OPINION
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▼ A PRINCE IN THE PULPIT
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7.2005
Medal recipients undeserving
During the winter-holiday season I flipped through the channels and happened across a story on CNN about three men who had just received the Presidential Medal of Freedom: Tommy Franks, George Tenet and Paul Bremer. It is the highest award our nation can give to a civilian; President Kennedy, Arnold Palmer, Mr. Rogers and John Paul II have all received this great honor. I thought that these gentlemen must be of high-regard if this honor was being bestowed upon them.
I decided to look up these three men. It turns out that Tommy Franks, George Tenet and Paul Bremer were the masterminds behind the pre-war intelligence, the war in Iraq and the ensuing American occupation. Wait a minute. Hasn't that been a complete debacle? Why are they getting the Medal of Freedom?
Franks certainly isn't a complete success, but he seems like a knight in shining armor compared to the other two.
Tommy Franks is a retired general who was in charge of combat in Afghanistan and the initial invasion of Iraq. I suppose he can't be criticized too sharply, the invasion did work well. But we were supposed to find Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and that hasn't happened yet.
George Tenet is the former CIA director who retired in July 2004. According to *cnn.com*, Bush said "that after Sept. 11, Tenet was 'ready with a plan to strike back at Al Qaeda and to topple the Taliban."
Yes, that's good, but his plan would have been better if that had happened before Sept. 11. He was the director of the CIA — intelligence is his job — and we were wholly unprepared for Sept. 11.
There has been massive criticism of the CIA during this time period. Bush has tried to overhaul the nation's intelligence system because of its failure with Sept. 11 and also the misinformation about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction.
PETE PRINCE
pprince@kansan.com
Apparently Bush has forgotten that the supposed reason we went into Iraq was because our intelligence told us that it had these weapons.
And now, he's giving the man who was wrong about that a Medal of Freedom? What the hell is going on?
It doesn't get better with Paul Bremer. CNN reported that, "Bremer was the top civilian U.S. official in post-war Iraq, overseeing the transfer of power to an interim Iraqi government in June."
What? He's getting a Medal of Freedom? Post-war Iraq is almost in anarchy, more die every day. What about this is award-worthy?
The Daily Show reported that Bush was proud of Bremer for trying to learn Arabic. Jon Stewart said, "You're kidding right? He didn't know Arabic"
This was news I too had a hard time believing. The man placed in charge of restoring order and giving power back to the Iraqi people couldn't even speak to them.
I can't believe they didn't fire this guy, let alone give him the highest award in our nation. It seems like some sort of joke and it takes away from the award if the White House is handing it out whenever it feels like it's time for a good political move.
We can only hope that this is the most remarkable way that the Bush administration screws up in the next four years. The only good news about this is that it hasn't cost any more of our troops' lives.
But, the thought of three morons walking around with their chests inflated because they have received a Medal of Freedom makes me sick to my stomach.
♦ Prince is a Lake Elmo, Minn. graduate student in secondary education.
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Nebraska sucks. I haven't been able to see half the game because of the stupid wind!
I'm out of minutes and I haven't been able to call the Free For All all day, but it's finally 9:00 and I can call all I want.
I'm definitely sitting in my closet and I just realized that I love the Doobie Brothers.
So the Quizno's in Columbia just took a coupon from the Kansan for free chips and drink. Muck Flzou!
Did you know that Bobby Fischer is in prison in Japan for saying that Sept. 11 was a good thing?
So we just found a camera in a shower stall in our sorority house. Should we be worried?
Hey Tyler, this is your roommates, and we're wondering if you could do the dishes at least once this year.
Every day I have to wait at least five minutes for chicken nuggets and it's pissing me off.
John and Ryan just saw this weird big guy walking around campus in a lime green Power Rangers outfit speaking Japanese. What the hell is going on?
Hey, I fully appreciate First Amendment rights, but a T-shirt that says "Texas sucks" is just wrong.
+
A yellow Power Ranger just walked through Harry Sherf's econ class.
I was just wondering if it's bad to spray clothes with Febreze while you're still wearing them.
To whoever made the iPod comment, do you also wear Uggs?
Did Doogie Howser just steal my car?
▼ SACK'S PERSPECTIVE
Why can't boys just understand that puka shell necklaces are a huge turnoff?
Steve Sack/STAR TRIBUNE
Nearly a year ago, while standing at the foot of the Coliseum in Rome in awe of a building that provided entertainment for thousands of spectators, my mind caught a glimpse of the importance of such a feature in Roman society.
But in my mind, one stadium and its defining characteristics stood out amongst all others. In Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium provides a ubiquitous flow of mullets, Starter jackets and NASCAR hats.
Humans create unfair labels toward those they don't know
▼ FILÓSOFO GALLEGO
Yet, I couldn't help but think of other cultures and the importance of such venues in their respective locales: In Spain, soccer clubs and stadiums represent regional and metropolitan pride. In England, beating the piss out of your opponents and drinking yourself stupid is as as common as a Fox News error.
