4a
Opinion
Monday, November 20, 2000
For comments, contact Ben Voosen Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com
Perspective Ethical dilemma riddles election, ballot quagmire
Today, dear reader, you get to run through a set of hypothetical situations. Buck up, it won't take too long, and will be much less unpleasant than the real thing.
Pretend, for this example, that you are a university student. This should not overly tax your imagination.
You are required, for the final grade in a vital course, to take a test. It's a very important one, because your entire grade depends upon it, the class is only offered once every eight semesters and you need it to graduate. You'll only have five minutes to complete the test, but that's okay
— you we've studied your head on, and know the subject. Besides, it's a multiple-choice test — all you have to do is fill in the right bubble.
The day of the exam,
still a bit woozy from
cramming, you go in
and take the test. You
leave confident that
you earned an A.
The next day, the instructor calls you in and tells you that you got every answer on the test wrong, flunking it.
How could this have happened? You examine the scantron closely, and discover to your horror that it was labeled as follows:
Mike
Loader
columnist
opinion@kansan.com
It was clearly marked on the scantron, but you were so woozy, and so used to letters being in logical order, and so intent on the test, that you never even thought to look.
"R""A""D""C"
Your request for a retest is denied. You fall.
Fair? Well, maybe. Your instructor has a valid point when he tells you that if everyone who failed took the test over, no grades would ever be entered. But it still stinks, and you would probably be cursing that professor even while blaming yourself for not paying closer attention.
Second hypothetical. As before, but this time you're alert, and catch the trick scantron order. Breathing a mental sigh of relief — you almost failed! — you fill out the test and leave, confident that you aced the thing.
The next day, the instructor calls you in and tells you that you got every answer on the test wrong, flunking it.
How? You review the scantron. You've clearly marked the right answers!
Sorry, your instructor says. The machine won't read it. It turns out that the lead in your No. 2 pencil is of a funky sort that the machine can't interpret.
Look at the test, you tell him. You have eyes! Who cares what the machine says? Anyone with half a brain can tell that the correct answers are marked just by looking at the paper!
I can't do that, says your professor. Just because you made a mark on the correct answer doesn't mean that you actually got it right. I'm just a fallible human. It's not my place to second-guess a machine.
Oh, he tells you, by the way, I hate your guts and have been publicly hoping that you fail. But despite that, I am in no way biased, and my refusal to allow this test to be graded in any way other than by machine is in no way motivated by the fact that I think you're scum. Have I mentioned that my friend is going to get promoted to a wonderful new job if you fail? But don't worry, this verdict is perfectly fair.
Would you, as a reasonable student,
accept that answer?
I didn't think so.
And neither should the voters of Florida and the United States accept Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris' refusal to allow a manual recount of valid ballots unreadable by machine. Harris is a Republican who has openly campaigned for George W. Bush. She was the head of his Florida campaign. She is by no means impartial.
You wouldn't sit still and let a professor destroy your grade. How much more important is the election of the president?
Loader is a Henderson, Nev., senior in journalism.
Ryan Dolan / KANSAN
Kansan.com poll
Last week's question What should be done with the Electoral College? Keep it as it is. Get rid of it. Reform it. What's the Electoral College?
Notes This poll is not scientific. Numbers may not add up because of rounding. 461 people voted.
Next week's question:
What's your favorite food for Thanksgiving?
Log on to www.kansan.com to cast your vote.
Perspective
Gore unsuited to lead, should concede to Bush
In the midst of the do-si-doing of this election, a few things have become increasingly apparent.
FIRST, the winner of this ugly situation will be considered by half the population to be illegitimate and unable to rule in the fullest capacity designated by the Constitution. Also, the flaws of the balloting and vote counting systems not only in Florida, but also in several other important states, have been exposed.
But most importantly, Albert Gore has proven himself unfit to be the President of these United States.
