THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2002
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5A
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letter made threat to rights
Mr. John Schneiderwind states in his Oct. 10 letter (Anti-War Sentiments Unwelcome) that it would be "un-American" for anyone to protest military action in Iraq "when, and if, this war does take place." I remind Mr. Schneiderwind that Amendment I to the Constitution of the United States of America states; "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
There is nothing "un-American" about any citizen at any time peaceably assembling and petitioning the government if they feel aggrieved. In fact, our country was founded upon that right.
Paul Atchley Assistant Professor of Psychology
Bainum causes controversy
Finally, Meghan Bainum has unlocked the secrets of the female genitalia for me. Considering that I'm class of '84, this may seem somewhat pitiful. But back when I went to William Allen White School of Journalism, vaginas were not permitted in the Kansan.
I've talked to a few of my friends who also graduated back before vulvaagraphs were a journalistic staple, and they have had pretty much the same reaction: "Kids today."
I, too, must confess a little embarrassment as Meghan told me what I should have been rubbing all these years.But then it hit me, what a sad commentary on The Hill your Meghan provides.When I was in school, there would have been no audience for such a treatise. Back then any underclassman inclined toward the vulva pretty much had a full color version of one floating around in his or her head 24-7! No vulva-graphs required.
Don Henry
Class of 1984
It makes me proud to know that the national media has finally reported on Meghan Bainum's sex column. After all, what could be better for the University's reputation then for the whole world to know that our student newspaper publishes a column which advocates the use of anal beads, using sex as a tool for vengeance, and, of course, sadism and masochism?
Furthermore, I enjoy being forced to subsidize (through the Lawrence campus fee) a paper which is of such exceptional quality that high school principals have requested the Thursday edition not be sent to their schools lest some unsuspecting 14-year-old child try Miss Bainum's advice and end up in a hospital.
I'm sure the sex column has helped University recruiting and enrollment and if the state legislators read it, how can they not increase KU's funding?
Of course, when I apply for jobs after graduation I'll be favored over applicants from other schools who aren't so open to "discussions of sexuality."
But all of these benefits are just window dressing. All that's important is that Meghan and the Kansan editors feel free to print anything they want.
Atter all, how could we live with ourselves if we asked newspapers to practice a bit of self-restraint?
Derek Teeter Oakley senior
Don't dismiss football money
money
This is in response to the Oct. 8 column "Football Program Doesn't Bring Home Bacon for Other Sports". Would you say that to estimate the impact of eliminating the football program you should use a normalized annual revenue number rather than a down year?
Also — and I know this wasn't the intent of your article - the impact of football on recruiting for other sports is pretty great.
Take it from somebody who transferred to KU in part because my university dropped its football program while I was there.
Jeffrey Todd Class of 1990
Ann Cudd and Joshua Rosenbloom who wrote the Oct. 8 column "Football Program Doesn't Bring Home the Bacon for Other Sports" need to consider how much cash the Women's Studies and Economics departments cost. How are these departments covering their costs? Only with a hefty subsidy from the taxpayers I am certain
I guess Ann and Joshua are willing to try to gore the football ox but fearful of injury to their own ox being subjected to the same scrutiny.
NASCAR is not a real sport
Chris Condren Class of 1973
I was sad to see the Kansan proclaim, "Students Say Yes" to the question, "Is NASCAR a Sport?" (Sports Poll, Oct. 8)
I am willing to wager my KU education that few students here would actually say, "Yes." Perhaps those KU students who are caught up in the Southern soap-opera — that is, NASCAR — will tell you that racing in some sort of vehicle is a sport and that its participants are athletes. This is where the distinction is made.
Car racing has gobs of fans, and, as a business, it functions similar to how baseball and American football function. Because of this, it is treated like a sport so that people richer than us can make lots more money.
The national spelling bee and hunting are broadcast on sports networks, too. Are their participants athletes? The answer is no. Sports are played by men and women who perform activities resulting in the physical exertion and motion of their bodies.
really unhealthy and still perform the given activity well, than it can't be called a real sport.
If you can be really fat, really old,
So call it a competition, an activity or even a game, but it does not merit being called a sport.
State smoking tax is unfair
Alan Boyd Great Bend junior
I am a recent alumnus of KU and former Kansan staffer. I read the (Oct. 14) article on smoking tax ("Tax doesn't deter smokers") and I wanted to make a couple other points.
An analogy drawn between the gasoline excise tax and that on tobacco shows some discrepancies. Gasoline tax goes almost solely to road maintenance. This makes sense — those who buy gas obviously drive. So, road users are paying a little more of their incomes to road maintenance. And the humanitarian argument is decreased fuel consumption creating a cleaner environment.
When one attempts to compare this to the cigarette tax, the difference is glaring — the destination of the money.
It is not specified for state medical care of smokers or youth smoking prevention. It goes into the general fund. That means a smoker pays proportionally more for education, law enforcement, road maintenance, etc., simply because she chooses to smoke.
If the government frowns upon smoking, it should seek just means of regulation.
Yes, this tax cuts down the numbers of people who smoke, but it does not do it fairly.
The fact that smoking is unhealthy and unattractive does not contribute to the support for a smoking tax. Numerous activities — such as driving, eating poorly and wearing cheap shoes endanger the health of American citizens. We do not tax those activities more than others.
The second-hand smoke argument does not contribute either. The cigarette tax is only indirectly targeted at
that hazard. If second-hand smoke is the concern, make it illegal to smoke in any public place.
Clearly the cigarette tax is a savvy political move to capitalize on a unique situation.
No powerful entities are going to make a case for smokers — because to argue against the tax seems to be arguing for smoking. Of course, they are two separate arguments.
separate argument. Lawmakers looking for quick cash continue to take advantage of this paradigm. They should stop.
Chris Gregory
Advertising Production and Design AC-U-KWIK/Primedia
Ignore anti-war rhetoric
Intelligent students will see through the rhetoric Amanda Flott presented in her Oct. 4 article, "Now is the time to speak up against war of contradictions."
Corporations oppose sanctions in Iraq and they oppose war. War is not good for their bottom line. They may morally support it, but not for profits.
If you are against war, that is fine. There are legitimate concerns about threatening to use force against Iraq.
But threat of force can also bring peace.
Also, what personal freedoms have been limited? Name them. I have not seen any of my freedoms limited. What intellectual freedoms have been limited? Name them. Someone criticizing your educated statements is not limiting your intellectual freedoms. You are free to write what you want. I am free to criticize it.
If you want to attack a president and his administration, maybe you should study the one that just left office and their response to Iraq. Talk, congressional resolutions, very little action.
We have talked for years. The threat of force may bring peace with no force.
Steve Houpt Terrytown, La.
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