That afternoon, while on the metro squished between a fuzzy French politician and a sun burnt, pink German — where awkward hardly described the situation, I realized my interpretation of the world had been formed by cultural baggage, obtained in my home where the buffalo roam.
Before the investigation into the origins of one's cultural baggage, it is important to define the term "culture". Jennifer Craik, author of "Traveling Cultures" defines culture as the repertoire of practices of a group that manifests its values or, the least of which, the individuals of that group are personified as
DEVIN SIKES
dsihes@kansan.com
actors representing such practices. Those who participate in a culture embody the customs, institutions and achievements of a particular nation, people or group.
Recognizing this will require us to be more humble whilst trying to understand the point of view of a culture distinct from our own.
For example, Americans embody the life of liberty and the Carnies deify the bearded lady and cage fighters with pride.
Then again, this is all a matter of perspective.
Experiences are the elements, uniting humans across all borders that culminate to form and develop our subjective perspective of the world.
The only way to move forward in a global community is realizing that an interpretation of one's culture rests solely in the eye of the beholder.
On the outside, individuals are standardized, wearing the nicely constructed labels formed by society that categorize an agent as belonging to a certain culture.
From the time we are born, our experiences are important to the maturation of our growth as individuals. The first memories of our caretakers, cause-and-effect events that develop our cognitive network and our first experiences in love.
For some, a leaf can appear more green than gold, freedom more of a right than an impediment and love more as a spiritual than physical act.
However, when problems arise in the world, the parties involved are not categorized as "fellow humans", but are quickly distinguished from each other, such as Jewish, Palestinian, protestant, gay or black.
Influenced by the environment of our cultural upbringing, each individual evolves his or her perspective of the world to form a view that can be at best understood not as a universal point of view, but as a mere fragment of the infinite possible ways to perceive.
In the ongoing development of our perspective, often we relate the new and unknown to things that we are already familiar with. While observing an object, we never observe the object in itself; more precisely, we merely perceive it according to our point of view, in a given time and place. Thus,"reality" is merely the slave of the observer.
In an ever-globalizing world, we aim to integrate world unity amongst all individuals of all backgrounds.
Sikes is a Wichita senior in philosophy and Spanish.
PAGE 5A
LETTERS TO THE EDIT Students responsible for staying informed
Our center would like to echo your comments regarding the necessity for students to become aware of events outside of the United States (There's a world outside the United States that matters, Thursday, January 27. 2005). As luck would have it, the Center for Russian and East European Studies organized a series of Ukrainian events during the Fall 2004 semester just as the country was beginning this transition toward a more democratic form of government.
CREES organized a lively roundtable discussion that included these experts, in addition to faculty from KU who have Ukrainian ties Alexandre Skiba in Economics or have conducted extensive research in the region Erik Herron and Paul D'Anieri Political Science.
Indeed, Dr. Herron served as an election observer for the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe during the first round of presidential
elections in Ukraine.
During the past decade, KU has expended considerable time, effort, and funding in developing a vibrant Ukrainian language and culture studies program that is now recognized as one of the best in the nation. More than a cliché, the ripples from the dramatic democratic changes in Ukraine during the past three months have started resonating throughout the world and KU students have an obligation to remain informed.
Ray Finch Assistant to the Director Center for Russian and East European Studies
Religion no reason for gay opposition
Concerning the articles on gay marriage printed Feb. 3, the Bible also forbids nice clothes, certain meats, cutting hair/beards, and tattoos (Lev. 19:19, 26-28). Lying to one's parent is punishable by death (Lev. 20:9), and slaves should obey their masters. Should today's law accommodate
these scriptures, as well?
It is glaringly obvious that laws given in a book written over 2,000 years ago "for people living on the other side of the globe" do not apply to present society and its human beings.
I am in love and living with another woman, with whom I will spend the rest of my life. Marriage is the union between people who love, honor and cherish each other and are committed to do so forever. If my wife and I ever desire to be parents, there are millions of starving, orphaned children who could benefit from our guidance and love. Children raised by same-sex couples do not necessarily become gay; and even if they do, so what?
Please educate yourself before publishing narrow-minded opinions. Attraction and love are beautiful, healthy, natural things. Jesus taught peace, love and tolerance. Quit using religion to justify homophobia.
Alicia Cox Overland Park senior English Literature
REPORT CARD
Pass:
Hy-Vee. The supermarket's plentiful supply of food samples allows enterprising students to enjoy a multi-course lunch that incorporates all five food groups.
Amy Gruber. The prolific KU swimmer competed in her last meet in Lawrence. The senior made her exit in fashion, winning two individual events and was part of two winning relay teams against Iowa State on Saturday.
Fail:
Bill Self. Men's basketball coach asked that fans cool it with the profanity. Come on, student section, let's not become Maryland.
Ward Churchill. The University of Colorado professor is fighting for his job for comparing Sept. 11 victims to Nazis. Churchill is to Colorado as Fred Phelps is to Kansas in terms of embarassment.
National Hockey League. The league's lockout teeters on the cancellation of the entire season, which is something that has never happened in North America. The NHL is proof that professional sports need a salary cap to survive.
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