THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN OPINION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2005 WWW.KANSAN.COM PAGE 5A ▼ ARM AND HAMMER Unprepared mothers should have choice I have many reasons for being pro-choice, and none of these reasons have anything to do with me wanting to kill babies. I find it tragic that many lives are not lived because of abortions. What's even sadder to me is, with 6.3 billion people in the world, "over one billion people do not have access to clean water [and that] every 15 seconds, a child dies from a disease associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene," according to WaterAid. As population increases, so does the number of people without access to a decency of living. I am not pro-abortion, I am pro-choice. I wish that abortions were simply unheard of, DAVID ARMSTRONG opinion@kansan.com along with poverty and abuse of power. supplies have doubled in the last 40 years." This statement needs to be examined more closely. The Human Development Index, created by the UN, measures the "average achievement in three basic dimensions of human development, a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living," so it makes sense that Norwegians are ranked as having the best quality of life, while the life of a Nigerian is least favorable, because Norwegians have better healthcare, better access to education and most don't live in poverty. Despite the fact that "food supplies have doubled in the last 40 years," there are still 800 million people suffering from chronic hunger, according to Oxfam America. With so many people suffering in the world, the abortion in America issue seems to go beyond Roe v. Wade. It is impossible to know exactly how many abortions were performed from 1967 to 1973 in the United States when abortions were illegal, because people who commit crimes usually don't report them. If the United States outlawse abortion, and, as a result, fewer abortions are attempted in the United States, it will not help the unsafe abortions performed on more than 19 million women globally each year. The World Health Organization also states that "68,000 women die from complications of unsafe abortion each year all in developing countries." I'm using worldwide statistics to justify why abortion should remain legal in the United States, because I believe in the advancement of a global society, not just of the United States or any other nation. Dennis concludes, "We can only hope, as this (abortion-rights) movement continues to crumble, that mankind will forgo such narrow-mindedness, embracing a more enlightened view." Dennis and I are probably similar people who just happen to see a different way to solve the same problem. That is unless he isn't concerned with the true quality of life for the children of the future. Dennis seems to want every conceived baby to have a chance to live. I want every conceived baby to have a chance to live, but only if those babies are going to be taken care of and have a chance to a decent life. If abortion is outlawed, there will be an increase in the number of unwanted, uncared-for babies who will grow up to have unwanted, uncared for babies. Call it mass murder, but I see population control as the cure to all different sorts of social problems, not the disease. Free All for - Armstrong is an Overland Park senior in anthropology. Call 864-0500 Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to emit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. Instant message the Free for All at "ukdfreeforall.lm" If you can see Chuck Norris, then Chuck Norris can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris, then you may be seconds away from death. Chuck Norris once decided to market his urine as a soft drink. We now know this drink as Red Bull. Using facebook.com photo albums is like a whole new kind of crack! To the red-headed cashier at Mrs. Es. You are beautiful. Will you marry me? If anyone ever wondered why Kansas is the laughing stock of the scientific world, just read the Monday's opinion page. nis is for Dustin Elliott, maybe you should try to do some legitimate research, instead of just jumbling a bunch of misconstrued facts and trying to present it as an actual article. I was at the cafeteria and I distinctly asked for an apple, but the guy gave me a banana. Do you think he was coming on to me? + + I just wanted to tell Hy-Vee night shift Megan that I love you, and I hope you don't have a boyfriend. To Damaged Circus, to the Free for All, to the Kansas, to the campus of the University of Kansas, and to the rest of civilization: Everyone needs to know that masturbate is spelled with a "u!" So, it's my opinion that pickles should take lessons from corndogs on how to be delicious. Hey, Jonathon, we're still waiting for that sandwich. So, the United States has secret prisons in Eastern Europe. Can someone please tell me how this qualifies as liberating Iraq? MICHELLE MY BELLE Hi, this is the original voice of the Free for All. In response to the comment left on the online Free for All, I'm not the worst journalism student ever, and I've been gone for four years. I don't know why they haven't changed it, but it's an honor to still be on there. + The only reason you had rec So, the paper says the best place to get fresh meat is Hy-Vee. I'd have said it was The Hawk. + Where were the lovely tennis boys today? My walk to my car was less than satisfactory. Take a chance and turn off your television Students, I challenge every one of you not to "throw away your television" as Anthony Keidis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, would recommend, or even to kill your television. Let me elaborate. People would like to think that they are their own person. Instead I challenge you to put your television in a coma for a week or two. Where does such a rash challenge come from? Well, a little of it comes from my own experience, encounters with authors like Bradbury and Orwell, and a little from various facts and social psychological education. To a certain extent this is true. Some students on this campus may think they have a good sense of self, while others are out to discover their own identity. Wherever you are in your own personal development, take this into consideration. Human beings are always developing a sense of self. How do we determine if we are fat, thin, ugly, attractive, friendly, mean, kind or cold? Our sense of self may come from religion, spirituality, friendships, family, etc. Whatever it is, this sense of self comes from social comparison Think about it. MICHELLE GOODRICK opinion@kansan.com I would argue that using the apparent perfection that is found in such mediums as a standard of comparison is bound to wear on anyone's self esteem. After all, can we really compete with a perfectly air-brushed model, void of cellulite? Sadly, our society's obsession with perfection makes even the most "imperfect" being appear perfect. based upon comparisons by another individual or to another individual. I know this reality is something that our individualistic