Issue 01, Volume 76 by The Cougar

opinion

Monday

august , 

Monday, August 23, 2010

OpiniOn

The Daily Cougar

Ground Zero mosque; villainous or virtuous?

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ike many other americans, I will never forget where I was the morning of September 11, 2001. I had received an unusually early, frantic phone call from a friend who could only say, “Turn on the television.” As the picture came Kristen into focus my Martinez dreams of a perfect, impenetrable America began to shatter. We were at war. New York became a city forever marred with an unbelievably horriﬁc event. Pictures of the tragedy were everywhere, and the entire world seemed to stand still as everyone’s attention turned toward the tragedy. Just as soon as the terrorists believed they had won, Americans stood together and proclaimed that we were still a strong, united nation. Fast-forward 10 years to the Manhattan project located near Ground Zero named “Park51.” Initially, the development was named Cordoba House, but under intense scrutiny the project decided to change its name to focus on the community center aspect. Park 51 has touted itself as a cultural center that will offer both full- and part-time jobs, culture and an “accessible platform for conversations across our identities,” according to the project’s website project51.org. So why all the commotion over an economicstimulating project located in a part of New York which needs to rebuild and move forward?

Park51 is far from being just a community center; it is a proposed 13-story mosque which happens to also contain a community center (though they like to see it from the other direction). As expected, New Yorkers, along with countless other Americans across the country, are up in arms about an Islamic religious center being built within such close proximity to the site of such a tragic event performed by an Islamic nation. While the battle is heated from both sides, it is difﬁcult to choose a “right” side in this argument. Are we supposed to sit back idly while Muslims pray and worship so close to a sacred ground, the reminder of what brought us into this war and the men and women who innocently died due to fundamentalist beliefs? Or are we to become a nation that forces religions to hide in secrecy, an act that sows seeds of hatred and miscommunication between cultures? In true American fashion, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has openly supported the right for Americans to practice their religion without fear. “Government should never, never be in the business of telling people how they should pray, or where they can pray,” Bloomberg says. On the other side of the argument for many Americans is the question of why it has to be so close to the site of the 9/11 tragedy? The answer isn’t clear-cut and simple. martineZ continues on page 5

editor's note

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he University of houston educates more than 37,000 students from all over the world each year. Here at The Daily Cougar, we put together a paper to inform and benefit everyone who steps foot on our campus but especially those 37,000 students in attendance. Andrew As the opinion Taylor editor, I strive to put together a section that represents opinions from different viewpoints and perspectives. I hope that when you read an article from the opinion section or a staff editorial, you feel proud to be a student at UH, and I hope you feel compelled to continue reading the paper on a daily basis. As issues arise on campus and become hot topics of discussion, the opinion section will cover them. As events in the news grab salience, specifically when they pertain to young adults and students, look for an opinion from one of your peers right here. Additionally, when something in the news, media or campus life strikes you to your core, feel free to send me an e-mail. Student opinions can be published as guest commentaries when the

situation arises. If this happens more often than not, you may have what it takes to be a writer here at The Daily Cougar. The opportunity to have your voice published is one that will provide a lasting sense of accomplishment. For those of you who may belong to the cohort of people who often function primarily from devices like smart phones and iPads, please don’t neglect the Web site for your very own student publication. It provides you a way to read the paper even when you can’t make it to campus. Also here at the opinion section, we value your comments to our articles immensely. Submitting comments to the Web site is yet another way to express yourself when it comes to the issues we cover. I hope that when you pass by a stand holding the daily issues of The Daily Cougar you pick one up to further enrich your day. I also hope that because of the quality I will work tirelessly to produce, you hold The Daily Cougar in high regard. As the opinion editor, my job is to represent you. I hope that as a student you feel encouraged to be a published voice for our exemplary University.

The University of Houston is an EEO/AA institution.

