4a Opinion Friday, September 22, 2000 For comments, contact Ben Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com Perspective Gore throws out freedom with attacks In threatening to impose punitive legislation against the entertainment industry, Vice President Al Gore finally exposed the madness behind the method — the presidency at any cost. Not only did he betray the Democratic Party, which historically has been an ardent protector of free speech, but he also mocked one of the most fundamental aspects of democracy: freedom of speech. Unfortunately, in this age of market-based political campaigns, it is not surprising that a presidential candidate would bastardize the guiding principles of free speech to curry favor with voters, especially image-conscious voters who don't seem to like Al Gore's ties and robotic symmetry. Gore's statements came on the heels of the Federal Trade Commission report requested by President Clinton after a White House summit was held last year on media violence and school shootings. The report charges that producers of movies, music, and computer and video games have marketed inappropriate material to young people, violating the spirit of their own ratings system. Although the FTC didn't make any legislative recommendations to Congress, the report outlined a series of self-regulatory actions for the Ben Embry opinion editor opinion@kumanan.com entertainment industry to take into consideration. In the report, the FTC challenged the entertainment industry to establish or expand codes that prohibit target marketing to children and impose sanctions for violations (such as public stoning or mass browbeatings); increase compliance at the retail level by checking identification (in order to prevent the scourge of violent pop culture from turning supple young children into cult leaders and mass murderers); and, last but not least, increase parental understanding of the ratings and labels system (or, in other words, indoctrinate parents to respect and obey the newly codified standards of good and evil). The report, in a dour, tsk-tsk manner, frames the recommendations as a matter of civic responsibility and political prudence. After all, Hollywood must be held accountable for its reproachable actions. But in delivering the report,FTC Chairman Robert Pitofsky cautioned against setting up a federal "thought police." Pitofsky also was careful not to blame violent entertainment for the violence in society. After all, attributing causality is an inherently tenuous enterprise. There is no doubt, however, that the entertainment industry shamelessly exploits children. A recent spread in Advertising Age, the industry's primary trade magazine, shows a grainy picture of an inquisitive preteen girl. "Who Am I?" the copy asks, suggesting the girl's existential coming-of-aage dilemma. But the next page tells us exactly who she is: "I am the Internet generation. I am spending billions each year. I am building brands right now." Then the kicker: "And I am here for you." Even more disturbing is a recent industry report proclaiming children as young as 18 months "psychologically available" for marketing. Nevertheless, government-imposed sanctions on the entertainment industry would not only be a dangerous proposition with far-reaching implications but also a blatant violation of the First Amendment. Should the government also sanction fashion magazines for setting unrealistic beauty standards in the media that result in eating disorders among young women? Or newspaper stories that continue to reinforce racial stereotypes through unbalanced reporting? Or radio stations that permit talk show hosts to spew out vehemently homophobic rhetoric? All of them can be accessed by children. The fact of the matter is that free speech can be an incredibly hideous animal at times. But expanding federal regulatory power over advertising content is not a reasonable solution. In other news, Gore and Lieberman were struck by hypocrisy Monday after they raised $4.2 million at a fund-raiser thrown by Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of Miramax, the movie studio that is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co. and creator of such films as *Hallowen*: H20, Scream 2 and *Scream 3*. Both candidates are reportedly in stable condition. Embry is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism. Steve Sack / TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES Heard on the Hill Is it fair for an Alcoholic Beverage Control or law enforcement agent to ask for your ID based on how old you look? "It's absolutely unfair to be able to question you for the sole reason of how old you look." Jim Fisher Shawnee senior "No, because people can say you look young or old. It isn't for them to decide. You shouldn't get questioned just because you look young." Kristin Lambert Overland Park freshman "Definitely, because you could be 25 and have a baby face, and a 16-year-old kid could have a full-grown beard." Ben Marquart Chicago sophmore "It's their job. It's annoying, but it's fair. Maybe they should work on hiring more hard-core door people." Georgia Palos lawrence sophmore Perspective Libertarian is the best third-party alternative Recently, there have been several columns in the Kansas expressing the opinion that because neither of the two "main party" candidates were promising, this election was unexciting and basically worthless. My immediate thought was, why settle for one of those two parties? We have more than two. And then I read another column that mentioned the Green Party and vaguely referred to Pat Buchanan and his faction of the Reform Party. But what about the largest third party in America? What about the Libertarian Party? After all, the Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the