Check out more Free-For-All at kansan.com THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN OPINION FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM OUR OPINION PAGE 5A Internet companies must protect users The federal government's geting interested in what you're searching for on the Internet Last week, federal investigators tried to get Internet search records from Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and America Online to combat child pornography. While Microsoft, Yahoo and America Online turned in the information, Google didn't. For refusing, the Justice Department is taking Google to court to try to get its search records. Microsoft, Yahoo and America Online justified record away their records because the records don't have any ties to whoever searched them. No personal information was given with the information. At least not yet. The administration has been cavalier so far in gathering intelligence. Google not surrendering its information lets the government know it'll stand up for the privacy of its users. This is certainly a message the federal government needs to hear from time to time. No matter how you feel about the government's request or other intelligence gathering practices — if no one challenges the government, it will only grow bolder. Critics have challenged President George Bush over Issue: Privacy and the government Stance: We support Google's attempt to protect user privacy. his wiretapping of suspected Al Qaeda operatives' calls to the United States. The criticism forced the administration to defend its actions, as it should do. Bush defended his actions in his speech in Manhattan. This administration, concerned with intelligence about terrorism and pornography, should be working to protect the country from both threats. But if no one takes the time to look at what the government is doing or to stand up and says no to a request, there is no incentive for the government to consider what it's doing. Google's concerns about privacy and free speech are warranted, and so are the government's concerns about terrorism and child pornography. If Google had acted as its rivals Microsoft, Yahoo and American Online did, who would be questioning the government's request? — John Jordan for the editorial board Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. Free All for Call 864-0500 because I don't want to walk home after my night class all alone in the dark, and nobody answered the phone. Maybe that's why nobody uses the service. I just gave her my shadow and my roommate wears colored contacts that don't even match. Haha! So you know how there was that article the other day about how nobody uses the Jaywalt program and it's a waste of money? Well I just tried to call them All right, so Bush cut $71 million that would have gone to repair New Orleans' levees, and then we have a big crisis and a giant flood. Then he deregulates mines, and we have mine after mine start collapsing and people dying. How many catastrophes do we have to have before people start noticing the common thread? My boyfriend just told me that he wasn't hungry, but then he ate my sandwich. Foiled again! So I'm pulling into Yellow Lot #61C and I peeked into someone's car and there is definitely a dog wich. Folle in the car, windows rolled up, door shut. I'm pretty sure that's animal cruelty. Whoever's dog that is, go get your dog and give it to Phil, Kara and I decided we still liked the bottom bunk better so we had sex on your bed again. Sorry. I need to know, what's the plural of oasis? Is it oasis, oasises, or oasii? I need to know! (Editor's note: Oases) + Whoever left a leopard print CD wallet at 20th Terrace and Clifton should probably come get it, because Chuck Norris says you should or something. I don't know, whatever you need to print this. Is it just me or does Julian Wright look exactly like Kramer? Uh, yeah, it's a senior here at KU. I can basically tell you that High-tower is basically the worst referee in the Big 12, so take that for what it's worth The Orange Iguanas were the absolute best team to compete in the Legend of the Hidden COMMENTARY Temple Way to beat A&M away boys. If we can do that, we can definitely beat those effing Wildcats at Allen Fieldhouse West. Oh my god there's a rhinoceros living in the bathroom! Fire and brimstone alienates mainstream American public Ten Commandments seem like such a small number of things that God would tell us not to do. Don't kill anyone. Okay, cool, we can deal with that, seems pretty straightforward. Don't covet your neighbor's donkey. No problem there, I get mine wholesale and the quality tends to be pretty good. Then, from what I understand, there are eight others. MARK VIERTHALER opinion@kansan.com Now, by no means am I a theological scholar, but to the best of my knowledge there isn't a "Thou shall not be homosexual" command. Same with "Thou shall not be a Jewish leader looking for peace in your country." And, I may be reaching with this one, but "Thou shall not have dissent within a democracy," doesn't pop up anywhere that I know of. But, then again I could be wrong; I kind of glossed over Exodus. was simply doing his heavenly duty by turning Ariel Sharon into a vegetable. After all, how dare a Jew give away a piece of land that was causing incomprehensible blood-shed? The balls on that guy. Kelli Sparks/KANSAN According to the news the past several years, especially within the last few months, it has come to my attention that we got short-changed somewhere along the line with what God does and doesn't want us to do. shed. The Cats on that gay The New York Times recently reported that New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagin is jumping on the "holy wrath" bandwagon. God is pissed, and by all accounts he doesn't seem to be taking it any more. Consider: Jerry Falwell helpfully informed us 9/11 was God's version of a kick in the nuts because of gays and their "unholy" ways. Pat Robertson, good friend of God and national crazy person, let us in on the fact that God Surely God is mad at America," quoth Nagin in his semi-infamous Martin Luther King Day speech. "He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country." The true question is what is more offensive: The fact that incredible amounts of pain and suffering on thousands of people can be so easily pigeon holed as, "Well, you brought it upon yourselves," or that a public leader is using the celebration of a civil rights icon to chide a nation. Allowed, all of these men are entitled to their opinions. The already much-maligned Nagin has not done himself a favor by throwing himself in with the likes of Falwell and Robertson. After catching flak for his handling of the hurricane situation, you would think the man would be walking on eggshells. That doesn't seem to be the case, however, with his apparent willingness to join the "creepy religious guy" club. What's more frightening is that someone who isn't known for insane ramblings is so quick to point to divine intervention. This little shot off at the mouth (which caught little