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THE UNIVERSITY DALEY GANSAN
PAGE 4
TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014
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Text your FFA submissions to (785)289-8351 or at kansan.com
opinion
Person looking for a handsome redhead man, I'm at least a redhead and a male. handsome is up in the air. : /
If you cross the street without looking and just assume cars will stop for you,you deserve to be splashed with street snow-slush.
Just saw a squirrel attack a girl Spring has arrived!
That moment when you find out your 21st birthday is stop day eve #one-upting
TEXT
FREE FOR ALL
You know it's cold when ice forms on your side of the window.
As a TA, I like the feeling of stepping away from my woes and warrys and invest my time towards my students.
People keep smiling at me as I walked past. At first I was flattered but then I realized it was probably my hat.
Okay, Jack Frost, we love you and all but please go on vacation or something.
If you're dyslexic AND lactose intolerant, can you keep a diary?
I am secretly ashamed to admit how attractive I find hipster men #tellmeaboutyourfaveband
A big fat sorry to the stranger I spit coffee all over on the bus. Thanks for being such a sport.
Every morning I listen to "Let it Go" while walking to class. Unfortunately I am still not Elsa and the cold still bothers me.
Everyday I have to constantly remind myself that going outside without pants is socially unacceptable. Even when it's -2 degrees.
Getting a proposal through the FFA rejected is worse than getting kiss cam rejected.
The highlight of my week is watching Teen Wolf on Monday nights. Help.
Have a FREAKING FANTASTICALLY WONDERFUL TUESDAY... and that there FFA is not only friendly, but funny, loud AND appropriate #win
I don't care what people think, Rex,
will you marry me?
Editor's Note: How will he know
who is asking?
Girl, you must be a national treasure, because Nicholas Cage is looking for you.
My suitmate is crazy. I woke up this morning and saw that she had turned the AC on low. There is ice on the inside of my windows.
DIVERSITY
Students should speak up to make a difference
When I was in grade school, I learned one of the most important lessons that I still use today. I was an energetic child running around and showing off my new sneakers. A boy stopped me and asked, "What does the N stand for?"
My eyes glanced down at the purple, capital N that shone from the side of my sneakers.
"New Balance," I said.
"Are you sure?" The boy asked, making a face. I was too little to understand what he meant but I knew that it held
significance. Instinctively, I turned and ran, willing my new sneakers to make me run faster away from the boy's snickers.
At home, my mother explained the N-word. I didn't understand. I was just excited to wear my new sneakers. Before the end of the week, I traded in my New Balances for Nikes.
I could be bitter about my experiences but instead I use them to help make a difference. Instead of letting the names and hate destroy me, I have turned them into my motivation.
Because of my past
experiences, Martin Luther King Jr. is my inspiration. I am not just interested in him because he was an African-American; it was his message that touched my heart. King's message is that all people must work together. His message rings loud and clear if you stop and listen to it. It doesn't just apply to blacks
and whites; it is for all ethnic groups. No one should be treated differently.
It was King who said,
"Darkness cannot drive out
darkness; only light can do
that. Hate cannot drive out
dance; only love can do that."
It will take everyone to make this happen. It will not work if one group reaches out while the other pulls away. There has to be a median where both sides meet. Yes, this will take years of hard work, but it is not unattainable.
Use your experiences to help others become more aware. The most important
thing to do is to speak up. This can be done through poetry, songs, any form of creativity that you can come up with. You could also join or form a campus club, where members their share thoughts and experiences.
As King said in his "I Have a Dream" speech, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
Crystal Bradshaw is a freshman studying English.
TECHNOLOGY
Smart gun won't solve gun violence
The country's first smart gun has been released in California by a German gun-manufacturing company called Armatix. The Armatix iP1 is a pistol that fires .22 caliber rounds and only fires in conjunction with a special watch worn by the user. Both the gun and watch are embedded with an electronic chip that signals a green light to the grip when the watch is being worn. If it's not worn, or not in a close proximity to the gun, the light turns red and cannot be used. The idea for the smart gun is to exhibit gun safety -to prevent the iP1 gun from getting into the wrong hands, and to reduce incidents of gun violence, suicides, and accidental shootings.
Gun violence is a worldwide problem, but according to ABC News, the United States has more guns and gun death than any other developed country in the world. In 2011, The Bureau of Justice Statistics stated that a total of 478,000 fatal and nonfatal violent crimes were committed with a firearm in the United States. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reported that in 2010, the most common method of suicide was with a firearm,totaling 19,392 deaths.
