4a
Opinion
Wednesday, November 1, 2000
For comments, contact Ben Voosen Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com
KU Young Democrats
Gore, Moore support schools, environment
Voting is probably one of the most critical responsibilities citizens are entrusted with in this country. Although it isn't an obvious or exciting task.
KU Greens
sibilities citizens are entrusted with in this country. Although it isn't always an exciting task, students should take their votes seriously. History books remind us that in 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected president by a margin of just one vote per precinct. Translation: One voter from Daisy Hill or off campus making it to the polls Tuesday could potentially change your representation in Washington.
Many of us agree that the most important factor in voting is being informed. Even if you don't know every detail of Vice President Al Gore's proposals or each of the 145 Texans put to death under Texas Gov. George W. Bush, what do you really know about our third-party candidates? Supporting these groups to make a bold statement about your dissatisfaction with the two parties isn't the best solution if you're making an uneducated choice. At least vote for the next best option, not the candidate you know the least bad things about. My responsibility today is to inform you—about why you should vote and why you should vote democratically.
The best reasons to vote for Gore and Rep. Dennis Moore are simply the ones closest to home: your own student interests.
Gore, an advocate of education, children's rights at the environment, has worked during the last several decades to improve students' lives. Worth noting are his efforts in higher education that provided more Pell Grant funding as well as greater opportunities for aid through programs including the HOPE scholarships and the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. Students are merely an after-thought to Bush, who has done nothing to assist universities. While we don't all recall financial conditions during previous Republican terms, most of our families prospered during the last eight years — a credit to the Gore record. In endorsing Bush, Republicans overlook a nasty set of stats that do not bode well for the governor. Bush blatantly ignores criticism of Texas, which ranks 49th of the 50 states in providing health care for children and neglects the worsening environmental conditions by instituting weak restrictions on oil companies.
Locally, Dennis Moore's opponent, Phill Kline, has provided little more than a series of misleading negative ads. Moore, on the other hand, offers a record in Congress that solidifies his position as a proponent of educational improvements, economic responsibility and women's rights. Moore shows his commitment to Lawrence by spending virtually every weekend in the area, listening to constituent concerns. Touted as reasonable and independent, Moore has voted his conscience during the last two years. Even supporters of Kline cannot defend the Republican's extreme conservatism, including his suggestions to revoke a woman's right to choose and his willingness to cut $16 million from state universities, including KU.
Ralph Nader fans, a.k.a. the KU Greens, will rely on many of the same arguments. Unfortunately, this group hasn't provided the public with any real specifics on what exactly Nader plans to do as president
Even one vote can make a difference in an election like this one, and I hope your vote for Vice President Gore does.
Green Party would pry nation from grasp of big corporations
Ralph Nader has a 40-year history of successfully fighting for people against the forces of monied interests. He has worked with half of Washington and sued the other half. He is responsible for auto safety, airline safety, the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and the Freedom of Information Act. He has experience and is well respected.
Publicly, not corporately, financed campaigns are essential to a democracy. Nader takes no money from corporations and limits personal donations to $2000. Free air time on TV and in the debates for all candidates, same-day voter registration nation-wide, proportional representation and disbanding the Electoral College are essential. All peoples' voices must be heard. The Green Party believes:
The death penalty is a system that simply does not work. It actually costs more than life in prison and does not discourage people.
The military budget should be cut by a third, resulting in better spending. It would also wage peace, not threaten other nations.
Education needs funding, not more testing.
■ The drug war is a disaster. It is time to treat drugs addictive like human beings
- The drug war is a disaster. It is time to treat drug addicts like human beings.
The government should legalize hemp. It's not
mind-altering, and there are numerous useful products made from it.
Nader wants to:
renegotiate the North American Free Trade
Agreement and restructure the World Trade Organization to protect people.
- provide universal health care and a living wage.
- take care of homeless veterans. In so doing, he will raise the Armed Forces morale.
will raise the armcrowd
■ give parents a wedge that allows them to spend time
Nader also would take care of the 20 percent of Americans who do not earn enough to pay taxes.
Americans who do not earn enough to pay taxes.
The question arises, how do we fund all this?
The answer is astoundingly easy. Cut off corporate welfare to the rich companies. Hundreds of billions of dollars of your money are being given away. Make them pay taxes.
If you are afraid of voting for Nader, because of Bush, remember these things. 1) Vote your conscience, not your fear. 2) People can work to stop anything that Bush may do. 3) There are more people who would like to vote Nader than you know. 4) An informed public is a powerful public. 5) In Kansas, Gore will not win.
Galen Turner for the KU Green Party
College Republicans
Havlev Rumback for the KU Young Democrats
Republicans seek to reclaim local control
Decisions you make will not only choose the next resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. but also will select the leaders that bring about change locally. By this time next week, the election will be over. After what has seemed like an eternity of campaigning, we are now charged with the responsibility of voting to shape the future.
in a presidential election. Exercising your right and duty is not simply filling an oval for the candidate you prefer, but directly involving yourself in the process that governs the world around you.
From personal beliefs to parental influence, you will have to decide whether you are behind the ideals of a governor, a vice president or a consumer advocate. It is hoped that this candidate will best represent your view regarding the role of government in the country and in your life.