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Monday, August 23, 2010

OpiniOn

The Daily Cougar

Six-month moratorium good theory, ridiculous practice

n May 27, president Obama imposed a six-month moratorium on exploratory deep-water ocean drilling in the Gulf Coast. Obama meant to force Casey the oil drilling Goodwin industry to review and correct its obviously ﬂawed system of safety measures. After all, the Gulf ecosystem may not be able to survive the hit if another oil spill follows so soon after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. While the concept behind the moratorium was undeniably the right idea, the process itself is extremely questionable. Yes, it is clear from the Deepwater Horizon spill that something is desperately

wrong with the drilling industry’s current precautionary standards. However, giving them the equivalent of a six-month time-out to think about what they did wrong is not the way to handle that problem. Unlike your average misbehaving toddlers, the affected wells have tens of thousands of workers relying on them. The longer these people cannot work, the more likely they are to lose their jobs and join America’s unemployed. This is not a desirable option in today’s economy—especially for an administration that has promised to create jobs, not destroy them. This leads us to a basic conﬂict

of interest. The men and women who work to support oilrigs each need to make a living. However, the environment also needs to be protected. We cannot risk another oil spill. Six months is not nearly enough time for the oil drilling industry to learn from its mistakes and create the best possible security measures. There are masses of data to study and analyze before the total implications of the Deepwater Horizon disaster can be understood. Chances are that doing so will take years. Even after Obama’s moratorium ends on November 30, the full story of what caused the oil spill will remain unknown. The date Obama gave is nothing

more than a shot in the dark, a symbolic attempt at keeping more oil from pouring into the ocean. The most logical way to merge the two priorities—keeping people employed and not destroying ecosystems—would have been for a moratorium on each well to be placed not for six months but until its operators can present to Congress new, nearly paranoid safety measures that they will follow. This may have taken more than six months for some companies, but it would likely have taken less for most. Everything that could possibly be a problem must be accounted for. Drillers cannot cut corners for any reason. If it looks like there is

even a small chance that something might go wrong, drilling at the well must stop. Once more information is known about what caused the spill, these measures can be tweaked to comply with our developing understanding of what is and what is not safe. These oilrigs are an important part of the economy. The ones that Obama’s moratorium closed down employed over 30,000 people in total. These individuals deserve be kept working as much as they can without risking the environment. Casey Goodwin is a mechanical engineering sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

No matter the religion, its practice should be allowed Cougar editorial Board

ugust was a bad month for followers of God. Ten medical aid workers who were part of the Christian humanitarian group International Assistance Mission were killed on August 5 by the Taliban, which claimed responsibility and validated the killings by saying that the seven men and three women in question were being spies and spreading Christianity. “Our faith motivates and inspires us — but we do not proselytize,” IAM's executive director, Dirk Frans, said in a statement shortly after the attack. According to NPR, Frans discounted the

Taliban’s claim that the 10 workers in question were spreading Christianity and told reporters that he believes it was an “opportunistic ambush” by Pakistan-based militants. A week and a half later on Aug. 14, seven Baha’i leaders were sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Iranian judiciary. The five men and two women who were sentenced are all religious leaders in the Baha’i community and were harshly sentenced, even by Iranian standards, for spying for foreigners, spreading corruption on Earth and cooperating with Israel. The seven have not been given legal counsel. “Freedom of religion is the

birthright of people of all faiths and beliefs in all places,” said Sec. of State Hillary Clinton. “The United States is committed to defending religious freedom around the world, and we have not forgotten the Baha’i community in Iran. We will continue to speak out against injustice and call on the Iranian government to respect the fundamental rights of all its citizens in accordance with its international obligations.” According to NPR, the number of attacks on religiously propelled groups (even humanitarian organizations that do not preach their religions) has risen since 2006, predominantly in Muslim nations like Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia

and Pakistan. of them who deplore these It’s important to actions and shouldn’t be criticized remember not to because of radical believers who judge all followers of are nothing like them. Islam by the acts of But that isn’t to radical extremists and If we can attend say that we should that doing so would classes, study and even all simply avert our basically counteract eyes from what’s your standpoint and hang out together, we happening in Islamic almost certainly clash could show the world countries. with your religious “What happens if that diversity shouldn’t someone ideologies. It’s a asks them be fought tooth and to see a Bible or asks touchy subject, and followers of every them about Chrisnail; it should be religion surely feel tianity, or they are embraced and even strongly about the in a group and they issue, but getting fall into a religious coveted. upset with Muslims discussion? Are the isn’t the answer; after all, there are certainly an innumerable amount reliGion continues on page 4