United States, with 168 elected office holders — more than all other third parties combined. More than 500 Libertarians are run 1000 Libertarians are now inning for office nationwide this year. The Libertarian Party is running candidates in 236 U.S. House seats this year, 18 more than required for a majority, which makes the Libertarian Party the first third party in 80 years to contest a majority of congressional Stephen Duncan guest columnist opinion@khan.com seats. The Libertarian Party also will become the first third party in more than 100 years to have its presidential ticket on the ballot in every state for three consecutive elections. Certainly, voting for Harry Browne, the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate, would not be worthless. Although it is unlikely to affect the electoral votes issued by the state of Kansas, as Harry Browne said recently in an interview, every vote for him in this election increases the probability of having a Libertarian president in this decade. Unlike other third-party candidates, Harry Browne does not champion a "narrow cause." He has more than either of the two main parties have: a complete political philosophy. The Libertarian Party believes in limited government, which means less of the government dictating what you may do. It means less interference with the free market. It means fewer taxes — by spending less, not by deciding to tax a new demographic. Only the Libertarian Party truly supports the freedom and liberty that are the basis of the country. To learn about what Harry Browne stands for, visit www.harrybrowne.org. Vote for someone with real values and beliefs. Vote to make a difference. Vote for the Libertarian Party. Editorial Duncan is a Lawrence sophomore in computer engineering. Extra fees should be disclosed Some classes require additional course fees that add up for students. A growing problem at the University of Kansas is the extra fees that are added to many classes. Students usually have to pay these fees, which are required for participation in class activities, during the first weeks of class. The University should publish the extra fees added to classes in the timetable and in the course catalog, so students are aware of this before they enroll. Many KU students live on a strict budget to have enough money to pay for classes, books, rent and food. After paying tuition, students show up the first day and find that they are being asked for even more money by the department in order to take the class. Why are these extra fees not paid for out of the tuition money that we pay for the class? Unfortunately for students, there seems to be no answer to this question. Lab fees are common in the biological and physical sciences. Fees in the performing arts department can reach monstrous proportions when students are required to attend events at the Lied Center that can cost as much as $30 per show. Film students also are responsible for purchasing a film pass that costs about $25. This is a lot of extra money, and these events or fees are required parts of the classes, so there is no way around it. Although these extra fees may be going to improve the students' educational experience and are needed because the departments are underfunded, students should be aware of them before going to class on the first day. If students end up in classes that require unexpected fees, they may not be able to afford them. By the time the students find this out, they have to try to switch to different classes. This problem could be easily solved if the University would simply disclose the fact that there are extra fees needed for classes in the timetable and course catalog. That way, students can be aware of this and plan accordingly. 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. Standerous statements will not be printed. To read more, go to www.kansan.com. I'm not surprised that the UDK would print something in the Free for All that is slanderous and racist towards its students Isn't it ironic that the UDK has an Olympics section, yet it's full of ads? wny can't I find a job in this town? - 10.4.1 If the average biology test grade is 65 percent, should we examine the way a student studies on the way the teacher teaches? Two letters to the editor called for the paper not to print comments in the Free for All about minority faculty that they thought were racist. The comments weren't racist, but that's besides the point. You say liberal minds were against censorship, but I guess that only applies when you don't like what's being printed. - The Community Merc should tear down the Community Garden and build more parking. Let the hippies steal their vegetables somewhere else. --- 图 As a liberal, open-minded publication, this paper shouldn't discriminate against any point of view, even seemingly racist ones. Who is the Kansan to judge from right to wrong? - The University should not hire faculty just because of their race. They should hire the best person for the job, regardless of their color. For people to complain about the ABC checking IDs is ridiculous. If you're 21, then you should be OK. Now if you're under 21, then you shouldn't be drinking anyway. - - Mullets are taking over the world. 图 Getting a soda on campus is nearly impossible. The cost is too high, and most times the machine won't take my dollar. The Lawrence community has a real shortage of wild gerbils. 图 Alan Keyes is 20 times the man Al Gore is. How to submit letters and guest columns Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Name must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions. Guest columns: Should be double- spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. 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