Opinion - The Daily Cardinal

In the wake of recent tragedies, arguments about gun control have become a hot topic.

OPINION

Arguments for gun control fall flat

By Tim Heinzel | Oct. 12, 2015

Arguments over gun control revolve around one of two things: trying to maximize or minimize a certain set of statistics or hoping to establish a specific set of individual rights. Those who attempt to maximize or minimize societal outcomes advance a utilitarian argument; those who advocate for establishing individual rights in relation to gun ownership rely on their own arbitrarily-defined belief system.

OPINION

Stop Internet activism

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Oct. 11, 2015

This [insert problem] is a big issue that needs to be solved! We need to take real action to make a change in the world!

OPINION

The Japanese constitutional change may lead to an abuse of power

By Have Rin Lee | Oct. 11, 2015

Sept. 19, 2015, added another pivotal moment to Japanese history. Despite the fierce nationwide protests, Japanese parliament led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed legislation to allow Japan to participate in international defense operations. This nation was bound in the military peace for a long 70 years after the Allied countries imposed a pacifist constitution after its wartime aggression in 1945. It was to “allow the Japanese military, known as the Self-Defense Forces, to cooperate more closely with the militaries of allies like the United States, by providing logistical support and, in certain circumstances, armed backup in international conflicts,” according to a Sept. 17 article in The New York Times.

OPINION

It's OK to treat yourself to a weekend at home

By Dawn Schueller and Marisa Bernstein | Oct. 11, 2015

Recently, I spent a night doing the following: I came home from a long day of classes, did some online shopping, made myself some dinner, finished up some homework assignments and was in bed by 11 p.m. Pretty standard weeknight right? That is if this scenario had occurred on a weeknight. But, my fellow Badgers, this was on a Friday.

CAMPUS NEWS

The rise of collegiate Quidditch

By Ben Miller | Oct. 7, 2015

It’s an overcast Sunday morning in Madison’s Brittingham Park. Out of the calm atmosphere comes a loud, “Brooms up!” Two hordes of college students charge each other at full speed with narrow PVC pipes between their legs. Dodgeballs whiz through the air. Juking out opponents left and right, one player throws a volleyball through a large hoop as his team celebrates their score.

CAMPUS NEWS

Flu shots are vital in keeping campus healthy

By Matt Fox and Sarah van Orman | Oct. 7, 2015

Sneezing and sniffling classmates, germy doorknobs, public restrooms—it feels like getting sick is impossible to avoid. Each year, influenza affects the campus community and students miss significant amounts of class time and work. To limit the effects of the flu on the student population, University Health Services (UHS) offers a flu shot, free of charge, to every UW-Madison student through November 20.

OPINION

Think, before you Uber

By Jon Spike and Samantha Wilcox | Oct. 6, 2015

In recent years, the taxi industry has been taken by storm by newcomers such as Uber and Lyft. With their user-friendly apps, strong customer service and cult following among youth, these companies seem like the wave of the future when it comes to getting from Point A to Point B. However, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to these companies, and maybe you should second-guess your decision on how you’re going to get to that party before you call Uber.

OPINION

Abortion laws need to consider the mother

By Hae Rin Lee | Oct. 6, 2015

I am a Christian, but I support abortion. As a kid, I was taught to value lives with great care and dignity—any form of taking away lives was forbidden. One example of taking away life is abortion. It certainly is a great deal of torment to watch this helpless life end without having a chance to stand in this world, but it is also a painfully complicated issue for others as well. Because abortion is not all about the death of a baby before birth. It is a great tragedy for all parties involved in the process of conception and process of controlling the fate of the potential life.

OPINION

Catholic Church struggles to retain LGBT-supporting millennials

By Jack Kelly | Oct. 5, 2015

A historic and highly controversial event occurred on Saturday, Oct. 2: Monsignor Krysztof Olaf Charamsa, a Polish priest who served with the Vatican’s doctrinal arm, was released from his duties within the Vatican. This dismissal came following Charamsa’s public announcement of his homosexuality.

OPINION

Property owners should be able to exercise control

By Tim Heinzel | Oct. 5, 2015

Giving private businesses the right to “discriminate” (control who they conduct business with) isn’t about discrimination—it’s about private property rights. Fighting for social justice, equality, and tolerance is a very noble cause, but there comes a point when passing legislation to attempt to make things right actually makes things wrong.

CAMPUS NEWS

How labels ruined my Greek experience

By Marisa Bernstein | Oct. 5, 2015

Congratulations! You have all survived the beginning of another school year at UW-Madison. For freshmen, that meant waiting in line until your calf-high sock tan lines fade just to board the elevator on move-in day. For others, it meant lingering on that treacherous intersection on Charter Street to see if you could score some free tuition. And, for some, the new school year meant Greek recruitment.

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.