Before Nov. 7, many people felt as if Al Gore was more presidential and more prepared to assume the most powerful position in the world. Another portion
Jimmy Lightfoot guest columnist opinion@kansan.com
Bill Clinton spent much of 1998 finding loopholes in the law and defending himself in the wake of scandal. While his vice president, in this case, did nothing to bring this situation upon himself, he
of the population left Gore was extremely cunning, and although smart, was incapable of creating any sort of a sense of unity in America, and that his potential administration would continue the trend of partisanship established by Bill Clinton.
If there is any doubt about this latter claim now, it must only be harbored by the most devout of Democratic partisans.
of the population felt Gore was
too is attempting to find any manipulation of the law that will lead to his assumption of the presidency.
First, a recount of the Florida votes was demanded. When that did not come out in his favor, he wanted another recount in strongly Democratic districts Then the cries went up from his campaign for a hand recount.
This is a blatant attempt to manipulate the Florida vote until it somehow emerges in his favor. He has even attempted (to the puzzling approval of the Florida Supreme Court) to get ballots that were merely dimpled in the circle near his name to be counted.
If the presidency is to continue to be held in high honor and esteem, then only the purest of motivations for becoming president — the honest belief that there is hope in the future and that one person can lead us toward the benefit of the general welfare — should be acceptable.
This begs the question: Do we as Americans really want the next president to be a man who will say and do absolutely anything to get elected?
Politicians who seek to put themselves where they want to be, no matter by what extreme means, should be told once and for all that this is not in the true spirit of America and its greatest office.
The only way that this message of political purity and this vote of confidence in the American system can be sounded is for Al Gore to concede.
George W. Bush should be inaugurated as the next president of these United States Jan. 20.
Lightfoot is a Schaumburg, Ill., junior in biology and French.
Editorial
Remember the needy this season
The holidays are a time for giving, but donations should be year-round.
As Thanksgiving ushers in the holiday season, families are madly hustling about trying to get their houses decorated, the shopping done and plan time with the family.
This is also a time when we need to keep the less fortunate in mind.
The time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is full of philanthropy opportunities, and we should take advantage of those opportunities to help the needy.
Many of the food kitchens and donation centers in Lawrence and Kansas City are very low on food this year. Many families are going to go hungry this Thanksgiving. Although many of us students go home for Thanksgiving break, it doesn't mean that we can't donate food for the needy
The Salvation Army here in Lawrence is a great place to start. And many student organizations on campus are holding food drives during the holiday season. Keep an eye out for these opportunities and take advantage of them if you can.
This is a time when the pock etbooks are a bit thin, but we must think of those who have that problem all year round.
Although the opportunities for donating are advertised more during this time of year, let's not forget that some families in Lawrence need food and supplies all year.
It's always a good idea to help those in need, no matter what time of year it is.
So let's show the Lawrence community that the students of the University of Kansas care, and let's hope that few or no families in Lawrence go hungry this holiday season.
Brett Norman for the editorial board
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions, and not all of them will be published. Slanderous statements will not be printed. To read more, go to www.kansan.com.
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Nintendo should admit its defeat. Playstation rules.
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I worked at a restaurant this summer where having a mullet would increase your chances of being hired.
The worst thing to say to a woman is that she has womany hips.
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I'm the fool you pity.
To all incoming freshmen:
Don't bring your car. There is nowhere to park in Lawrence.
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It's frustrating to see that on Thursday it was the Great American Smoke Out, and there's a full color ad for Copenhagen Black.
Tell me why sorority girls always complain about frat guys, but they're the only guys they'll date.
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Instead of dinner and a movie, people should do movie and dinner, so you could talk about the movie at dinner.
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All the indie rockers on campus need to lose the jet-black hair dye and the attitude.
If people with higher literacy rates vote for Gore, why were citizens of Florida not able to read the ballots?
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Looks like KU has a Coke problem.
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Kudos to the Kansan for their muckracking expose about the bum Coke deal.
Sex on the Hill sucked! You shouldn't allow Journalism 101 students to write for the Kansan.
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The guys at Stephenson should check out Bada Bing on Wednesday nights.
With all this talk about Coke on campus, well, what about those people who clean up after it? What about benefiting the custodians?
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