Opinion

Opinion

A humble suggestion: A satire

March 6

Most people already know it, so it might as well be stated publicly. The only true way to raise a child - that is, the only way to ensure that a child has a proper upbringing and will be well−adjusted - is to have the mother and father raise the child. Now, that is not to say that it is impossible for a person to be maladjusted with a mother and father; rather, the only way to have a chance at being well adjusted is if a child has both a mother and father. It is with this premise in mind that I humbly suggest that the following laws be applied to every citizen in the United States who has at least one child under the age of 18.

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Opinion

Protests should be protected, hateful or not

March 2

Yesterday, our freedom of speech was put to the test. In an eight-to-one vote, the Supreme Court ruled that hateful protests at military funerals are protected under the First Amendment. The decision came following a suit by Albert Snyder, the father of a deceased Marine, against protesters who were picketing outside of his son's funeral. The protesters — members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. — have staged demonstrations at hundreds of funerals across the country, promoting the message that God is killing U.S. troops because the country is tolerant of homosexuality.

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Opinion

From The Public Journal: Thoughts on anonymity

March 2

This semester, for the first time, the Tufts Public Journal has decided to implement a completely anonymous submissions process. In the past, when the Journal editorial staff urged students to submit, those students often cited concerns about anonymity and were thus reluctant to share the kinds of personal anecdotes that the Journal publishes. Until this semester, submissions were sent to the Public Journal's Gmail account, accessible only by the editors−in−chief of the journal who would then remove any names or e−mail addresses attached to the submissions before sharing them with the rest of the Journal's staff to be edited. This system wasn't totally anonymous, but it came pretty close. As editors−in−chief we were concerned with protecting the anonymity of submissions and made sure to do so. Sometimes we had to scramble a bit to get together enough submissions, but with contributions from the staff we always ended up with enough material to publish the Journal.

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Opinion

Union workers are wrong target to fix budget

March 1

The drama surrounding public unions in Wisconsin has spilled over into yet another state. On Tuesday, Republican lawmakers in Ohio released a new version of a bill that would severely curb the ability of public unions to protect their workers. The amendments to the bill include eliminating public unions' right to strike and sharp limitations on their collective?bargaining power.

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Opinion

Hold the celebration: Egypt's future still uncertain

March 1

The revolution in Egypt for three weeks dominated headlines, television and political discussion worldwide. To all watching, it seemed that fundamental change was in the air and that a people oppressed for decades was finally getting a chance at liberty. Indeed, the protests centered in Tahrir Square were fueled by a deep disgust with the regime that has ruled Egypt since 1981 and by the desire for a fair, representative and responsible government. After 18 days of demonstrations it seemed that the protesters had achieved their goal: Hosni Mubarak resigned as President and the military that replaced him pledged to carry the country toward democracy. It's probably a little too soon, however, to pop the champagne and start celebrating the birth of representative democracy in Egypt. Revolutions don't always turn out as their participants hope.

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Opinion

Ad-free entertainment: a satire

February 28

Nearly two weeks after the event, journalists are just now beginning to uncover some of the hidden truths behind "An Evening with The Onion."

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Opinion

Elisha Sum | InQueery

February 28

Is it a bird, is it a plane? A simple question that's simply answered. But what about: Are you a boy, or are you a girl? This might seem like another simple inquiry, but it can prove complicated for those identifying as genderqueer. As a general term that refers to gender identities that do not fit into the traditional understanding of gender as either man or woman, genderqueer is a catch-all label that can encompass other constructions, such as third-gendered, androgyne, intergendered, gender-fluid, and agendered. This label has, of late, been gaining momentum as an alternative, and its viability relies on the idea that sex and gender aren't the same.

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Opinion

In time of budget cuts, schools should be sacrosanct

February 28

It is no secret that the financial crisis has affected a wide segment of the population. Yet while the worst of the crisis seems to have abated for many, its most recent victims aren't even old enough to vote.

