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It seems any ends really do justify the means in the United States.
If you’ve been pay-ing attention to the news, you might know the National Security Agency (NSA) has been electronically spying on the Ameri-can public since 2001.
Emails, text mes-sages, phone calls and social media posts are fair game, all in the ef-forts of protecting us from terrorist attacks. This story was leaked by former NSA contrac-tor Edward Snowden in summer 2013.
According to a recent article by The Guard-ian, newly leaked NSA memos revealed the agency tapped the cell phones of over 35 world leaders, includ-ing officials from Rus-sia, Mexico, Brazil, France and Germany.
It’s almost more comical than frighten-ing watching this scan-dal unfold … again. We are told it is in our best interests to spy on world leaders and the American public. If you follow the White House’s rhetoric, it’s
for our own good, and we’re simply too naïve to understand.
But is it really neces-sary to our security to bug German Chancel-lor Angela Merkel’s cell phone? Are we expecting to hear her communicating with terrorists or conspiring against America?
If America’s cred-ibility wasn’t already undermined by the botched Iraq war, this will certainly add to that impression.
On the other end of the spectrum, I’m sure these countries simi-larly spy on us. The difference is our spy-ing efforts are out in the open and everyone is free to point the fin-ger at the U.S.
I want our govern-ment to protect us from danger and terrorism
abroad, but I feel un-comfortable with the idea of collecting pri-vate citizens’ electron-ic data and making a permanent or tempo-rary record of it.
The sad thing is I don’t think anything has changed in our country since the NSA revelations. America has become compla-cent with bureaucrats dictating their lives and telling them what is best for them.
There hasn’t been a movement to reclaim our privacy or limit the NSA’s surveillance, and judging by Amer-ica’s apathy, there won’t be one.
Our elected offi-cials won’t make any amends, having long since moved on to the next scandal (the Obam-aCare website).
In August 2013, Pres-ident Barack Obama promised major re-forms to the NSA, but I haven’t heard any public solutions since then.
I have the eerie feel-ing once the headlines die down, it will be back to business in the NSA and in D.C.
Nov. 11 - 24, 2013www.lcc.edu/lookout
— Staff Editorial —
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OPINION14
Sarah Spohn Jeremy KohnSuzanna Powers
[email protected]@mail.lcc.edu [email protected]@[email protected]@mail.lcc.eduAssociate Editor Paginator Staff Writer
Nikki Nicolaou
Photo Editor
Jamie Bozack
[email protected] & E Editor
Larry Hook
Lurah Peterson
[email protected] Manager
“I made a rapabout cats.“
“I can bend my finger back all the way.”
Richard Schenck
Editor in Chief
“I play theukulele.”
Sports Editor
Nathan Wilson
“Makingdinosaur noises.“
“I am the claw machine queen.”
“I can makeballoon animals.”
“I’m a soccer goalkeeper.”
“Can name all 44 presi-dents in 12 seconds.”
“Diagnosing medical ailments.”
thelookoutLansing Community College’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1959
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U.S. credibility slides downhill over NSAParking suffers for
student/employeesParking has always been a
concern for students, employees and faculty alike at the begin-ning of the semesters, but usu-ally it settles down.
For the many student/employ-ees on LCC’s Main Campus, the parking situation hasn’t gotten any easier as we head into the month of November. Some of us at The Lookout have noticed that student/employee Parking Lot I has been packed full every day throughout the semester.
If you don’t show up early enough, you’re left stranded and searching for a parking space.
Keep in mind, Lot I only has 65 parking spaces. How is that sup-posed to accommodate an entire campus of student/employees?
The Lookout staff would like to see Lot I expanded or another student/employee parking lot created nearby.
We understand there are plen-ty of other parking lots around campus, but student/employees will not pay at the Lot I rate of 10 cents per hour if they park else-where, especially in the Gannon Ramp.
The Gannon Ramp no longer accepts StarCards, which would force student/employees to pay
$1 per hour at the pay-by-space meters.
Since the inception of the new pay-by-space parking system, The Lookout staff has heard many students complain about the glitches in the meters. It would simplify this mess if paying for parking wasn’t even an issue.
During the Oct. 16 Student Ad-visory Committee to the Presi-dent meeting, LCC President Brent Knight said he wishes he didn’t have to charge students to park on campus.
However, LCC Director of Public Affairs Ellen Jones con-firmed the Gannon Ramp re-quires regular maintenance, which must be paid for, and therefore the parking fees are necessary.
LCC can still take a number of measures to make it easier for stu-dent/employees to find parking.
Another solution is to code student/employees’ StarCards to work at the same discount-ed rate in other parking lots throughout campus.
Whatever course of action LCC officials take, we hope they do something rather than noth-ing to remedy the student em-ployee parking situation.
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ATTENTION LCC STUDENTS!Now hiring students to raise money for Public TV and the Arts. Evening and weekend hours. Earn $8-$12 per hour. Call 517-332-1501 today for an interview!
THE UNDYING GODThis is the first published book from Nathan Wilson, editor of The Lookout. It is a fantasy novel about the dangers of radical ideology. Preview book at nrwil-son.com or call 517-896-9504 to purchase a copy at $8.
PLACE YOUR AD HEREAdvertising in The Lookout’s clas-sified section is inexpensive and effective. Cost is just $8.50 for 20 words or less. Call 483-1295.
NASCAR MEMORABILIATwo brand new Dale Earnhardt Jr. hats, $7 each. Ten commemo-rative miniature racecars from the Michigan International Speed-ways from 2005 to 2009, all brand new and in box, $5 each. Buy both hats and all the cars for $45! Call 517-483-1291.
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