opinions » oped


Open minds, open ears

By Alison Kronstadt | Nov. 16, 2011, 10:16 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

When fliers for Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (P. Fox) were passed out during advisory last week, the outrage was immediate and widespread. What we should take away most from this is the discussion, and the importance of it.


99% problems, 1% solution

By Langston Taylor | Oct. 14, 2011, 10:44 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

The District has been "occupied” since October 1. While six of the protesters were arrested, the group made a major step forward Tuesday: it identified a coherent goal.


Execution of Troy

By Brittany Cheng | Sept. 29, 2011, 10:20 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

It is important to remember justice for the sake of closure is not actually justice. Taking the life of a potentially innocent man isn't justice. As long as there is a shadow of doubt, there was reasonable cause to assume that the justice system could have sentenced the wrong man to death.


An unanswered call

By Mimi Verdonk | Sept. 18, 2011, 6:16 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

What the American public wants, and needs, is an actual plan to generate savings, but what Obama provided in his speech earlier this month was a lot of empty words.


No more peanuts and cracker jacks

By Mimi Verdonk | Aug. 22, 2011, 10:15 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

As the fall sports season gets into full swing for Montgomery County, sweat, whistles and school spirit fill the air. Sadly, so does the late July decision to cut MCPS's athletic budget by almost ten percent.


Balancing outrage and accountability

By Saaraa Farooq | Aug. 6, 2011, 12:12 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

Although the opposition to the proposed curfew bill may be justified, parents must acknowledge that they are partly at fault for the issue at the heart of the proposal: a lack of control over their children.


One step forward, no steps back

By | July 27, 2011, 7:59 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Although many people may see the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal as a major breakthrough, it is the first of countless steps needed for the acceptance for gays throughout the country.


Parenting like a pro

By Brittany Cheng | July 25, 2011, 11:24 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

On July 9, thousands flooded the streets of Juba to celebrate the birth of South Sudan and their independence from Sudan. Although the "birthday party" is over, the problems have just begun.


Order in the court

By Rachel Auerbach | July 12, 2011, 6:28 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

When spectator Matthew Bartlett, 28, gave prosecutor Jeff Ashton the middle finger during the Casey Anthony murder trial, Bartlett jeopardized the sixth amendment rights of the accused; this was justification for the judge's decision to order the arrest of Bartlett on the spot.


The power of big business

By Hannah Lynn | June 27, 2011, 9:49 a.m. | In Op/Ed »

The Wal-mart vs. Dukes decision, which is considered to be a landmark ruling, will only give rich and powerful businesses precedent in future sex discrimination cases.


A troubling norm

By | June 17, 2011, 1:30 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

After releasing a sexual picture on Twitter, Representative Anthony Weiner decided to seek treatment and resigned his position. The only type of treatment Weiner needs is a good dose of common sense.


Pruning Ivy tuition

By Sarah Harper | May 26, 2011, 1:56 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Bloated tuition and living costs have limited the selection pool, and applicants without a comfortable family income are repeatedly shut out from the education they deserve.


The aftermath

By Alison Kronstadt | May 24, 2011, 1:32 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Osama bin Laden is dead – unless the conspiracy theorists are right for the first time. But to those who were celebrating in the streets, this is more or less the only fact that matters: for the people from Pakistan, the terrorist's death may be only the beginning. Bin Laden's death prompted a newly introduced bill that proposes ending all American aid to Pakistan, which could have catastrophic results for the already problematic relations between the U.S. and Pakistan.


A good compromise

By Eli Schwadron | May 6, 2011, 1:30 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Illegal immigration is one of the country's most controversial issues. In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama let the nation know that he would do his best to enforce the law and get rid of the hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers in our country. In order to do so, certain federal laws are being enacted, including one in particular that will soon have a large impact on our county.


Proceed with caution

By Alison Kronstadt | April 7, 2011, 1:04 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

When the damage from the tsunami spread to several of Japan's nuclear reactors, the issues raised sent ripples across the world. All the debate boils down to a simple question: is nuclear power worth the risk?


A high-stakes game

By Sarah Harper | March 4, 2011, 10:26 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

For college athletes, stiff competition is the name of the game. It's a competition to be healthy, both mentally and physically. In short, it's a competition on and off the field.


A crucial clean-up

By Myla Sapp | Feb. 10, 2011, 1:08 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

On Dec. 29, 2010, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The new TMDL will be a beneficial part to restoring clean water in the bay and the region's streams, creeks and rivers.


Searching for sanity

By Melissa Haniff | Jan. 29, 2011, 9:52 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

In mid-December, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) began random inspections of carry-on bags at two Metrorail stations. The purpose, according to Metro, is simple: to keep riders safe and stop explosives or any other harmful devices from entering a train. But considering the limited resources and capability of the Metro system, the program is flawed and terribly inefficient.


Pro/Con: Continuing corollary sports

By Sarah Harper, Valerie Hu | Jan. 13, 2011, 10:23 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

This year, MCPS partnered with the Special Olympics to establish a corollary athletics program. The program is intended to give students with and without mental and physical disabilities a chance to participate in an interscholastic athletics team and largely restricts other varsity and junior varsity athletes from joining the teams.


One successful sale

By Marjorie Fuchs | Jan. 9, 2011, 1:28 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Yes, MCPS provides us with an apt education, but it has its fair share of problems, such as rising amounts of overcrowded classrooms and frustrating politics.


No need to "wine"

By Melodi Anahtar | Dec. 21, 2010, 8:11 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

For the past few decades in Montgomery County, there has been a ban on buying alcohol on Sundays.


Let fWEEDom ring

By Alison Kronstadt | Dec. 2, 2010, 10:11 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Last year, around 15,000 Americans were arrested for murder. About 800,000 were arrested for car theft. Some 88,000 were arrested for rape. And approximately 750,000 were arrested for the possession of a plant.


A bad gamble

By Liv Jacobson | Nov. 20, 2010, 6:50 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

The state's first slot machine casino in Perryville, however, raised $2 million in the first four days of operation. While slot machines are an effective way to raise money for the state, the newly selected slot venue is a definite mistake.


Where do you like it?

By Melissa Haniff | Nov. 6, 2010, 5:38 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

The instructions had a very clear message—women were supposed to update their statuses but leave men in the dark about what the statuses meant.


Better together

By Anya Gosine | Oct. 22, 2010, 4:44 p.m. | In Op/Ed »

Junior Daniel Muskin-Pierret is a dedicated Latin student, but when he strolls into his Latin 3 class each day something is off, for Muskin-Pierret sits surrounded only by Latin 1 students.

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