4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
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WEDNESDAY,SEPTEMBER 25,2002
FACE-OFF
Was 9/11 the right time to hold up signs of protest?
Face-Off is a weekly project of the Kansan editorial board. Each Wednesday two editorial board members will argue opposing sides of a hot-button issue that affects students at the University of Kansas.
We hope that this section will help students to understand both sides of an argument and make better decisions
Vigil was perfect time to spread good message
about their own beliefs.
If you have a suggestion for a topic that could be used in Face-Off, or if you would like to join the editorial board, please call Maggie Koerth or Amy Potter at 864-4924.
You can also email suggestions to opinion@kansan.com.
Sept. 11 is associated with many emotions and images, but for many people protest is not one of them.
As the campus gathered two weeks ago at the Campanile for KU's memorial service, another group simultaneously held their own service with posters instead of candles. A majority of the attendees at the memorial service stood back in indignation.
Many people raised the question: Is it really appropriate to make a political statement at a memorial service?
The answer is yes.
Not only is it appropriate for people to make a statement at the service, but necessary.
By holding a memorial service, the University of Kansas acknowledged the tragedy of Sept. 11. The University made a statement that it recognized the lives and cruel deaths of those who were murdered.
It also made another statement by what it didn't do, by failing to acknowledge civilians that have been killed by U.S. bombs or have been executed by U.S.-supported despots.
Though both groups died as a result of terrorism, KU remembers one's anniversary with events and poetry while we simply choose to forget those that died when the United States attacked Afghanistan.
The protest group that gathered at the Campanile was there to remind us of this
inconsistency, that even when it comes to world events, the United States remains dangerously myopic.
Tommy Bobo, protest organizer and Augusta, S.C., sophomore, said the purpose of the service was to "participate in and expand the vigil. Global Exchange (a human rights agency) estimates anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 casualties were reported during the bombing of Afghanistan. That's a significant amount of people who are dead as a result of terrorism that we don't acknowledge."
Though it may seem petty and needless to protest the forum of remembrance, the very opposite is true.
If we are to honor the people killed on Sept. 11, our country must learn from its mistakes.
Thousands of people were killed on Sept. 11 because U.S.leaders were too arrogant to realize that our foreign policy might be perceived as anything but noble.
The protest of the manner in which the anniversary was marked made an important point about the needless death of all civilians regardless of citizenship.
By bringing attention to all civilian victims of terrorism, this protest may have made some small contribution to preventing Americans from slipping back into a xenophobic fog.
Katey Birge dissenting.
Protesters were right but ill-timed
On Sept. 11, hundreds of students gathered at the Campanile and held up candles in a silent memorial for the terrorist victims.
But along with their candles, more than a dozen students from KU Greens, the Peace Project and other groups held up signs asking students to remember victims of terrorism around the world.
The protesters had a right to peaceably assemble, but some would argue that the display was still inappropriate for that particular time and at that particular place.
"We weren't countering opinions," Galen Turner, co-coordinator of the KU Greens, said. "We were there for the memorial as much as anyone else."
He was quick to point out that this was not a counter protest.
The message, whether audible or not, was heard loud and clear: remember all the victims. This includes not only Afghan citizens under oppressive regimes but also those created through
U. S. actions.
This message is important. We in America do need to remember that we are not the only country to lose citizens to terrorism.
However, people need to recognize that there is an appropriate time and place for protest and this was not it.
Students who went to the candlelight vigil were there to remember those who lost their lives on a specific day, in a specific place.
The message promoted by the demonstrators is one that significantly distorts the goal of the evening.
It's hard to see how that wouldn't be considered a counter protest.
An atheist wishing to convince a Christian that God doesn't exist would be quite ineffective if he chose the middle of a church service to start a theological debate.
Likewise, Sept. 11 was not an appropriate day to bring up worldwide tragedies.
There may have been a number of other students who felt exactly the same way as that dozen. The point of the candlelight vigil, however, was to remember the victims of Sept. 11.
To campaign that students do more than that is akin to yelling at the Salvation Army worker for not contributing to cancer research.
For all anyone knows, that person may give a large portion of money to cancer research. But at that particular moment he is working for another good cause and to fault him for not doing every possible good deed at once is absurd.
Let the students have their moment to reflect on the United States and its victims of terrorism. Tomorrow they can begin patching up the world.
The protesters' message is an important one, but out of place at the Sept. 11 vigil.
Dan Osman for the Editorial Board.
PERSPECTIVES
'Kansan' ran story about rape in interest of student safety
As a form of media, a newspaper often finds itself in the middle of touchy and controversial issues. One such event, the rape of a student at the University of Kansas, was reported Sept. 10 on the front page of the Kansan.
The article had a prominent location on the front page because of its importance to and impact on the campus. The article did not reveal the student's name and she was not quoted.
In a Sept. 19 letter to the editor, "Rape reporting distasteful," Kristy Klein, Glen Ellyn, Ill. junior, pointed out that printing such a story is damaging to the health and well-being of the victim of such a personal crime. Klein placed special emphasis on
the headline "Student Raped in Oliver Hall," as well as the fact that the story was featured on the front page.
