OPINION
7A
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29 2008
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Slattery supports students' interests
United States Senate
The election between incumbent Pat Roberts and challenger
Jim Slattery features two choices: the continuation of old policies that are unjust, irresponsible and that have ultimately failed the American people or change that relates to what our generation seeks.
Roberts is the
The choice is clear; Jim Slattery.
Senate in 1997 is extremely conservative. He is radically anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion rights. Roberts has shown complete dis-
symbol of an outdated mentality that has failed to sufficiently address civil rights problems. His record since being elected to the
regard for our civil liberties by endorsing government wiretapping and deplorably refusing to prevent torture and the suspension of habeas corpus of detainees.
Slattery
Roberts sided with the Bush administration on the mishandled war and the fight against terrorism, and he has refused to acknowledge any mistakes by taking a strictly partisan stand.
between the rich and the poor.
Finally, he has failed to develop an economic policy that is responsible toward the majority of the population. He is a strong supporter of the Bush tax cuts. If the past years have shown anything, it's that trickle-down economics has increased the gap
Slattery is not radically different than Roberts ideologically.
It is also
but he offers a moderate shift to positions that are more consistent with what America needs.
He is in favor of a responsible withdrawal from Iraq — an occupation that doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
refreshing to see Slattery propose a move toward universal healthcare coverage, a view that has increasingly become more popular as the plight of uninsured Americans is revealed. He also advocates a just and responsible economic policy that would benefit the middle and lower classes
Roberts may still have a stronghold in Kansas because of his cultural conservatism. But, by looking at Lawrence, we can see that those positions have the potential of becoming less popular, because our generation has, for the most part, supported women's and gay rights.
By virtue of being a college town, Lawrence provides some insight to the political changes that may come as a new generation steps into the civic arena.
Roberts' past decisions have tainted his record, and he clings to old mistakes without acknowledging that change is necessary. Slattery provides us the opportunity to construct a better society that is closer to what we as college students and the future of the country, hope it to be.
Patrick De Oliveira for the editorial board
Boyda has shown genuine progress
U. S. House of Representatives, District 2
There may be two women running for the 2nd congressional district, but the similarities
stop around there.
Incumbent Nancy Boyda and challenger Lynn Jenkins differ significantly in their positions.
Boyda
Boyda has
accurately represented Kansans, but Jenkins would adopt the failed positions that the Bush administration clings on to.
Jenkins has yet to directly inform voters of her position on Iraq, but she gives no reason to suggest her stance would be any different than Ryun's or Bush's.
Jenkins appears to be the logical, "fresh" GOP answer to ultra-conservative Jim Ryun's failed reelection bid, but she essentially promotes the same failing stances on energy and taxes. She is in favor of drilling offshore and in ANWR, in addition to permanently extending Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations.
Boyda addresses the issues that are most important to Kansans: the economy, national security and low healthcare coverage. Boyda takes the clear stance that our troop levels in Iraq should be reduced as soon as possible and that their presence in Iraq makes our national security more vulnerable because it reduces the level of readily deployable troops in the case of an emergency.
She wants to simultaneously promote small businesses and healthcare coverage by allowing small businesses to band together to provide lower rates. She wants to bolster government coverage with Medicaid and Medicare while cutting taxes on medical expenses.
America is facing a serious financial crisis. More than 40 million Americans do not have medical insurance. The current administration has overextended its troops to fight wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
America is suffering from too many problems to gamble on representatives without set visions for solving the issues.
Ray Segebrecht for the editorial board
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Déjà boo: Feeling I've seen this crap before
Let's take a look at what's been playing in theaters this fall. A platter of unique picks includes a sequel to a lame animated children's flick, another installment of 007's infinite career, a film adaptation of the latest teen fantasy series and a movie based on a video game. Hm, those sound familiar.
I have nothing against Daniel Craig as James Bond. Quite the contrary. But while watching this fall's previews, I can't stop myself from thinking that I've seen them all before. I tried to talk myself out of my déjà vu, reminding myself that, like snowflakes, no two movies are exactly alike.
For instance, the titles are always new. The "V" in "Saw V" helps to remind us that yes, there were only four previous "Saw" films, even though it seems like more. Even "Madagascar" added a nice "2" to its name to save us confusion.
There are differences. Subtle ones.
Among the other exciting innovations is a biopic, which, like all its relatives, seems to be about a David vs. Goliath struggle for truth and justice.
The main character is the guy who invented intermittent wind shield wipers. How cool is that?
Ultimately, I had to face it: Hollywood is running out of ideas. Maybe it hasn't quite hit bedrock yet, but boy, are we scraping the bottom of the barrel. Fortunately, I found a solution.
The rest of this year's "new" films cover a variety of topics. Well, two: WWII and the apocalypse.
During a debate about whether we had actually seen a movie being advertised or just one like it, a friend discovered the answer: Hollywood
needs a hiatus. The government, the MPAA or near-comatose audiences should demand that the industry just take a break.
