OUDaily.com | Zac Smith

COLUMN: Voting makes point, lacks effect

November 29, 2011 | 2 comments

Critics of Occupy Wall Street have said the fact that the movement has not run a political candidate indicates it is naïve and not serious. READ MORE

COLUMN: Letter from Obama insults its recipients

November 15, 2011 | 3 comments

President Barack Obama: I read your letter, published on Thursday in The Daily and other student papers, with great interest. READ MORE

COLUMN: Tulsa police falsely justify arrests of protesters

November 8, 2011 | 2 comments

Early in the morning of Nov. 2, 10 members of Occupy Tulsa were arrested at Tulsa’s H.A. Chapman Centennial Green for violating curfew. According to the Tulsa Police Department, 25 officers were dispatched to evict the protesters and were forced to use pepper spray to subdue a number of protesters who actively resisted arrest. READ MORE

COLUMN: Hollywood shows bias for money makers

November 2, 2011 | 0 comments

American cinema is presently characterized by a high volume of remakes, reboots, prequels, sequels and other rehashes of existing material READ MORE

COLUMN: Time is right to join Occupy OKC protests

October 25, 2011 | 3 comments

As tens of thousands of people gather to protest in the financial districts of New York, Chicago and Oakland, a string of smaller and less visible occupations has grown across the American South. Occupy Oklahoma City, the largest Occupy Wall Street solidarity group in the state, has staged an around-the-clock occupation for the past 15 days in Kerr Park. READ MORE

COLUMN: New exhibit to lift Native art clichés

October 18, 2011 | 1 comment

More than any other state, Oklahoma is associated with Native American culture. In spite of this, for many Oklahomans, Native art has been reduced to a string of clichés — Navajo rugs, totem poles, idealized paintings of nature and so forth. READ MORE

COLUMN: New York City protests occupy public consciousness

October 11, 2011 | 1 comment

In 25 short days, the Occupy Wall Street movement has grown from a gathering of a few disgruntled New Yorkers to a national phenomenon. READ MORE

COLUMN: Wall Street brutality legitimizes protesters

September 27, 2011 | 6 comments

Ten days ago, hundreds of people gathered in New York City’s Wall Street district in protest against corporate exploitation. Since then, their numbers have swelled to an estimated 1,200 to 1,500, organizers said. The demonstration has been subjected to police attacks and a blackout by the U.S. journalistic establishment. READ MORE

COLUMN: Superstition blurs facts in new film

September 20, 2011 | 4 comments

St. Augustine once wrote, “Be on guard against giving interpretations of scripture that are far-fetched or opposed to science, and so exposing the word of God to the ridicule of unbelievers.” This is practical advice, and it’s unfortunate that the people who brought “Metamorphosis” to OU have chosen to ignore it. READ MORE

COLUMN: Workers must seize initiative

September 13, 2011 | 4 comments

The average American’s chances of success are not good. He lives in a country of extreme class division, where the richest fifth of the population controls 85 percent of the wealth. CIA data shows that his nation is subject to greater economic inequality than Kenya, Iran or Nigeria. READ MORE

COLUMN: Division between Arab, U.S. workers only breeds oppression

September 9, 2011 | 3 comments

The interests of Arab capitalists are the same as those of American capitalists. The same is true for Arab and American workers. Class, rather than religion, culture or nationality, is the only fundamental divider. READ MORE

COLUMN: Military exhibits cynicism regarding recruits

September 2, 2011 | 3 comments

To the military establishment, the soldier is a tool to be used up and disposed of at minimum expense. It is vital that young people not take the military’s propaganda at face value. READ MORE

COLUMN: Libya is a victim of Western imperialism

August 30, 2011 | 3 comments

What separates Libya from Egypt? The answer is simple: Gadhafi wished to exist independent of U.S. control, while former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak was glad to make Egypt a tool of U.S. power in return for sponsorship. READ MORE

COLUMN: The Greek government has betrayed its people

July 7, 2011 | 1 comment

Inside the Greek Parliament House, it’s business as usual. Outside is a virtual war zone, where riot police clash with citizens under thunderheads of tear gas. READ MORE

COLUMN: Activism gets technology facelift

June 30, 2011 | 1 comment

The past year has seen a dramatic rise in the visibility of legally questionable online political action known as “hacktivism.” READ MORE

COLUMN: President Obama is not a socialist

June 15, 2011 | 3 comments

I am frustrated by constant assertions from politicians, journalists and the public that President Barack Obama is a socialist. Broadly, socialism is a system in which productive assets are owned by the people who use them. For instance, an isolated socialized factory would be managed by the factory workers. Neither control nor profit would be ceded to a non-working capitalist. READ MORE

COLUMN: Anti-immigrant legislation is ineffective

June 1, 2011 | 0 comments

The last few years a wave of anti-immigrant legislation across Southern states has used public anxiety to strip away the rights of whites and Hispanics alike. READ MORE

COLUMN: Oklahoma hero still imprisoned

May 25, 2011 | 3 comments

May 26 marks the anniversary of Bradley Manning’s arrest. Manning, 22, was a soldier suspected of leaking evidence of war crimes by his government. As a result, he was arrested and imprisoned without charges. READ MORE

COLUMN: Clothing store ‘bandits’ stand out as modern-day Robin Hoods

May 18, 2011 | 2 comments

On April 25, a group of about 19 young men entered Washington, D.C., clothing outlet G-Star RAW. They gathered up more than $20,000 worth of clothes and walked back out the door. READ MORE

COLUMN: Autism Speaks promotes hysteria, ignorance

May 5, 2009 | 16 comments

Autism Speaks is the world’s largest and most prominent autism advocacy organization. Contributing to an organization that speaks up for autistic individuals would be wonderful. However, such an organization also would be pretty much the polar opposite of Autism Speaks. READ MORE

