Opinion - The Daily Cardinal

OPINION

Understanding the plight of a left-handed individual

By Cal Weber | Oct. 4, 2015

I’ve always been pretty average. I’m a white, middle-class male, maybe a little taller than most people. But I am special in one way. I’m one of the 10 percent of people in the world who are left handed, and let me tell you, it sucks. You know how Madonna said that she is a “Material Girl” living in a “material world?” Well, I’m a left-handed boy living in a right handed-world; we are the 10 percent.

OPINION

Gun control deserves serious attention

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Oct. 4, 2015

A mentally unstable man opened fire at a school this past week, ending the lives of several people and tragically changing the lives of countless others. President Barack Obama spoke about the need for reform. The flags flew at half-mast and vigils were held. After a few days, the memory of the incident faded into obscurity for most as the country moved on to the next big news story. Sound familiar?

Activists marched Sept. 17 on the Capital City Bike Path in solidarity with the survivor of the sexual assault and near-homicide that occurred on the path Sept. 12.

OPINION

Sexual assault dialogue demands inclusivity

By Theda Berry | Sep. 30, 2015

It’s difficult to read campus newspapers recently without seeing accounts of sexual assault, yet the reactions of women on campus have been missing from this deluge of media. Whether the articles in question have been reports on the alarming number of campus assaults, accounts of local atrocities like the rape and near-homicide that occurred on the Capital City Bike Path, discussion of college surveys on the topic, news of reactionary student organizations or opinion pieces, these stories have not represented the fear and disgust expressed in conversation by many of the women I know.

SCIENCE

Letter to the Editor: The strange silence about climate change policy and the looming apocalypse

By Ryan Reszel and Benjamin Zycher | Sep. 29, 2015

I kid, of course: Silence is the last adjective one would use about climate policy, except with respect to such minor parameters as the actual benefits of various policy prescriptions and the actual evidence of climate impacts, about which more below.

OPINION

Unplug and reconnect with the world around you

By Samantha Wilcox | Sep. 29, 2015

For the first time in 33 years, the sun, moon and earth aligned perfectly in a row, bringing us a super moon total lunar eclipse. Such a rare and awe-inspiring event deservedly attracted lots of hype around the world, with billions of people looking up to see the cosmic beauty.

OPINION

Move into adulthood on your own time

By Cal Weber | Sep. 29, 2015

I’m currently lying on my floor, next to a bowl of mashed potatoes, while my Adele album plays in the background and I neglect all of my responsibilities. My thoughts are wandering from school stress to student loans to the fact that I eventually have to grow up one day. One crucial question crosses my mind: When do you officially become an adult?

OPINION

Debunking common myths about the minimum wage

By Brittany Schoepp and Tim Heinzel | Sep. 28, 2015

Economic fallacies seem to be ingrained in the minds of many Americans. According to economically illiterate individuals, so-called “greedy capitalists” would pay each of their workers one cent per hour while raking in massive profits unless we have a minimum wage. Additionally, children would totally be working 12 hours a day in coal mines without the presence of child labor laws. Fortunately, none of these horrific myths are true.

FOOTBALL

Enjoying Badger sports does not require athletic fanaticism

By Lilly Hanson | Sep. 27, 2015

If you would’ve asked me a year ago where I would place myself on a scale of 1-to-10 regarding my viewpoint of sports, I probably would’ve placed myself very low (low meaning that even though I enjoy attending sporting events, I don’t really have a passion for them).

OPINION

Criticism of Sanders misses the mark historically

By Elijah Gray | Sep. 27, 2015

The article entitled “Sanders’ socialism falls short” that appeared in the Sept. 23 issue of this paper provides poignant insight into the degree to which Bernie Sanders detractors are blind to historical economic trends and the success of socialist principles around the world. In the article the author purports to put backers of Sanders’ aims for things like universal healthcare and free college in their place by noting that these programs would cost money.

OPINION

'Voluntourism' blurs the lines

By Jessica Gartner and Sebastian van Bastelaer | Sep. 27, 2015

A brave soul stands in front of the class, waiting for his time to shine. Once the murmuring dies down, he jumps into an energetic, well-rehearsed pitch for his volunteer group, spewing examples of adventures to be had and sights to be seen. He passes out a collection of colored sheets that reiterate his point, leaves and finally lecture can begin.

City Year members spend time with children supplementing after-school educational programs in the U.S. and abroad.

