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Opinion
Wednesday, October 18,2000
For comments, contact Ben Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com
Editorial board: University should provide free forum for speech
Erasing sidewalk chalk stifles free expression
National Coming Out Day became Go Back In Day last week when sidewalk chalk messages were erased from campus.
The University deemed offensive some of the chalk comments written by a few members of Queers and Allies. In response, KU mandated that the writing be erased.
This suppression of speech was justified by the subjective standard of profanity. The messages written on campus last Wednesday were not profane and should be protected as free speech.
The standard by which we judge profanity or obscenity is whether an average person, using community standards, finds a message prurient. Our campus is a diverse community including straight and queer people, and every one's views should be included in that standard.
In addition, all comments were erased instead of just the "offensive" writings, thus eliminating all Queens and Allies sidewalk speech.
The queer community has a freedom of speech that is as important as any other group. They've used their speech to assert their sexuality and create a world where they are accepted, not misunderstood.
Some might say people who wrote the comments made things worse by being so provocative.
Despite the flavor of the messages, they have a significant social message. Homosexuals are constantly surrounded with heterosexual innuendo that is almost perceived as invisible.
Commercial messages that use straight sexuality are everywhere on our campus and in society. It's fair to say that Coed Naked and Big Johnson tee shirts are just as provocative to homosexuals as the chalk scribbled "Pussy Power" to heterosexuals.
Selectively enforcing the standard of obscenity unfairly suppresses speech in a hostile way. Facilities Operations did not use an objective standard to determine the profanity of those homosexual messages.
They washed them all away after a knee-jerk reaction to their content. The worst part is they erased some purely informational messages that contained no provocative sexual content.
It appears hostile to queers to erase their self-expressive messages on National Coming Out Day. In the end, it makes the University of Kansas seem like an unfriendly environment for diverse people.
To correct this situation, the University and Facilities Operations should formally apologize to KU Queers and Allies.
Not only did they indiscriminately eliminate all of the Queers and Allies messages, but they also infringed upon the First Amendment rights of every student at the University.
Brett Watson for the editorial board
Editorial board: University was correct in erasing messages.
Profane messages don't belong in public view
Many sensitive students, faculty and visit ing grade schoolers were offended by the explicit. homosexual propaganda
1V1 the grade schoolers were offended by the explicit, homosexual propaganda which covered the sidewalks of the University of Kansas last Wednesday.
n spite of apparent First Amendment freedom of speech restrictions, the University should not condone profane, vulgar and overtly sexually offensive messages on campus.
The University appropriately and quickly washed away messages such as "Don't eat cow, eat pussy," but also accidentally washed many legitimate announcements about National Coming Out Day. I
In America, it has ironically become politically correct to tolerate anything one says, since it is their opinion.
Although "It's a lot sweater when both have a peter" expresses the opinion of some Queers and
Allies, the sexually vulgar meaning was far from what our country's founders considered a freedom when they adopted the Bill of Rights.
In the majority of people's minds, it does not seem that the University is becoming too powerful when it washes away the profane, vulgar language on our sidewalks.
Lesbian propaganda like "Pussy Power" can be considered slander by the heterosexual community. "Spread the word, spread your legs," would have been considered blasphemous by our country's founders.
In the past, the government more conservatively protected its citizens from explicitly offensive and profane language: "The corruption of the public mind, in general, and debauching the manners of youth, in particular, by lewd and obscene pictures exhibited to view, must necessarily be attended with the most injurious consequences" (Commonwealth v. Sharplev 1815).
Unfortunately, our new liberal approach to the "freedom of speech" clause has gradually led to the demoralization of society. The parallel is real. The University should not condone such lewd, profane dogma that most people don't want to see. To prevent any further censorship controversies, KU should develop a speech code prohibiting hateful, violent and overtly profane messages
Specific messages from last Wednesday should serve as examples of profanity and guide us against similar speech. Such guidelines need to be included in the Student Handbook.
Therefore, students remain responsible and respect others when chalking on the sidewalks - especially because young, impressionable kids visit this campus. Because we don't know exactly who to blame and castigate for the inappropriate messages, we urge future chalkers to use tact when scribbling on University sidewalks. Even Queers and Allies deemed such chalkings inappropriate.
