Packersnews SPJ-Opinion Section

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SPJ-Opinion

Our view: Have a safe summer with common sense

This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer.

May 23, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Lassa column: Memorial Day a time for reflection

On Monday our nation will observe Memorial Day, as we have since shortly after the end of the Civil War.

May 23, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Inside the First Amendment: Graduation prayer, fighting over a lost cause

School officials in Lake City, Ark., have come up with a novel solution to the fight over prayer at graduation:

May 21, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Maas column: Boston bombing lockdown unjust

What about that Boston bombing? Instead of a police murder investigation in Boston, we witnessed a police-state occupation of a major American city. Murder and mayhem aren't federal crimes so the feds claimed there was a weapon of mass destruction or WMD!

May 22, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Pitts column: In Florida, timely injustice

At great political peril, George Ryan did the right thing.

May 22, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

A promotional video by the March of Dimes encourages women to forgo elective early deliveries. Visit www.marchofdimes.com/39weeks for more information.

Other view: Reduce rates of elective early births

New science on fetal development has emphasized the importance of brain development in the last weeks of pregnancy — between 37 and 39 weeks.

May 21, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Thomas column: Gosnell's 'clinic of horrors'

It was the pictures and riveting testimony that convinced a Philadelphia jury that abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell was guilty of murdering three infants born alive following botched late-term abortions and also guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Kar

May 21, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Post office food drive a success

The Stevens Point and Plover communities generously gave more than 21,000 pounds of food this year for our annual 'Stamp Out Hunger' food drive.

May 21, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Health care should be simple, universal

It'll never happen! We'll never save Edgewater Manor. Gays will never marry. (Medical) marijuana will never be legal. People will never say, 'Iraq and Afghanistan were a $5 trillion mistake.' Sure!

May 21, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Other view: IRS, phone records scandals deserve attention

After dismissing as a 'sideshow' the continued inquires into the attacks in Benghazi and his administration's response, President Barack Obama was confronted with two more issues this week that may have a more chilling effect on civil rights and the First

May 17, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Nichols: Free (regulated) raw milk! (column)

Raw milk is not cocaine or heroin or pot. It's not illegal to acquire it in Wisconsin, says Joe Plasterer, who freely admits to purchasing it for his family.

May 17, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Lions offer thanks for fundraiser support

Thanks to all of the nice people who supported the Stevens Point Evening Lions 30-30 fundraiser. The money helps 1,500 of God's special children to have a week's vacation at the state Lions camp in Rosholt.

May 17, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Many make Cultural Festival a success

The 21st Portage County Cultural Festival on May 11 was a great success! Though the weather was a bit chilly, the warmth of the community joining together to recognize and appreciate the diversity we have here in Portage County was felt by all.

May 17, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Other view: Make companies disclose political spending

Three years ago, when the Supreme Court opened the door to unlimited political donations by corporations, Justice Anthony Kennedy made the case for transparency as the best way to keep politics clean.

May 16, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Guest column: Climate change will have lasting impacts on us

As I write this, tree swallows swoop overhead, goldfinches dine at our feeder and wood frogs drown out the birdsong with their spring calls. We're fortunate to live in such a beautiful place.

May 16, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Inside the First Amendment: Watergate Era: 'A' peak in journalism

Forty years ago this week, The Washington Post — and its self-described 'young and hard-digging reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein' — took home a Pulitzer Prize for public service for coverage of the Watergate scandal.

May 14, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Amherst's Marisa Loken, left, drives past Lexi Brost of Nekoosa during first-half action at the 2011 Sentry Classic. Stevens Point Journal Media photo

Our view: Student athletes learned virtues we all can use

All year long, we've seen remarkable achievements, on and off the field, from local student athletes.

May 15, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Column: Vehicles drive several new city projects

Accommodating vehicles is the business of three new projects in Stevens Point: the Business 51 redesign, a parking lot where the downtown mall stood and a parking ramp at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

May 15, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Tea Party isn't a friend to taxpayers

The hypocrisy from the Tea Party is quite entertaining. They pretend to be so fiscally conservative and are self-proclaimed stewards of the taxpayer's money.

May 15, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Obama, Democrats side with communism

There are two phrases in the United States Constitution that drive Democrats up the wall: ' ... the free exercise thereof' and '

May 15, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Other view: Gun safety ads could save kids

Last week's awful news from rural Kentucky — that a 5-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with a child-sized .22 rifle — begs for a response, even more so because such tragedies are shockingly common.

May 14, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Thomas column: Benghazi, IRS: Son of Watergate?

In his defense of President Barack Obama, Press Secretary Jay Carney is beginning to sound a lot like Ronald Zeigler, Richard Nixon's spokesman. Carney only has to use the word '

May 14, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Government shouldn't degrade faith

Rev. Zimbeck has a Democratic bible claiming it more suitable than Christian or Catholic bibles. Citing Matthew 25:40 when you do the least of these, omitting 25:41 those on the left hand, depart from me — you cursed.

May 14, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Thanks for making reading program a success

As the After School Success Program approaches the end of another school year, we would like to express our appreciation to a few of the donors who helped make it a successful program year!

May 14, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Encourage Kind to drop NRA support

I was privileged to attend the listening session with Congressman Ron Kind on April 30 at the Lincoln Center in Stevens Point. The turnout was good, probably reflecting the robocalls Kind made before the meeting.

May 10, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: earing on attacks must be reported

A Congressional hearing into the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on Benghazi in which Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were murdered was held on May 8.

May 10, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Skyward loss would impact region

After attending a news conference May 2 on the rejection by the Department of Public Instruction of the Skyward proposal, I felt compelled to write because it seems to me by the facts given there the selection made by the DPI, with oversight by Gov.

May 10, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Arthur and Jane Pejsa pose for pictures after Wednesday's ceremony at the UWSP Science Building, where the school's observatory was named after Arthur. Stevens Point Journal Media file photo

Our view: Don't forget mom on Sunday, or any other day really

Happy early Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

May 10, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Looking across the St. Croix River into Minnesota from Interstate State Park in St. Croix Falls. File photo

Nichols: Compared to neighbors, we're the less successful sibling (column)

Ken Bierl lives in an old house that sits about 100 yards off the steep bluffs of the St. Croix just north of North Hudson.

May 10, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: Walker has failed to create jobs, reduce debt

It's time for Gov. Scott Walker to admit that his policies have failed us in Wisconsin.

May 10, 2013

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SPJ-Opinion

Letter: More security isn't answer for terrorism

The fear of terrorism in our schools and athletic events can increase still more the tendency to grasp at every straw for security. The NRA wants an armed guard in the classrooms as a solution.