4 n Monday, August 23, 2010

THE DAILY COUGAR

Opinion

The Daily Cougar

Army deficit by Jason Poland

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Managing editor news editors Sports editors Life

& Arts editor

Opinion editor

Matthew Keever Newton Liu Hiba Adi, Jose Aguilar John Brannen, Christopher Losee Travis Hensley Andrew Taylor

staff editorial

Both our city and university offer more than many admit

ouston has a pretty bad reputation with young people, at least many of the ones we’ve talked to. It’s been called a 9-to-5 city, a git’r’done place devoid of a soul and serving only as a place for people to start families, work and die. And we wholeheartedly disagree. There are plenty of things to do in Houston, and in our photography section (which will be out in the next few days), we plan to showcase a few hotspots in Houston that don’t get nearly as much traffic as they should. And why don’t these places have more people in them? Well, put bluntly, we feel that the young people in Houston are lazy. There. We said it. It’s a generalization, most definitely, and we hope to receive plenty of letters, e-mails and responses from young Houstonians who love their city, but we have heard far to many UH students complain about Houston and our University. So let’s make something clear for those in question. Houston isn’t New York City; it’s large and spread out and during the day, especially during the summer months when the heat index is rarely below 100 degrees, most people are indoors. That’s not to say that they are sitting at home waiting for it to cool off though. Far from it, chances are they’re exploring the Museum of Fine Arts, enjoying an independent coffee shop in the Montrose area, or eating in the Heights. Or maybe they are shopping in an outdoor-style mall like the one in the Meyerland area or experiencing our own China Town in all its glory. But they’re doing something, unlike many young Houstonians who we see sitting around, complaining about how they would rather be in Austin, New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles, as if changing locations would change their work ethics, apathetic attitudes or lack of drive. We’re not bashing any of those cities, but we are saying that our city has value if not just as much more. And if you’re too lazy to explore Houston and find those gems yourself, maybe you should move, because we get things done here. “Only the truly boring can be truly bored here,” said the Houston Press’ John Nova Lomax. “Much of Houston's glory is hidden off the freeways in those ‘dangerous areas’ you are supposed to avoid, so in that sense, Houston is a terrible place for the dull to visit but a great place for the brave to live.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

EDITORIAL P OLI C IES STAFF EDITORIAL The Staff Editorial reflects the opinions of The Daily Cougar Editorial Board (the members of which are listed above the editorial). All other opinions, commentaries and cartoons reflect only the opinion of the author. Opinions expressed in The Daily Cougar do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Houston or the students as a whole. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Daily Cougar welcomes letters to the editor from any member of the UH community. Letters should be no more than 250 words and signed, including the author’s full name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver letters to Room 7, University Center Satellite; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; send them via campus mail to STP 4015; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. Letters are subject to editing. ADVERTISEMENTS Advertisements published in The Daily Cougar do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the University or the students as a whole. GUEST COMMENTARY Submissions are accepted from any member of the UH community and must be signed with the author’s name, phone number or e-mail address and affiliation with the University, including classification and major. Commentary should be kept to less than 500 words. Guest commentaries should not be written as replies to material already printed in the Cougar, but rather should present independent points of view. Rebuttals should be sent as letters. Deliver submissions to Room 7, University Center Satellite; e-mail them to letters@thedailycougar.com; or fax them to (713) 743-5384. All submissions are subject to editing.

