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All who take the sword will perish by the sword

By The Observer · Monday, May 2, 2011

This past Sunday was Divine Mercy Sunday. It was a day to reflect and give thanks for God?s mercy. It was a day in which we remember how Christ, while nailed to the cross, did not curse his oppressors. On the contrary, Our Lord cried out, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Until his last breath, Jesus forgave; he showed mercy. It is for this reason that I was saddened to see Notre Dame students celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden in such an immature manner.

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Here we are

By The Observer · Monday, May 2, 2011

Full disclaimer: this is one of those sappy, oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-I'm graduating columns. Feel free to stop reading now if you're not into that.

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Reaction to Osama bin Laden's death justified?

By The Observer · Monday, May 2, 2011

The purpose of my first Letter to the Editor ever as a senior here at Notre Dame pertains to the news broadcasted around the world of Osama bin Laden's death by assassination carried out by the United States, in particular the reaction of the Notre Dame student body and a lot of Americans. Watching the news on Sunday night felt like eons as the presidential address to the entire world was delayed numerous times. I first felt scared for the news, apparently about national security, to come until Wolf Blitzer described the address could in fact be good news. There was then a sense of ease put into my mind of the coming news.

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Celebrate death?

By The Observer · Monday, May 2, 2011

While the death of Osama bin Laden is truly a notable event in the history of our country, I do not believe that it is a moment for celebration. Most of us here are U.S. citizens, but we are all citizens of the human race and that obligates us to uphold basic human rights for everyone, especially those that we hate. We as human beings should never celebrate the death of another human being — doing so reduces us to barbarians. Instead, the death of Osama bin Laden should be an opportunity to demonstrate how we are different from the terrorists, in that we do not exult in the deaths of our enemies. The images of us celebrating in the street strongly remind me of the images of the terrorists exulting in the deaths of our armed men and women. When we view these images, we typically reason that these terrorists are inhuman, insomuch as they are celebrating a death. It appears that we are no different from them. The celebration, taunting and Facebook-posting, do nothing more than relegate us to the moral ground that we usually reserve for the terrorists. As the creator of the cartoon "Pogo," Walt Kelly, said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

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My wonder cure

By The Observer · Monday, May 2, 2011

We all have weird tips and tricks that we wholeheartedly believe have healing powers. My mom prescribes Motrin, a hot bath and an early bedtime for everything from a cold to a broken bone. My dad loves to tell me to "walk it off," even if "it" is a sprained ankle. And on occasion, these solutions do work.

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God, Country, Notre Dame

By The Observer · Monday, May 2, 2011

Last night, the world discovered Osama bin Laden was finally hunted down and killed. Notre Dame's campus exploded in revelry and the campus was the most patriotic that I have seen it. Amongst all the celebration and renditions of "Courtesy of the Red White and Blue" and Team America's theme song, it is important to see how this event has affected some of our peers. If you haven't had the honor of meeting my roommate let me introduce you to him.

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On our hands

By The Observer · Monday, May 2, 2011

I read the news this morning that Osama bin Laden was killed yesterday. Am I supposed to be happy? Am I supposed to be thrilled or relieved? As a Christian, how should I feel? Killing is prohibited in the 10 Commandments, and it is something Jesus wasn't a big fan of. Should we have crucified bin Laden instead so that he would feel our pain? Yes, his death might lead to a better chance at world peace, but what would Jesus do? What does Jesus think about this?

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Human solidarity lacking

By The Observer · Monday, May 2, 2011

Before any other words are written, let us remember the sons and daughters of America who have sacrificed their lives for our security. Let us pray that we will not be faced with more of our troops' lives being taken away in the future.

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... the human soul on fire'

By The Observer · Sunday, May 1, 2011

It is truly a privilege when the people who inspire you are not historical figures in textbooks with whom you will never be able to speak. It is a privilege when the people whom you admire are not distant celebrities with whom you will never be able to sit down for a cup of coffee. It is a genuine privilege when the people who do and will make a sincere difference in their communities and in the world are friends who have both listened to your thoughts and taught you so much regarding the issues about which they care so deeply. I am honored, in my final column of the year, to be able to share my thanks for the inspiration that I have received from three incredible seniors.

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A wedding worth the wake-up call

By The Observer · Sunday, May 1, 2011

It's 5:15 on Friday morning and I technically don't have to be awake for another four hours. Instead, my alarm is telling me that it's time to get out of bed.

