The Flyer editorial: Will the real leader of the GOP please stand up? (backdated)

I had some fun writing this editorial.

Originally published in The Flyer on March 10th, 2009.

Link to story on The Flyer's web site
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Who's the Boss?

The Flyer editorial: We're not socialists yet (backdated)

Personally, I originally thought that this editorial could have been better, but I heard a few compliments about it, including from my boss, the Honors Program Director, whose opinion of it I was rather grateful to hear.

Originally published in The Flyer on February 24th, 2009.

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During the recent debate over the Obama administration’s stimulus package, the term "socialism" was bandied about both by some supporters and detractors. On a recent cover, Newsweek declared that "We Are All Socialists Now," while conservative critics attempted to rally opposition to the stimulus by ascribing the dreaded S word to it.... (Link to the article on The Flyer's website.)

The Flyer editorial: No one is perfect (backdated)

When I first finished this, I thought it was so-so, but a friend of mine loved it and mentioned how good it was several times after it was published. I've come around to her line of thinking and approve of the editorial now.

Originally published in The Flyer on February 10th, 2009.

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A picture was published recently of swimmer Michael Phelps smoking out of a bong at a college party last November. Phelps admitted that he was using marijuana in the picture and apologized for his "bad judgment." So far, as a consequence of his actions, Phelps was dropped as a spokesman for Kellogg’s, USA Swimming barred him from competition for three months and he may face criminal charges. In addition, parents bemoan the failings of a role model for children. The controversy does, however, raise some important questions.... (Link to article on The Flyer's website.)

The Flyer editorial - Black Friday trampling death sign of lost holiday meaning (backdated)

This is another of my favorite editorials.
Originally printed in The Flyer on Dec. 09, 2008.
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The day after Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. Over the years, this day has become the crowning jewel in the commercialization of the holiday season, with hordes of shoppers massing outside stores hoping to take advantage of annual sales. The day is called Black Friday, traditionally because many retailers are now in the black ink of profits instead of the red ink of losses.... (Link to article.)

The Flyer editorial: Editor’s Corner - Government’s lack of foresight shown in Fannie and Freddie (backdated)

Originally printed in The Flyer on Sept. 16, 2008.
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On Sept. 8, the federal government announced that it would be placing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the country’s largest mortgage lending companies, into a "conservatorship." This was done in an effort to calm the financial world and to ensure the continuing flow of capital into the mortgage market. The saddest part of the whole thing is that this did not need to happen.... (Link to article.)

The Flyer editorial: What makes a “real” American? (backdated)

In my opinion, this is one of the best editorials I have written.
Originally printed in The Flyer on Oct. 28, 2008.
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Recently, Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin was campaigning in rural North Carolina, where she said that she and her running mate, John McCain believe "that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you -- hardworking, very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation." (Link to article.)

The Flyer editorial: An unruly House... (backdated)

Originally printed in The Flyer on Oct. 21, 2008.
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Last week, Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fla., asked the House Ethics Committee to review his own conduct regarding an extramarital affair. Mahoney has admitted to having multiple affairs, but the allegation that he paid a mistress, who also worked for him as a staffer, $121,000 in hush money to avoid charges of sexual harassment appears to be what he really wants to clear up. This June, Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., provided the precedent by asking for a probe of himself regarding a claim that he used official letterhead to solicit donations. While it might be nice to think that the two representatives are attempting to be transparent about their own conduct, the reality is a bit more disheartening.... (Link to article.)

The Flyer editorial: Can you smell what Barack is cooking? Candidates’ appearance on WWE trivializes election (backdated)

Originally published in The Flyer on May 6th, 2008.
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On April 21, all three of the contenders for president, Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, made a special appearance on WWE Raw. Apparently, Senator Clinton wants you to call her "Hill-Rod," or at least she did that night. Senator Obama wants to know if the "special interests" and the "forces of division and distraction" can "smell what Barack is cooking." And Sen. McCain announced that "to be the man, you have to beat the man" and "come November, it’ll be ‘game over.’" (Link to the article on The Flyer's website.)

The Flyer editorial: Former President Jimmy Carter under criticism for Hamas meeting (backdated)

Looking back on this editorial, I'm a little surprised that I didn't receive any negative feedback. I feel like it was a topic that should have instigated some sort of debate, if not the labeling of my person with derogatory words.
Originally published in The Flyer on April 22nd, 2008.
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Last week, former President Jimmy Carter met with the leaders of the Palestinian organization Hamas. This meeting has been met with much criticism because Hamas is considered to be a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States. This designation is the result of Hamas’ refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist and its sponsoring of attacks against the country.... (Link to article on The Flyer's website.)

The Flyer editorial: Why conservatives should embrace presidential hopeful John McCain (backdated)

This editorial convinced my conservative grandfather to support McCain, although he almost certainly would have anyway when Palin was picked for VP.
Originally published in The Flyer on March 4th, 2008.
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As the 2008 election season has progressed, it has become increasingly clear that the Republican nomination will go to Senator John McCain. While the near-certainty of who the nominee will be is typically a good thing, the impending nomination of McCain has proven controversial and has provoked the wrath of many conservative leaders in his party. These leaders, and those who will follow them, run the risk of not only damaging McCain’s campaign, but also the Republican Party itself.... (Link to the article on The Flyer's website.)