Creativity, which I will lead, will evaluate proposed films. Anything particularly outstanding may be allowed to start production before the year ends.
It's a win-win situation, really. All those concerned with cinema production get to take one year off from work to formulate ideas.
We're already doing that any way.
And I mean real ideas, ones that actually haven't been done before.
Otherwise, the industry will be frozen while those brains tick away. I hope this genius plan will result in new life and credibility for the movie industry. If it doesn't, I will turn to Bollywood.
A Committee for the Conservation of Cinematic
Some may find this difficult. Any actors, directors or producers not inclined to participate can do charity work (with the exception of writers, who during this time will receive salaries equivalent to the combined revenues of Brad Pitt and Angelina Iolie).
But I almost forgot, what will audiences do without new movies for a whole year? We'll watch reruns, of course.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Blankenau is a Lincoln, Neb,
sophomore in journalism.
Your field guide to USDA organic labels
The day I decided to eat organic is the day the grocery store became a personal hell.
Capitalism ensures that we have options for every last thing that we buy. Here's my standard decision-making process.
First I run the numbers: 16 ounces for $5 or 12 ounces for $3.50?
And then I factor in the time constraint. Can I eat 16 ounces in two weeks or should I pay more and have a solid month before expiration?
And there are always a few miscellaneous considerations. Can the masterminds of marketing sway me with their fancy jar? Does the recycling center take this kind of plastic? Wait, was this the one that tasted a little like hazelnuts?
When I added the factor of certified organic versus all natural versus local, I'd be gone so long my roommate was left to wonder whether I was grocery shopping across the street or in Nebraska.
Eating organic means putting fewer herbicides and pesticides into my body and into the earth. Food is healthier when it isn't genetically modified or exposed to radiation.
OK, simple enough. The hard part comes when you walk through those automatic double doors.
USDA Certified Organic is a label I'm noticing more, and it's often coupled with higher prices. That's probably because the process to become certified can be
expensive.
The label tells you that the product is approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. The place it was produced, the ingredients it contains and the practices of the company who made it all meet USDA standards.
The company has to pay a fee for certification, too, and some of this ends up on its selling price.
That's not to say that the label is a guarantee that these products are good for you. Their environmental effects vary. The food could contain synthetic pesticides that are still on the land from previous uses where food is now organically grown.
The couls and maybes drive me bonkers, but here's what's certain: "USDA Organic" tells you the product contains 95 percent organic materials and the other 5 percent are on an approved list. The USDA label "Made with Organic Ingredients" means at least 70 percent is organic and then there's "USDA 100 Percent Organic," which tells you it's the bomb.
all natural was better than nothine
When my budget stretched as far as it was going to go, I figured
Turns out, that's not always true. To the USDA, the word "natural" means no artificial ingredients, added coloring or heavy processing. Whole grain corn is natural and healthy, but refined into high-fructose corn syrup. it's more difficult for your body to process. Because it came from a plant, it can be described as all natural. Add weak oversight to the equation and you'll find that all natural doesn't tell much of anything about the product it describes.
Stress takes years off your life, so adopting my shopping habits won't get you anywhere. The take-home advice is this: Certified organic can be meaningful to you when you shop and all natural deserves less weight in your decisions than the fancy jar.
If the guesswork bothers you, the farmers' market is a perk of living in Lawrence. If you have a question about how the product was produced, ask the farmer.
English is an Overland Park junior in journalism and economics.
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Girls are as unpredictable as the weather, only hotter.
Hey Free for All, I was just wondering if you knew if it was acceptable to say "quef" on television?
The lady in the tampon commercial just said "uber absorbent."
Do you think that if I refuse to sell Uggs to people at my job I would be fired?
I convinced my black friend to go tanning with me, and she got sunburned.
I was just reading that someone was in love with a stripper, and now I'm wondering if I'm that stripper.
OK kids, you don't need to take the 23rd and Louisiana bus to go to Oliver. Save that space for those of us who actually need to go off campus.
I saw Charlie Sheen at a party the other day. He said he was pledging Phi Psi.
--online is sick. Call me if you want me to feel better.Here are a few comments I've vomited up from my online past.
I just saw a giant dead cockroach on the second floor stairs of Strong, and I'm pretty sick now.
We just burned a ouija board and saw the face of Satan.
--the Free-For-All?
Why does online Free for All blow?
Papa Kenos, yeah!
Yeah, I do know you love me.
Why would someone say they were going to kill themselves on Free for All? I mean, its not like anyone knows who you
Wow, a bunch of emos have invaded the Free for All. Why don't you guys just write it all in a diary and leave it out of the Free-For-All.
---
So much heaviness.I say, dance naked.
Love is real. There is no doubt Be positive, Stay positive, and love will find a way.
It's cause love comes when you least expect it. It's not a lie.