Given the busy month that lies ahead of me before graduation, and because of all the positive comments my columns have been given recently, I’ve decided to quit while I’m ahead. So this column the last installment of “Moderate Stigmata.” During the past five semesters…

This is 2007. This is 2007. Sometimes, if I say it enough, I can pretend it’s true. We are living in the 21st century, and I wanted to believe that official, legalized discrimination was a thing of the past. There was a certain Christian preacher who said people should not be judged by the color of their skin…

On March 2, I wrote about how oil was not the real reason we invaded Iraq. This then raises perhaps the most critical question of all: Why did we invade Iraq? An answer will not come today; indeed I suspect historians will puzzle the question for decades…

We did not invade Iraq to get their oil. I suppose I better explain myself. It has been my belief since the war began that we did not start bombing foreign soil and throwing our troops into harm’s way just so a bunch of American oil companies could set up shop and start filling the pockets of billionaires…

I’m not one who usually follows tabloid stories, but there have been two in the past few weeks that have really me intrigued. The first is that of Lisa Nowak, a respectable astronaut, who, in what seems to be a combination of marital problems and a sudden adjustment to life back on Earth…

As most of you know, February is Black History Month. I’ve always been a bit cynical in analyzing these sorts of things – sometimes paying lip service to something makes it become easier to forget. People come up with months and weeks for everything; we even have a National Squirrel Awareness week…

The U.S. presidential primary system in this country is starting to get a bit ridiculous. Party primaries, when they were closed to the public, were riveting affairs: Cutthroat contests used to determine the nominee for one of the world’s most important positions of power…

Recently, there has been a little tiff in the congressional chambers that has everyone screaming “reverse racism” all over again. Here’s the story: Stephen Cohen, a Democrat running for Congress in Tennessee, made an interesting promise to his constituents: He would become the first white member of the Congressional Black Caucus…

“Surge.” A strong, masculine-sounding word implying power and action. It can be a noun, verb or adjective. It’s a brilliant buzzword that will join other treasures of the Iraq war’s lexicon: “mushroom cloud,” “slam dunk,” “dead-enders,” “mission accomplished…

The rushed execution of Saddam Hussein two weeks ago served as a perfect example for why I’m opposed to the death penalty. Ignoring the incredibly unfair trial and appeals process that he was subjected to, Hussein nevertheless deserved to get what was coming to him…

The following is an open letter I wrote to the students of my current-events class while I am studying abroad in the United Arab Emirates. I would like to share it with you: Dear classmates, I am honored to be a student in your class and I appreciate the diversity of views everyone brings…

After the war in Iraq ends, there is going to be a lot of historical debate regarding its merits, such as why it was fought, who is to blame and what lessons can be learned. This country has just participated in the so-called midterm elections. They shouldn’t be called midterms at all – congressional changes in power are worthy of the name “election” in their own right…

If you believe the Republican Party is the right party to lead Congress for the next two years, then by all means go out and vote. If you believe the Democratic Party is the right party to lead Congress for the next two years, then by all means go out and vote…

A timetable? It’s about time. Although the Bush administration has been doing its best to call them “benchmarks” and “milestones,” it is finally drafting a timetable for marking our progress in Iraq. While the military has not threatened troop withdrawals if the Iraqis choose not to comply with the timetable…

While most of my columns cover political and international issues, I would like to take a break from that this week and write about a recent cultural experience. As I’m writing this, I’m already 30 minutes past the deadline for this article, and hoping beyond hope that my editor shows me mercy…