4a
Opinion
Thursday, September 21, 2000
Perspective Bush unfit candidate for president
For comments, contact Ben Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com
Most of you must be following the Olympic Games in Australia. The Games come
Most of you must be following the Olympic Games in Australia. The Games come every four years and help us forget about the country's domestic politics for a certain period — usually in July.
But this year's games are happening in September — thank God.
It's a good thing to see our favorite sports being played by top athletes.
But having the Olympics now is even better because we can get rid of George W. Bush news coverage for a couple of weeks. That's not good news — that's awesome news.
No more reporter-bashing, no more debate talk and certainly enough of
"Rats" ads — at least for a while. I would bet that even the GOP strategists couldn't wait until the start of the opening ceremony. They now have some time to think about how they can make people vote for a candidate that has run out of excuses for his radical actions.
I can still remember the first column I wrote for the Kansan more than a year ago. It was unfortunately.
It was, indeed, about Bush. My point then was that even though Bush had been on drugs, he had admitted it. For me, at that point, it was a good thing. It felt good to see a politician telling the truth
Cassio
Furtado
columnist
opinion@kansan.com
But Bush has proven me wrong again and again. Bush knows no truth. He has done all but tell it. And there's no need for someone like him in today's politics. I really can't imagine Bush negotiating things such as a peace settlement between Israel and Palestine or a trade deal with the European Union.
The president needs to do these things. And President Clinton knows how to do them like nobody else. However, I can understand some Republicans when they say that Clinton set a bad example in the Lewinsky case. He really did. There's no excuse for what he did in that regard. But take that single episode out of Clinton's presidency and you will see a great president — a skillful and powerful leader who gets what he wants not because he has power, but because he knows how to deal with people, a.k.a. human beings. I wonder if Bush knows what this means. I can picture Bush negotiating a case in which he had a fictitious red button by his side, symbolizing the United States' nuclear supremacy. In that case, he would yell at people. "Do what I want or I'll hit it."
However, for the sake of fairness,
there is one thing I like about Bush.
The governor makes us feel good. I feel
so good when I hear Bush speaking. If
he can be in a race for the White House,
anybody can.
I'm sure that a good portion of the University of Kansas student body would spell "subliminal" correctly, but Bush wouldn't. I'm also sure that many of you would know a couple of foreign heads of state, but the governor wouldn't know that either. In case I right, you could be extremely well qualified to run for the presidency.
So picture it: You can be president of the United States — Bush can't.
I know that this is a Republican state But even Republicans need to be aware of the dangers of electing someone like George W. Bush.
Following party lines is great when you have a good candidate to represent your party — not someone who will embarrass it. Four years is a lot of time to waste at this point in history.
The next president will head the United States in the new millennium that's why I hope it doesn't elect someone who reminds me of the Cretaceous period.
Furando in a Pelône, Brazil, senior in political science and journalism.
Kansan Report Card
Pass:
The football team. Not only did it win last Saturday's game, but it made it through the weekend harassment-free ... as far as we know.
Rockin' Ron Benefit Concert. Ron Gleason was more than just a bus driver, he was a University icon. Now there's a concert in his honor. He deserves it.
The Low Budget. Lawrence High School's decision to allow the on-campus distribution of The Low Budget, two students' underground newspaper. Principal Dick Patterson finally must have read the First Amendment.
Fail:
The late captain's camoe in front of the Kansas Union Friday. Live and in the flesh. isn't it nice to know the man himself cares enough to visit once in a while?
Bada Bing's free breast implant giveaway. Just when you thought women could be objectified no more ...
Coverage of the Olympics in Sydney, Australia. For yesterday's news today, check out NBC. There's nothing better than watching a hotly contested race when you already know the outcome.
Perspective
Coach is responsible for players' actions
Many Jayhawks apparently don't find sexual assault that big a deal, that serious a crime. They didn't Saturday, anyway. That was the day that 12 students distributed handbills calling attention to the assault of a female soccer player by two members of the football team last year.
The groups behind the handbills made me wince, particularly the Womyn's.
Empowerment Action Coalition, which evidently either lacks a dictionary or feels that the best way to achieve gender harmony is to use polarizing, radicalist errors in grammar.
Still, its aim was a sound one. It is right that we should be reminded of the abuses of the program and the coach.
