Convenience Stores: Commentary: Why Todd Akin and other men need feminism; Paul Ryan is no Ayn Rand on Social Security; Congress must reform immigration laws that send top STEM graduates to create jobs in China; Why Israel shrugs at Iran's threat of retaliation

Hello Pujangga ,

The best of Monitor commentary this week starts off with writers' counsel to "Think again." It may be the 21st century, but men and women still need feminism, especially after Rep. Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comments. Paul Ryan is not Ayn Rand when it comes to Social Security. And elections aren't just about sound-bite slanders; they educate voters.

In "Degrees of use," one writer praises her 'gloriously useless' liberal arts degree. Another decries the lack of funding for curiosity-based research in the US. And a third says it's time to reform the US immigration policy to allow foreign-born STEM graduates to stay and create jobs in America.

Writers also tackle the questions of "War and peace." Peace is gaining a foothold in the war-torn tribal regions of the Philippines. And Israel isn't worried about retaliation from Iran's "axis of resistance" Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas.

The first editorial in "The Monitor's View" argues that curbing urban violence requires a moral commitment from individuals within those communities. The second observes that negative presidential campaign ads may rally the hard-line base, but fail to engage noncommitted voters. Mitt Romney and President Obama should call a truce.

Send your own views to letters@csmonitor.com. We might use some of your insights in the "Readers Write" section of our weekly print magazine. (We'll let you know if we do.) Regardless, we'd still love to hear from you.

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