WEDNESDAY,SEPTEMBER4,2002
4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2002
FACE-OFF
Big business in small towns
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. This section should help students to understand both sides and make better decisions 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, or email opinion@kansan.com.
A population of 80,000 needs new supercenter
"Rivalship and emulation render excellence." Adami Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776.
Adam Smith, an economist who died 172 years before Sam Walton erected the first Wal-Mart, understood more about economics than many people in this town do today.
Plans are under way to build a 200,000-square-foot supercenter at the corner of Sixth Street and Wakara Drive. Many residents are already up in arms, ready to fight to the death to keep Lawrence boxed within its Shantyville, small-town glory.
"Lawrence will become just another generic city." they cry.
"It will drive out the small-town businesses," they protest.
According to 2000 census data, Lawrence has a population of more than 80,000 people and is the sixth largest city in the state. That's hardly what one would call small-town numbers. Lawrence has the area and the population to support not just one but two Wal-Marts without similar businesses getting lost in the shuffle.
Indeed, if the independent dealers think Wal-Mart's undertow would sweep them away, their best option is to do as Adam Smith encouraged so many years ago: Rise up to the challenge and beat Wal-Mart its own business. Rivalry creates excellency, and perhaps service everywhere will improve through the supercenter's creation.
Shopping at Wal-Mart does stimulate the local economy. The money spent there comes back to the town through
If someone still wishes to support only local businesses, then do it. You vote with your dollars. Don't shop at the new Best Buy. Don't chug an espresso from Starbucks. Don't grab school supplies from Office Max or push your cart down the aisles of Hy-Vee. By the way, did any groups protest the latter two businesses as they did the first two, or are faceless corporations only evil in certain circumstances? If enough people agree on the issue, then the companies will learn their lessons and close up shop.
both services and jobs. Do robots man the registers? No, your fellow Lawrence residents are now employed and contributing to the community.
That hasn't happened yet, which says people really do enjoy the convenience, despite all the protest. They enjoy it so much they're willing to travel miles away from campus, miles away from local businesses, just to shop at these chains.
Places in town offer items people cannot get at a supercenter. Some businesses sell cheaper merchandise than one can receive at corporate HQ.
If the supercenter sells products no one else does, and I need those products, you'll see me in the check-out line of Wal-Mart, items in hand. To do otherwise only hurts the protester.
There's room enough for everyone in Lawrence. I vote for both Wal-Mart and the local shops. I vote for excellence everywhere.
Dan Osman dissenting
New store unnecessary, harmful
When I found out there are plans in the works to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter on the northwest side of Lawrence, I was all for it. Imagine doing my banking, buying fresh vegetables, and getting my shotgun oiled all in one place.
Not to mention at everyday low prices.
To question such a cultural icon would be like an Amish man chucking his beard and buggy or KU asking if basketball is really all that necessary. Why, you ask, would any town not welcome the Super Wal-Mart family to their home?
The truth of the matter is that Wal Mart is not good for Lawrence.
Wal-Marts, especially Super Wal-Marts, destroy local businesses and, in general, would take more out of Lawrence than they would leave.
Just ask the several thousand pharmacists who have sued Wal-Mart.
According to an Aug. 12 article in the
Denver Post by Louis Aquilar, these pharmacists were victims of the dark side of Wal-Mart.
They lost their businesses to Wal Mart when the stores moved in and they were forced to work long hours with no overtime.
Our local businessmen deserve better. Wal-Mart has also participated in the export of jobs to other countries at a time when the unemployment rate in this country is around 7 percent.
Although Wal-Mart wraps itself in patriotism and flies a huge old glory outside, it sells American flags made in Vietnam inside.
PERSPECTIVES
As consumers, we should be concerned about what we buy and where it is made. American consumers have influence, and it can and should be used positively.
Lastly, is Wal-Mart's innate ability to take a unique place and homogenize it.
The current location at 31st and Iowa could be in Overland Park, Aurora, Illi-
nots or, worse yet, Columbia, Missouri. Lawrence has a unique atmosphere and architecture and we should not assign it to the trash bin just for the privilege of buying Spider-Man underwear and shotgun shells under the same roof.
Maybe it just doesn't matter to most people where their toothbrushes are made or who fills their prescriptions. Perhaps most people would trade the local independent businesses for a '2 for the price of one' special on dancing bears made in China.
But if we allow another Wal-Mart in Lawrence, we cannot honestly bemoan low wages, the irresponsibility of corporations, or the abandonment of downtowns by their populaces.
If we say "yes" to another Wal-Mart, we are giving our approval to variety, to everyday roll back prices, and to morally cloudy practices.
Katy Birge for the editorial board
Women's commission much more than feminist stereotype
How many of you young strapping boys and girls purchased the Playboy issue featuring the women of the Big 12? I, myself, never saw it and quite truthfully don't intend to. But that doesn't mean that I didn't plenty about the girls, the poses and yes, even the piercings. On top of all that, I heard even more of the old argument of women's rights, both the right to expect more than to be looked at as a sex object as well as the right to want to be nothing more than a sex object.
The University of Kansas has a different organization for each race, ethnic group, lifestyle and sex represented on campus. And each group has a voice, though only a few of those voices are heard beyond the walls of the meeting place. I attended a
meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women last week and learned that this group has a voice much louder than I had expected.
