OPINION
7A
MONDAY OCTOBER 13 2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ASSOCIATED PRESS
How can Jesus belong to the Republican Party?
I grew up in a very religious family. I was taught from an early age the values of Christianity. My family is very Republican. A few months ago we went out to dinner, and the conversation turned to politics. After I voiced my view, I was asked how I could be a Christian and support Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Why do many Republicans think God belongs exclusively to their party? I vote mostly for Democrats because I am a Christian and support the values that the church and Christ preached.
Christ preached a message of peace and love. According to the Bible, the apostle Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of one of the mob. Jesus healed the ear and told Peter to put away the sword. He said that if you live by the sword, you would also die by the sword. Christ, even in His defense, did not want to use warlike behavior.
That is why it was wrong to support the invasion of Iraq. The Democrats know we will be perceived as a warlike country in the international community. That will be our undoing.
Christ also preached of what is called in the King James Bible "charity". Charity is the main focus of the Democratic Party. I can think of no larger demonstration of Christ-like love than to make sure that all people, regardless of social status, have access to good healthcare. A Christian should have no problem paying a little more in taxes to make sure that all have access to healthcare. That is the self-sacrificing part.
Christ is also pro-choice. One of the biggest gifts God gave us was the ability and right to make our own choices. One of the ways that we prove to Him that we love and follow Him is to make the "right" choices. If you do not think abortion is right, then that is fine; don't get one. But you still have the right to choose.
Republicans need to stop thinking that God is their exclusive property. They make that claim when their policy, at times, goes against everything that Christ taught. It is as if they claim God as a political move to get votes. Democrats do not flaunt their Christianity. They let their actions speak. I am a Democrat because I am a Christian.
— Jeremy Riggs is a senior from Lawrence.
COMMENTS ALREADY ONLINE
@KANSAN.COM
Jesus is not a politician
Is Jesus a Republican? No.
Jesus does not support the Republican National Convention or the Democratic National Convention. The ancient Romans were also religious. Even satanists are religious. Religion is a hobby. It is something you do in your life. In contrast, following Jesus Christ is a "way of life." Everything else is a side bar
Is Jesus a Democrat? No.
Is Jesus pro-life? Indeed.
Abundantly so.
Where does Obama stand on this type of murder?
- excerpted from a comment by don1
Jesus also told the rich man who came to him that for him to get into heaven he would need to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Just like Joe Biden gave 0.2 percent of his income ($380 a year) to charity over the last 10 years, but calls for massive tax increases to fund social programs he himself obviously isn't giving to. The Obama-Biden tax plan calls for the highest tax rate to be right around 40 percent, but at least we'll be funding all these great "Christian" social programs. In the spirit of every liberal here I say, "Don't push your beliefs on me."
Please don't forget that more than 70 percent of Congress voted for this war too, including many of our "Christian" Democrats.
I agree Jesus was no Republican, but don't tell me I should be a Democrat either.
— excerpted from a comment by em1
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Why campus should keep going'trayless'
Eliminating the use of trays is just one way the University can make an effort to protect the environment and to save money.
Going trayless is just one small sacrifice students should make in order to yield large environmental benefits. I urge the University to eliminate all trays in on-campus dining facilities, which will perhaps decrease the amount of garbage a KU student produces a week.
If trays aren't available, students become more conscientious about how much they throw away. Using a tray subconsciously urges an individual to cram as much food, napkins and soda as they can on it. With the absence of trays, students will begin to take only what they need and stop wasting what they don't.
The average American produces about 4.4 pounds of garbage a day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This amounts to 29 pounds of garbage a week from only one American. In an effort to reduce waste from school cafeterias, KU Dining Services is urging students to try it travels.
Humans produce waste, but very few of us realize just how much garbage we are responsible for.
The incredible decrease in the amount of waste is just one reason Dining Services should make the absence of trays permanent in all dining facilities.
The decrease in food wasted will also be an increase in money
KU Dining Services conducted an experiment by eliminating trays in campaferias. Students produced much less trash when they did not use trays compared to when they did. Total liquid waste was reduced by 53.6 percent, food waste was reduced by 38.2 percent, and paper waste was reduced by 12.6 percent during the experiment, according to The University Daily Kansan.
saved. If less food is being thrown away, less money is being wasted. KU Dining Services will not need to purchase as much food as it has in the past, because it will not have to account for all the food that was once tossed out.
Brown is a Wichita sophomore in journalism and political science.
The University, as well as Americans as a whole, should do their part to preserve the world that we all share. The first step to decreasing our effects on the environment is to understand it.
