OPINION
7A
MONDAY NOVEMBER 10,200
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Why I'm tired of hearing Republicans complain
I was at the Dole Institute for Ray Strother's last lecture on the election. An older gentleman sitting behind me, sporting a "Sarah 2012" hat, was more than visibly upset about Tuesday's outcome. The man shrieked about how Obama had used foreign funds and stole the election. He wants stricter restrictions on donating to politics, like donors have to Americans (they do) and the public should be able to find out who they are (we can).
To my fellow members of "the Jo" who are upset over the impending tax increase on their parents: Stop ignoring the financial crisis — we are in recession. Stop ignoring the needs of the people. There are those without food. Stop ignoring the needs of the world. The world needs hope.
To all the "high schoolers" who blame Obama for this economic crisis: You are ridiculous. You have all forgotten about
what a leader is supposed to do: provide hope and stability. Obama does that. The only way we're going to stabilize the market is by increasing aggregate demand, which means we need to decrease class disparity and obligate people to buy more perishable goods. Every time a stimulus package is aimed at the wealthiest for a trickle-down effect, it hasn't fulfilled either of those goals.
Reaganomics is over. Deal with it.
I am tired of listening to those of you who clearly did nothing to help/hurt either campaign. I did very little, but the Republicans I have heard complaining, I know did much less. Did you donate money? Did you donate your time? Based on the fact that I frequently hear about your latest romps at "The Wheel," I will assume no.
America yearned for change, and unless you tried to stop it got over it.
editorials around the world
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Americans reshaped their very history, born in freedom and slavery, by electing their first black president, in a gesture of reconciliation and redress that left many weeping with joy and relief.
What Obama means for America's image
In handing not only the White House but also Congress to the Democrats, they also rebuffed the powerful Republican neoconservative ideology that has dominated their political life since Ronald Reagan first won election back in 1980.
Bush's serial incompetence has badly discredited an ideology that was notable for its indifference to the United Nations and its preference for hawkish unilateralism; its conviction that small government, unbridled markets and tax cuts are the answers to every problem; and its massive defense spending.
This was America's
And, of course, Obama's victory marks a generational break from the long-dominant Boomer generation. Never again will a politician admit, as John McCain did, that he or she can't use a computer. And, importantly for Americans, Obama is of the post-Vietnam generation. That means the sterile old debate about where politicians stood for or against the war, with anti-war activist Jane Fonda or not has now become a relic of the past.
- The Toronto Star,
Nov. 5 editorial
resounding reply to Obama's call 48 hours before the vote: "I ask you to believe, not just in my ability to bring about change, but in yours."
Americans celebrated themselves, as an admiring world looked on.
World collectively breathes sigh of relief
It is over. A record long presidential election campaign and a lengthy power vacuum in the White House. The period during which President George W. Bush was counted out became unusually long.
It is probable that a lot of people sigh with relief today, even if they are disappointed with the result.
But soon the White House will have a new resident, so won't it all return to what has become so ingrained? Won't George W. Bush's extended powerlessness become a parenthesis in the history of Washington's always powerful men?
We cannot know yet. What we do know is that the lengthy vacuum in the White House has left traces all over the world: among bankrupt Icelandic banks, disappointed pension savers in Western Europe, among bombed out villagers in Afghanistan and among confined Palestinians in Gaza.
— Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm, Sweden,
Nov. 5 editorial
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
FROM THE DRAWING BOARD
MAXREINKEL
Why students should come out from hiding
Only 17 percent of the student body voted in the last Student Senate election. The fact that an overwhelming majority decided not to vote illustrates the problem of student political apathy. Student Senate has recognized that the current system does not inspire students to vote, and has created an Election Reform Committee to help address this problem.
The Election Reform Committee passed part of a bill to limit campaign activities before Student Senate elections. The purpose of the bill was to put a limit on the intensity of campaigning for the sake of the student body and of the candidates. The limits on cam-
paighing may also encourage more students to vote in Student Senate elections and potentially allow them to concentrate more on the issues.
Student political apathy cannot be solved with one simple bill or one campaign. However, Student Senate is taking a step in the right direction by attempting to lessen the intensity of campaigning. By putting limits on campaign activities, Student Senate has created a balance between suffocating voters with too much information and allowing candidates to still get their message out.
Campus political involvement should be a priority to students during their college careers. Many reasons exist as to why students do not participate in campus politics, and it would be impossible to address all the issues at once.
Not only will this bill improve voter turnout by lessening campaign activity, but the new legislation will also encourage candidates to spend less time on petty advertising and more on addressing student concerns.