society would like to ignore or discredit, but, time after time, and study after study proves the importance of social comparison to identity of the self. Therefore, if the sense of self, and as a result our self-esteem, is built upon comparisons to those things that are around us, what kind of effect does television have upon the individual? What further affects do things such as fashion magazines, video games and music have upon us? Their hair is perfect, their teeth are perfect, their bodies are perfect, their clothes are perfect and their speech and turns of phrase are perfect. All of these archetypes are With all of these factors, it seems that even their lives are perfect. Sadly, many people get sucked into thinking that the mockery of reality found in television perfection is somehow attainable. This can be discouraging when one realizes it's not. With all this in mind, I can't help but feel that an individual would be greatly helped in "making the walls stop talking." For all of you who don't recognize this line, I suggest reading "Fahrenheit 451," and then when you're done, don't turn on any music, don't turn on the television. Sit down somewhere quiet and think. Reflect and focus upon your own life instead of upon some superfluous plot line with false characters and false realities. At the end of the challenge, whatever length that may be, reflect upon what you did with your time and how you feel and view things. I cannot guarantee some kind of life epiphany, but I think you will find some part of you has changed. ♦ Goodrick is a Meridan senior in Spanish and psychology TALK TO US Matthew Sevok, opinion editor 864-4924 or msevcik@kansan.com Sarah Connelly, business manager 864-4014 or adddirector@kansan.com Austin Caster, editor 864-4854 or acaster@kansan.com Joshua Bickel, managing editor 864-4854 or jbicket@kansan.com Jonathan Kealing, managing editor 864-4854 or jkealing@kansan.com John Morgan, sales director 864-442 or adductor@kansan.com SUBMISSIONS Malcimgo Gibson advisor @ mcalcimgo or keman@kman.com or mgbian@kman.com Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing advisor 854 7664 or jweaver@kansan.com administrator 864-7666 or jweaver@kansan.com General questions should be directed to the editor at editor @ 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 Austin Caster at 864-4810 or e-mail opinion@kansan. com. LETTER GUIDELINES GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES Maximum Length: 200 word limit Include: Author's name and telephone number; class, hometown (student); position (faculty member); phone number (will not be published) Maximum Length: 650 word limit Include: Author's name; class, home- town (student); position (faculty member); phone number (will not be published) Also: The Kansas will not print guess columns that attack another columnist. EDITORIAL BOARD Elis Ford, Yanting Wang, Joel Simone, Dan Hovt, Anne Waltmer, Julie Palline, Nathan McGinnia, Josh Goeting, Sara Garlick, Travis Brown, Julian Portillo, David Archer SUBMIT TO Kansan newsroom 111 Stauffer Flint Hall 1435 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, KS 60045 (785) 864-4810 opinion@kansan.com The Short Stack Editor's note: The Short Stack is a new opinion page feature in which we publish less lengthy comments and letters to the editor. If you have something to say, but aren't drunk enough to call the Free for All and don't like to write long, lofty essays, then e-mail The Short Stack at opinion@kansan.com. John Stowell Kansas City, KS Soukup misunderstands rights of our minds and labor. Free will gives us control and responsibility over our actions, and this gives us ownership over the product Andrew Soukup fails to understand the nature of rights. Someone need not believe in God to believe man has rights. Rights stem from our free will, be it from God or nature. This ownership leads to property rights, and from property rights, other rights are derived. (One must own one's self to have free thought and faith, and one must own or have permission to use land on which to freely speak, print, worship, assemble, etc.) Rights hold no meaning if we refuse to uphold the rights of others, so we agree to uphold the rights of others if they uphold ours. Rights are respected out of self interest. God need not play a role for one to recognize one's self interest in upholding rights. Gay rights need to be viewed as equal I would like to personally address all of those people who are bound to speak up and complain about why "the gays" are up in arms yet again, writing in letters and making stupid comments on the Free For All about why we should "quit complaining" and just "shut up." The reason we are offended, and I know I was after reading the Oct. 27 article and the irresponsible defense offered by James Foley, is because people are yet again making a big deal out of something that simply is not. Disclosing the fact that we are gay is not a big deal and 4 if you feel that it is, then you should inquire about sexual orientation during the interview, as any good journalist would do. James Foley offered up the flimsy argument that he personally knew the couple and didn't see a problem. Judging by the couple's response, he should have been perfectly aware that his article was going to offend them. Taking the personal, intimate bond that two people share and lowering it to the mere level of friendship is extremely hurtful. We have to work twice as hard just to achieve and obtain benefits that straight couples get. When people fail to even recognize something simple as our coupling status, another blow is dealt in our battle to be recognized equally in society. People who just happen to possess the immutable characteristic of homosexuality should not be treated differently from those who just happen to be heterosexual. We don't ask for special rights but merely equal rights, the rights that we not only deserve but are entitled to. Derek Moore is an Emporia senior in political science Opinion on flu epidemic not 'sound' The Nov. 4th editorial by Nathan McGinnis concerning the editorial board's opinions about media coverage of a possible global flu pandemic is ill-informed. It reflects little scientific understanding, and it ignores the world's flu history. A Nov. 2nd article in the Kansas City Star pointed out that the deadly 1918 bird flu pandemic likely originated right here in Kansas, long before Mr. McGinnis, I encour- jet travel made it possible for diseased individuals to distribute themselves globally in a matter of hours. If the flu threat is as farfetched as the board believes it is, then why did the World Health Organization suggest this week that a deadly new human flu pandemic was inevitable, with a projected minimum cost of $800 billion? age you to read more rigorously in the areas of biology, medicine, and history before coming to firm conclusions about this critically important human health issue. Sound opinion is based upon sound knowledge; so, too, should be responsible journalism. ♦ Val H. Smith Ecology and evolutionary biology professor. ---