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Consequences of repealing Don't ask, Don't tell

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 14, 2011

Those who serve our country in uniform, particularly those in combat units, are not homophobes. In the Pentagon's highly cited report regarding "Don't ask, Don't tell," nearly 60 percent of America's infantrymen, those who do the backbreaking work of fighting America's wars, stated that they believe the repeal of "Don't ask, Don't tell" would adversely affect unit cohesion. This percentage, which is considerably higher than that of the rest of the military, is not because infantry men are worried about feeling "uncomfortable" as Adam Newman puts it in his Feb. 11 article "You Don't have to be Straight to Shoot Straight." These men live a life of discomfort that ignorant civilians and policy makers know nothing about. Their disapproval means they recognize the terrible danger that the repeal of "Don't ask, Don't tell" will put their lives in. Not Obama's life, not the media's life, not "Diversity's" life, not some sophomore in college's life, but their lives.

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Thank you, Notre Dame

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 14, 2011

On behalf of the men of Siegfried Hall, I would like to thank every one of you, the Notre Dame community, for contributing to the success of Day of Man. Last Wednesday, we woke up to temperatures hovering around zero degrees with negative wind chills. At that point, any man who is about to walk outside in shorts and a t-shirt has to question his sanity. However, the embrace of the Notre Dame community pulled us through. We asked only that you give us what spare change you had, and you gave us so much more. As of now, the Notre Dame community has collected $6,250 for the South Bend Center for the Homeless. The Day of Man was more successful than any before because of the help that each of you gave us. Whether you donated money or gave us some hot chocolate to warm up, your help buoyed our efforts. We cannot thank you enough for your help.

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Til death do us part

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 14, 2011

Some phrases sear themselves into our cultural consciousness, and, rightfully or not, define events. "Death panels" will certainly represent the health care debate of 2009-10 for future historians. In retrospect, the life cycle of these two words seems bizarre. Sarah Palin introduced the term on her Facebook, objecting to a provision in the healthcare bill that subsidized conversations between ill patients and their private doctors about their intentions for the end of life. Palin saw the provision as code language for faceless government bureaucrats making simple decisions on who lives and who dies.

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Keeping today's media within reason

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 14, 2011

Here is a hard truth: Media outlets are businesses. Sure, they provide an essential source of information to the general public regarding the state of the world. But at the end of the day, their goal is to make money. If they don't make enough of it, the media outlet fails. We see this in the newspaper industry today. With the Internet making news articles available for free, hard copy paper editions are quickly becoming obsolete, and newspaper companies are losing hundreds of millions of dollars.

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Quest for perfection

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 14, 2011

Although all of my classes are intellectually stimulating, it seldom occurs that a class truly inspires self-reflection and leads to subsequent revelations about my life outside of the pursuit of academic fulfillment. My seminar this semester is different. Each day comes with small bits of information about how to recognize complete personal fulfillment and what can be done to attain it.

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Spring training

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 14, 2011

It's that time of year again. The snow starts to melt, spring break is in sight and pitchers and catchers are reporting to camp.

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A Saint Mary's woman

By The Observer · Monday, Feb. 14, 2011

I first want to say that I completely agree with "Seriously Saint Mary's" (Feb. 11). Saint Mary's does need to calm down when it comes to the Keenan Revue. No, I don't like it when people make jokes about or insult us randomly, but when it comes to the Revue, I relish in the comedy. It just shows that we are beyond awesome, and they don't know how to handle it besides making fun of us. And it is hilarious!

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School of sharks

By The Observer · Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011

Chances are, you know who I am, although I probably don't know you. I am not boasting when I state this fact — this has nothing to do with me being more important than you. The simple fact of the matter is, if you know me it isn't because I am a Television major or I live on Mod Quad, but because I am the boy with the shark backpack.

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Leprechaun Legion of doom

By The Observer · Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011

Our hoops team is straight ballin'. Sadly, if you take a step back during a game in the JACC you will notice that our arena is usually embarrassingly empty for a team that is ranked No. 7 nationally. Most students found it too hard to keep the faith this season, refusing to buy season tickets.

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Be for love

By The Observer · Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011

Baz Luhrmann's rendition of Moulin Rouge includes a short Bohemian, saying his only lines in the play within the movie: "The greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return." You may not agree that love is the greatest thing you can ever learn, but I'll argue that it is in the top five. The beauty of today, Valentine's Day, is not embodied in the sweet kisses, the exchange of chocolates, the purchasing of flowers, the writing of cheesy poetry or the watching of romantic comedies. What's wonderful about Valentine's Day is that it is an in-your-face day that recognizes the beauty of love. Valentine's Day is an opportunity for outward expressions of affection, the more serious of which we call love. Many students on Notre Dame campus will go out to dinner with their boyfriends or girlfriends, watch a movie with their best friends or even find a date through letters to The Observer.

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True manhood

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

In response to both Mr. O'Leary ("Day of woman," Feb. 9) and Mr. Mullen ("Be a Man," Feb 8), I agree with many points from each. I do indeed believe "the absence of true manhood is a serious problem in society," and I think we all know at least a few sensitive guys who do indeed get the girl.

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Sexual morality

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

While your article ("Let's talk about sex," Feb. 10), seemed well-meaning, albeit a little preachy, after reading it I felt compelled to respond to your conclusion that couples using contraceptive means are inherently objectifying the act of sex as well as each other. Now I'm only a lowly Computer Science major but I feel five years of Catholic theological education at a Jesuit high school might give me a bit of credibility. At any rate, from what I remember, for the act of sexual intercourse to be legitimate in the Church's eyes it must follow two general guidelines: that it be a mutual act of love between a man and a woman (though others might disagree) and that it must be open to the possibility of conception. Here's where I get to the point; while the use of contraception in effect can make the act of sexual intercourse, illegitimate or even (gasp) sinful, that does not mean that there was not an air of mutual love between the two partners. I don't think a couple that truly loves each other but doesn't have the moral gumption to wait a few years or risk the uncertainty or confusion of "Natural Family Planning" should be as easily decried as objectifying each other as those at a random dorm party or on spring break. As for everything else, this is neither the time nor space to tread the other more tested battlegrounds of Catholic moral theology espoused in your response. Time to remove my cap moral debate and get back to coding and video games.

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You don't have to be straight to shoot straight

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

History was made on December 22, when President Obama signed into law the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) the ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military. While many don't believe in the repeal of DADT at a time when America is at war, their arguments are misguided.

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Potentiality

By The Observer · Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

Consider Socrates: once upon a time, he was fairly ignorant, but as he grew older, he learned a great many things — music among them. An unmusical man, in other words, became a musical man. One might conclude that, by citing these two principles — unmusicality and manhood — one has explained the change.

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Let's talk about sex

By The Observer · Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011

In response to the Feb. 9 Scene Commentary "Sex on TV," I concur with Scene Writer Stephanie DePrez: Yes, let's talk about sex. It seems sex has become the common currency of not only the 30-minute sitcom but also our daily interactions. That which is the greatest mystery has been relegated to purely pleasurable objectification. But, is there anything really mysterious or sacred about sex?

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