When two football players decided to become the latest sexual predators at the University of Kansas it was saddening, terrible, but not entirely unexpected. Nor was it necessarily a stain on Jayhawk football as a whole. There are bad apples in every bunch, especially in college athletics, and the actions of two individuals do not reflect upon the entire team.
Mike
Loader
columnist
oianio@kansan.com
Coach Terry Allen's response,however does.
He is the captain of his ship, the leader of his team. It is only natural that a coach should stamp his own
mark, his own character onto his players.
Coach Allen has apologized for his actions. He now realizes that he was wrong — after the media, the faculty and the student body pointed this out to him with their outrage.
Prior to this public instruction, the evidence says that coach Allen felt that the proper punishment for sexual assault bordering on rape is ... crosstraining — extra stairs.
Why, this is wonderful news for America's overcrowded prisons. Perhaps coach Allen also feels that murderers should be punished with extra pushups or arsonists by having to memorize complicated gridiron plays.
And now, the conduct of the fans — who rained insults and abuse down on people who dared disturb their football by pointing out that sex crimes are wrong — proves those 12 concerned students right.
The conduct of players, coach and department has indicated that yes, there is a need for us to remember.
The first Kansan I picked up upon returning from break had a story about last year's sexual assault on one side of the front page. The other side had a story about the rape of a woman on Campanile Hill.
Welcome to the home of the Jayhawks. Welcome to the home of coach Allen.
These are indeed Terry Allen's men.
Rape? Go away. We don't care.
Don't interrupt our football.
Loader is a Henderson, Nev., senior in journalism.
Editorial
Students' opinions not heard
Students should be included in the partnership between University and Coca-Cola.
Many students are discontented by this fall's 15-cent increase of on-campus Coke products. However, a greater issue is at stake. As the University of Kansas partnership with Coke grows tighter, student voices are not being heard.
During the summer, the University, Treat America and Coke voted for the increase in vending machine costs. However, the beverage costs 85 cents when purchased with a smart card. Paying out of the pocket costs $1.
The purpose of the change is to promote smart card use. Nancy Miles, a KU card administrator, states that the cards are designed as an identification card, but also serve as a convenient tool to use services on campus. Nevertheless, not a single student was included in the decision.
In fact, Ben Walker, Student Senate president, and Marlon Marshall, vice president, were not aware of the price hike until well after the decision. Student Senate now is looking into the matter as being a violation of the KU constitution.
Marshall said the card was supposed to be a convenience to students, not a discount coupon. Most disturbing, however, is the manner in which the issue was handled.
While the plan to increase the price of Coke disadvantages nonsmart card users as it is, students had no voice in the decision.
Furthermore, most students choose not to place money on their smart cards for several reasons, including the possibility of theft and the inability to recover the money if lost. The plan only benefits those who use it.
According to Students Senate's constitution, Article 17 Section 2 states that any policy-making committee must have no fewer than 20% of its members as students. Student Senate is going to begin planning ways to come together with the KU-Coke partnership not only to reevaluate the price increase, but to make sure all students are fairly represented and benefit from it.
BenTatar
for the editorial board
free all for 864-0500 864-0500
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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How come it's OK for people to ride bikes and moped on the sidewalk on Jayhawk Boulevard, but it's illegal for me to ride my skateboard?
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I wish rain were a good reason to skip class; I hate sitting down on wet seats.
Rain is the best thing to happen to a college student. That means I don't have to shower before class, and nobody notices.
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I walked into the kitchen of my church this morning, and the cleaning lady was having a conversation with the leprechaun cookie jar.
Either I have gnomes who steal my underwear in the night or my roommate's a pervert.
蜜
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I don't feel the need to be in a group to have an identity, hence the reason why I'm not a greek.
If I wanted to listen to DJ's go uh ...uh ...uh all the time, then I would listen to KJHK. They do this every year. It's time they get more professional.
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Students should wear KU stuff to games. Get some school spirit, people.
What's with the deal with the 22nd and Kasold bus? With no brakes, everyone has whiplash and busted-out teeth from the metal bar from the back of the seat.
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Why can we only drop classes after we pay tuition and not get our money back for three months.
How's a girl supposed to get excited when she watches the Olympics and the swimmers now wear body suits instead of Speedos?
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Thank God for jacket weather.
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All letters and guest columns should be e-mailed to opinion@kansan.com or submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Ben Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924.
If you have general questions or comments, e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4924.
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