GUEST COMMENTARY
The debate about how far a journalist must go to report a story are as hot in the public's mind as ever. Yet few can take a step back from the debate to see media as anything but damaging and hurtful. As journalists, our primary job is to report the news in an unbiased and accurate manner. This, unfortunately, included writing about a rape despite the fact that we knew the victim would either read or hear about the article.
Beyond the straight facts, a report that there was a rapist in the vicinity accomplished many tasks. It not only made members of the community aware of the attack
Laurel Burchfield
Reader's Rep
Iburchfieldkansan.com
but also warned them of possible dangers. The Sept. 10 article also gave information on how to minimize the risk of rape as well as who to contact in case of such a crime.
The editors and writers at the Kansan are aware that rape is often unreported because of the personal nature of the crime
Many victims feel alone and isolated after such an event and think they have no one to turn to. By letting others know they aren't alone, it is our hope that victims feel they too can report crimes against them.
The bold headline that accompanied the story is perhaps another matter.
Headlines are meant to be attention-grabbing and to the point, yet there is a way to be more subtle. Because the victim chose to remain anonymous, printing the location of the rape, and in this case, the probable location of the victim's residence hall, does seem important.
Again, it was not the intention of the writer to cause further harm to the victim. It is important to be as considerate of the people involved as possible. Most journalists
could focus more on the art of consideration, but too much sensitivity could mean leaving out important facts that could harm individuals.
Though rape is a personal crime, we as students have the right to know that there was a reported rape not only in the area, but also on campus and in a residence hall room after they are closed at 11 p.m.
The condolences of students, particularly those faced with having to put such a terrible crime into words, go out to the victim in cases such as this.
However, news has to be reported for the well being of all.
Burchfield is a Basehor sophomore in journalism, education and english.
TALKTOUS
Jay Krail
864-4854 or
krail@kanans.com
Brooke Hesler and
Kyle Ramssey
managing editors
864.4854 or
bhesler@kanan.com
and
kramsey@kansan.com
Laurel Burchfield
readers'
representative
864-4810 or
lburchfield.kansan.com
Maggie Koerth and Amy Potter opinion editors 864-4924 or opinion@kanasan.com
Amber Agee
business manager
864-4358 or
advertising@kansan.com
Eric Kelting
retail sales manager
864-4358 or
advertising@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson
general manager and
news adviser
864-7687 or
mgibson@kansan.com
Matt Fisher sales and marketing adviser 864-7566 or mtfisher.kansan.com
Matt Fisher
Call 864-0500
Free for All
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
This is to the fret boys that just told me I couldn't park in their lot because it's private. How about we fight for parking spots?
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I'm driving by 15th and Iowa, and I think it's
great that we're building all these new walls around this building that has basically no purpose at all at the Visitor's Center. So I think we should build enough walls to where we have like a fortress around that whole building, because that's what I want my tuition money to go to. And I think that's a really, really good thing.
seven-tenths of them would drown.
Is it me, or is there a small bee problem on Wescoe? Maybe we should not plant flowers that attract bees next time.
seven-tenths of them would drown.
Commercials for the hair remover called Nads, I skimmed the idea. To girls on campus with a hairy chin, feel free to put my nada on your chin.
seven-tenths of them would drown.
seven-tenths of them would drown.
seven-tenths of them would drown.
Did you know that the sperm bank won't allow you to go there twice in the same day? That sucks.
If everyone in the world would hold hands in a chain of love, peace, and harmony,
seven-tenths of them would drown.
Check this out. KK Amini Scholarship Hall,
11:30 every night, nude stretching in the
back window. That's right, N-U-D-E, nude
stretching.
The great thing about friends is they can never say "I just want to be friends."
homework, which I don't get, so I turn on the TV, right? I turn on Comedy Central. This show is so damn funny. Crank Yankers, have you ever heard of it? It is the funniest show; I'm sitting here laughing my ass off. I suggest everyone quit doing their homework and watch that show.
My roommate is taking me on Judge Judy, because he wants to take possession of my fish. He claims that I abused it. This isn't made up. We're really gonna go on the show, I think the Kansan should cover it.
homework, which I don't get, so I turn on the TV, right? I turn on Comedy Central. This show is so damn funny. Crank Yankers, have you ever heard of it? It is the funniest show; I'm sitting here laughing my ass off. I suggest everyone quit doing their homework and watch that show.
I'm just curious if KU knows that there are left-handed people here as well, because every classroom I go in, there are no left-handed desks. And I sit there cramped up and can't even take notes. Thanks, KU budget cuts.
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I'm sitting here trying to do my physics
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We're trying to name our cat. Any suggestions?
I'd like to know how we can be so sure that the skunk was rabid. Because if this guy doesn't know what a skunk looks like, I guarantee he doesn't know what a rabid skunk looks like.
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This is a shout out to all the graduates and all the professional students at KU, mad students and law, as well. You cool people make up about a quarter of the population, you rock, stay great.
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