U.S. birthrights should remain intact

mongst the recent debates on immigration reform, one of the most recent issues has touched on a fundamental principle of our country and perhaps one of the bedrock tenets that make us so great as a nation. The citizenship clause, a part of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, provides citizenship and due process of Andrew law to anyone born in Taylor the U.S. One read of the citizenship clause would be enough for most people to understand its importance and significance to our diverse country; for some, however, this clause is viewed as flawed no matter how many times they read or contemplate it. First we must consider this clause and why it was written back in 1868. The 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution during Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency. After the Civil War ended and within the five years immediately following, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were written and ratified. The great importance of the 14th Amendment is what was symbolized then, which represents how we should view it now. The Amendment was written at a time when our nation was overcoming its ugly history of slavery

religion continued from page 3

Christians going to remain silent?” said David Smock, who studies conflict resolution and religion at the U.S. Institute of Peace in an interview with NPR. “Those are gray areas that different groups would handle differently.” So what can we do as college students? Some of you may not believe it, but we can make an impact. Many universities, including UH, tout classes that educate students on religions and how they work. It would be in the best interest of everyone to take at least a few of these classes and learn about their fellow man. UH is, after all, one of the most diverse campuses in the nation.

and lack of liberty for country that it is today — one that those who were considexemplifies diversity, freedom, ered indentured servants. hope and greatness. The greatness of the To attack the 14th Amendment 14th Amendment was that now is to spit in the face of our The 14th it overruled the decision country’s development and how it Amendment of the U.S. Supreme Court has progressed. case Dred Scott v. SandThe problems with current has protected ford. In the decision of immigration law have nothing many people whatsoever to do with the said said case, anyone of Afri— especially Amendment and can be solved can descent was unable to obtain any civil liberties without touching this part of our children — or rights, despite whether Constitution. We need to focus who benefited instead on the real battles, such as or not they were slaves. The 14th Amendment barriers to legal entry, neighboring from the was written to correct countries’ civil wars and countries arduous this horrendous part that struggle internally with perwork of their of our nation’s history; sisting crimes to humanity. moreover, it represented At the instance of birth, it seems parents or a change in direction for unfathomable that anyone could families. our maturing country. be considered illegal or devoid of Since then, the the liberties that everyone else 14th Amendment has enjoys. protected many people The liberties and rights that — especially children — who benefited we are granted as Americans are as from the arduous work of their parents priceless as the births that take place or families. The instant someone is born in hospitals throughout our country. on American soil, they gain citizenship Editing or deleting the 14th Amendment despite where their family came from or now because of immigration problems how their parents got to America. This from our nation’s borders would only issue goes all the way to the heart of show that our Constitution is not as what it means to be an American. strong as we should all hope it to be. If we never achieved this progress, which was hastened by this amendAndrew Taylor is an economics senior and may ment, America would surely not be the be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

And if we can attend classes together, study together and even hang out together, we could show the world that diversity shouldn’t be fought tooth and nail; it should be embraced and even coveted. Now, chances are that our actions on-campus won’t affect the actions of the Iranian judiciary, the Taliban or anyone else who doesn’t respect freedom of religion, but it’s still a start. The least we can do about this is be aware of what’s happening and pray for those involved as well as their families. Standing up for or even trying to define religious freedoms in your home country is an exercise in futility if there is no personal freedom and protections, not unlike standing up for your own principles in a country where you are

not allowed to have any. Unlike many other countries, we have religious freedom in the United States, and it’s something that we should all be grateful for. And especially at UH, we should strive to show the rest of the world and country how people of all races, ethnicities, genders and religion can come together peacefully to learn, both about their chosen fields of study and one another. And stateside, to ensure that such acts never happen here, we can focus on learning about each others’ beliefs, tolerating and understanding dissenting religious opinions and strengthening our own views while respecting others’. Share your views on religion by e-mailing opinion@thedailycougar.com

The Daily Cougar

OpiniOn

Monday, August 23, 2010

mosCoW meltinG by Jason Poland

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MArTineZ continued from page 2

