IA - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
THURSDAY,SEPT.20,2001
TALKTOUS
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PERSPECTIVE
Commentary
Lucas Miller Columnist opinionakansan.com
Attacks provide time to reflect on suffering
I heard of the attacks on the World Trade Center as I was getting out of my car to walk to campus. The event seemed distant. It was difficult for me to empathize or feel for those who were in so much pain.
When my 9:30 class was over, my sister was waiting outside the door, and I immediately knew something was wrong. My puppy, my beautiful honeybear Helen dog had climbed out of the yard, and was hit and killed by a train.
My sister and I had raised these pups from before they were born, while their momma was pregnant, and after their birth to the best of our ability. My puppy-was 9 months old. She was the most sweet, fun-loving, irrepressibly innocent and energetic animal I have ever known.
Helen taught me how to love like a child.
Throughout the day, my loss mingled with the loss of so many others; her life lost with the lives of so many others. Their horror and suffering had come home. In a way that they should always have been, the deaths of my distant family brought them alive within me.
Now is the time to open our hearts to the world. Suffering is not new. Terror is not new. Many who most understand and sympathize with the victims of these attacks are those who have suffered.
Across the world, in every country, famine, disease, drought, warfare and violence plague the peoples of our planet. Humans, plants and animals, the Earth itself is in pain — in need of a kind word and a helping hand.
The planes may have stopped on Tuesday, but the trains have never done so. We have set a machine in motion that cares not whom it kills, nor what damage it may cause. We are all innocents. We are all guilty.
It is time to slow down. It is time to mourn the loss of our loved ones. We cannot heal if we ignore the roots and address only the symptoms of terrorism.
PERSPECTIVE
For too long we, as Americans, have ignored the suffering of our fellow human beings. This is a rare opportunity to lay our prejudices aside and focus on what is truly important — the issues and well being of those that breathe, our brethren.
We can stop hurting one another.
If we are a truly powerful nation, we will exercise and exact justice in response to injustice. We will exercise compassion and intelligence in the heart of inconsolable anger and sorrow.
It is our responsibility to demonstrate the meaning and wisdom of liberty and justice for all.
No more innocents need die.
Miller is a senior in physics from Atchison
Compassion, not economy should stir pride in America
to even suggest that liberal political groups would condone such a hideous act is not only insulting, but it breeds partisan finger pointing this country does not need right now.
One might think leftists like Ralph Nader and Rage Against the Machine condone and applaud the tragedy in New York City after reading Rachelle Cauthon's commentary "Hate comes in many forms, guard against all of them," (Sept. 18).
While many liberal groups may want to see the destruction of corporate power, liberals don't want the death and destruction that occurred last Tuesday.
"Leftists" don't look to "smash" institutions any more than right-wing conservatives look to "smash" liberal welfare programs. Corporations are not all evil. The multi-million dollar donations from our largest corporations show our companies have heart.
"Leftists" like Ralph Nader want equal opportunity for everyone. If an institution prevents this, it should be regulated or eliminated legally to ensure it does not perpetuate inequality.
However, anti-trust bills, environmental regulations and labor laws prove that corporations cannot be left on their
Max
Rieper
Guest columnist
opinionkansan.com
Commentary
own to be on their best behavior.
To think the perpetrators of this hideous crimes did so out of jealousy of America's wealth is to misunderstand the entire situation in the Middle East.
Rather, he says that he and other antiAmerican terrorist groups in the Middle East resent the continuing presence of the United States in the Middle East, particularly on Muslim holy lands in Saudi Arabia and Israel.
They say they resent the continued support of the United States for Israel, a constant foe for Muslims wishing to establish a Palestinian state. They
Osama bin Laden and his $5 billion construction company attribution do not wish to become Bill Gates and Microsoft. His motivations may have nothing to do with jealousy or the accumulation of material wealth.
attacked a U.S. symbol of corporatism because they felt it would hurt our morale.
How greatly they underestimate what this country needs more than ever is unity against a common foe — terrorism.
How greatly they underestimate us.
We will have to put aside our differences on the economy, regulation of corporations and Social Security. The bipartisan efforts of Congress are an example of how a bitterly divisive legislature can come together in support of a common cause.
While some may want to revel in our nation's great material wealth, I would rather revel in our nation's compassion for our brothers and sisters.
Our country has administered some of the greatest liberal welfare programs in the world - Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the New Deal, AmeriCorps and Head Start are all inventions of American compassion.
Our material wealth may come and go, but this great nation's ability to help each other in times of need is constant. Now is one of our greatest times of need
Rieper is a second-year law student from Overland Park.
PERSPECTIVE
Flag stands for courage and history
In the wake of last week's catastrophe, there has been an outpouring of selflessness and patriotism that has manifested itself in volunteer work, donations, red, white and blue ribbons, and, most importantly, the American flag.
On Sunday afternoon, I had the misfortune of hearing a Java Dive barista and one of his jaded capuccino-sipping customers laughing about a Kansas City Star article about rules for displaying the flag. When I interjected that these rules were actually fairly important, they stared at me like I was growing horns. "Do we really need these rules dictated to us?" they exclaimed. I got so mad that I stormed out of the establishment.
Despite my anger, the exchange did get me thinking. First, I decided that I'll never set foot in the Java Dive again. Second, it occurred to me that a lot of people might be displaying the flag out of a patriotic reflex without every considering what it symbolizes or how important it really is.