Let's face it, women's rights groups tend to be labeled that dreaded word—feminist. The actual definition and connotation of that word varies by the person. Some see it as the ultimate evil in today's society, others see it as the ultimate goal. I admit, even I tend to place the word radical directly after feminist, and I'm a woman. Truly, though, feminism is nothing more than "the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes," according to Webster's.
The women's commission takes an active role on campus by hosting a women's conference in late October, creating events
READER'S REP
Laurel Burchfield readersrep@kansan.com
to celebrate Women's History Month, recognizing outstanding women through awards and participating in the everyday issues of women on campus. And amazingly enough, nothing that I could see about this group was radical in the slightest. The few women involved had simple, logical goals that with a little time and effort reall
could be achieved. A man even attended!
There was no male bashing, no requests to
give KU women extra privileges and hardly
one comment over the Playboy issue.
Kathy Rose-Mockry advisor for the club and program director for the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, said women have the right to do what they want. Rose-Mockry neither criticized nor glorified the models of the magazine and said she only hoped women understood that they had the ability to do more than just pose naked for a magazine.
To say the least, this light attitude shocked me. I thought that foremost among the haters of Playboy would be a women's group. But as Rose-Mockry pointed out, equality is a woman's destination, and how can anyone consider that goal to be radical? Though each member of the group had her own opinion on Playboy, none of them thought it important enough to talk of, not when they could concentrate on more constructive topics.
Each group at KU has its own story, and the Commission on the Status of Women has one of passionate goals, not radical hopes. The group will be meeting at 4 p.m. every Tuesday at the Kansas Union. The members encourage anyone, male or female, to come to a meeting full of ideas for equality on campus.
Burchfield is a Basehor sophomore in journalism, education and english. She is Kansan Readers' Representative.
TALKTOUS
Jay Krahl
editor
864-4854 or
krahl@kansean.com
Brooke Hesler and
Kyle Ramsey
managing editors
864-4854 or
bhasle@kansan.com
and
kramsey@kansan.com
Laural Burchfield
readers
representative
864-4810 or
lauralburchfield@kuanan.com
Maggie Koerth and Amy Potter opinion editors 854-4924 or opinion@kasan.com
opinion@kansan.co
Amber Ages
business manager
864-4358 or
advertising@kananse.com
Eric Kotting
retail sales manager
864-4358 or
advertising@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson
general manager and
news adviser
854-7687 or
mgibson@kanan.com
Matt Fisher
sales and marketing
advisor
864-7666 or
mfi.fisher@okaneaar.com
Free for All
Call 864-0500
rree 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.
I was walking down my hall at Oliver, and I see all these fine women living around, and I just wondered, where was the box at enrollment that had five fine women laying in my room, 'cause I missed checking that off. Thanks.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com.
Ok, if I get it on by another frat boy, I cannot
be held responsible for my actions.
So what's up, is this Breaky Four Fingers guy back in town yet or what?
newspaper to be better than the one produced by the professionals, but in you're case, I'd have to say it's true. Thanks a bunch.
So I'm standing there at the bus stop, with my transfer ticket, having no more money on me to be able to get a ticket later, and the bus driver passes right by me. Right by me! I wave at the driver, he's like "hey!" waves back, and keeps driving! I hate the bus system.
I decided, forget the bus, forget it, I'llwalk, I will make it home on time, no big deal, I can do it.
So what happens? I'm walking down the street, someone throws a shoe at me! A shoe! Out of a car I mean really, who throws a shoe?
newspaper to be better than the one produced by the professionals, but in you're case, I'd have to say it's true. Thanks a bunch.
Anyone like apples? Anyone? Anyone? Well,
Jimmy Fallon sucks, how do you like those
apples?
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I wanna know why the hot guys are at Fly Vee, and which one they're at, because I've been to both, and just don't see it.
You know it's rare in a town for a college
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My roommates and I just made three runs to the Hy-Vee tent sale to buy four dollar cases of sora. Is 24 cases enough, or should we go again for more?
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Hi, if you lost your books in the Kansas Union,
there were three books, I found them and
turned them into the lost and found at the
Kansas Union at the Hawk Shop, so you can
go there to pick them up. Thanks.
I just called the people who left the books at the Kansas Union and how I turned them into the Hawk Shop. In actuality they've been turned into KUPD and are at the KUPD office, so if you lost three books at the Kansas Union today, KUPD office has them. Thanks.
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Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the
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BEN
So, you want to become a lion?
If I could have sex with myself, I wouldn't,
because I'm not gay. There yea. go.
world?Eeeeeeeeeeeeehhh.
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I'd really like a call phone, because I'm at the Royals game, and a call phone who should be good right now.
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I'd just like to welcome all the sorority girls back to the party scene and remind them that real man come from Iowa.
I'm in LiteDraw right now, and our nude model is breast feeding her baby in front of the entire class. What's wrong with this picture?
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Here's tomorrow's headline: Drunk Guy Gets Drunk.
I think I just saw myself in a commercial on the Entertainment channel. I shouldn't have gotten that tattoo before Spring Break.
Froshman are wide-eyed, confused,
and wondering. Help me, I am lost.
镭
Mysnowconesreally suck.