OPINION

How I gave back to my community by joining City Year

By Houa Vang | Sep. 23, 2015

A few months ago friends and family would ask me what I was going to do this year. I would answer, “Just City Year, an Americorps program.”

Celebrating Gov. Walker’s withdrawal might be premature, with candidates such as Rubio eager to take Walker’s campaign resources.

OPINION

Walker’s absence harmful for Democrats

By Molly Reppen and Ben Miller | Sep. 23, 2015

Monday night, Democrats across Wisconsin cheered as Gov. Scott Walker officially announced he was ending his 2016 presidential campaign. The decision came after recent polls showed Walker with less than 1 percent of the vote. However, if you are a Democrat, now is not the time to be celebrating. In fact, you should be bracing yourself for the worst. It all comes down to one man: Marco Rubio.

Feminism has seen great success in the past, but the fight for equality in all spheres goes on.

OPINION

Feminist progress needs to go further

By Natalie Maczuga | Sep. 23, 2015

I was recently sitting in a class centered on the issues that men and women face, including social injustice, inequality and gender forces among other things. In the midst of discussion, I heard a comment that made my head turn: “There has been progress, so why can’t we be happy about the progress that’s been made?” The simple answer: because it is not enough.

OPINION

Trump's policies reflect un-American ideals

By Samantha Wilcox | Sep. 22, 2015

When I was in the second grade, I came home from school with an assignment to research a significant historical figure. Naturally, I contemplated researching heroes such as George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. But, when I shared this plan with my mother, she told me to research a significant woman in history.

OPINION

Sanders' socialism falls short

By Tim Heinzel | Sep. 22, 2015

A lot of UW-Madison students and a significant portion of the American public are considering supporting Bernie Sanders in his bid to be the next president, and it’s not surprising that he’s gaining so much support. After all, who wouldn’t want free healthcare, free college, a guaranteed living wage, guaranteed paid vacation and renovated national infrastructure? No one, right?

Does Pope Francis’ prominence merit such extreme security measures on his trip to the U.S.?

OPINION

Over-preparing for the Pope's visit

By Jack Kelly | Sep. 21, 2015

Pope Francis has been a highly popular and controversial papal head, as evidenced by his seemingly “radical” stances on issues such as the environment, the migrant crisis and trickle-down economics, instead stressing forgiveness for lifestyle choices and topics that the Catholic Church has traditionally looked down upon, such as homosexuality or abortion. As such, his tour to the United States is considered a big turning point for international affairs and his relationship with American Catholics.

OPINION

Holding corporations accountable outside of the law

By Sergey Fedossov | Sep. 21, 2015

In the past week, there has been an influx of headlines shaming and indicting various corporations, business owners and other major or minor players in the world of commerce. To rattle off a couple, a bar was forced to compensate a woman for needing surgery after ingesting a liquid nitrogen shot, and a deposed peanut company owner is being sentenced to 28 years for conspiracy involved in the death of nine people from products tainted with salmonella. It seems like businesses everywhere can’t catch a break for their malfeasances.

OPINION

Ukrainians could learn a thing or two from Truman

By Steven Kelley | Sep. 20, 2015

As a battered Ukraine approaches an immensely favorable debt restructuring and a peace deal with Russia involving new, civil elections in rebel-held areas along its eastern region, its citizens should have no expectation of stability to follow. Since Russia began backing rebel separatists in localities of eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian government, under President Petro Poroshenko, missed one important historical lesson from the Truman administration. No, I’m not suggesting that Ukraine have dropped “the bomb” over Moscow. Rather, Poroshenko forgot Truman’s massive success with the famous “Berlin Airlift.”

OPINION

Climate change a concern at debate

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Sep. 20, 2015

If a successful business gets flooded, and becomes completely submerged in water, does it make a profit?

With a focus on education and rehabilitation, recidivism and incarceration rates will fall.

OPINION

Altering the course of mass incarceration

By Ben Miller | Sep. 16, 2015

Hank Green, a famous blogger and vlogger on Youtube, once stated regarding incarceration, “We send people to prison to be punished, and to prevent them from doing bad things again, and to deter others from breaking the law. Punishment, corrections and deterrence.” Each aspect of this three-fold system must be effective and all aspects must work in unison to create an efficient institution against crime. This does not necessarily mean that each aspect must be equal in how it is emphasized, leading to the question of which should be emphasized and how we go about doing so to provide the maximum level of utility to society.