Historically, flags were used to give direction in battle. Often, in the dust and melee, soldiers could become disoriented and confused. In these situations, the unit's flag would serve as a rallying point that drove the soldiers onward. If the flag fell or was captured, it was the height of disgrace for a unit, and many times the demoralized soldiers would fall back in disarray.
The importance of the colors cannot be overstated. For a compelling example, visit http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/asmith_citation.htm.
Robert Chamberlain
Columnist
opinionkanaan.com
Commentary
Corporal Andrew Jackson Smith
was a member of the 15th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. On Nov. 15, 1864, his unit participated in the Battle of Honey Hill. According to his citation, "Although half of the officers and a third of the enlisted men engaged in the fight were killed or wounded, Corporal Smith continued to expose himself to enemy fire by carrying the colors throughout the battle." For his heroism, Corporal Smith was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Not only have flags inspired acts of extraordinary courage, they have also represented our nation in times of extraordinary adversity.
Our national anthem commemorates one such occasion. The Iwo Jima memorial commemorates another. In both the song and the statue, the American flag is a potent reminder of the costs of the freedom we enjoy today.
The flag itself is also symbolic of America's highest aspirations. I'm sure everyone knows that the stripes represent the 13 original colonies and the stars represent the 50 states. However, the colors themselves are also very significant.
While there is no official interpretation of the colors, according to http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/#faq
"in 1782, the Congress of the Confederation chose these same colors for the Great Seal of the United States and listed their meaning as follows: white to mean purity and innocence, red for valor and hardiness, and blue for vigilance. perseverance, and justice."
While the United States has on occasion fallen short of its ideals, the flag has not. It represents the outpouring of aid in the wake of adversity, like the troops we deploy across the globe to assist refugees, disaster victims and our smaller allies. It represents the pioneering spirit that has taken the U.S. from 13 tiny colonies to the surface of the moon. It represents the sense of justice that established the first war crimes tribunal in history and placed the rule of law embodied in a Constitution above even law-makers themselves.
Do not display a tattered or worn flag. Do not leave the flag up at night, unless it has a light on it. Do not let the flag touch the ground. Do not raise other flags higher than the American flag. These are not random and arcane rules. They are part of a tradition as old as our nation.
By choosing to display an American flag, people are participating in an American tradition that represents the very best our country can be. Thus,the flag must be accorded the proper respect.
Respecting and observing them shows respect for your flag, your fellow citizens, and the high ideals that makes America the greatest nation on earth.
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Chamberlain is a senior in political science from Topaka.
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For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
I am both disgusted and appalled that an American, let alone a fellow student would idolize Terry Allen above the men who have already saved lives for New York.
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Bill Clinton sold nuclear technology to China
If you don't want to go to class, then don't go. Ultimately the choice is yours. There are more important things to do than to whine about going to class.
Watkins Health Center:
A name with 5 syllables perfect for Haiku
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No, continuing our classes won't stop the terrorists. That's why we're going into war. Besides, why should we get the luxury of having a day off when we're 1200 miles from New York? Don't you think the firefighters and other co-workers would like to be with their families especially since they lost so many coworkers?
Hi, there's a guy giving stupid speeches in front of Wescoe. Can somebody shut him up and take him to the elementary school to teach some new things?
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Remember the images of the Palestinians celebrating after the WTC came down? That was shot in 1991 and they weren't celebrating the bombings of the WTC. They were celebrating the bombings in Kuwait.
Whatever happened to Alanis Morissette?
I wish that I could be a bus driver for one day and all the bus drivers be students and let them see how it feels to get passed up in the pouring rain. Thanks a lot, you jerk. Oh and this message excludes 288 and 238 because they're the nicest ones on campus.
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I just wanted to express my concern over the bricks in front of the Kansas Unions. When they get wet, those be some slippery mothers.
Just wanted to invite everybody out for a bicycle pub crawl this Friday night at Free State at 1p.m. See you all there.
I'm extremely sorry for all those people who lost loved ones and their lives in the New York, Washington, D.C., terrorist attack. But it was extremely nice wake up this morning and having ESPN SportsCenter back on.
So they rescheduled the KU-Wyoming game for Thanksgiving weekend. That was such a good idea because there's going to be so many people in town that are going to come and watch the game. And Wyoming is such a big opponent and it's so important to this season 'cause yea, sure guys.
It's cold, it's wet, and I'm lonely.
So is anybody else scared that when we graduate there's not going to be any jobs left to get?
Yeah, so my horoscope said today would be a 9. But today absolutely sucked. Your astrologer should be fired.
So before today's article in today's newspaper, did anyone actually know what the College Assembly was?
Does it really make sense to send an army into Afghanistan? Why do we want to get more Americans killed and kill more innocent people? Just a thought.
Why doesn't Osmama bin Laden like us? We didn't do anything to him.
I think that people should realize that it's not polite, it's not nice, it's not ethical to cheat in class.
Is there a pre-law club on campus? And if so, how can I join it? I mean, there should be some way we can find out all the clubs and I don't believe the little list they have in the student club office lists them all.
It's very clear to me that the entire universe is on fire.
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Timothy Mcveeh was never a Christian. He claimed to be an agnostic.
K
This is for the guy who used his newspaper as an umbrella and shared it with me while walking to class today. Thank you so much, you're so sweet.
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