Many Americans have testiﬁed against the proposal calling it insensitive, and a dishonor to the memory of the attack’s victims. While the center’s mission is to open an interfaith dialogue and help with the healing process, I can’t help but feel strongly for both sides of the argument. There is a part of me that is also up in arms about a mosque located so close to the nightmarish memories I have of September 11th; however, I also know that not every Muslim is a terrorist or sees our country as the “evil America” that Osama bin Laden has proclaimed it to be. There is no right answer when speaking about something so close to every citizen of this country, but if we are going to become a country in which people are prosecuted and ostracized because they believe in something that isn’t popular, then we are slowly becoming a nation of oppression and hatred, just as we are trying to demolish oppression and hatred from the source of this war. Kristen Martinez is an accounting junior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

We’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts, opinions, cheers and jeers with the Cougar and the campus: letters@ thedailycougar.com

Monday, August 23, 2010

OpiniOn

The Daily Cougar

Department of Welcome! On behalf on the entire University of Houston Department of Public Safety (UHDPS), I would like to welcome each of you to UH as we start a new academic year. As a UH Alumnus myself, I congratulate you on your choice of where to pursue your academic career. Please take a minute to check out our Website (www.uh.edu/police). It provides information on our department, such as who we are, crime on campus, services we provide the campus community as well as contact information. The driving force behind the UHDPS is maintaining a safe environment for all individuals who have a legitimate purpose for being on campus. Unfortunately, this is something Wallet-sized, clip and save!

Helpful telepHone numberS police emergency

911 police non-emergency

713-743-3333 parking enforcement

713-743-5849 fire and physical Safety

713-743-5866 environmental Health and Safety

713-743-5858 mailing address

3869 Wheeler

we can not do alone. We ask all members of our campus community to take responsibility for themselves, and the safety of their work place and personal property. How do you do this? By being cognizant of your surroundings on campus at all times and reporting suspicious persons, things or situations to the UHDPS immediately. Lastly, I hope your stay on campus, whether it is for a semester or a career is enjoyable and that you are successful in all you endeavors. Go Coogs! — Malcolm Davis Assistant Vice President for Public Safety and Security / Chief of Police

with the educational goals of the University of Houston, to observe federal, state, and local laws, university regulations, and to respect the rights, privileges, and property of others. Students residing in the Residence Halls may not prop, open, or in any matter alter a door so that it will not properly close. Any maintenance deficiencies which may compromise building security should be immediately reported to Residence Halls Maintenance or UHDPS. Students are not to admit unauthorized or uninvited persons into the residence halls.

crime prevention programS UHDPS offers a variety of crime prevention programs to our community members, including:

• Personal Safety Awareness • Operation ID annual Security • Residential and Office report Security • Sexual Assault Awareness The Annual Security Report is • Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention available by no later than October 1st • New Student and Employee covering the previous three years. Police Service The Annual Security Report is Orientation available on our website at www. • Community Dialogue uh.edu/police. A printed copy • Contact Person and Failure to may be requested by emailing us at police@uh.edu or by telephone Safeguard Program at 713-743-3333 Crime prevention is important to the campus community and iDentification you can help by reporting any Students are required to obtain crime or suspected crime to the University Police immediately. By and show proof of valid “Cougar Card” and present it upon request doing so, you may be preventing of a university official. someone else from becoming a victim of a more serious crime. Police officers assigned to your StuDentS’ beat and patrol area will be glad rigHtS anD to give demonstrations and talks reSponSibilitieS to interested campus groups. Call our crime prevention number, Students are expected to 713-743-0616, for additional maintain standards of personal information. discipline that are in harmony