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Opinion

Letter to the Editor

February 27

Dear Editor,

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Opinion

Keep guns off college campuses

February 27

Lawmakers in Arizona, and several other states, are considering legislation that would permit faculty and students to carry concealed firearms on public university campuses. This means that students and professors who already have a firearm license would be allowed to bring guns on campus if the weapons were hidden from view. Currently, Utah is the only state to allow firearms at all public universities.

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Opinion

Ashish Malhotra | Follow the Leader

February 27

This morning I read a hilarious article in The New York Times from Feb. 1 entitled "Rewards for Rebellion: Tiny Nation and Crown for Life," and it has inspired this week's column to be slightly unorthodox. I'm going to write about leaders of countries that do not actually exist. Huh?

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Opinion

To the future, and beyond

February 27

Let's just take a step back and look at the times we live in for a second. First of all, some of you are reading this op−ed on a device that also takes phone calls, plays music, keeps a calendar, has a calculator and has an abundance of games and "apps" meant to entertain. This same device can hook up wirelessly to a larger system through which it can access satellite photos of where to get the best fresh duck in rural Japan. It can then send those photos to the viewing portals of friends, family or strangers. Our food no longer has to be grown on farms, as most of it is produced in a manufacturing process requiring very few (if any) natural ingredients.

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Opinion

Cautiously optimistic' negotiations commence

February 23

"I think the reality is that India and Pakistan cannot afford to turn their backs to each other, that they must engage in dialogue, which is as I said serious and sustainable and comprehensive," Foreign Secretary of India Nirupama Rao, who is "cautiously optimistic" about the restart of the peace talks, said. Earlier this month, the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan shook hands to finally resolve their bitter standoff and resume the wide−ranging harmonious talks that have been on hold since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. When asked about the nature and form of the discussions, Ms. Rao has said that they are only meant to be comprehensive and refused to classify them as "composite dialogue," the official nomenclature used to describe previous India−Pakistan negotiations.

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Opinion

The price of learning: rising tuition fees in the United Kingdom

February 23

As a result of new legislation, college students in the United Kingdom will be required to pay higher tuition fees starting in the fall of 2012. While 2011 tuition rates for universities will cost students up to £3,375 (approximately $5,500) annually, the new policies will nearly double most tuition to £6,000 per year and allow some universities to charge £9,000 per year in exceptional cases.

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Opinion

Time for Congress to repeal marriage act

February 23

President Barack Obama yesterday ordered the Justice Department to stop defending Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was passed in 1996 and defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. Sparked by a pair of lawsuits that challenged Section 3, both of which originated in districts that require the administration's legal team to defend its constitutionality, Obama concluded that Section 3 is, indeed, unconstitutional. In a letter to Congress following the president's order, Attorney General Eric Holder said that while the administration will continue to enforce the act, the burden of defending its constitutionality will now be placed on Congress. If Congress so chooses, it can become involved in DOMA cases with its own lawyers.

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Opinion

Prashanth Parameswaran | The Asianist

February 22

Foreign Policy published a Jan. 3 article boldly titled "Think Again: American Decline" by Gideon Rachman. The last time I checked the website, 2,380 people "liked" it.

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Opinion

A defense of freedom of speech

February 22

Under what circumstances can democracy survive? Political scientist Robert Dahl argues in his book "Polyarchy" (1971) that the citizens of a democratic state must be allowed to "formulate preferences" and "signify their preferences" by means of "individual and collective action." This action can come in the form of speech and other forms of public expression. Based on Dahl's assertions, it may be prudent to ask the following question: What is democracy without freedom of speech? In more specific terms, at what point does political correctness infringe upon our inherent right to free expression?

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Opinion

Student health plans should be on par with nation's

February 22

Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a new regulation that would bring student health insurance plans up to the standards of the Affordable Care Act, which passed last year. The new rule would affect insurance plans offered at colleges and universities, including the plan at Tufts offered through Aetna, and is a sensible step toward assuring quality care for college students.

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Opinion

Why nukes still matter

February 22

The focus of this year's Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC) course is "Our Nuclear Age: Promise and Peril." Although my friends have enjoyed teasing me about giving up my social life in exchange for learning about "nukes," I've found great relevancy to our lives in this experience.

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Opinion

Letter to the Editor

February 21

Dear Editor,

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