4a Opinion Wednesday, September 6, 2000 Perspective Affirmative action still has a place For comments, contact Ben Embry or Emily Hughey at 864-4924 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com One of the Kansan columnists last week attacked affirmative action Affirmative action is merely a form of reverse discrimination, he argued, and should be eliminated. But he said affirmative action remained because it was "sold to the public as an innocent expansion of opportunity to historically disadvantaged minorities." The flaw in that statement is the implication that minorities are no longer disadvantaged. Right now, many do. Can workers legally be fired because of their race, gender, religion, or national origin? Not overtly, no. Well, now that we're all equal in the eyes of the law, doesn't that mean we're all equal citizens? Far from it. Can non-Caucasians vote now without getting lynched? Yes. Do all races drink out of the same water fountain? Yes. Do our children go to the same schools? Let me take you on a brief tour of my life as a Caucasian. Protestant male American. I grew up in a small town with little crime and a pretty safe high school. No one I knew growing up was ever shot, stabbed or mugged. When I was 17, I got my first real job in part because my dad knew my employers. I got scholarships out the ying-yang to go to Ottawa University, a great private Christian liberal arts college just south of Lawrence, in part because of my hard work and good grades in high school but also because my parents were alumni and I am an American Baptist. While at Ottawa, a professor who had also instructed my dad, hooked me up with an internship with an alumnus who worked in one of Kansas City's biggest law firms. Also while at Ottawa, I interviewed for a class project another successful alumnus who had attended school with my dad, practiced law and served in state government. When I met him again three years later, he gave me a tip on a great internship opportunity that wasn't posted or advertised anywhere. Dave Grummon guest columnist gopenion@kansan.com I got the internship, worked at it this summer, and it could turn into a very stable and successful job when I graduate. I have never been followed around or harassed when I go shopping. I have never been pulled over and frisked just because I was of the wrong race in the wrong part of town. Taxis have never passed me by because of my color. If I carry a beeper, no one assumes I'm a drug dealer. I have never been sexually harassed on the job. I don't have to work extra hard to win the same respect the rest of my colleagues have. It's unlikely I'll ever get paid less for doing the same job a coworker of the other gender does. I wish I could say my experience is common for all young men and women in America today. But I have talked with too many African-American and Latino and female friends to let myself believe I haven't benefited in my society from being a Caucasian male. Every day, in many ways I never think about, I take advantage of what is still a racist and sexist society. Not recognizing this smacks of arrogance. In the eyes of the law, all citizens may be considered equal, but in the eyes of our society, people who look like me seem to be the most equal look like we meet again I have worked hard. I have been blessed. I am thankful for it. None of the advantages I've been given were even remotely racist or wrong acts in themselves. But they are reasons why affirmative action is sometimes right. We've come a long way and we're still making progress. But until the advantages and opportunities I receive daily are given to everyone, simply saying everybody's equal does not guarantee equal treatment. Until that time, affirmative action still has a place in America. Grummon is a Beloit law student. Shaun Morrell/ KANSAN Perspective Phone-line allows freedom for callers H have you checked the Free for All today? If you have, chances are you laughed and. cheered, or you were offended and disgusted. and disguised. Both of those reactions are normal, and that's what we're going for. Our intention is that the opinion line is a spontaneous outlet for free expression from students. Even if that means expressing bizarre "opinions," such as how many freshman girls you think you can make swoon. Because the Free for All is just that, words like "poo" will occasionally creep in. A faculty member commented last Erin R. Barcomb readers' representative reader@kansan.com week that using the Free for All to inform the University about your bathroom activities is juvenile, and I agree with that. Just to recap for those of you who missed it, a caller said, "As I say this, I'm taking a big poo" ber with whom I spoke that messages like these are more constructive and contribute more to an academic environment than messages from the toilet. So long as new topics are brought to the forefront rather And quoting lines from Dumb and Dumber — "That John Denver's full of crap, man" — is just lame. (To the caller who left the brief, South Park-inspired message "Timmy," you know who you are.) On the other hand, some callers have left messages about campus issues, such as the lack of air conditioning in some campus buildings and on buses, and Kansan coverage of Burge Union parties. I agree with the faculty mem- than rehashing tired debates, the opinion line can be a marketplace for ideas. I hope to see the Free for All evolve into a forum for ideas about campus issues without losing the fun, humor and spontaneity that the opinion line allows. However, what I and one faculty member think isn't as important as what students think about in and out of the bathroom. Although the opin- the opinion line for content and space, readers aren't always going to like what they read. As a proponent of free speech, the Kansan secures you the right to say what you want on the opinion line. After all, a more relaxed tone and anonymity separate Free for All from traditional letters to the editor. But a relaxed tone and anonymity don't mean the opinion line has to focus only on juvenile, low-brow humor. If you're craving that, plop down in front of the television and tune in to South Park. Just don't call us to regurgitate every funny line. Barcom is a Wichita senior in journalism. A vote for Nader is not a wasted vote In the last three days, two Kansan columns have deemed a vote for Green Party Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader "meaningless." Nothing could be further from the truth. A "meaningless" vote is one that endorses the existing Republicrat duopoly. Alternatives to the two major parties are important. Just witness Jesse Ventua's victory in 1988 and Ross Perot's significant campaign in 1992 for recent examples. Ralph Nader and the Green Party represent a better future for American politics and a clear alternative from politics as usual. Vote meaningfully; and vote your conscience. Although a presidential win for Nader is certainly not in the cards, a victory was never the stated goal of his campaign. Rather, Nader's purpose has been to raise issues ignored by Bush/Gore and to move the Green Party closer to existence as a significant third party alternative. What makes supporting Nader so meaningful is that receipt of 5 percent of the vote guarantees the party federal funding in the next election. This goal is within reach, but not assured. Mark Cooper Hays senior Editorial Democracy opens doors to debate Third-party candidates should be allowed in presidential debates. While voters can take their pick from George Bush, Al Gore, Ralph Nader and a grab-bag Reform candidate (either Pat Buchanan or John Hagelin) this election season, don't expect to see all these candidates and their sidekicks duking it out during the presidential debates. The Commission on Presidential Debates, the non-profit, non-governmental corporation that organizes the presidential debates is crafting an old-fashioned, two-party debate. In this political climate of voter distrust, the corporation should organize a set of fair and open debates among all the viable presidential contenders. "The neutral" corporation is co-chaired by Frank Fahrenkopf, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, and Paul Kirk, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Bipartisan leadership may provide neutral oversight in a two-party, two-candidate election. But in this year's presidential smorgasbord, Ralph Nader, Green Party nominee, and the unresolved Reform party nominee are clearly fighting an uphill battle. Attempting to settle claims that the 1996 Clinton-Dole debates were arbitrarily rigged to exclude Perot, the corporation established new guidelines in January for determining which candidates are eligible to participate in the debates. The new policy requires candidates to gain the support of at least 15 percent of the national electorate, averaged over five public polls, in order to be eligible. Currently, both Nader and the Reform candidate fall short of the 15 percent mark. The corporation's selection of a 15 percent standard is highly suspect. The Federal Elections Commission, the government organization charged with regulating elections, provides federal funds to a presidential campaign if that candidate's party received more than 5 percent of the total vote in the last presidential election. Although it hasn't happened yet, the corporation's policies make it possible that a federally funded presidential candidate would be denied entrance into presidential debates. The corporation's decision to depart from the FEC's 5 percent standard also favors the Republican and Democratic parties. With the media's disproportionate coverage of Bush and Gore, registered Republicans and Democrats who may have swung to Nader or Reform are likely to vote for only Bush or Gore when the corporation polls. Asking the public to make an educated decision on who they would vote for before the debates is illogical. The debates should be an opportunity for citizens to learn about the candidates and their stances on issues, not a means for the Republican and Democratic parties to maintain political power. The power of the presidential debates to educate voters on alternatives was never more evident than in the 1992 elections, Ross Perot, with about 7 percent of the public support, was invited by former president George Bush and Bill Clinton to the presidential debates despite the corporation's misgivings that he wasn't a significant presidential candidate. When election day came, Perot captured nearly 20 percent of the total vote. Moreover, the 1992 elections were marked by the highest voter turnout since 1972, with 61.3 percent of registered voters actually voting. The corporation is another puppet of the two-party system. In an era increasingly characterized by voter apathy and frustration, opening the debates to candidates outside the two major parties could help restore legitimacy and excitement to this oh-so Washington election season. Joe Jarvis for the editorial board free all for 864-0500 864-0500 **free for all is the telephone public forum for the University Daily Kansan. 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.** 图 My favorite thing about college so far is walking around my dorm naked. 图 Someone should teach KU football special teams the Heimlich maneuver so they will quit choking. These are the four KU guys calling from Australia to give a three-fingered salute to Kansas as we get ready for our month-long break on the beach and in the Outback. Hopefully Terry Allen will lose every football game just as badly as he did on Saturday so he can understand just a fraction of the pain that he put that female student through. 图 Why are nonsmokers always complaining so much? I mean, they are so aggressive. I think they just need a cigarette to calm themselves down. Thousands of smokers die every day, but millions of nonsmokers die every day. I'm just playing the odds. 图 Look, can we get people off of the buses? I can't get a bus ride to my class when I need it ... how can we fix it? 图 - Free for All sucks. I was wondering if Coach Williams was going to assign me a number for the basketball season or if I get to pick my own. I prefer to be No. 3. B 图 I named my chimpanzee Tyrone. 二 Hey, Jonny Flash, if you want the stuff, meet me in front of Hashinger at 5 o'clock. Yeah, how about instead of a Mars bar, they make a Mercury bar, but the catch is it's made of real mercury. 西 This year's football team is talented enough to bounce back and have a good year. Don't make rash judgments after one game. How to submit letters and guest columns Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters 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. The writer must be willing to be photo- graphed for the column to run. 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. 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