OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2005
EDITORIAL BOARD
Censorship bill indication of deteriorating civil rights
www.kansan.com
Now that the door has opened to banning gay marriage in this country, how far will society go?
If Gerald Allen has his way, much further than simple marriage bans.
Allen is a representative in the Alabama congress. Last December, he pre-filed a piece of legislation for consideration in Alabama's legislature. Basically, the bill states that any piece of writing — be it novel, textbook, play, or otherwise — containing references to homosexuality would be banned from the state.
The next session of the Alabama legislature starts tomorrow, and Allen's will be one of the first bills discussed.
This bill means banning textbooks in college sexuality classrooms. This means banning novels with gay
characters. This means plays such as "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". This means much of the writing of Shakespeare.
This bill means banning textbooks in college sexuality classrooms. This means banning novels with gay characters. This means much of the writing of Shakespeare.
According to Allen himself, all of the aforementioned writings should be disregarded permanently. "I guess we dig a big hole and dump them in and bury them," he said when questioned about his bill's intentions.
It is noteworthy to mention that in the past few months President Bush has met with Allen five times to discuss this bill.
same position in Kansas as Allen does in Alabama.
While we do not know the content of their discussions, this is a very high frequency of meetings between the president and a mere state representative.
This is an open-and-shut case of censorship, plain and simple. Allen disagrees with the content of these writings, and wants to ban them. More specifically, he wants to remove them from library shelves and have them destroyed, as he has repeatedly stated.
The rest of us can stand up for our rights by making our disapproval known and by opposing such future
Even disregarding Bush's possible support of this issue, its presence in Alabama requires our attention. First and foremost, students from Alabama must stand up against this open and blatant censorship.
When was the last time Bush met with Barbara Ballard? She serves the
Make a difference by calling for Allen's resignation.
legislation in our own states.
Allen justified his position by stating that he was only trying to protect Alabamians. He has repeatedly expressed fears that librarians and teachers will alter "society's fabric in the minds of our children."
These fears are unfounded, and this action is uncalled for. Then again, perhaps we should be protecting the children of the country from the blasphemous writings of Shakespeare. Let's add Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams and Oscar Wilde to that list.
While we are at it, let's keep everyone from reading the First Amendment to our Constitution, which expressly forbids such censorship.
Allen defends his bill by claiming that it isn't censorship. "For instance," he states, "there's a reason we have stop lights." As Gary Taylor of London's Guardian states, who can argue with something as logical as a stop light? That is. of course, unless the stop light never turns green.
Thanks to Allen, his bill, and this kind of thinking, Americans — gay and straight — might be sitting at this intersection for a long time.
Ryan Good writing for the editorial board.
fashion — it was said the loss had ultimately left Republicans in disarray and disillusionment. The republicans then supposedly had an identity crisis matching the likes of a teenager with prepubescent acne. The republicans supposedly needed to overhaul their principles and agendas even though they controlled both the Senate and House. Only years later, control the White House, too.
Hey Marynell, I was thinking. You, me, A&W,
corndogs. See you there.
Free for All
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fashion — it was said the loss had ultimately left Republicans in disarray and disillusionment. The republicans then supposedly had an identity crisis matching the likes of a teenager with prepubescent acne. The republicans supposedly needed to overhaul their principles and agendas even though they controlled both the Senate and House. Only years later, control the White House, too.
To the guy who just cut me off while I was driving down Naismith, if I ever see your red Camaro again, I'm tipping it over.
My friend Rob broke his hand punching a wall because J.R. Giddens can't play defense.
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I just wanted to tell everybody that Christian Moody just opened the door for me.
George W. Bush is still president. Get over it.
For all you ladies out there, Brian is now singe:
Hey, who's that Tri Delt who wears skirts in the middle of January?
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STDs everywhere, use a condom
THE NOT HAVING SEX COLUMN
Condoms have been a popular news topic lately.
As you may have read in a recent University Daily Kansan editorial, a priest and spokesman for the Catholic Spanish Bishops Conference appeared to condone the use of condoms. His statement created some commotion. I imagine men and women running out of their office buildings, taking up an excited cheer as they pour into the streets.
"Quick!" they say. "Let's do it before they change their minds!"
The spokesman, however, only narrowly acknowledged the role of the condom in AIDS prevention.
He did not refer to the condom as a means of artificial contraception, a practice the Roman Catholic Church rigorously opposes. Following the priest's remark, the church in Spain emphasized this opposition in an online statement.
WHEATON ELKINS
welkins@kansan.com
The topic of prophylactic use is an important one for college students, many of whom use the opportunity of a higher education to have sex.
According to Sandra Hadl, a nurse at Watkins Memorial Health Center, studies indicate that eighty percent of college students engage in sexual activities.
