Opinion

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Tradition underlies Wisconsinites’ love for hunting

This Saturday marks the beginning of the gun deer season in Wisconsin. Just as they do every year, thousands of hunters will put on their blaze orange and flood the state’s forests, marshes and other natural areas as a part of a tradition that spans centuries. At the same time, many people in Wisconsin and around the country will voice their disdain for the practice which they view as barbaric and backward in an era where most are not killing for sustenance. To be honest, I probably share many of the same political views held by those who protest hunting, and yet, every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, I am sitting in a box, in the middle of a field, wearing the aforementioned blaze orange, hunting.  Can you say cognitive dissonance? So, I want to take this opportunity to explain why I go hunting, and why it means so much to me.

Bill Bryson charms Union audience

The Distinguished Lecture Series is an entirely student-run organization committed to bringing influential speakers with powerful ideas to campus to give free lectures to students. On Monday, Nov. 17, the committee brought The New York Times bestselling author Bill Bryson to Shannon Hall in Memorial Union.

Letter to the Editor: Celebrate Universal Children’s Day: End child labor

November 20 is Universal Children’s Day, a day devoted to observing the welfare of the world’s children. Unfortunately, in the U.S. and elsewhere, children are still denied fundamental human rights. Children worldwide suffer from corporal punishment in homes and schools, are denied access to schooling, are forced to join violent militias, and  endure a host of other atrocities that clearly violate the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other international human rights treaties. One issue that has received attention in the past few months is that of child labor. 

Letter to the Editor: Nuclear expansion poses the greatest threat to security

Did you notice? Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel just announced plans to massively “upgrade” the US nuclear arsenal. It might have been swallowed by other breaking and ongoing news: ISIS and another beheading, Ebola, Ferguson, or the historic comet landing of Philae – at least one positive story. In addition to local news, stories in my own community of Hood River, Oregon include the transport of coal and construction of coal terminals, blast zone determination for oil trains, or the legacy of the Hanford nuclear production complex, which was part of the Manhattan Project.  

Racial dialogues continue to be necessary for progress

Checkered history still haunts Japan

Net neutrality had bipartisan potential

President Obama came forward Monday, with his support for the concept known as net neutrality. Simply put, net neutrality is the idea that Internet service providers should give equal access to the Internet regardless of the source and not prioritize or block content. 

NCAA lawsuit signees don’t need more

Here we are.  Over a week past the election.  I think it’s about time I relax, take a deep breath and start complaining about something other than politics. For me, the next logical step is sports.  When I first sat down to write this article, though, I struggled to find something that I could realistically malign for 500-900 words.  I mean, things have been pretty good lately.  The Packers are 6 and 3 and they just finished putting the smackdown of the century on the Bears, which I’m sure made Jay Cutler feel nothing because it’s clear by his play and demeanor that neither the city of Chicago nor the sport of football mean anything to him. On top of that, while the Badgers suffered a couple disappointing losses to start the season, it’s hard to complain when they’ve won four straight in decisive fashion and have a player with a realistic chance of winning the Heisman

Crude oil export rates from the United States need to be accelerated

Militarism poses threats to true peace in the United States

Lower voter turnout destroys democracy

Breaking cell phone addiction

Vonnegut remains modern literary icon

Myanmar lashes out at Rohingya

Human history is very complex—as bright as it can be, it could also represent us to be the mere descendants of twisted minds as we repeat the regrettably depressing past. One of many moments predominated by this is the history of ethnic genocide. Today, another ethnic genocide deeply rooted  in religious and ethnic conflicts in Myanmar is continuing to worsen. The Rohingya, a muslim minority group in a country which is predominantly Buddhist, is on the verge of another genocide at the hands of the Myanmar government.

Letter to the editor: Waubesa Wetlands’ protection threatened

The Waubesa Wetlands, located at the southwestern edge of Lake Waubesa, are home to a plethora of plant and animal species. As a source of ecological and aesthetic importance, the Wetlands are one of the area’s prized locations, named one of the state’s “100 Wetland Gems” by the Wisconsin Wetland Association. But this rich and beautiful area is currently threatened by a proposed plan to develop the 924-acre Northeast Neighborhood of Fitchburg, which lies near the wetlands. Despite testimony from several experts, the Capitol Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) may be pushing forward to do just that, with potentially disastrous results.

Be thankful and gobble up the spirit of Thanksgiving

Halloween weekend has come and gone. Barely there costumes and piles of candy (among other things) are no longer in our dreams or mantra to get us through the school week. Instead of moving on to the next holiday, which would be Thanksgiving, the entire campus has gone Christmas crazy. The talk in classrooms and on all social media forums is of Christmas music, Christmas decorations and Christmas presents. Even as I write this article, I am listening to Christmas music and drinking hot cocoa. While I am not opposed to Starbucks switching its seasonal drink choice away from the favored pumpkin spice latte to the peppermint mocha, I am lost in the dash to get to Christmas.

Burke concession displays passion

Following the news of her inevitable defeat, Mary Burke delivered her concession speech to a crowd of disappointed supporters Tuesday night.  It was, in a word, brilliant.  She demonstrated passion, determination, humor and a touching poignance that would have even tugged at the emotions of those who opposed her most.  She appeared smart and in control, but most importantly, she looked like a leader, a leader willing to fight and claw to defend her democratic values.  All of this led me to ask: Where the hell was this during the campaign?

Spotify app illuminates negative aspects of capitalism

A few weeks ago, over Twitter, I had a slightly tempestuous series of exchanges with the music streaming company Spotify. Its services, which can be accessed by either paying directly or agreeing to listen to advertisements intermittently between songs, are available for both computers and phones. 

Walker poised to champion GOP ideals

Scott Walker was able to emerge victorious in his third election in four years and returns as Wisconsin’s governor. Gov. Walker’s win coincided with a dominant night for Republicans around the country. Despite the fact that Gov. Walker’s tenure has been marred with controversy, he was able to defeat Democratic candidate Mary Burke with relative ease.

Get off your ass and vote already

Today is the last day to vote in the 2014 midterm elections. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the state. This election is the culmination of all the political ads you’ve been inundated with over the past months and those awkward Facebook debates with your freshman year roommate’s weird Uncle Jeffrey that went on far too long without a semblance of a hope of changing anyone’s mind.