attention, because of his vaguely racist comments elsewhere in the speech) is indicative of the swing to the religious right this country has been making bit by bit. When our own government officials are taking us back to the hellfire and brimstone days, we're in danger of alienating a large cross-section of the population that isn't completely insane. Obviously Mr. Nagin feels that God was upset about something, and he has every right to feel that way. He shouldn't have belittled the victims of New Orleans by saying the death and destruction could have been prevented if we hadn't rubbed a certain deity the wrong way. It seems to be a tad disingenuous. We expect that from the nut jobs, not from the mayor of one of the most famous cities in the United States. Granted, Nagin did apologize for his comments, but anymore that's become standard procedure for politician screw-ups. It's high time to stop attributing all the pain and destruction in the world on the fact that America is a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. Then again, if Nagin, Robertson and Falwell are right, it's time we start stocking up on duct tape and plastic tarp. Vierthaler is a Dodge City junior in journalism. COMMENTARY University should put best foot backward The next time you see a person walking backward on campus, take a good, long stare at him or her. Unless it is just some random person walking backward (which is not out of the question on this campus) then it is most likely a KU Ambasador giving another fun- and fact-filled tour of our beautiful campus to some wide-eyed high school seniors and their parents. In fact, chances are that many of you reading this right now went on one or more of these tours yourself before deciding to come to the University of Kansas. Carnegie Research, in a 2004 survey conducted for the University, found that campus tours were one of the most influential factors for incoming students. They ranked number one above athletics and everything else. It is scary to find out how much sway KU Ambassadors hold on incoming students, especially when you consider that KU Ambassadors will take just about anybody. I used to be a KU Ambassador. That's right. Once a week I would lead a pack of high school seniors and their folks around campus all the while telling these prospective stu- How do I know? Concerned Parent: "Is drinking a big problem at KU?" Me:"Right over there is an elm tree. We have over 17,000 trees on campus, including five gingko!" Patrick Ross, associate opinion editor 864-4924 or. prosx@kansan.com So I went to the interview where I was grilled with tough questions like "Can you walk backwards?" and (no lie) "Do you have a pair of walking shoes?" I passed with flying colors, and in no time I was getting lost with packs of students in Strong Hall. The process involved to be a KU Ambassador should be much stricter and more rigid. I gave one tour with a fellow KU Ambassador who just happened to be in a sorority and who — although the tour consisted of two men and one woman, who said she was indifferent to the Greek system just happened to mention her sorority and how you should join a sorority approximately 4,000 times. By the end of the tour I was convinced to join a sorority. Meanwhile I smiled and attempted to answer the parents' questions as truthfully as I could. Which usually wasn't very truthfully at all. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't lie on purpose. I would just try to keep everything positive and Grated, which sometimes meant avoiding parents' questions all together. Exchanges during my tours would often sound something like this: Concerned Parent: "Why do you keep avoiding our questions?" dors are hard-working students who really, really (read: scarily) care about the University. The problem is that if these tours are so influential all it takes is one bad apple for the University to lose a National Merit Scholar or an honors student. KU Ambassadors shouldn't be a recruiting program for the greeks, and it shouldn't accept people who join out of spite, like me. A way to fix this would be to start paying the KU Ambassadors who are currently volunteers. By paying Ambassadors, the University could make it a real job and therefore have much stricter rules. Rules that include "no kilts." - Morris is an Overland Parkw junior in journalism. TALK TO US I was in the minority though. Most KU Ambassa- What really happened was that these young students (at least the ones on my tour) seemed to pay about as much attention to me as you would a hippie on Wescoe while their parents stared at me suspiciously, like I was an unsolicited door-to-door insurance salesman. Jonathan Kealing, editor 864-4854 or kealing@kansan.com Me:"Stauffer-Flint has been hit by lightning more than seven times." Or at least that was the idea. Joshua Bickel, managing editor 864-4854 or jbickel@kansan.com The only reason I joined was out of spite. A fellow (whom I shall not name, except to say that he wears a kilt) in my old scholarship hall was bragging one day about being accepted to KU Ambassadors. While he made it sound like a big deal I said out loud that they would take anybody. So we made a bet: We would find the most shallow, drugged, unqualified person possible, a.k.a. me, and see if they would accept me. Nate Kaini managering editor 884-4554 or nkaini@kanean.com Jason Bhead, opinion editor 884-4924 or ishaed@kanean.com 864-4924 or press@kansen.com Arl Ben, business manager 864-4462 or addirector@kansen.com Sarah Connelly, sales manager 864-7563 or addetect@kansen.com Malcolm Gibson, general manager, news adviser 864-7658 or mgibson@kansen.com dents interesting tidbits about the University and how real college students lived. Concerned Parent: "Let's get out of here." Of course I'm exaggerating. Stauffer-Flint has only been hit by lighting five times but still, you get an idea of how a typical tour might go for me. I was terrible at giving tours so I eventually quit. I should have never been a KU Ambassador in the first place. Me: "Wat! Could I interest you in some life insurance?" Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser 864-7886 or jweaver@kansan.com GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES **Maximum Length:** 500 word limit **Include:** Author's name; class, home- town (student); position (faculty member/ staff); phone number (will not be published) Also: The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack a reporter or another columnist. EDITORIAL BOARD Jonathan Kealing, Joshua Bickel, Nate Karlin Jason Shaad, Patrick Rose, Ty Beaver, John Jordan, Malinda Beaufort SUBMISSIONS SUBMIT TO 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall 1435 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, KS 68045 (785) 864-4810, oplinon@kansan.com The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Jason Shaad or Patrick Ross at 864-4810 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com. General questions should be directed to the editor at editor @kansan.com. 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