4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
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THURSDAY,APRIL18,2002
864-0500 free for
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wents. Slap Phone
to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
I'd just like to know when our beautiful, liberal campus became full of so many crazy, religious people wearing crazy, red T-shirts that can't speak for themselves. I think I need to go hang out at the Replay and have some shots of tequila.
--queens that took the first stand for your gay rights at Stonewall. The gay people who you saw on Friday were there for one reason, and that is to show everyone a good time—with pride. Gay or straight.
Do me a favor, and tell Lee that I do not agree with him.
I was reading the UDK, and I was wondering who Lee was. Is it Tommy Lee? If it is Tommy Lee, I've seen the video, and that's not what he believes.
Just a reminder that the world's fastest man, Maurice Green, will be at KU this weekend.
Come down to the stadium this weekend for the Kansas Relays April 19 and 20.
What has happened to the Kansan? I opened up my paper on Monday morning, and I found a huge page preaching to me. This is not cool. Don't do it again.
If you say "I disagree with Lee" it's still catchy, and it still rhymes.
This is for everyone out there who thinks Delta Force is anti-greek. Our vice presidential candidate was in a fraternity, so get your facts straight.
Is "I Agree with Lee" a Lee Greenwood fan club?
I just want to say that the pancake quotes were the best of the semester, and if you quit printing stuff like that we're going to boycott Free for All.
例
You art and design students can whine about how you're just as good as, or even better than, the rest of us. But after all the articles in the UDK about how crappy the art and design school is here, come on now. If you were that great you'd be at a real art school.
I do not agree with Lee, and those shirts are ugly, too.
I'd like to know who the stupid idiot was who decided to give student workers, like GTAs, red permits. Thanks for taking staff parking away.
错
If KU is trying to promote diversity, I don't understand why it allows the use of their name in the We Believe campaign. What their Web site is inferring is that KU is solely a Christian campus, or that those who are not Christian are inherently anti-KU.
This is to the pretentious art student who called into the Free for All. You can eat the dust of your fellow art students who got into the competitive prestigious art schools instead of going to KU, of all places. Obviously, your academic merit, socio economic status and I.Q. are lacking somewhere.
Your grandma's a hippie.
二
I do not agree with Lee. I think the fact that about 10,000 students at this University likely do not agree either is reason enough for the UDK to not print full-page confessionals. I feel that such statements discriminate against all other religions and beliefs and make it appear as though KU is an affiliated institution. I was, frankly, offended by the entire campaign, and the fact that the UDK would ignore the myriad other faiths found on this campus illustrates one of its many failures as a source of credible and objective media.
A more accurate definition of a weak-minded person is a person that becomes part of a larger group for the sake of solidarity.
I'd like to respond to the person that said "Since when did the Free for All become conservative, Republican, fascist Nazis?" Hey buddy, get a clue. It's not like some guy sits behind a desk and writes all these things. It's called the Free for All for a reason.
queens that took the first stand for your gay rights at Stonewall. The gay people who you saw on Friday were there for one reason, and that is to show everyone a good time—with pride. Gay or straight.
I cannot believe I am reading an ad for Jesus in the UDK. What has this campus come to?
The hardest thing about being greek at KU is looking around and knowing that everyone else on campus is jealous of you.
Some dude just came up to me and asked me if I had information about tuition doubling on KU campus, and I told him I didn't care, because I was a graduating senior. He insinuated that I should care, because I should care about the education of other people, but I don't, because the more people that enter the job market the harder it will be for me to get a job. So, I could care less if you all get an education, I'm going to be rich some day.
So my uncle let me borrow his Benz this weekend. I was having a lot of fun until someone decided to key it while it was sitting in the Templin parking lot. Thanks a lot, you bastard.
I was walking down campus the other day, and I thought of a haiku
I goes a little something like this:
Oh, North Face backpack.
Shades of red, blue, black and yellow.
I think I'm so cool.
I was just wondering if Lee's shirt says, "I agree with myself."
I really wish people would quit bashing one another based on generalizations and focus on their own negativity and ways to improve it. And remember, diversity is what makes this campus great.
OK, why are we the only big-time school that hasn't got online enrollment?
TALKTOUS
Leita Walker
editor
864-4854 or lawker@ansan.com
Jay Krail
Kyle Ramsey
managing editors
864-4854 or krail@ansan.com and
kramsey@ansan.com
BEELER'92
The Eagle
Clay McCuisson readers' representative 804-8410 or cmccuisson@anax.com
Amber Agee
Amber Agee
business manager
864-4014 or addirector@anan.com
Kursten Pheips Brooke Hesler opinion editors 884-4810 or kphleips@aensen.com and bhesler@aensen.com
Kate Mariani
retail sales manager
864-4462 or
retailsales@ansan.com
Malcim Gibson
general manager and news
adviser
984.7697 carersmess.com
Matt Fisher sales and marketing adviser 864-7665 or mfshfer@asean.com
Matt Fisher
'Kansan'report card
Pass:
Freedom of speech. We might not all agree with Lee, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't respect his views as long as he respects ours.
Beer gardens and patios. What's better on a beautiful spring afternoon than enjoying a nice meal or a cold one outside?
Weeks of love and pride. Queers and Allies Pride Week was a success, and this week, Black Student Union is sponsoring Black Love Week. A little bit of love and joy on campus never hurts. Who could disagree with that?
