Because so much of today's news is negative (hey, if it bleeds, it leads), it's rare to find news commentary that gives props where they are due.
Of course, the Collegian copy desk members are just the people to rush in and fill this void. There is nothing we love more than to raise our index fingers and cry in a British accent, "Brrrrillliant!"
First of all, I have to highlight a story that had me at "marching monks in Mynamar." Aside from the awesome alliteration, this ongoing oddity is the result of thousands of the Asian country's monks abandoning their monasteries and taking to the streets. They're protesting issues facing all the country's citizens -- such as a huge increase in the price of oil -- but mainly, they're standing up to a government that makes Pinochet's reign look free and democratic. Mynamar is ruled by a junta (note the soft "j"), which is a fancy word for a political system tightly controlled through military oversight. It's not just that the armed forces protect the country, they also make every major decision. Nine times out of ten, they throw civil liberties out the window and rule with an iron fist.
The monks, however, are having none of it. In a series of non-violent demonstrations reminiscent of MLK or Gandhi, they have shown their dissent on the global stage for the better part of a week. They're even continuing to gather as the government has launched a smear campaign against them, imposed a ban on public gatherings and threatened the use of force. There is only one word, or rather, one acronym, to describe these monks. That, my friends, is BAMF.
Here's another "tip of the hat" to Hillary Clinton, whose clear advantage in the polls will likely skyrocket now that she has the endorsement of The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers. Way to be in touch with working class America, Hillary, even though you went to Yale and have no concept of minimum wage. Really, though, we don't hate Hillary, we just think it's awesome The Associated Press found this interesting enough to write a full-length story about it. This is actually an extraordinary strategic move for Ms. Clinton. Now, even if she loses, she'll get an expertly crafted brownstone in Manhattan.
Lastly, let's extend a shout out to every journalist's most beloved concept, freedom of speech, and the slight inroads it just made. If you haven't heard, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University yesterday, an appearance in which he came under attack multiple times for his rather controversial views. The Holocaust might be a hoax, he said, and we should leave the possibility of dismantling Israel open for debate. The Columbia president has come under considerable fire for letting Ahmadinejad espouse his views, even as he repeatedly challenged the leader with rather insulting remarks. Cheers to this guy, who realizes that an Ivy League university is no place for censorship and that unpalatable ideas still deserve public debate. Don't let Midwestern conservatives bully you, President Bollinger, we say. To which he hypothetically replies, "Where?"
