Ground Zero is a place that will be forever ingrained in the minds of the American people. People remember how it brought out the best in those who went to the ruins of the World Trade Centers to find survivors and clear debris. This was a great time in America that brought all of us together, no matter what race, gender, age or religion. We were united as Americans.
In a landmark move to preserve student rights, the Board of Regents finally put an end to smoking on campus at Northwest. Yes, individual freedom and human rights stand at the center of this issue. But not in the way one would expect.
Throughout April, we’ve seen headlines regarding our federal government. The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating a case against investment firm Goldman Sachs. Meanwhile, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is pushing hard for equitable lending standards. Some people from the Tea Party movement may lead you to believe agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and the Census Bureau are destroying our country or stealing our liberty with scary things like taxes and population statistics.
Every time we approach an anniversary, most of us don’t just think back to a specific day, but our innocence before that day as well.
This past week, Northwest has been conducting Town Hall meetings in order to receive input from every member of the campus and residents of Maryville. Four meetings were split between topics ranging from academics, facilities, student life and athletics. Although we cannot urge our readers to participate in these meetings since they have already taken place, we can tip our hats in this week’s issue at the University for having these meetings.
This Thursday is Tax Day. Throughout the country, millions are rushing to prepare their state and federal tax returns in an effort to avoid penalties from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Taxation has always been a wildly divisive part of our society, and the fission seems to be growing. A new, leftist administration and a struggling economy have combined to incite anger and protest from conservatives everywhere. They demand reform, or even fewer taxes altogether. Do these ideas have any merit? The answer is complicated, and it requires a deeper look at one of the main reform proposals and those who espouse it most.
With all the undesirable political situations taking place throughout the world, it is easy to assume a specific one-size-fits-all version of liberal democracy should take root. However, with any particular system of government, no matter how perfect of a set up it is, it does not fit every society.
When disaster strikes, people are often times shocked and unprepared. We see the horrors on the television screen during the nightly news, and we read of them in the newspapers. When a disaster hits in another country half-way across the world, there is little most of us can do. Few people can just drop things like a family, work and school to aid another person of another nationality. However, we can make a difference that is not felt much by us, but is felt by those in need by simply donating money and raising awareness to a cause. We saw this when Haiti was severely damaged. People around the world, children and adults alike, rallied together to raise money for the victims. The citizens of the United States were once again forced out of the small protective bubble of peace we live in. Northwest, too, felt the rippling effects.
