Opinion | Plantation weddings trivialize history of human rights abuse
By Alice Lee, Columnist
December 12, 2019
For engaged couples, the wedding venue location is an extremely important decision to make when planning the event. From a beach to a church, the options seem to be endless. And until recently, plantation weddings were among the most popular venues promoted on major wedding websites. Commonly used webs...
Opinion | Wealth tax will present problems constitutionally and economically
December 12, 2019
As Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders continue to vie over the support of the progressive base of the Democrats for the party nomination, one shared policy proposal stands out as particularly problematic: the Wealth Tax. On the candidates’ websites Warren has referred to her plan as a “Tax...
Opinion | Slow down this holiday season
By Noah Nelson, Senior Columnist
December 12, 2019
It’s that time of year again. Front lawns across the country are decorated with giant blow-up Santa Clauses and plastic reindeer. People are adorning their trees with ornaments and tinsel. Christmas may be one of the greatest holidays of the year, but sometimes it feels too hyped up. Instead of...
Opinion | GOP fights to preserve white America | I
By Andrew Prozorovsky, Senior Columnist
December 12, 2019
In 1976, the white Christian demographic accounted for roughly 81% of the American population. Today, only 43% of America is white and Christian. These findings underscore the rapid diversification the country has experienced in the last half-century. But while demographic shifts are remodeling America...
Opinion | Trump becomes official laughingstock
By Clint Dozier, Columnist
December 11, 2019
President Donald Trump is a laughingstock. You probably already know this if you have been following the events of his presidency with even the slightest degree of concern. In less than four years, Trump has managed to further tear apart our already severely divided society, alienate all of Ameri...
Opinion | Students should learn to be philanthropic
By David Lee, Senior Columnist
December 11, 2019
Democratic primary candidates have highlighted the stagnation of middle-class income as a major talking point. They state the cost of living and inflation have risen faster than real wages. Politicians capitalize on this by introducing their proposed solutions, such as tax code overhauls or student loan forgiveness. These proposals face criticism from Republicans and even from within the party. Balancing financial policy...
Editorial | Mental health counseling at UI requires restructuring
By The Daily Illini Editorial Board
December 10, 2019
The University is home to nearly 34,000 undergraduate students and roughly 10,000 graduate students. As an institution of higher education, it is little more than a stress factory for its inhabitants — the vast majority of whom are between 18 and 22 years old, smack dab in the middle of the age group...
Opinion | There should be more Mount Rushmores
By Noah Nelson, Senior Columnist
December 10, 2019
When summer rolls around each year, many American families embark on road trips to favorite destinations in the U.S. like the Grand Canyon, Washington, D.C. and Disney World. Sound like fun places to visit, right? How does Keystone, South Dakota, sound? You probably have no idea where that town is...
Opinion | This Christmas, try roasting crickets over an open fire
By Neshmia Malik, Columnist
December 10, 2019
Its that time of year: Making gingerbread houses, the smell of peppermint candles and eating roasted chestnuts sounds about right. But what about decorating that gingerbread house with beetles, roasting termites over an open fire and cooking grasshoppers to make your stuffing a little more crunchy? Have...
Opinion | Deadnaming in 2019 endangers transgender community
By Abril Salinas, Columnist
December 9, 2019
Recently, I was hanging out with some friends from back home who kept referring to Caitlyn Jenner by her birth name. Besides being outraged by this, it left me with a question: So, are we just not going to talk about how it’s almost 2020 and we’re still intentionally disrespecting transgender people b...
Opinion | Parents can’t be your scapegoats forever
By Rachel Starcevich, Columnist
December 9, 2019
At one time or another, everyone is guilty of blaming their unethical actions on the way they were raised. When we’re young, the parents of bullies are held accountable for their child’s malicious actions. On the other side of that scenario, parents of the bullied are blamed for allowing the...
Opinion | What it really means to be pro-life
By Ellen Barczak, Senior Columnist
December 9, 2019
I am proud to be pro-life. Being pro-life, contrary to popular belief, means more than being anti-abortion. People are pretty confused when they hear I label myself as a pro-life woman. They say I can’t be a feminist, that I must hate other women, that I must be a crazy-conservative bigot. Pro-life, however, does...
