THE UNIVERSITY MARY KANSAS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7. 2008
KANSAN
7, 2008
NEWS
3A
reeting the m in
action "ultility" in the room in search
POLITICS
The Constitution sells for $21
BY JESSE TRIMBLE
jtrimble@kansan.com
How much is the U.S.
Constitution worth? Not quite $21,
by eBay's gauge on a listing last
week.
Andrew Gray, a KU alumnus, said he originally decided to list the Constitution because he was disgusted with the $700 billion ballout and other actions of the government and wanted to find a way to express his opinion.
Gray said he assumed he would get some laughs from his friends and that would be the end of it. But the next morning, Gray's "Constitution" had 300 hits with responses from as far away as England.
"The listing has provoked phenomenal and positive responses," Gray said. "Apparently, I hit a couple thousand nerves, and it has made me feel better as an American."
Gray said he discussed political issues with friends, which led him to post the satirical listing.
"My friends and I were talking about which amendments have been abused the most," Gray said. "We thought about the Fifth and the 10th, but then I also thought about the Fourth and how it relates to your right to be left alone and determine your own destiny."
Gray said when listing the fake Constitution, he modeled the listing on the writing style of Jonathan Swift, who wrote "A Modest Proposal," an essay considered to be one of the best examples of irony.
The listing was bought by a resident of the United Kingdom.
"It's despairing to know that the U.S. Constitution is only worth that much. And to be bought by someone in the United Kingdom, to boot," Gray said.
Allison Koehn, McPherson junior and political science major, said a fine line divided the satirical and the serious.
"I think it definitely works to grab the attention of students," Koehn said. "'The Daily Show,' 'The Colbert Report,' those shows have
all worked to get the attention of young people."
But, Koehn said, satire like Gray's couldn't be interpreted as being true all the time.
"As long as people realize he's just someone trying to express his frustration, it's not something to get overly worked up about," Koehn said.
"Satire is the best way to provoke thought," Gray said.
Gray said after posting the listing, six different Web sites picked it up, including digg.com, as well as radio stations in Topeka.
He said he thought eBay would have taken it down within an hour. Instead, more than 2,800 people visited the listing before it sold.
Gray said he jokingly told the buyer not to pay him actual money, but rather with Euros or goats — which he said might soon be more valuable than the U.S. dollar. He said he planned to print an online version of the Constitution and send it to the buyer.
"I planned on signing the back John 'Big Daddy' Hancock," Gray said.
Donald Worster, professor of American history, said statements like Gray's have not been uncommon. In the Civil War era, he said, those fighting against slavery in the South sometimes burned copies of the Constitution in protest.
"The very Constitution he mocks gives him the freedom of speech to do such a thing," Worster said.
Worster said that he shared the same opinion as Gray. It has not been unheard of for politicians to abuse power and the Constitution, he said. Worster said the Constitution must be left open for interpretation.
"The Constitution shouldn't be considered religious," Worster said. "It wasn't written by the hand of God. It was written by man and can't be treated as a holy and sacred document."
Gray said he had no plans to list anything else on eBay, but he ioked
eBay listing
The following is the description from Gray's U.S. Constitution listing:
"America is having a fire sale! We've dusted off all our old documents we're not using anymore and this includes the U.S. Constitution. Due to the forced bailouts of private companies by the U.S. taxpayer we can no longer afford the storage of our documents. Our loss can be your gain!"
Written in 1787 and drafted mainly by James Madison, it is now only on display as a quaint relic. Notice the detailed handwriting presenting the noble concepts conveniently ignored by the Federal government. Use it as a patch to block cold wind from blowing in! Have it be a conversational piece in your home! Use it as a bookmark! Don't like the 10th Amendment? Forget about it and write your own! The possibilities are literally endless. Act now and we will throw in the Federalist Papers for free! Shipping is free! No refunds and no returns. Trust us, we don't use it anymore! Please pay in EUROS only since the dollar will soon be worthless. Or an alternate method using the Biblical bartering system. Goats accepted."
that some parts of the United States could still be sold.
"I was driving past Yellowstone National Park the other day and thought to myself, 'Wow, that's God's best workiwork. I could make a shitload off of that.'"
Edited by Lauren Keith
Kansas Basketball Preview Coming Monday Oct. 13th
Presented by: THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
Leadership change rejuvenates group
BY BETSY CUTCLIFF bcutcliff@kansan.com
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Stephanie Goings, second from left, president of KU Model UN, was one of nine U.S. students to participate in the Asia Pacific Model United Nations Conference in South Korea.
The revamped KU Model United Nations team is pushing harder than ever to spread awareness of global issues on campus in the wake of last week's closing of the 63rd United Nations conference in New York City.
This year the club has adopted a new point system,has positions open to take competitors to national conferences and plans to host a high school conference for area students.
Stephanie Goings, Cerritos, Calif., senior and president of KU Model UN, said she hoped to put an end to the team's roller-coaster participation in national conferences.
"I want to bring awareness about global issues and how to solve them back on campus," Goings said. "This should be a program that will be sustained throughout the years because of the huge role the United Nations plays in international relations."
Goings was one of nine U.S. college students to participate in the Asia Pacific Model UN Conference this summer. She said she hoped to bring some of that experience to the University's team.
Goings' trip to the Republic of South Korea was her first time outside the United States, but not her first Model UN competition. She has competed in conferences in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. More than half of the participants of these conferences are international students, according to the Model UN Web site.
Simulations similar to Model UN began in the 1920s to imitate the League of Nations and open dialogue and debate on international issues. When the League of Nations dissolved and the United Nations formed in 1945, collegiate teams began calling these simulations and competitions the Model United Nations.
Conferences occur several times a year in different regions of the U.S. and all over the world,
attracting bright college students to engage in open debate. Each competitor represents a designated country, and students must work together propose solutions to an ongoing international crisis.
While in South Korea, Goings said she made friends with students from all over Asia as well as from Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
"The one thing that inspired me about the students I met was that they all desired to make a global impact with their careers after they graduated, regardless of what their major was," Goings said.
Brian White, Lenexa freshman and vice president of KU Model UN, said the Model UN experiences were priceless for students who planned to be involved in global issues after college.
"You're put in a better position to get a job in an increasingly globalizing world," he said. "Anyone planning on an international career, like international business or political science, will benefit from the knowledge they gain about the issues facing the world."
Goings said that it was an especially crucial time for students to understand the issues in the world, especially in light of widespread ignorance of certain current events.
"The other day I was talking to a professor about the crisis in Georgia, and he laughed and told me most of his students were confused because they thought everyone was talking about the state," she said.
Goings said she hoped the team's new adviser, Leonard Kristalka, professor of geology, and new student leaders could help the KU team step up in the national competition. Topics this year focus on the economic situation, human rights issues in African countries and the issue of nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea. The team will represent the Republic of South Korea in an annual conference sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16.
Edited by Becka Cremer
Highlight Events
Register to Vote every day from 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. | Wescoe Beach
Debate Watch: "The Final Debate: What Do the Undecideds Think?" Wednesday, October 15th. 7:30 p.m.| Dole Institute of Politics
For a complete list of events visit www.doleinstitute.org or stop by the Institute