Fail:
Pop-up Internet ads. All you want to do is check your e-mail or visit an innocent Web site, and hordes of annoying ads pop up in your face. Why didn't these obnoxious ads die in the great dot-com implosion?
- Delta Force. Some people who attended the Delta Force party last Thursday felt it appropriate to shout obscenities when the results were announced. Can somebody get these kids their blankies?
KUnited. Some people who attended the KUnited party booed when Delta Force winners were announced on KJHK. Good to know we elected some of these great, mature minds to represent us.
PERSPECTIVE
Guest commentary was wrong: Gays should be proud of diversity
With Pride Week over, the drag show closed to a tremendous success and my wig back in its box. I now feel it's time to reply to Shaun Bryant's guest commentary ("Queers and Allies perpetuates myths, stereotyping of gays on campus," March 29.)
GUEST COMMENTARY
Xavier Rice opinion@kansan.com
This being my fifth and final brown bag drag here at KU, having been featured on the cover for drag several times during my years here and being horribly stereotypically gay, I feel as though I am the one who needs to say sorry to you.
I am sorry that you feel so uncomfortable with your own homosexuality. I am sorry that you don't feel comfortable enough to put a rainbow flag on your car. I am sorry that your roommate moved out when he found out you were gay. I am sorry that you feel straight people don't accept you sometimes. You need to fix that.
At the drag show last Friday, I saw hundreds of people, gay and straight, gathered outside on a beautiful day to have a good time, including you. Thank you all for coming. The men and women who you saw bouncing around the stage are not to be blamed for straight people not accepting us sometimes, as you stated.
If you knew your gay history (and yes, homosexuality being a culture has its own history), you would know that it was a group of draw
The myths and stereotypes that you mentioned such as wrist flings fingering, sex with a different guy every night, not believing in God and not believing in KU basketball, are exactly that: Myths and stereotypes.
The point of Pride Week is not to say what we are and what we aren't; the point of Pride Week is simply to say, we are here, and we are proud of that. People are a great and diverse thing; thus, gay people are a great and diverse thing.
Some gay men do want to be women. Some straight men want to be women as well. Some
gay people have a pot for the NCAA basketball tournament, and some gay men played in the tournament. But all that is not the point of Pride Week. The point of Pride week is to be proud. And on Friday, everyone saw that, everyone except you, and I am sorry for that.
You said that some people around campus viewed gay people as different because of Queers and Allies. Thank you Queers and Allies. We are different. Everyone is different from everyone else. As soon we as a people are able to see difference as an OK thing, this world can be a better place.
can be a better place To make this world a better and more tolerant place, it needs to start with one single step. And I made mine in heels. You need to make yours. Unlike most hard-working, active gay men, I'm not mad at you. I am sorry for you, sorry that you feel so uncomfortable with your own sexuality. You probably just came out this year, and being different can be hard. I know, I'm gay and African-American. But you need to work, educate the ones you love, and they will educate someone else. Use your voice, and most importantly, be loud about it.
- Rice is a Roeland Park senior in theater and music performance.
AGREEING WITH LEE
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear editor.
I do not agree!
After viewing an ad in the Kansan on Monday and the follow-up article on Tuesday, I felt a public response needed to be made. I want to preface this by saying these are my views and are not held by everyone.
I wanted to use my freedom of speech to reflect on this ad as they used their freedom of speech in placing it.
I do not agree with telling the world, in a public arena, my religious beliefs. I'm glad to hear that Jesus is your man and you will soon be following him, but a great deal of the world does not believe this. I do not hide my religious beliefs, and anyone who knows me knows my religion, but to broadcast my beliefs to the world is ludicrous. I accept each person's religion and ultimately their views with respect.
It seems to me that Jesus followers always are looking to share their beliefs with everyone and convert the world. Why can they not accept each person whether they believe in Christian, Jewish, Buddhist or Muslim teachings? Why not have a campaign called "Convert the world!"
I do not agree with religious campaigns. You are looking for more Jesus followers, but what about those already believing, those who need your help?
I do not agree with spending approximately $3,000 or any amount of money on advertising my beliefs via ads, shirts and a Web site. His money is better spent helping the people in your religion better themselves.
lowers and spread "His" word than to look after their own people?
Last time I checked, there were still believers in Christ that needed food, shelter, clothing and jobs. How can a group of people see it more important to gain fol-
There are students on campus trying to fight a tuition increase and this organization is spending money on ads and shirts. There are students on campus eating ramen noodles because that's all they can afford, and this organization is looking for more followers.
If someone wants to know
I do not agree with how and where you are creating an atmosphere for discussion of Jesus. This is a religious question to be discussed in a church or in a gathering of people interested in its discussion.
I greatly enjoy the similarity of a person paying $5 for a shirt and signing their souls away to your statement of faith. This reminds me of another person who has you sign your soul away for something!
more about Jesus and to follow him, he or she knows to enter a church where they will be warmly welcomed.
I would suggest you just come right out and name this campaign "Convert KU". The media will see the cult-like atmosphere you are creating and "All will be good and right..."
I guess the whole thing comes down to whether it is more important to help the people who may or may not believe what you do, or to get more people to believe what you do. In my opinion, you have chosen the less important of the two.
So you now continue to put more of a strain on our student body and we will someday have a new classification of our student body — Jesus follower or not.
Avraham Mendell Mor Wilmetta, Ill., senior