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A misguided 'path to prosperity'

By The Observer · Sunday, May 1, 2011

Recently, Congressman Paul Ryan, the 41-year-old Chairman of the House Budget Committee, revealed the Republican version of the 2012 budget for the federal government titled "The Path to Prosperity." "The Path to Prosperity" cuts over $4 trillion from the national debt during the next decade by reforming government programs and simplifying the U.S tax code. While Mr. Ryan should be commended for his work, his budget contains misguided policies that are more geared towards creating a political firestorm than much needed compromise.

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M.E.Ch.A. a force for unity

By The Observer · Sunday, May 1, 2011

First, I would like to thank Amanda Gray for providing M.E.Ch.A and Latina/os at Notre Dame with a positive portrayal of the work that we do ("Latinos maintain culture on campus," April 20). I would also like to thank Jessica Lujan for her views in "A Different Way to be Latino" (April 27) — she is right, there are many different ways of expressing our identity. However, I would like to address several incorrect assumptions that she made about our club, "M.E.Ch.A." Her Viewpoint article essentially denied the existence of a nationwide attack on the Latino population via discriminatory legislation and the anti-immigrant hysteria in our country. Allert Brown Gort argues that today Latinos are often associated with being immigrants, who are equated with being "illegal" and who are then demonized by a society that benefits from their disadvantaged status. I am glad that Miss Lujan was fortunate enough to never experience this type of discrimination, but the truth is that Latina/os are targeted and scapegoated everyday.

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True Life: I love Will and Kate

By The Observer · Sunday, May 1, 2011

I truly hope, for all of those reading this, that you are not yet sick of the Royal Wedding. Additional warning: This column may or may not contain elements of cheese. Proceed with caution.

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Celebrating a life

By The Observer · Thursday, April 28, 2011

My friend Olivia's birthday is today. She's beautiful, energetic, talented, and extremely smart. Throughout our friendship, she has pushed me to my greatest potential, encouraging me to be the best person I can academically, athletically, socially and spiritually. She was the one who introduced me to my relationship with Jesus Christ, and I could never thank her enough for that. Livi is an extremely important part of my life. Unfortunately, Olivia died almost five years ago. She was crossing the street on a rainy day and someone hit her. It was the end of my freshman year. She was 16.

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Seniors, be fierce

By The Observer · Thursday, April 28, 2011

With graduation looming, seniors hear all manner of advice and well wishes which ultimately are forgotten as the years pass. My commencement speaker, a university president, was so boring and uninspiring that he truly fit into the stereotypical caricature of an esoteric intellectual. Sadly, nothing of note remains with me today other than the memory of a chuckle because several of my classmates either stood naked under their gowns or hid bottles of Champaign. The late humorist Art Buchwald masterfully set a goal for each graduation speech, to leave a feeling rather than a thought — everyone should remember that they laughed during commencement.

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Just say no to...

By The Observer · Thursday, April 28, 2011

Dating. And S.B. 292. What do they have in common? They both loosen the guns. There are currently four gun bills making their way through the Indiana House, and Senate Bill 292 (S.B. 292) is one of them. The bill proposes a general gun law for the state of Indiana, prohibiting any local government from regulating possession of firearms. What this bill fails to recognize is that every town has their own dilemma concerning guns; passing this bill would leave certain towns powerless to protect their populace and punish gun-related crimes.

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Correcting inaccurate information

By The Observer · Thursday, April 28, 2011

It was with surprise, and then sadness, that I read Michael Martin's letter to the editor on April 20, followed by Eddie Guilbeau's commentary on Mr. Martin's letter, both of which state and allude to inaccurate information that could be hurtful to, and reflect poorly on, those directly involved with the tragedies mentioned.

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Poor Fredo

By The Observer · Thursday, April 28, 2011

I don't like to knock our esteemed cartoonists. I know I have no chance of doing better. However, I saw something in PleasaNDville yesterday that truly offended me. Freddy Corleone is not Michael's younger brother. Fredo is older than him, the middle child between Sonny and Michael. This is not just a minor detail; after Michael becomes the Godfather, Fredo feels betrayed, as if he was passed over. Freddy becomes involved in an assassination plot against Michael, who discovers his brother's treachery and eventually has him killed at the end of the film. If you're going to make a reference to important cultural figures, get the facts right.

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Happy job hunting

By The Observer · Thursday, April 28, 2011

So I'm walking down the street in downtown South Bend to the bus stop following an interview for a part-time job this summer. Now you're probably thinking that I'm a sophomore looking to find some way to supplement my income so I can "get down on Friday" during the school year as the immensely talented Rachel Black sings since a. I'm using the bus and don't have a car and b. I'm getting a summer job.

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