Tim Lang for for the editorial board
Reporters learn as they go, appreciate feedback
One of the hardest parts of being a reporter is having to write about things you don't know much about. Because most of us lean toward the liberal arts side of things, asking us to write about computers and biology experiments is like asking us to perform brain surgery.
pretty good at spotting something that isn't quite right.
Getting it right is even more important because we're having to translate information for readers who, like us, don't know any more about the subject than they do about rocket science. And those rocket scientists out there are
Last month, we did a spory about National Merit Scholars at the University of Kansas and those who go elsewhere. As we saw it, there are some discrepancies between the National Merit Scholars who attend the University and those who go to other universities. In fact, if one student on our staff would have gone to another university, he wouldn't be called a National Merit Scholar at all. Because the University
Erin R. Barcomb
readers'
representative
readerreport.kansan.com
Corporation to get students like him here in Lawrence, he's a National Merit Scholar
From her perspective, we were comparing apples and oranges. From our point of view, we were calling on the University for doing the same thing — comparing our merit scholars to
Lynn Bretz of University Relations came to us about the story, worried that we were saying KU's merit scholars aren't as worthy as those who get corporate scholarships and those who go to Ivy League schools.
those at Ivy League schools.
Furthermore, Britz thought the story implied that merit scholars who attended other universities were more worthy than our own.
From our perspective, the article wasn't intended to critique the University, but to show some discrepences we saw between ourselves and other universities. Although we don't feel like our information needed correction, Bretz brought up valid points, which she plans to address in a column.
Although no newspaper wants to make mistakes, when a clear error has been made, it usually responds by letting go of its ego and making a correction. But what if, from the newspaper's perspective, there isn't a clear error? Fortunately, Brite came in to talk to us about the story and explain what was wrong from her point of view.
But if we don't think a correction is warranted, how should we address the discrepancies?
She knows the process better than we do. In fact, most sources know more about the subject of a story than the reporters do. Why do we bother with reporters, then?
In my opinion, the best way is having her use her own words to interpret the complex and sometimes confusing process of selecting merit scholars and bringing them to the University.
The main reason I can think of is that reporters provide a more unbiased view than the source could. In some cases, reporters are better able to put into words what sources who are so in depth with their subject can't articulate.
Fortunately, the Kansan has readers such as Bretz who read the paper with a critical eye, because we need to be thinking more critically, too.
Barcomb is a Wichita senior in journalism.
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.
The presidential debates are limited to candidates with 5 percent of the popular opinion. How does the debate committee expect such candidates to obtain popular opinion without such debates?
I just read that Student Senate wants to allot funds to religious groups. It's great, 'cause I'm starting up a cult.
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Anyone who cares about the difference between fashion and style needs to re-evaluate their time.
exist at Late Night with Roy?
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Yeah, I'm calling from my cell phone on campus so people will think I'm cool.
exist at Late Night with Roy?
exist at Late Night with Roy?
I think all those people who are complaining about being hot should try walking around on campus in a clown suit all day.
Who said the European life was the only civilized life? No one. What was said was that Europeans brought civilization to the Americas. Next time read the whole statement before you call Free for All.
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Coming Out Day and Queens and Allies are both uncalled for.
Is it really lame to send a CD of Kenny G, to my exgirlfriend's parents?
I just finished watching four hours of porn. What do I do now?
exist at Late Night with Roy?
People who protest McDonalds have never eaten a big Mac.
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Homosexuality is a way of life. Football is a sport and a form of entertainment.The two cannot be compared.
B
Does the women's team not
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I was in Manhattan today, and all I can say is the K-State fans aren't talking anymore.
My friend graduated from KU with three degrees. He's now a circus clown.
typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
I don't like feminists. They should suck it up and take it like a man.
typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
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Hey, thanks a lot for telling everyone how to steal my bike.
43 + 43 + 5 = 100? I don't think so, kansan.com poll.
An opponent dying is a lame way of winning an election.
--typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
Does not getting a permit to enroll mean that KU doesn't want you?
Why is it the No. 1 and 2 women recruits didn't get recognition and t-shirts?
typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
How do we know there is a God?
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