The Daily Cougar

OpiniOn

Monday, August 23, 2010

f public public Safety

tHe SafeSt cHeat-SHeet you Will ever neeD or 10 tHingS you neeD to knoW about campuS Safety 1. Know how to contact the University of Houston Department of Public Safety (UHDPS) Our physical address: 3869 Wheeler St., Houston, tX 77204-6191 Our telephone numbers: Emergencies, 911 Non-emergency (713) 743-3333 2. Don’t leave your personal property unattended! Do not leave personal property lying out in the open. Keep an eye on your personal property and valuables at all times. 3. Be sure you have the make, model and serial numbers of all electronic equipment you bring to campus. If any of your electronic equipment is lost or stolen and later recovered, you must be able to positively prove that the recovered property is yours, not simply that you are missing a similar piece of property. 4. Place identifying marks in all textbooks. Textbooks are valuable items that can be sold if they are stolen or lost. Pick a number that is easy to remember and print your name and driver’s license number on that page on every text book you purchase. This will allow you to positively identify a textbook turned into Lost and Found, or sold to the UC Bookstore as yours. 5. Do not leave valuable property in plain view in you vehicle. Either take your property with you, or secure it in your trunk. Do not make your vehicle a target.

6. Give “Common Sense” a chance when it comes to your personal safety. Be aware of your surroundings. Think ahead and ask yourself “Will the area you parked in and walked through to get to your class during the day look the same when you get out of class at night?” If not, try to park where it be light after dark. Always be cautious if you plan to travel in remote campus locations, especially at night. Go with your instincts. If something about the situation makes you feel uncomfortable, take another route. 7. Be sure to lock your door when your vehicle. When you return to your locked vehicle get in the habit of making a quick look under your car as you approach and check the floorboard behind the front seats before you unlock your vehicle. If you see anyone under or inside your vehicle, keep walking and notify UHDPS immediately. 8. Use the UHDPS Escort Service if you feel uncomfortable walking from one campus location to another. You can call 713-743-3333 to request an escort. 9. Locate the Emergency/Information Call Boxes in the areas that you normally travel when on campus. These radio controlled devices give you immediate contact with a UHDPS Communication Officer who can dispatch assistance or provide directions if you are lost. 10. Help Us Help You. Assist in maintaining campus safety by reporting suspicious persons, things or situations to UHDPS by using one of the Emergency/Information Call Boxes, or by calling UHDPS at 713-743-3333

www.uh.edu/police

Serving our univerSity community

Monday, August 23, 2010

OpiniOn

The Daily Cougar

Oil spill cleanup continues to fail

s the well that was spewing oil into the gulf was being capped, British Petroleum was already ﬁnalizing plans to scale back on the hired help to clean its mess. The citizens of the Gulf area were Andrew promised solutions, Taylor but what they got was the opposite. In an article published on July 27 to the website wwltv.com, Bigad Shaban wrote that “the amount of boats contracted by BP to skim oil, lay new boom and replace the old ones soaked with crude will be seriously slashed, according to area leaders. The current group of about 300 vessels will be cut down to 40.” There have been many suspected reports on BP reducing its clean up efforts in the face of their own mess, some of which have turned out to be true. One problem the people of the Gulf area face is that the dispersant used to supposedly clean up the spill has not effectively cleaned up the mess; it has only covered it up. At first, the primary concern of citizens with dispersants was with the levels BP was using, the effect of which was unknown because of its unprecedented amount. Now we realize that there are other worries aside from the existing

initial ones. The worries of the Gulf area residents now include BP evading real solutions; instead they’re seeking cover-ups. Moreover, BP has demonstrated that the easy way (and the most inexpensive way) will be taken as opposed to the correct way, including those solutions, which actually provide real pollution abatement. Although Galveston and the Texas coast was not hit by this spill, I can only hope that, for the sake of the environment and the residents of the affected areas, lawyers can force BP to make things right at all costs. BP also rightly deserves stricter guidelines from the government and higher standards for itself concerning exploration and drilling. The safety record of BP is a great example of why they need to be monitored impeccably, to the point that they have little to no room for error. A department of the U.S. government may have dropped the ball on regulating the organization, but BP is still the true culprit. BP should not come out on top in this situation, the people of the gulf should. Andrew Taylor is an economics senior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

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Monday, August 23, 2010

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FEATURED COMMENTS Re: As companies gripe; music industry destroys itself- A Staﬀ Editoral

