Social Issues Archives – The Daily Utah Chronicle

Maxfield: The Porn Crisis No One Is Talking About

By Lynda Maxfield

January 25, 2020

Many states are following Utah’s lead and declaring pornography to be a public health crisis. Certainly, porn consumption is linked to a host of societal breakdowns, including the illegal, wrongful exploitation of adults and many children. Although Utah’s 2016 resolution blames porn for...

Christopherson: Star Wars Doesn’t Deserve Any Credit for Queer Representation

By Nain Christopherson, Opinion Writer

January 15, 2020

If you live in America and have friends, it’s safe to bet that you saw "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" over winter break, regardless of whether you’re a fan of the franchise. Frankly, it was hard to avoid. I got roped into spending a whole $13 to see it in 3D (the regular showing was...

Starr: In-Person Echo Chambers Are Just as Dangerous as Those Online

By Kennedie Starr, Opinion Writer

January 14, 2020

Many believe that online echo chambers are becoming too prevalent. They worry that when people surround themselves with digital content and people who think like them, they result in constantly preaching “opinions to the converted.” It is said that in these echo chambers, people’s beliefs and perspectives become distorted as their vie...

Reese: Homeless Utahns Are Being Ignored

By Isaac Reese, Opinion Writer

January 12, 2020

There is a moral failure across the streets of the United States, as people experiencing homelessness are constantly forced to wander without access to needed resources while being harassed by law enforcement. Homelessness has recently become a heated topic within Salt Lake City, and recent tensions...

Starr: If Utah Was Truly Pro-Family, It Would Ratify the ERA

By Kennedie Starr, Opinion Writer

January 12, 2020

As a state where far too many women endure serious challenges, including a large wage gap and little professional respect, it is critical that Utah ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 2020. While the state’s culture is deeply attached to restrictive gender roles — the set of expectations of h...

Cushman: Utah Fails to Properly Address Sexual Violence

By KC Ellen Cushman, Opinion Writer

December 29, 2019

Following the on-campus death of Lauren McCluskey just over a year ago, there has been an ongoing discussion about making the University of Utah campus safer. Proposed solutions include a new nighttime ride-share program, hiring a chief security officer and securing $1 million of funding for campus s...

Christopherson: Let’s Replace Black Friday with Buy Nothing Day

By Nain Christopherson, Opinion Writer

December 7, 2019

This year, Americans spent more money over one Thanksgiving weekend than they have since Black Friday began. In-store shopping grew 4.2% from 2018, and online spending reached a record high of over $11 billion between Thursday and Friday. Many travelled long distances for big sales, collectively spending much more on clothes, sporting goods an...

Swanson: How to Talk Politics at the Holiday Table

By Gavin Swanson, Opinion Writer

December 3, 2019

As we steel ourselves to go home and interact with family members for the winter holiday season, we know there are three topics that you don’t bring up at the dinner table — money, religion and politics. You love these people and don’t want to ruin the relationship by challenging their lifestyle...

Barron: Herbert’s Compassionate Leadership on Refugees Pushes Back On Hateful Fearmongering

By Morgan Barron, Opinion Writer

December 2, 2019

There are currently 70.8 million refugees worldwide, and this number continues to increase as every day 37,000 people are forcibly displaced by military conflicts, ideological persecution or natural disasters. The United States, which once admitted more refugees each year than all other countries combined, r...

Reese: University of Utah Campus Police Endanger The Students Under Their Protection

By Isaac Reese, Opinion Writer

November 27, 2019

Earlier this month, the Salt Lake Tribune published two stories illuminating the wrongdoings of the incompetent and untrained University of Utah campus police department. These issues come as no shock to many U students, and the murder of Lauren McCluskey following the negligence of campus police will for...