Because candidates now have restrictions on campaigning, they will be forced to focus more on discussing issues and answering questions than on campaign slogans.
I hope this new legislation results in higher turnout numbers for the next Student Senate election in April. Student Senate has taken the initiative to help lessen student political apathy and although this new legislation will not fix the problem, it is definitely a good start.
However, one reason students might not vote is because they feel overwhelmed and annoyed by campaign activities, and therefore are turned off from voting.
Brown is a Wichita sophomore in journalism and political science.
How your rock collection could fix global warming
In the world's increasing desperation, environmentally friendly practices can get a little weird. Some people have taken reduce, reuse, recycle to the extreme and are happy to proclaim that they use only one sheet of toilet paper, and other environmentalists have given up on toilets that's use water completely.
But 1 found something that is potentially weierder.
BRAD BECHTEL @ FLICKR.COM
A study appearing in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences announced last Wednesday that the rock peridotite is capable of absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide naturally.
Now, 10 years after I threw my last dolostone back into the murky neighborhood lake where I rescued it, rock collections are back in vogue.
When exposed to carbon dioxide, peridotite forms calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate rocks. Researchers from Columbia University discovered the rocks in the country of Oman during an expedition.
Don't look for peridotite plus option at the gas station any time soon, though. How to harness this freebie to fix the environment is a geode still being cracked.
them into the rock.
This wouldn't be the first time carbon has been stored in the earth's cellar.
One possibility is to capture carbon emissions, transport them to the rock formations and pump
A common practice now is to pump carbon into underground aquifer, and a few years ago the Bush administration proposed capturing and pumping carbon dioxide emission into the deep ocean. Brushing our greenhouse gases under a coral reef carpet seemed like an innovative plan before considering the millions of organisms, some which we eat, that would suffer as a result.
Scientists think they could expedite the reaction process by pumping cool sea water into the hot underground rock. The water acts as a catalyst for the carbon reaction by fracturing the rock, which exposes more of the rock's surface to the atmosphere.
This would reduce costs of transporting carbon, and the naturally heated underground rock eliminates the need to heat the water beforehand.
Some think that the rocks could potentially absorb up to 4 billion
Enhancing nature may not be the most reliable solution to solving the climate crisis, though. Modifying nature for our own purposes has led to some inopportune consequences — I'm thinking of Velveta cheese.
tons of carbon per year, a sizeable portion of the average 30 billion tons produced yearly worldwide.
Yet, if this method works, it would provide a counterbalance to Oman's massive oil and gas production.
Peridotite is a mixed blessing. It is not a panacea for climate woes.
Our efforts should be definitely directed toward cutting back the impetus for making a carbon footprint, not wiping up our muddy shoes after the fact.
Peridotite will reduce the amount of carbon in the air. It can't regenerate the ozone layer or decrease global temperatures immediately, but it will unload a few of the bullets in the industrial gun aimed at our feet.
Oberthaler is a Wichita junior in English.
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Gas is $1.99. With all of the money I am saving, I am going to strip clubs and getting two lap dances.
I just found out the worst news ever. Sexy bus driver is going to leave to go tour with his hand
--bus.
--bus.
--bus.
What I would like for Christmas is the Bill Self Bowl, featuring KU and Illinois in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
The DDR machine is back up in the Kansas Union.
--bus.
If you insist on carrying every book you own in your backpack, please try and keep it out of people's faces on the
Rock Chalk Review notebook turn in = death before
--dog.
My roommate got really drunk and pooped on the kitchen floor and then tried to blame it on the neighbor's
--power of rock.
I just ordered a Shamwow. Do not hate me.
--power of rock.
I'm bleeding because a squirrel just bit my freaking leg. Patrick, be scared.
--power of rock.
If you want to have angry, Republican sex, come to
--power of rock.
I just wanted to inform you that my DUI cost $8,000,but Lawrence county jail has a delicious breakfast.
--power of rock.
To the girl who keeps shit ting on our floors: Stop.
To the spawn of Satan in Mrs. E's: Stop laughing.
--power of rock.
--power of rock.
Freshman 15? Try Freshman 4 because that is how much sleep I have been getting a night
Ryan is not lucky. Ryan is stupid.
--power of rock.
--power of rock.
The UDK: Coming up with lame T-shirts since 2007.
--power of rock.
Chapter 5; And the GDI retorted, "Evolution is progressive, not conservative."
--power of rock.
Free for All is on my speed dial
--power of rock.
"Rock Band" customer support is on my speed dial so that I can quickly order a new pedal after my other five snapped from the sheer
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