“Ok, Ke$ha and Nickelback do suck, but Lady Gaga isn't bad. Should have said Justin Beiber. Does anyone really like that kid's music or is it all about the hair?” — user “Christina”

“While the mainstream media bemoan the death of the music industry, they also ignore the one rapidly growing area of music: country. Besides, saying that the radio stations spoonfeed programming to listeners is like complaining that TV stations spoon-feed sports to viewers. In reality, they play what people want to hear and see, and what sells the most advertising. I'm sorry the tastes of the regular people out there in the world don't adhere to your cool indie version of what they should listen to. If people like Lady Gag, Ke-{dollar sign}ha or Nickelback, more power to them. Why are you so bitter?

If there is really a likely chance of the sea floor bursting and — user “Diamond” the leak being much more difficult to contain... don't you “First, you're missing the point think that "their own financial here. Yes, TV plays sports - and interests" and "the company's lots of it. But, if you don't want desire to profit" would give to watch game A, you could them plenty of incentives to switch to game B, the radio prevent that from happening? (free mainstream radio that is) Obviously no matter what they does not really offer that option. do you will find something to It is not uncommon to hear criticize them for.” the same song on more than — user “Steven Christopher” one radio station at the same time - country radio included. “As a mechanical engineer, you Second, what are "regular" should give some credit to what people? Third, you're right. You has been achieved in the face of may like whatever you want disaster. To complete any kind to like,.but, when you can only of mechanical solution at these hear a limited number of songs depths is a huge success if all due to payola, or any of method works out to the good. There limiting music on public radio, are too many merchants of you're not really deciding what doom waiting to give opinions you like - the man is.” on why it will fail, rather than — user “Scott G” looking at the positive side. Re: BP did not learn from its mistakes by Casey Goodwin And if these merchants of doom “First you want BP to stop oil break BP, who will pay for clean from spewing into the Gulf.... up etc. There but for the grace then you want them to uncap of god goes any other major oil the well and purposely let it be company.” released? Make up your mind.

Pop in your own CD and leave the rest of us alone. Please.”

— user “-Anonymous” Re: Muslims deserve religious rights by Andrew Taylor

“Isn't it a little ironic that you are quoting the first amendment in connection with it's religion clause.... when you began the article by stating that something Michael Berry SAID "should have had criminal consequences" ? I also kinda like how you threw in Rush Limbaugh for absolutely no reason and with not even the slightest mention of any supporting evidence that he had anything to do with anything mentioned in this article. Aside from that, Sarah Palin is making no attempts at legislating a ban on the building of a mosque... which is what the 1st amendment is concerned with. She is merely trying to persuade people that it shouldn't be done. So what if you don't like her opinion? THAT is what the first amendment is all about.” — user “Steven Christopher”

“You idiots need to realize you aren't some special exception, its bad enough you get PC double standards. How hard is it to realize that its simply in bad taste to build a mosque there? It is a very big diﬀerence between building a church there and building a mosque there because it wasn't a bunch of radical christians that crashed into the WTC it was a bunch of radical muslims. End of discussion.” — user “Zed ”

“If you are into 'Command and Control' and you ban the Shinto Shrine at Pearl Harbor, where do you go from there? C&C people love to issue the dictatorial order over and over until the people either revolt or form their own country as we did. For those who embrace C&C how about a ban on Sushi Restaurants anywhere in the State of Hawaii? Congress shall make no law ...! — user “GP”

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10 n Monday, August 23, 2010

Opinion

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Equality deserves a chance

We can’t hear you. Mostly because we’re a newspaper and we don’t have ears. But we would love to get your voice heard. Send us a guest column, around 400-600 words on a topic of your choosing, to opinion@thedailycougar.com.

