4A the university daily kansan
opinion
friday, September 19,2003
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Free 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.
For more comments, go to www.kansan.com
I'd like to say that there has been 12 fire drills in Ellsworth. That is where I live. Today I go eat lunch at Mrs. E's and there is a fire drill there. That is the last straw.
I think that it sucks that the second floor of Templin is all guys. I am officially inviting any women who want to come down to hang with us.
--perspective
perspective
Is it sad that I just programmed the Free for All phone number into my cell phone?
Is it bad that the people in front of Ellsworth scare me and I live there? I just wanted to know.
I have got a secret to tell. I am the campus masturbator.
I have got to have my cow belt, baby.
So I would like to say that my friend is a dumbbass. She left her keys in her car with the lights on and everything. You have got to love those dumb blondes.
I think I just saw Blue. He looks glorious.
-
--perspective
Oh, Richard.
I support our country's troops in Iraq. I believe the best way that we can support them is bringing them the hell home.
团
Pink is my favorite color. It is the color of love, the color of sex, the color of fun, the color of excitement, and most of all, the color of strawberry ice cream.
There is about 10,000 really hot girls at this University and not one of them is interested in me. It pisses me off.
ResNet is trying to drive me crazy.
Why does the window always hurt? It has window pain.
I am poor white trash. I would really like to write an opinion article and give my perspective on life.
Is it just me or is Janet Reno the ugliest woman alive?
If McDonald's sold bologne
wandhouses instead of hamburgers,
would people still eat there?
Here is to sex with no babies.
I am just calling to let everyone know that Tapanga is gonna be in Lawrence Saturday night to be promoting her new movie with some guy from Sandler and some other rampage people.
Relaxing walks gives peace, health
COMMENTARY
Sometimes, when I was a freshman living in Oliver Hall, I'd find myself going on miniature pilgrimages. They were only sort of pilgrimages, because I wasn't filled by a deep religious yearning. But when college life seemed to ramp up to an almost audible thrum, I just knew I needed to walk.
just knew I needed to wake.
I remember I'd trek across the then larger-than-life Allen Fieldhouse and then turn to the west so I could watch the sunset on Daisy Hill. I remember soaking in the sights and sounds of the campus in early evening — wind passing through the leaves, a couple of joggers lost in their own world. Then after walking up the hill, if it was a clear day, there was an almost mystic pleasure in sitting down on the bench in front of Hashinger Hall and watching the diffuse purples and reds of the sun fade into the night.
Patrick Cady opinion@kansan.com
To me, walking into the early evening was a perfect way to relax after my days. I think the simple phrase, "Keep one foot in front of the other," should be a new mantra to those who are stressed by school and feel the waves closing in on them.
The act of placing one foot in front of the other and feeling the rhythm of movement can focus the mind if it's reeling from a tough question. Going out for
fresh air or a change of scenery can also soothe a moment of burning exasperation or blinding anger.
Apart from the psychological benefits of walking, the physical benefits are undeniable. First, regular walks can improve the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, making it easier to live and breath. They also help the physique and can be a relatively safe way to lose weight.
Sometimes, it's best to share the joy of a stroll or walk. Walking with friends could be equally soothing when problems arise, if not better. Many times, the walk could lead to shared experiences and lasting memories. Also, going for a walk is a great tool for getting to know someone for the first time, because no matter what, you will always have the common ground right in front of you.
Another reason I think the restless
wandering spirit called to me is because the campus itself is filled with beautiful paths. The lush lawns surrounding the campanile are crisscrossed with sidewalks that lead almost anywhere you would like to go. The choppy waters of Potter lake and the weeping willow seem picturesque, and in the right situation, very romantic.
The buildings also seem to breathe with history. In Bailey, Helium was discovered, and in the early 80s, John Lithgow watched the world end on the steps behind Budig for a television miniseries.
If the campus isn't enough, almost the whole of Lawrence seems like a limitless treasure trove of places to walk. Even sights on a short trip to Massachusetts Street would yield shades of bohemian lifestyle, shameless capitalism, and bizarre curio shops that display fossils in their windows.
Lawrence also has acres of idyllic parks available for the enjoyment of both humans and their pets. I think the winding paths of South and North Park are particularly suited to a casual stroll.
Even though walking can lead to a healthier lifestyle, it is important to know, especially at night, to be as safe as possible if you are walking alone.
Cady is a Shawnee senior in journalism.
Animals discriminated by genetic code
The story of freedom in this country is one of slow progress toward eventual equality. As we have moved forward through time, so have Americans tried to free more and more people from whatever keep them from liberty.