COLUMN: Jesus counterpoint misguided

April 30, 2009 | 4 comments

One might think that it would not be too much to ask a reader to go over an article carefully, making sure he or she has understood it, before typing out an incensed, essay-length response. However, it seems this is too great a demand for most OU students. READ MORE

COLUMN: Story of Jesus a ‘pervasive nonsensicality’

April 28, 2009 | 30 comments

Mainstream readings of the Bible and the story of Jesus are a load of bunkum for several reasons. It’s because of this pervasive nonsensicality that I choose to look to other narratives for insight that will help deepen my understanding of life and morality. READ MORE

COLUMN: Legislature’s anti-Dawkins measures assault free speech

April 13, 2009 | 9 comments

Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins delivered a lecture on the illusion of intentional purpose in nature on March 6 at McCasland Field House. Earlier that week, Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada, authored two resolutions apropos of Dawkins’ lecture. READ MORE

COLUMN: Legalize marijuana, save more lives

March 31, 2009 | 2 comments

Two years ago, Mexican President Felipe Calderón declared his intention to shut down Mexico’s drug cartels. The only significant effect this new effort seems to have had is to trigger an eruption of violence. READ MORE

COLUMN: Anti-atheist prejudice widespread in America

March 11, 2009 | 94 comments

Americans find atheists a particularly repugnant minority. According to Gallup, they are more disliked than any other major religious group, with the exception of Scientologists. But what is it about atheists that makes the American public revile them so intensely? READ MORE

COLUMN: Intelligent design lecture an embarrassment

February 24, 2009 | 7 comments

On Friday, the University of Oklahoma hosted a lecture by John G. West, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute. The topic was “Seven Myths About the Darwin Debate.” On Friday, I was embarrassed to be an OU student. Why was this gibberish being delivered in an auditorium of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History? READ MORE

Point-Counterpoint: Who was more influential: Darwin or Lincoln?

February 13, 2009 | 3 comments

Yesterday was the birthday of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. This is the final installment of a week-long argument about who was the more influential man. The columnists respond to each other each day. READ MORE

Point-Counterpoint: Who was more influential: Darwin or Lincoln?

February 12, 2009 | 3 comments

Today is the birthday of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. This is the fourth installment of a week-long argument about who was the more influential man. The columnists respond to each other each day. READ MORE

Point-Counterpoint: Who was more influential: Darwin or Lincoln?

February 11, 2009 | 5 comments

Thursday is the birthday of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. This is the third installment of a week-long argument about who was the more influential man. The columnists will respond to each other each day. READ MORE

Point-Counterpoint: Who was more influential: Darwin or Lincoln?

February 10, 2009 | 4 comments

Thursday is the birthday of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. This is the second installment of a week-long argument about who was the more influential man. The columnists will respond to each other each day. READ MORE

Point-Counterpoint: Who was more influential: Darwin or Lincoln?

February 9, 2009 | 4 comments

Thursday is the birthday of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. This is the first installment of a week-long argument about who was the more influential man. READ MORE

COLUMN: Nixon dollar an afront to American public

January 29, 2009 | 4 comments

In 2005, Congress created the Presidential $1 Coin Program. That Congress should choose to honor Richard Nixon with coins distributed to the public he once terrorized is an insult. READ MORE

COLUMN: Evolution credibility marred by lack of facts

December 8, 2008 | 8 comments

Most people in the United States do not accept the validity of evolution. A study published in 2005 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science surveyed the frequency of acceptance of evolution across the United States, Japan and 32 European nations. READ MORE

COLUMN: Can the Bible justify opposition to homosexuality?

November 3, 2008 | 9 comments

Despite confusion as to what the Bible says about homosexuality, it is clearly addressed in the Bible and is indeed a sin, says one of The Daily's columnists. READ MORE

COLUMN: Better protection from rape, diseases could save inmates lives

October 20, 2008 | 5 comments

Between 1983 and 2003, there were probably more than 1 million prison rapes, according to a report by Congress. READ MORE

COLUMN: State representative's illusions dangerous

October 6, 2008 | 25 comments

For an ordinary citizen like me, drawing hasty and poorly-thought-out conclusions from statistics would be stupid. However, for someone who governs others based on her views, this deficiency in understanding is dangerous. READ MORE

Movie Review: ‘Choke’

October 3, 2008 | 0 comments

Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell) is the ultimate ne’er-do-well: a sex addict who cruises support groups for hook-ups and feigns choking in upscale restaurants in order to be taken under the wings of wealthy strangers whom he can later hit up for cash. READ MORE

Movie Review: ‘Blindness'

October 3, 2008 | 0 comments

While waiting at a stoplight, a man is inexplicably stricken blind. In hours, his mysterious affliction has begun to spread through the populace. READ MORE

COLUMN: Jack the Ripper murders mock desire for absolute knowledge

September 22, 2008 | 2 comments

In the latter half of 1888, five murders took place in London’s impoverished Whitechapel district that sent the world into its very first media-driven serial killer uproar. READ MORE

COLUMN: From Oscar Wilde to David Bowie, glamour brings end to persecution

September 8, 2008 | 1 comment

In 1895, Oscar Wilde, author of “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” was sentenced to two years hard labor for “gross indecency.” “People who can do these things must be dead to all sense of shame,” said the judge before delivering Wilde’s sentence. “It is the worst case I have ever tried.” READ MORE

COLUMN: Fundamentalist doctrine does not belong in schools

August 25, 2008 | 11 comments

In June, Governor Brad Henry vetoed the “Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act,” a piece of legislature authored by Sen. James Williamson and infamous fundamentalist Rep. Sally Kern. If passed, this bill would have, among other things, guaranteed that “students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions.” READ MORE

Articles by Zac Smith