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f you wrote a list of the most controversial topics facing our nation today, gay marriage would undoubtedly place near the top of the list. Indeed, it’s hard to read a newspaper Jack or turn on the TV Wehman without seeing some sort of story about the pros or cons to allowing members of the same sex to get married. To most college students, the answer is a quick and resounding, “Yes!” However, when the question is actually considered, the answer can sometimes be trickier than the pundits make it out to be. People who are against gay marriage usually take the religious route, saying that a marriage is a holy union between a man and a woman. However, homosexuals aren’t asking the Catholic Church to open its doors and allow same-sex couples to perform their ceremony at the altar. They are only asking the government to recognize that they are as committed to each other as a man and a woman are. Likewise, those for gay marriage usually end up taking the equality route, saying it is unfair that just because they love someone of the same sex they don’t get the same rights as a heterosexual couple. And they’re right — it isn’t equal. It is most definitely unfair that homosexual couples cannot hold a certificate that allows them to be in a legally binding union. If the dissenters don’t take the religious route, they usually end up talking about how homosexual couples do not provide the same loving environment for a child that a man and a woman do. Once again though, this is an uncertain ground to tread; there have been studies done by proponents of both sides of the argument that “prove” they are right. There are numerous studies that claim that children of same-sex parents develop completely normally, while there are many others that say it is a detriment to children to live in a same-sex household. Either side could be right; the studies are too new (and too biased) to hold much water. However, there are plenty of children who are raised by unfit heterosexual parents; the recent stories about children being starved by their foster families proves that. The issue really comes down to the individuals in the relationship, which is what pundits so often miss. It’s the parents — whether they are gay or straight — who determine the quality of the parenting. Even if there is a slight disadvantage to being raised by a same-sex couple, it can’t be proven until there are so many people being raised by gay or lesbian couples the point will be moot anyway. And for that matter, why does raising children become such a hotbed of contention when talking about gay marriage? There are Wehman continues on page 11

OpiniOn

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Monday, August 23, 2010

roBBie and BoBBy by Jason Poland

Because Chris can be a woman’s name, too. Though The Daily Cougar strives for accuracy and fairness in its reporting, mistakes happen. Please report any errors you see in the paper to the editorial staff. Corrections will run on Page 2 as needed to amend the record. To report a correction, e-mail editor@thedailycougar.com or call (713) 743-5362.

News not what it used to be Cougar editorial Board

ith the rise of the Internet and social media, information is more accessible than ever. We can send a message across the globe, and we can do it at the speed of light. However, with this deluge of knowledge comes (as Peter Parker’s uncle once said) great responsibility — and it's sorely lacking with most social news outlets. You can Google anything and get an answer; the question is, how do

WeHMAn continued from page 10

plenty of heterosexual married couples who don’t raise children; just because you’re married does not automatically make you want to start spewing out babies. In the end, like so many other

you ﬁnd out if it's the correct one? Anyone can pass off their ideas as fact, and it’s becoming harder to tell who has done the research. Here, we pride ourselves with our fact-checking skills. We don't print a story without checking sources, and we aren’t afraid to print corrections. Many social “news” outlets, however, aren’t trying to uphold the same tenets of journalism. Rumors get published as fact, opinions get printed as truth, and quotes are ripped apart until the true point is unrecognizable. To make matters

worse, these sites gain more traction each day. When you see something that you’re not sure about, continue to dig. Trust reliable sources like major newspapers over a blogger every time, and don’t be afraid to comment on a story when you have information that a “fact” may be wrong. Remember, it’s social media — which means a two-sided ﬂow of information. Without recognizing that, media becomes a puppet show.

issues, this one falls in the gray area. Gay and lesbian couples just want what every “normal” couple can have — the ability to pledge their undying love, through sickness and in health to another human being. On the other side, people are worried about what their god may think or how it may harm the children of tomorrow.

But seeing as how we live in America, the self-proclaimed breeding ground of freedom and liberty, it seems like we should at least give everyone a chance to marry whomever they please.

Share your views on the media by

Jack Wehman is a print journalism junior and may be reached at opinion@ thedailycougar.com

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12 n Monday, August 23, 2010

Opinion

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