African Americans, women, people of various sexual orientations and others have all fought for political equality, with varying degrees of success. The advances of these groups are admirable, for no being deserves to live under the oppression of another. Yet, we all consistently deny liberty to an entire class of beings: non-human animals. Animals should be extended certain political rights, including a right to life. Denial of a right to life for non-human animals amounts to genetic discrimination.
COMMENTARY
When we think about discrimination, genetics does not come readily to the minds of many people. The difference between a woman and myself is genetic. The difference between myself and someone with a darker or lighter skin tone is genetic. It is fairly well-supported that even my sexual proclivity has a genetic origin. Why is it wrong to discriminate against those different from myself? Because it is wrong to discriminate on the basis of genetics.
Matthew Dunavan
opinion@kansan.com
Animals are different from me only by the makeup of their genetic code.
The difference between a turtle and myself is greater than the difference between my roommate and myself, but it is a matter of degree — not a difference in kind. Why should degree of genetic similarity make a difference? This only opens doors to other forms of discrimination.
demonstration:
Some on this campus have actually defended the practice of killing animals on the basis that "they're tasty."
It seems ridiculous to say that we should kill a being because it makes us happier.
kill a being because it matters.
Others have said that denying animals a right to life is acceptable because of their intelligence. But many animals, such as ravens, pigs, gorillas and some parrots, have intelligence levels above those of human infants and those who are severely mentally disabled. Most people, though, would think it's OK to kill a hog before a
Some religious people justify the denial of rights to animals because humans have souls. If we presuppose the existence of souls, this might be a powerful argument. But, it hasn't been even 150 years since the religious community has been torn by questions of whether non-white humans had souls. For centuries, even women were not seen as beings with that divine spark that would give them natural rights. How can we be sure that animals are excluded?
human child
This pernicious species-ism is as deeply rooted as was sexism and racism two centuries ago. If we value freedom, we must listen to and truly hear the words of William Ellery Channing, a strident abolitionist: "How plain is it, that no man can love liberty with a true love, who has the heart to wrest it from others!"
If you value freedom and liberty,you must either put the interests of nonhuman animals on equal footing with those of your family and friends,or find reasons to deny that liberty to beings on the basis of their genetics.
basis of their genius.
As for me, those reasons are hard to find.
Dunavan is a Topeka senior in political science and philosophy.
Jennifer Wade for The University Daily Kensan
editorial board
Don't buy prejudiced store's mindset
In its Sept. 4 issue, The Pitch published a disturbing account of several employees' disillusionment with their former employer, Abercrombie & Fitch. The basic theme of the article was that the company operates with a single "qualification" for its employees: good looks.
Supporting this method of hiring is supporting a shallow mindset. Purchase a sweater and you automatically stand behind the mindset.
beyond the intrigue. Abercrombie & Fitch's "qualification is probably somewhat unremarkable, particularly given the sway the retailer holds over student-friendly fashion at the University of Kansas. However, according to The Pitch and the author, Ben Paynter, Abercrombie goes beyond the everyday scope of looks-based hiring.
store leader to hire store employees. Egregious as these offenses may be, an accusation of racial discrimination could turn out to be the retailer's real crime. According to Paynter, a class-action suit is being brought to bear against the company by more than 200 employees (mostly Asian and Hispanic) who feel Abercrombie & Fitch discriminated against them in hiring and scheduling because they did not fit the company image. It would be unfair to draw conclusions about the merit of the suit before it is heard in court, but the accusation does not appear altogether unfounded.
scope of looks.
It is quite obvious that many businesses consider looks in their hiring. Abercrombie, however, seems to have refined this practice into a particularly brutal form. According to Paynter's anecdotes, Abercrombie & Fitch is a company that throws an application from an "undesirable" candidate in the trash without even a cursory glance at her qualifications, a company that hires admittedly dumb (but "hot") people just to stand by the door, and a company in which an upper-level manager orders a store leader to fire a "brace face."
Admittedly, Paynter's article is based only on the experiences of four Kansas City area employees. However, it would seem unlikely that anyone of a rational mind is going to come forward to defend the company as a bastion of acceptance and tolerance for all forms of human beauty. We all know what image Abercrombie stands for, and the company is harasser than is acceptable in the pursuit of that image.
Purchasing merchandise from a company is a tacit approval of that company's practices. If you are a customer of Abercrombie & Fitch, read the article on the archives of pitch.com and follow the racial discrimination lawsuit. Form your own opinion about the chain, and vote with your feet.
Matt Pirotte for the editorial board.