It is clear that gun violence is an issue, but is the Armatix iP1 worth all
the trouble? First off, the watch that works with the iP1 is not included in the initial purchase. Buyers would have to buy the gun, which costs $1399, then buy the watch separately, which is a whopping $399. That's $1800 for a gun that may or may not be the smartest purchase. If the iP1's watch breaks or you lose it, you will need to shell out another $399 to replace it. People may not be swayed to spend that much money for this gun, when they can buy multiple guns totaling the same price as the iP1.
Gun manufacturers are thinking of new ways to revolutionize firearms, meaning the iP1 is only the beginning. According to slashgear.com, a company called TriggerSmart is "working on a smart gun system that uses a fingerprint scanner on the grip." RT.com reports that a Silicon Valley investor named Ron Conway is teaming up with relatives of the Sandy Hook victims to award a $1 million prize for whoever comes up with a "ground-breaking smart gun technology." Smart guns seem to be the guns of the future. Hopefully a cheaper, more ideal
alternative to the iPI will be developed to reduce gun violence.
For self-defense, the iP1 may not be the greatest solution. Take for instance: you're sleeping and someone breaks into your home. They come into your room, the iP1 is next to you, but your watch is somewhere else. An armed robber is not going to wait for you to put on your watch before they attack, making the iP1 a poor gun choice for self-defense.
The iP1 is an interesting idea, but the reality is, this is a novelty item. The iP1 will be effective in reducing accidental deaths with firearms, but most people will want to purchase it because it is cool and new. Despite how interesting it sounds, the iP1 will not have any effect on transitioning sales of regular firearms to strictly Armatix's smart gun. People will buy other guns because they are cheaper and less of a hassle. Armatix's goal is to reduce the number of accidental shootings, suicides, and gun violence with their smart gun, but guns in general are supposed to be a means of self-defense. People will be more convinced to stick to what they are used to, and what is more convenient.
Cecilia Cho is a junior from Overland Park studying journalism.
POLITICS
FFA OF THE DAY Do you think rocks are really soft but just tense up when you touch them?
America needs a female president
Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly recently
vocalized his doubt that a woman would be able to serve as the President of the United States. In a sexist segment of his show last Wednesday, Feb. 26, O'Reilly made broad generalizations, stating that women wouldn't be able to deal with "tough" people like Vladimir Putin or Islamic politicians. O'Reilly's comments are outdated. Today, according to U.S. News and World Report, polls indicate that 86 percent of citizens think that the United States is ready for a female president. It is clear that voters are prepared to embrace such a change, and there are certainly many women qualified to assume the office.
O'Reilly seemed convinced that few women have successfully served as strong leaders in the past. He questioned whether a female could stand up to tough political adversaries, apparently overlooking the fact that Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton have already done this when they served as Secretary of State. O'Reilly also glossed over the history of women successfully leading countries, such as the Philippines' Corazon Aquino, India's Indira Gandhi, Germany's Angela Merkel.
The United States has a relatively low proportion of women serving in government compared to other countries. According to the Inter- Parliamentary Union, the United States ranks 80th in the percentage of women in legislature, right between Albania and Madagascar. This is disheartening; it's time the percentage of women in politics reflects the percentage of the population that is female.
and Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto. In addition, O'Reilly seemed concerned that a female president would be too hesitant to use military force, though leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Golda Meir have not hesitated to utilize their nations' armies in the past.
Figureheads such as O'Reilly are impeding political change that would benefit the United States. In his segment, O'Reilly expressed his disapproval of Hillary Clinton, a potential presidential candidate. His criticism is unfounded. Clinton has served as a United States senator for eight years and as Secretary of State for four years. She has accrued experience that many previous presidents haven't come close to approaching before their time in office. It seems that O'Reilly's primary problem with Clinton is her gender, not her qualifications or ability to make decisions.
Most people in the United States do not think like O'Reilly on this issue. It's encouraging that the majority of American voters no longer view gender as a qualification to become president. It seems clear, with strong candidates like Hillary Clinton, that the United States will soon join the ranks of countries whose highest office has been held by a woman.
Ike Uri is a freshman from Concordia studying English and sociology.
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CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
@valeriemhaag
@KansanOpinion Yes! Too many men in our government with no female perspective. We elected an African-American... why not a woman?
Do you think America is ready for a female president?
@MollyCop
@KansanOpinion We should've been "ready" for a female president decades ago. HILL-DAWG 2016
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