Illustration by Clay McCuistion/KANSAN
O n Tuesday, most KU students will have the opportunity to vote for the first time in a presidential election. Exercising
All are experienced individuals that possess a vision for a better world. The visions differ drastically, however, with each man championing his past accomplishments, which span from the "invention" of the Internet to the six-
**sar overrata** *exeza*
*largest state*. Some of these claims are las-
tate or recognized by resignation while.
largest state. Some of these claims are excivious attempts at recognition, while others have actually made a positive difference in the lives of many, helping individuals realize success.
grams and the taxes collected to fund them are at an all-time high. The bureaucracies that initially were created to help citizens fulfill the American dream now hinder the process. George W. Bush, Phill Kline and other local Republican candidates such as Pete Hunter, Phyllis Tiffany and Quentin Martin will help bring back that dream. They will make it not-
On the local level, when a working Kansas citizen sends $1 in taxes to Washington, about 60 cents returns here. Government spending, government pro-
sible for us to make personal decisions in our own best interest. They will provide moral leadership for all classes by establishing local control for schools, instituting real tax relief and by saving
Medicare and Social Security. A missile defense system will be instituted, and our grandparents will be able to afford the prescription drugs that they require.
From Washington D.C. to Massachusetts Street, Republicans will serve as facilitators that allow us to live our lives by letting us make our own decisions.
Instead of being controlled by a large, centralized government thousands of miles away, we have the opportunity and responsibility to empower people that will leave the money, power and decisions up to the individuals here at home.
Gavin Smith, for College Republicans
Coverage spurs divergent reactions
Both those who think the football players are guilty and those who think they're innocent have problems with the way the Kansan covered the story. Ask those who want Terry Allen ousted for his "punishment" of the players. They'll tell you we were wrong in not naming the alleged attackers. Ask those who stand behind the players, and they'll tell you we blew the story out of proportion by making them look guilty
No matter which side you believe about the alleged sexual assault of a soccer player, by two football players, everyone seems to have an opinion.
and that we allowed students to rip Allen's reputation on the editorial page.
As I've mentioned before, the reason we didn't name the alleged attackers is because they were just that — alleged
attackers. No charges were filed against them, and the Kansan doesn't identify people who haven't been arrested or charged with a crime. If there isn't enough evidence to charge people, it would be unfair of the Kansan to indicate they had committed a crime — not to mention potentially libelous.
As for blowing the story out of proportion, I don't think sexual violence against anyone on campus is a small issue to be relegated to a three-inch brief on page 2A.
But did we give the story more attention because both the victim and alleged attackers were student-athletes? It certainly was a detail we didn't leave out. I doubt we would have given the students' majors if they hadn't been athletes.
For many reasons, though, I think their student-athlete status is incredibly relevant to the story. First, a large part of the story was how the Athletics Department handled the punishment of the players.
Secondly, whether we like it or not, athletes have an elevated status in most areas of life, especially on the college campus. That status is elevated even more if they are members of a high-profile sport such as football. Whether they ask for it or not,
football players are given higher levels of expectation to go along with the perks.
I'm not saying that the media have an obligation to place football players under increased scrutiny, but by doing so we reflect the attitudes many people have about athletes: They should supersede the expectations placed on the rest of us.
Dragging down the reputation of the football team as a whole is one of many unfortunate consequences of the attack.
But shouldn't abstaining from sexually violent behavior be an expectation we have of all students?
Those who disagreed with our coverage probably won't have to read about it much more, because the players won't be prosecuted. It's a dead issue for us. For the students involved, the story won't likely be forgotten.
Not everyone may agree with the way the Kansan handles situations like this. However, you can count on us thoroughly covering an issue every student has a stake in — his or her own safety.
Although we make strong attempts to present information in an unbiased form. we can't make everyone happy.
Barcomb is a Wichita senior in Journalism.
864-0500 864-0500
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansas 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.
George W. Bush has absolutely no business running for president.
--who voted for him should be willing to join the military and support their commander-in-chief.
I think anyone who puts themself into a dangerous situation and becomes a victim of a violent crime, should share the responsibility.
--who voted for him should be willing to join the military and support their commander-in-chief.
If George W. Bush is elected, all young people
who voted for him should be willing to join the military and support their commander-in-chief.
Drug dealers are the best people to date because they give you free stuff.
图
Why does Bush look like a duck in all of the drawings in the Kansan?
nuclear gynecology.
Kansan reporters should use spell check.
图
Easy Mac to a college student is like grass to cattle.
nuclear gynecology.
Why would you name a soda Mountain Dew? I mean, it tastes nothing like dew from a mountain.
Enrolling is only difficult if you're a common major. That's why I majored in
nuclear gynecology.
Why are KJHK DJs so boring and monotonous?
The only thing I found at Stull was a cop.
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Simple pictures of the critical mass bike ride aren't as effective as an entire article.
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I want to know why Jeff Bosche wears shirts to practice. He needs to show his stuff off.
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Judging by Tuesday's Free for All, there seems to be more witnesses to the sexual assault case. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Can I protest the protesters?
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