The James Logan Courier

By Heather Tirado Gilligan
(MCT)

As Gay Pride Month comes to a close, we need to take stock.

It's difficult to turn critical during an annual pride celebration, especially in this year marked by historic gains like the legalization of gay marriage in California.

But we should pause to acknowledge that the state of the movement is a good news-bad news situation.

By Rod Dreher
The Dallas Morning News (MCT)

The California Supreme Court says gay marriage is a constitutional right. What a gift to Republicans!

You're kidding, right? Republicans are all talk. Conservatives should quit lying to themselves about the culture war. It's over. We've lost.

How? Polls show that most Americans are against gay marriage.

Yes, but not young voters. There's a clearly emerging social consensus in favor of gay marriage.

Maybe conservatives need better arguments.

By Jack Z. Smith
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

Unless America makes some bold moves, the energy world of the future could be even scarier than today's.

The energy picture is scary and depressing, with the U.S. average price for regular gasoline soon expected to top $4 a gallon _ nearly quadruple the level of less than seven years ago. The days of Tod and Buz merrily cruising Route 66 in their fuel-guzzling Corvette appear long gone.

But the long-term energy outlook perhaps is even more frightening for America, the world's biggest energy consumer and largest importer of oil. Here's why:

An Air Force recruiter makes his pitch to a Logan
student. Courier Photo<b>By Jowell Caballero, Courier Staff Writer

Through out the school year you can find a lot of things on campus: good food, overly loud people, couples who just don't understand public decency .and more. All of these things I can handle, but there's one thing that I can't, and that's the ridiculous amount of military recruiters that we have on this campus.

A junior at James Logan, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, "There's just so many of them. At lunch, it feels like they're everywhere you go, bombarding you with this idea that the military is the best thing for everyone."

Sometimes it seems that we have more people here recruiting for the military than we do people recruiting for colleges or trade schools.

By Krystal Henderson, Courier News Editor

Unemployment is at 5.5%; The Dow Jones fell nearly 400 points on Friday; Oil is almost at $150 per barrel and gas is selling for $4.45 a gallon. And, as usual, our President seems only to be concerned about “staying the course” in the Middle East.

Now, I love my country, and there are no people like the American People. I’m pro-democracy and anti-terrorist. Now, however, I cannot find any good reason for our troops to still be occupying Afghanistan and Iraq.

By Rebecca Soltau, Courier Entertainment Editor

Throughout our lives, we’re brought up with summers smelling of freshly cut grass, sweat, sunscreen, sand between our toes and icy blue slushies that stain our tongues on an especially hot day. And always in the background is the comforting buzz over the radio or television of huge crowds gathered together in one of the last spectacles of brotherhood, deep-seated honor, and pride in one’s home and those who represent it.

The resonating and almost all-too familiar rituals of a major league baseball game have always been integral in our American culture.

By Emily Low, Courier Opinion Editor

Perhaps, on a certain Friday, you may have noticed quite a few empty holes in the usually dense population of your classroom. There’s just a person missing here or there, just three, but out of thirty…that’s one tenth. Dimly, you might recall them bringing up slips of paper to be initialed with a quick flourish by the teacher, then a complaint that half the class is disappearing for their lesson. Ah ha. They’re off on a field trip. Lucky blokes.

By Emily Low, Courier Opinion Editor

The earthquake that shook Sichuan, China and the cyclone that swept through Myanmar have made international headlines throughout the past month. Flip on the TV to any news channel, or open a newspaper to the international news section, and you will inevitably hear about the events that have wrecked these devastated areas. With the rising toll of missing and dead, it is no wonder that aid is being offered from many places around the world. Starting on May 27th, students of James Logan High School will become a part of the many to offer aid to those who have suffered these natural disasters.

By Kevin Harper, President, Board of Education
New Haven Unified School District

Tuesday is Election Day, and even though our presidential primary was in March and there is only one state issue on the state ballot, it’s an important election for Union City residents. Measure K, an extension of the public safety parcel tax, is on ballot.

Legally, I can’t ask you to vote for Measure K. But I can point out that even though it is a city measure, its passage would help the New Haven Unified School District in several ways:

● It would provide $1 million for the Union City Police Department to hire five new officers, including School Resource Officers for our middle schools.

By William Mckenzie
The Dallas Morning News (MCT)

Summer.

The best season of the year is upon us.

See, right there, I branded myself.

The marketing executives who run our world talk incessantly about "brands." That's one reason advertisers are so bent on snagging young folks, who don't necessarily have that much money. Marketing gurus want to hook college kids and the young 20s on their "brand," whether it's their soft drink, type of jeans or make of car. Over time, they reason, merchandisers will make money off them.