But beware. There are many sexually transmitted diseases.
"The two most common we see are chlamydia and HPV, which causes genital warts," said Hadl. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases states that the "surest way to avoid transmission of" STDs is abstinence.
But consistent and correct use of latex condoms can reduce the chances of infection in those who are sexually active.
To find out how many University of Kansas students use condoms, I conducted a scientific poll. I questioned extensively a randomly picked male subject. The results of the survey are listed below:
Me: Do you wear condoms?
Him. Yes.
Me: During sex?
Him: Uh. Yeah.
The conclusion was of the one-man survey I conducted, one hundred percent use protection.
Unfortunately, females fared worse. Of the several women I surveyed, none said they wear condoms. This indicates to me that men are much more responsible, much more responsive to the need for safe sex.
Note: There are *r*male condoms, which the World Health Organization says are stronger than latex. I'm just not certain that they're "worn."
Know that, when it comes to prophylactics, not all are equal.
Reuters reported in early January that the Consumers Union, a nonprofit organization that publishes the magazine Consumer Reports, had tested the strength of several brands of condom by filling them with air.
Reuters quotes a description of the inflated condoms by Consumer Reports senior editor Nancv Metcalf.
"You end up with a balloon 3 feet tall and a foot wide. They can really stretch an amazing amount," she said. Men sometimes make similar claims, often with dubious results.
According to the report, an Extra Sensitive Lubricated Latex condom made by Durex performed best. Other prophylactics by Durex, Lifestyles and Thevfit also performed well.
Ironically, a "melon-colored" condom dispensed by Planned Parenthood was the worst, popping during the test.
Now, personally, I don't use condoms. Then again, I've never even kissed a girl. But don't be like me. Always wear a condom. Especially during sex.
Elkins is a St. Joseph, Mo., senior in English.
Democrats could be in worse shape
A resounding Republican victory last November left Democrats a minority in the legislature and on the outside looking into the White House.
But since the election, the media has focused its attention on the downfall of the Democratic Party as we know it. With a three percent margin of victory, the media said that Bush's re-election helped land the crippling blow leaving Democrats in shambles to helplessly wither away. A Nov. 14, 2004 column in the Washington Post referred to Democrats as now "a largely irrelevant voice whistling in an unfamiliar wind."
This partisan scrutiny is an exaggeration at best. If 75,000 vote in Ohio had gone for Kerry instead of Bush, we might now be talking the same way about republicans.
COMMENTARY
ROBERT BROCK
rbrock@kansan.com
It is a discernible fact that the democrats face major internal problems. The party failed in 2004 to send one clear message to its constituents while republicans effectively accomplished this feat. The party must immediately determine its base and its image. In this respect, it is evident that the republicans are ahead of the democrats at this point, but democrats are not in as much trouble as it seems.
Prepare to hear this same slanted mockery, though, until the Democrats claim a victory somewhere, anywhere. The media exaggerates the strengths and weaknesses of either party when they are un or down.
The media treated President Clinton's victories in 1992 and 1996 in similar
When Bush claimed victory about two months ago, did the media suddenly forget the unique stature of this particular election and the events that made it impossible for Kerry to ever gain any ground? Social issues were an element of Bush's re-election, but Sept. 11 and the risk of terrorism, and Bush's wartime incumbency versus Kerry's weaknesses — "flip flopper" — were incessantly downplayed in the election's aftermath when it should have been most evident. Terrorism was the key issue and Bush's firm stance resonated more than Kerry's indecisiveness. Domestic issues, Kerry's strong suit, were thus neglected and overshadowed by terrorism. That is the story of Bush's
"landslide" victory. Bush held the upper hand from day one and squandered any chance Kerry ever had of winning. He never looked back — he never had to.
Now its always the moral values, the energized religious right, the growing Hispanic vote veering conservative that seem to haunt the defunct democrats every waking hour, making them run for the hills. While these elements played in the democrats' defeat, they overshadowed the number of first-time voters and young voters that went decisively democrat in 2004 — constituent that may play greater roles in future elections. Nor do you hear about a Republican Party that suffers from an internal struggle itself. Its own party members are divided over issues such as Iraq and social security.
Democrats should worry about their party in the short-term, but it shouldn't dunk its head under water yet. The party does need to stand back and analyze the dilemmas that surfaced with Kerry's defeat. It needs to take stronger stances on issues. It needs to be specific about what it will do different than republicans. How will it fight the war on terror? How will it apportion taxes? How will it balance the budget? This must start with the election of a savvy DNC Chairman in February. With Bush in his last term, the 2008 election is wide open. That gives democrats a visible time frame to refine their message and connect to Americans.
Brock is a Dallas senior in journalism.
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