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Opinion
Friday, November 12, 1999
Dream machine found in SUV form
The Excursion brings unlimited benefits to suburbia
have found the machine of my dreams. It's the recently introduced Ford Excursion, the LARGEST SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLE IN THE WORLD. It's truly Brodhinmegian:
longer, wider and taller than any other truck on the market, dwarfing even Chevy's Suburban.
Other SUVs may "blaze" through the woods, "rove" over hills or "explore" the wilds of suburbia, but the Excursion's name says it all: each trip in this vehicle is an event — an excursion. A drive to the supermarket requires as much gas as a coast-to-coast road trip in a Geo Metro, and the Excursion's girth suggests that a small crew of attendants with glow-in-the-dark wands would be necessary to squeeze it into a typical parking space. But that's a small price to pay for the thrill of driving a vehicle that, if only it were produced 150 years ago, surely would have kept the colonies in Africa and Latin America in European possession and properly subjugated.
To haul the Excursion around, tremendous force obviously is needed. This is delivered by a huge 7.3 liter engine with a hold back yet — 10 cylinders, a fact
that just shouts to be illustrated with numerous sporty "V-10" body decals. To get an idea of how big this engine is, you can compare it to the engine in my roommate's shiny, black Honda Civic coupe. My roommate is a great guy, but his engine is less than one-sixth the size of the Excursion's. I don't mean to embarrass him, of course.
Like my roommate.
McMaster columnist
coinion@kansan.com
Like my roommate,
I'm just a young bachelor, and I'm comforted by the fact that the Excursion would make a superb family car. There's
room for at least eight in the cabin enough space for numerous unplanned pregnancies. And the Excursion's owner can rest assured that no m
assured that no matter how obese his
children become, they will all fit in back without discomfort or embarrassment. There's plenty of space behind the back row of seats, so why not bring along the family dog, or perhaps a horse? If an entrepreneur decided to house a puppy mill in the back of an Excursion (which is abusive to animals and I do not endorse), according to EPA cargo volume estimates, there would be room for 54 Rottweillers, 76 Dalmations or 180 Chihuahuaes, 16 tightly packed in.
The experience of driving an Excursion
the driver's seat of the Excursion, the powerless middle manager becomes Zeus, choosing the destinies of those on the streets below with the ability to sacrifice an entire family in a subcompact car with a single twist of the wheel.
A writer for this newspaper once asked, "What is the nature of the complex entity called human? What, if anything, will make us happy or content in this turbulent world?" His suggestion was that we follow the words of pop singer and poetess
pounds?
weighs more than 7,000
Power and fulfillment come with a steep cost — about $40,000 — but that's a small price of admission for the good life. Like Mama in *A Raisin in the Sun*, I bide my time and wait with my plant until I can afford a new Ford Excursion.
McMaster is a Wichita senior in journalism, political science and humanities.
Editorials
Mistake made by Bush not a real indicator of foreign policy ability
if Texas Republican Gov. George W. Bush were receiving a grade for his presidential campaign, some in the public would give him an "F" in foreign policy. Political reporter Andy Hiller sat down with Bush last week to conduct an interview and surprised the candidate with a foreign policy pop quiz. Bush is scheduled to present his foreign policy platform in two weeks, but when asked if he could name the leaders of Chechnya, Taiwan, India and Pakistan — all of which have been prominent in recent news — Bush could only name one.
Bush's lack of knowledge in foreign policy may have triggered a bit of doubt in some voters about his ability to be a sufficient leader. Several Democrats seized the opportunity to point out how inexperienced he was in this area, making him a risky choice for president.
Bush's campaign representative Karen Hughes commented on the unfairness of the questioning,
It's more important to know a leader's philosophy than his or her memorization skills
policy.
because Hiller had not used the same tactic before on other candidates this year. Fairness is not really the point. Even if the pop quiz surprised the GOP front-runner and his followers, the embarrassment should be short lived. While it would have been preferable for Bush to know the answers, it ultimately is not a true indicator of his ability to make decisions on foreign policy.
Michigan Republican Gov. John Engler said that Bush's inadequacy to come up with the answers will have absolutely zero impact on Michigan voters. Engler also commented that most Americans will focus more on Bush's plans for his potential time in office and the philosophy he will lay out for foreign
The simple fact is that foreign policy is complex and broad. What are more important are the underlying principles a leader will use to make the big decisions when he or she is presented with the facts and specific situations. This is why we have the State Department, foreign policy advisers and military intelligence, just to name a few. There's a whole world out there in which the United States has interests, whether political or economic.
As the election season goes on, Bush's face will return to its normal color, and he will articulate for what he stands and what he believes. Witnessing a flub of a presidential candidate is nothing new to Americans, and voters looking at Bush's leadership abilities will understand that this event is not significant enough to flunk him out of the election.
Tabatha Beerbower for the editorial board
Spring Break not just for fun, frolic
This coming spring break, students from the University of Kansas will travel to different parts of the country ranging from New York to Florida to Texas. While many will head to places where they can lie on the beach and drink, others will be taking part in KU's Alternative Spring Break. The exceptional aspect of these students' trips is that they are going to their destinations to serve people.
We praise those already involved in the program and encourage others to follow their lead. Alternative Spring Break is one of the most admirable moments of the student body.
The program will be held at 14 sites, including the ones mentioned above. Each site will focus on one or more of
Giving up a little free time is good for others — and you
five themes of service. Those themes are education, hunger and homelessness, different cultures (working on a Native American reservation, for example), conservation and health care. Students will be working to improve problems that relate to these themes.