The results of this experiment should alert students to the consequences of their choices.
Has Gardasil actually conquered its enemy?
Gardasil commercials convince me I can be my own athletic doppelgender. The actresses engage in agile activities that my clumsy limbs envy — skateboarding, jump-roping, shooting hoops — as if they received a 2-for-1 insurance deal for liquid steel along with the Human Papillomavirus Virus vaccine. But are these Olympic goddesses really protected from cervical cancer?
Since its introduction two years ago, Gardasil has been hailed by many as a miracle drug. Time commitment is negligent: A patient receives three shots over six months. Users have reported only mild side effects, such as skin irritation and pain after injection.
related deaths among women. Its price tag at $360 seems to be the only drawback. Not everyone, especially the uninsured, can afford such expensive nether regions.
Not bad sacrifices for a drug claiming to prevent the second most common cause of cancer-
Maintaining sexual health is an individual choice. However, women should strive to be "one less" ill-informed drug user, Gardasil requires continuing scrutiny both from the FDA and potential buyers. The real vaccine we need is against being blind consumers.
The drug works only if you haven't been exposed to HPV before or during the vaccination process. A pap smear is necessary before receiving the shot if you are sexually active or frequently use public toilets of questionable hygiene.
However, the lurking danger of Gardasil is women treating it as a "Get Out of jail Free" card.
Clinical trials conducted over a five-year period did not span enough time for cervical cancer to appear. Although the tests showed that the drug may prevent vaginal lesions from HPV that can lead to cervical cancer, we cannot confidently say that Gardasil directly prevents it.
Gardasil prevents against only two types of HPV. These types account for 70 percent of cervical cancers cases, but not all. According to The New England Journal of Medicine, suppression
But the real kicker is Gardasil's longevity is still questionable. The drug has only been on the market for two years, and the FDA admits on its online Gardasil fact sheet that protection time and long-term side effects are not yet determined
of these strains may encourage other mutations of the virus to flourish. Overestimating Gardasil's effectiveness may give a false sense of security and deter women from testing for HPV and cervical cancer regularly.
The shot is intended to last a lifetime, but the drug has only been studied for seven years. When will we know if a booster shot is needed, when a vaccinated woman contracts HPV or cervical cancer?
Oberthaler is a Wichita junior in English.
editorials around the nation
Federal legislation prompted by a spate of food safety scares, some of them deadly, took effect recently. It will require labels identifying the country of origin of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, meats and frozen produce. Seafood origin has been labeled since 2005.
Why we need to know where food comes from
Food and other goods from some countries have been the source of so many incidents that the mere mention of the country's name can cause alarm, as in the case of China.
Although the country-of-origin label might unfairly taint some harmless goods, consumers have a right to know where food was produced and where decide for themselves.
Although this law is a good beginning, more can be done.
Given a choice between apples grown in China and those grown in upstate New York, many consumers might prefer the latter, even if they have to pay more for them.
Education, tighter food handling rules and other precautions are needed to prevent food-borne illnesses. To do so would require expanding the role of the Food and Drug Administration, which often finds itself reacting to outbreaks
JEFF KEEN @ FLICKR.COM
instead of preventing them.
The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.
Oct. 2 editorial
To contribute to Free for All, visit Kansan.com or call 785-864-0500.
I was having a good day until
I sat down at my desk and it
said "I hate Asians."
Are we still getting slushies?
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Three thirty in the morning and I am not the last one out of the design lab. You know what, I deserve to be a well paid engineer.
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There is a frat dog barking outside my door.
Pakistan is not considered a part of the Middle East.
Kick his ass, Seabass
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FIFA'09 is going to be so fun
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I just saw that Gabriel Iglesias was coming to KU, and I am orphaned.
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Is it bad that I based my Halloween costume off a racist South Park joke?
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I must admit I love a Missouri Tiger. And quite frankly, I'm proud of it.
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What's up with all the pot-heads smoking and crouched down behind Ellsworth? It's out of control.
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Dear hot Pita Pit delivery guy, you should ask me out.
I just watched a squirrel try to hide an acorn on a concrete
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Why do you make me start drinking at 9 a.m. for an 11:30 game? This is going to be fun.
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I'm at the game, and I'm so thirsty. I'm about to die of hic cups. I need a beer.
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I have Park Place. Let's be half millionaires and best friends.
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Fellow students: Please do away with the "Rip his fucking head off chant." It sounds like something jean short-wearing. Mizzou fans would say.
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I hate it when friends don't call after they said they would.
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SafeBus was the highlight of the night!
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