letter to the editor: Wisconsin voter ID bars student voting

Cardinal View: Concealed carry in campus buildings puts students safety at risk

Rejecting refugees ignores American values

In light of the terrorist attacks in Paris, conservative America chomped at the bit to try and use the tragedy to rationalize why we shouldn’t invite Syrian refugees into our nation. Without waiting for all of the details of the horrific event to come out (including the fact that the attacks were primarily executed by European nationals), conservatives had already made up their minds that opening our country to refugees is to invite the Islamic State to our doorstep.

The futurist movement is taking over

Campaign debt is skyrocketing

Pedestrians need to learn the rules of the sidewalk, and follow them

Attacks in Paris reignite xenophobia

Paris. That word does not resonate the same way that it did before Nov. 14, 2015. A terrorist attack believed to be orchestrated by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) killed more than 120 people at six different locations outside of the capital by suicide bombs, as well as shootings.

Transgender rights at stake with Wisconsin Assembly Bill 469

The Wisconsin GOP just doesn’t seem to know when they’re fighting a losing battle. With the decision from the Supreme Court this past summer and the backlash following the Religious Freedom Act in Indiana earlier in the year Republicans have been fighting a losing battle when it comes to LGBT rights.  With 59 percent of American citizens supporting same sex marriage, Republicans are showing just how out of touch they are with everyday people.  The Wisconsin Assembly has been the latest target for discriminatory legislation.  Several weeks ago, Rep. Jesse Kremer (R-Kewaskum) introduced Assembly Bill 469, an attempt to restrict transgender use of gendered restrooms in schools.  Regardless of how Rep. Kremer and the other supporters of this legislation may spin it, this bill is an attack against the transgender community and LGBT Wisconsinites as a whole.

Corruption is dominating politics

In our post-Citizens United government, corruption is perfectly legal, and we let politicians get away with it. According to the Sunlight Foundation, from 2007 to 2012, the top 200 most politically active companies in America spent approximately $5.8 billion influencing the legislators who are meant to represent the American public. Those 200 companies received $4.4 trillion in taxpayer support, government benefits and tax breaks for their efforts. While big money special interests laugh all the way to the bank, the American public is left penniless.

Eliminate Social Security

Social Security is close to being an untouchable government program. No politician wants to suggest reforming or eliminating it for fear of irritating the masses of older Americans who want to see the money they paid into the system returned to them. However, Social Security will need to be modified at some point. A system based on younger generations paying for the older generations’ retirements only works when the labor force is large enough to foot the bill of retirees. While that may have been true in the past, it won’t be true forever. Consequently, a change in either benefits or the 12.4 percent effective income tax to support Social Security must occur in order to prevent the program from becoming insolvent.

A new era in Daily Cardinal history

For 123 years, The Daily Cardinal has been at the forefront of student journalism on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. As editor-in-chief, it is my responsibility to put this newspaper in a position to keep it thriving for 123 more.

Christmas may be great, but don't forget about Thanksgiving

The hard truth about red meat

Economic prosperity not only factor in generosity

A global survey on charitable giving was conducted in 135 nations, and very well may provide us a sense of faith in humanity. In 2014, the World Giving Index examined whether people volunteered their time to an organization, offered assistance to someone they did not know who needed it or donated money to a charity. Around 2.3 billion people worldwide reported helping a stranger over a time period of one month, and 1.4 billion people reported that they donated money to a charitable cause in 2013.

Religious hecklers preaching through fear

It was a brisk fall afternoon on campus, and I had just handed over a crisp $10 bill in exchange for a foil-wrapped Korean burrito. I savored the delicious cocktail flavor, made even more precious to me knowing that I was directly jeopardizing my rent for the luxury of food cart cuisine. A fair trade, in my book. My friend and I began to look for a spot to sit down and stuff our faces with our feast, but as we walked down Library Mall, we encountered quite the crowd forming a ring.

Reinvigorating the primary election

Cardinal View: Soglin slips in tackling homelessness issue

Mayor Paul Soglin, since his landslide reelection victory in April 2015, has once again taken upon himself to address Madison’s homeless problem with rhetoric rather than substantial policy. Over the summer, Mayor Soglin proposed a new city ordinance which would tackle problematic loitering and lodging in Madison’s Central Business District. While not directly mentioning the homeless, the ordinance, which Madison’s Common Council has since voted down, attempted to clear out downtown of individuals whom were causing an undue nuisance to both city residents and the various business of downtown Madison.

Terrorism motivated primarily by perceived injustices, not prejudices

In response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, President George W. Bush promptly declared that the attacks were motivated by a hatred for “our freedoms” —particularly our freedoms of religion and speech. All of the evidence appears to point to a completely different idea. Terrorists did not attack us on 9/11 because they hated our freedom or were commanded by their religion. They attacked the World Trade Centers in order to get revenge for American actions they perceived to be injustices.