By engaging in this volunteer work, students will become immersed in the lives of people they otherwise would not have encountered. For a week, the struggles, hardships and triumphs of others will be their own. They also will
have an opportunity to get to know fellow students. In the past, this program has been referred to as a life changing experience.
Alternative Spring Break has grown each of last few years and is expected to be even bigger this year. While many already have signed up, there is room for 140 students. Applications, due November 15, are available in the Center for Community Outreach office in room 426 of the Kansas Union.
If you are accepted to the program, you will need to enroll in a class, HDFL 606, which will meet from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Students can take the class for zero, one or two hours of credit, with each hour requiring slightly more work.
Erik Goodman for the editorial board
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More federal funding should go to education
Aaron
Major
columnist
opinion@kansan.com
I am not sure what gets me more frustrated: the recent slashing of public funding for higher education or the way in which people seem to acquiesce to these developments and look toward the "benevolence" of private enterprise as our fiscal salvation.
Unfortunately there has been little debate or discussion on this issue. The press reports that funding for education is getting cut and then someone is inevitably quoted as saying that now, more than ever, we need to get those corporate contracts, and the story ends there.
This is not now it has to be. Rather than running to corporate America for educational dollars, and thus further privatizing public
education, we need to turn our focus back to the public sector and demand increased funding from the federal government.
First, since the business community is probably the greatest beneficiary of education, it needs to do its fair share in contributing to the
Now you're thinking one of two things — or maybe you're thinking both. First you're thinking "nice dream, but where does this money come from?" Well, here are some thoughts.
federal coffers. This means re-instituting a progressive income tax not only on individual wealth, but also on corporate profits.
Large corporations have gotten away with exploiting workers and raping the environment for so many years without paying much, if any, in the form of taxes, that it is time that they begin to repay the society from which they have taken so much. (If you like to think that corporations and the rich do pay a high proportion of total taxes, I suggest reading Bartlett and Steele's America: Who Really Pays the Taxes?)
Second, and this is related to the first one, we need to end corporate welfare. Corporations receive federal subsidies, massive tax breaks, and non-monetary "gifts," such as ridiculously
cheap land, that far exceed the amount of money spent on welfare for the citizenry — like Medicare, welfare and so on.
Now, no one talks about this corporate welfare much. Why? Because our moderate to right-wing politicians, essentially all of them, would have a hard time moralizing against the poor and lauding the virtues of free enterprise and competition if they acknowledge that it is the rich who are being propped up the most by federal tax dollars. But it is done, and the money is spent, and so it needs to be redirected to federal programs, such as public education, that benefit the people directly.
Third, we could stand to slash our military budget by, oh, let's say more than $200 billion. We outspend what the rest of the industrialized world combined spends on the military. Enough is enough. Hundreds of millions for the 90s version of the star wars system, millions for jet fighters that the Pentagon doesn't even want, and so on.
The point is that the money does exist, which brings me back to what I said earlier that you could be thinking two things. Well here's the second one. You could also be thinking that taxes are bad, and it's the right of the rich to have all that money, and privately funded education is better, and so on.
The public sector is the only place where our limited form of democracy can be exercised. It is only as a tax payer that you have a voice, and as more and more of our public institutions fall under the influence of corporate and private funds, we increasingly lose our voice.
You don't get to vote for the CEO of Coke, but you do get to vote for Congress and the president. We need to put the funding of our schools back into the public arena where the needs of the people are supposed to take precedent, instead of giving them over to the corporate sector, where the need for profit rules.
Major is a Deerfield, N.H., senior in sociology and American studies.
Feedback
Abused not weak
Thank you to Jen Barlow for her compelling column on abusive relationships in the Nov. 4 issue of the Kansan. Violence in intimate relationships affects many college students, but as Barlow illustrates, it is often difficult to identify when you're in a problematic relationship. Trusting your instincts and recognizing the signs of abuse are critical to leaving an abusive relationship. Just as critical, however, is receiving help from others who can support the survivor throughout this difficult process. The Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center (684-3552), Women's Transitional Care Services (843-3333) and Rape Victim/Survivor Services (841-2345) are wonderful local organizations that can provide information and assistance.
We appreciate Barlow's mentioning the difficulty in escaping abusive relationships. While many people question why survivors stay, the truth is the complicated dynamics in these relationships make it difficult to leave. Remaining in an abusive relationship is not an indication of weakness. It requires great strength to endure the emotional, mental, and physical trauma involved. Moving forward, however, requires courage, support and resources.
Kathy Rose-Mocky and Laura Montgomery Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center
Read Darwin
On a final note, we understand Barlow's not wanting to label herself a feminist, but feminism simply means believing everyone should be free and equal. However you label yourself, Ms. Barlow, we're glad you're free.
I was distressed to read Jonathan Wells stating that "Darwinism ruled out a divine creator" (Kansan, 11/10). Before those like Wells and his colleagues proselytize their notion of intelligent design, they should read Darwin's own writings; they might be surprised with what they find.
From the last chapter of Origin of Species: "To my mind it accords better with what we know of the laws impressed on matter by the Creator, that the production and extinction of the past and present inhabitants of the world should have been due to secondary causes,
like those determining the birth and death of the individual. When I view all beings not as special creations, but as the lineal descendants of some few beings ... they seem to become ennobled."
Abstinence OK
Partha Mazumdar Pittsburgh, Pa., graduate student
I just wanted to thank you for the abstinence article in the Sex on the Hill special. It is so reassuring to know that there are other college students out there that have chosen to wait. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the ways of the world today and just assume that sex is apart of the college experience. I am glad to see you covered both options. All in all, I found the special to be informative, very educational and hopefully beneficial to college students. Thank you for covering so many issues and keeping it all very respectable.
Angela Gashaw
Osborne freshman