The Flyer editorial: Primaries need moderate voters (backdated)

Originally printed in The Flyer on Feb. 19, 2008.
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During this election season, as both parties have struggled to identify their presidential nominees, there has been increased media attention on state primaries and caucuses. These elections are organized by both parties so that party members in each state have a say in which candidates each party nominates to campaign in the general election. In the case of presidential primaries, the voters in the primaries elect delegates to go to the national party convention, who, in turn, vote for the nominee for president. Although the current primary system was created in order to give the everyday party member the ability to influence the party, the system has been subject to abuse by the parties’ most active members. Only if moderate voters participate in the primaries and caucuses will the parties stop emphasizing partisanship and ideology and instead focus on practicality, electability and the ability to actually get things done in Washington.... (Link to article.)

The Flyer editorial: Smoking ban inhibits Marylanders’ right to make their own decisions (backdated)

Originally printed in The Flyer on Feb. 12, 2008.
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When the clock struck midnight on the first of February, a radical new law was put into effect throughout Maryland. The law, dubbed the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007, effectively bans smoking in virtually all indoor public spaces. This law, though it may be argued as being in the best interest of Marylanders, should never have been passed as it violates the property rights of business owners and, more importantly, strips citizens of their ability to make decisions for themselves.... (Link to article - the date and issue number on the web page are incorrect.)

The Flyer editorial: Commercialization ruins true spirit of Christmas (backdated)

Originally printed in The Flyer on Dec. 04, 2007.
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Christmas, along with the entire holiday season, has been hijacked. No longer just a period of time where feelings of peace, joy, charity and goodwill abound, the holiday season is in danger of becoming a deluxe version of Presidents Day, a holiday that only has significance to those who exploit the omnipresent sales held in its honor.... (Link to article.)

The Flyer editorial: Something rotten in the state of Louisiana (backdated)

At the time that I wrote this, it was commonly reported that there were three nooses hanging from the tree. Apparently, this was misreported and there were only two.
Originally printed in The Flyer on Sept. 18, 2007.
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Racism is supposed to be dead. When Crash, a film about racial tensions in Los Angeles, won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2006, Annie Proulx, author of “Brokeback Mountain” complained that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had given the award to a film about an outdated issue. She facetiously predicted that the nominees for the award next year would be about “the punishment of adulterers with a branding iron in the shape of the letter A, runaway slaves, and the debate over free silver." (Link to article.)

The Flyer editorial: America's forced democracy: Right or wrong? (backdated)

This is the first editorial I wrote for The Flyer. I personally think the headline is unfortunate. I would have preferred something like "America's support for dictators: Is it necessary?" But that's what I get for not suggesting a headline....

Originally printed on Sept. 12, 2007
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In a matter of weeks, two former prime ministers of Pakistan will have emerged from planes that will have brought them back to their homeland after years of exile. The impending return of these two expatriate politicians, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, coincides with a resurgence of democratic sympathies within their nation. Pakistanis, frustrated by years of the military wielding excessive influence in their government, are beginning to demand the end of General Pervez Musharraf’s rule. Until recently, Musharraf, a U.S. ally in the “War on Terror,” had received dogged support from America despite his attempts to consolidate power and suppress dissent.

During his second inaugural address, President Bush declared, “[I]t is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements… in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.” His administration would also “encourage reform [in other nations] by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people.” Today, after two and a half years have passed, the U.S. government has apparently decided to fulfill its promise to democracy.

Last month, it was reported that, because of widespread opposition to his government, Musharraf considered proclaiming a state of emergency, which would have been tantamount to declaring martial law. According to reports from Pakistani officials, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called General Musharraf and convinced him not to take such a drastic step. It appears that the United States has decided that Musharraf needs to refrain from heavy-handed tactics and permit some level of dissent in his country or support for his regime would be jeopardized. This is a direct contrast to U.S. policies towards other states. For example, the United States touts its reasonably good relations with non-democratic Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the People’s Republic of China, and until recently, Russia.

There have been doubts expressed about the ability of democracy to flourish in certain regions of the world, especially in the Middle East. Many critics believe that aspects of the region’s culture, particularly the prevalence of Islam, hinder the growth of the democratic process and view human rights as less important than other issues. Others believe that democracy in the area risks stability and peace more than the autocratic governments already in place. The victories of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iranian elections in 2005 and Hamas in Palestine in 2006 would suggest that the underlying trend is towards fundamental Islamic government. However, there are other factors involved.

In 1979, when the Islamic revolution overcame Iran, the movement had the support of the population because of the simple fact that it had actually succeeded where other movements had failed. For decades, the royal family of Iran had enjoyed strong American support in exchange for access to resources, such as oil, and cooperation during the Cold War. Among the acts of support the U.S. provided was the overthrow of a democratically elected government and any reform movements that threatened the status quo. As a result, when the shah was overthrown, the populace backed the revolutionaries. This revolutionary movement became the backbone of the Iranian political authority, and still has considerable influence in Iranian politics today.

Fears that the Palestinians have become supportive of violent extremists are unfounded and simplistic. The little-known truth behind Hamas’ surprising victory in 2006 was the result of a poorly organized campaign by the ruling party, Fatah. Hamas’ campaign centered on the need for reform in the Palestinian Authority and strategically chose their candidates. Fatah, on the other hand, was unable to decide on sole nominees, which split Fatah votes and allowed Hamas to emerge victorious. It is an accepted truth that poorly organized parties will have a smaller probability of winning than organized parties. It has little to do with fundamentalism.

Perhaps the best argument that there can be Islamic democracies is the fact that there are some in existence today. Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has a thriving and stable democracy, as does Turkey, a state that values secularism highly. Both of these nations have issues, and are not perfect, but then again, is there such a thing as a perfect government?

Democracy and Islam are not incompatible. Secretary Rice’s phone call to General Musharraf needs to be the first step in a change of U.S. policy. The world does not need strongmen presiding over shallow democracies in order to be safe. Let Pakistanis choose their own government. Let freedom ring.