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November 14, 2008
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Editorials Proposition 8, state take step back, obstruct constitution Wait. Is this really happening? Is California actually trying to play "Indian giver" with same-sex marriages? I believe they are.California stopped issuing marriage licenses after Proposition 8, a ban on same-sex marriages, was passed last week during the general election. Proposition 8 was created at the urging of California citizens to restrict the definition of marriage to a union strictly between a man and a woman, not same-sex couples. Where did this idea of marriage being solely between a man and a woman come from anyway? The Bible? What the hell happened to the separation between church and state? You can't rely on religion only when it's convenient and vice versa. If you remove religion from the picture, you are left with the core issue: all people sharing the same rights under the law, not God. After all, these days marriage is a lot more than vowing to love each other and stay faithful forever. It's about taxes, health insurance, creating a family and becoming committed to another human being. Those things should not be limited to men and women in relationships. According to a CNN news article, Proposition 8 was passed by 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent, which is not at all a substantial margin. Sounds to me like a bunch of confused sheep just flocked over to the polls and absent-mindedly filled in bubbles. Were they informed? Did they understand what was happening? How much did these people even know? I agree with Ellen DeGeneres who said, "we took a giant step away." This is by no means ethical or fair for those who so recently celebrated California's leap into an equal and promising future. The fact remains that people, all people, no matter their sexual orientation, share the same constitutional rights as anyone else. One of those is the right to marry. Everyone should have the right to marry whomever they choose, and should not be stopped by the narrow minds of those stuck in a world that clearly doesn't exist anymore. ProtectMarriage.com chairman Ron Prentice said passing Proposition 8 was a sign that "the people of California stood up for traditional marriage." Hello? We just elected an African-American president! Are you kidding me? This country has been consistently moving away from traditional for quite some time. We are moving forward, shakily at times, but forward nonetheless. This is a new day and age where the people of this country elected an African-American as their leader by an astronomical margin, transgender athletes can compete in the Olympics, and the lines between men and women have been blurred as more women take a stand in the working world and more men stay at home raising babies. The LGBT community suffered a great injustice and I am deeply saddened by my country's ignorance, intolerance and it's willingness to abjure equality. Has this country learned nothing from our troubled past? We are indeed a nation with great challenges ahead of us, and I only hope we can move out of our own way before we crumble at history's feet. R-E-C-Y-C-L-E, recycle Since 1959, The Crusader has guaranteed every student a copy of its weekly publication in their mailbox.It's this newspaper's responsibility to provide the Susquehanna community with information on upcoming events, saftey issues and to help voice opinions. Obviously, not every student takes advantge of this media tool, as many copies end up in the recycling bins every Friday afternoon. Perhaps what is more troubling, however, is that a good amount of Crusaders, as well as other newspaper publications, plastic bottles and aluminum cans, are constantly found in regular garbage bins, only a few feet away from actual recycling recepticles. This is not only an issue in the Degenstein Campus Center, but in the academic buildings and residence halls throughout Susquehanna's campus. Therefore, everyone on The Crusader's editorial board would like to encourage all students to please make the effort to recycle their newspapers, bottles and cans. We know it may be difficult to make those extra few steps to the recycle bins, but even being a little eco-friendly on this small campus can make a huge difference in the long run. As editors, we try to fish out extra Crusaders out of the trash bins to use as practicum clips and advertising tear sheets, and to just take over to the recycling bins. We save the extra bundles for the archives and print on both sides of our printer paper while editing. The newpaper is printed on cheap, thin paper that is environmentally sound with its ability to be recycled five to seven times over. While newsprint used to be made from wood pulp, newsprint mills now create the paper from recycled newspapers and scraps of wood gathered from sawmills. This means every time you recycle a newspaper, whether it be The Crusader that is in your mailbox each Friday or a New York Times you picked up on your way to class, you are actually helping in the production of more newspapers. For some time now, student organizations and others have expressed concerns about The Crusader's distribution methods and its possible wastefulness. It is admirable that such activism exists on a campus as small as Susquehanna's, but we should take care that The Crusader isn't being singled out, and that a concerted effort to influence those decisions that may have environmental implications is being made regarding all student organizations and clubs. After reading this editorial, we hope that many of you will understand the ways in which The Crusader and newspapers in general attempt to promote recycling and minimize their affects on the environment, and we hope you recycle too. 2008 movies disappoint editor God save me from this terrible year of movies.At this time in 2007, several wonderful films had already been released, will a slew of great films still to come, like "No Country for Old Men" or "There Will Be Blood." Now in 2008, I struggle to find anything of substance. You see, last year's Writers Guild strike has come back to bite us in the butt. Before the writers had the chance to hoist up their signs on the picket line, every major studio rushed projects into production, some with scripts not fully developed and others chosen for their simple, cost-effective nature. Now they flood our multiplexes, snatching up our money for sub-par entertainment. As an avid theatergoer, I have felt the sting and I'm sure even those of you who don't go to the movies incessantly (like I do) have noticed. Perhaps I have been more judgmental in my opinion as of late, but high profile studio stinkers from the lowbrow comedy ("Zach and Miri Make a Porno") to the high-end drama ("Changeling") fall far short of anyone's expectations. It will take more than driving down to our local theater to cure the ailment. Unfortunately, the best movies so far this year have been little films flying low under the radar and a bit out of reach. Take, for instance, "Rachel Getting Married," playing at the Regal in Harrisburg, and starring Anne Hathaway as a recovering addict who confronts family skeletons after going home for her sister's wedding. Perhaps the drive to Harrisburg is too long and you would like to stick with some place closer to home. You can drive down to your local video store (or check out your Netflix account) to watch "The Visitor," a film about a dispassionate economics professor who returns to an apartment he keeps in New York City only to find a pair of illegal immigrants living there. The friendship that he strikes up with them brings vitality to his life for the first time in many years. Its star, Richard Jenkins, is a familiar face to many of you, having recently appeared in "Step Brothers" and "Burn After Reading." Here he gives what I would call the best performance so far this year. Beyond those independent features are other exciting events. Take, for instance, the Campus Theater, a beautiful one screen theater in downtown Lewisburg that has its roots in the town going back to the early 1940s. They schedule several wonderful events each year, such as a silent film festival with live orchestra this past spring and a week-long documentary film festival that ran just last month. According to their Web site, a screening of the 1936 musical "Showboat" is scheduled for Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. I know I will be in attendance to see this long-unavailable film projected on the big screen. If you have never seen an older film shown on the big screen (or heard Paul Robeson belt out his signature song "Old Man River"), I beg you to use this as your chance. If you find yourself wanting to see a movie this weekend but don't feel enthusiastic about any of the options, don't settle for a lesser movie. Look at all the other options you have out there. You might be surprised by the gems you find. |
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