This week, after a little playful goading, I feel it is time to broach a subject that has become a phenomenon in the political discourse of right-wing America: the ideology of supposed “anti-Americanism.” On Tuesday, a contributor to the Daily Bruin wrote that it was “high time that Matthew Kennard explain why he is in this country when he obviously cannot stand its policies and politics.” I interpreted this and the rest of his letter as saying, “if you have the temerity to criticize the Bush administration and support working people, then you are profoundly anti-American and should leave.” It’s an interesting premise because it displays an attitude that is typical of a set of uniquely ideological neo-conservatives who attempt to define what it is to be American, and posit that any departure from that definition is antithetical to “American values.” In my experience, “anti-American” has been used merely as a lazy pejorative that’s thrown at any foreigner ““ or American for that matter ““ who makes reasonable objections to the Bush administration and its radical agenda. Read more...

At an appearance at Harvard University, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was approached by a student who attacked Zionism. Dr. King’s response? “When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. Read more...

With the student election fast approaching, I’d like to focus on the Promoting Understanding and Learning through Service and Education Referendum ““ a significant part of the ballot for me, of which many are probably unaware. Read more...

Supporting intifada doesn’t support justice Though the college campus functions as a marketplace for ideas, when it comes to Justice for Palestine Week, I’m not buying it. Read more...

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To some of my friends, I am known as the “crazy, loud Asian girl,” while others say that I am “whitewashed” or a “banana” ““ someone who is yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Read more...

I’ve had enough of the walking. I am just sick and tired of it. We Bruins walk everywhere. Our campus, pretty as it may be, is sprawling and expansive. Read more...