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BEAK the HEART
SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE
MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017 | VOLUME 134 ISSUE 04
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
▶ WESLEY DOTSON
@WesDotsonUDK
Self says Kings 'a great place' for Frank Mason III
Self said he thinks Mason's mentality will
OPINION
KANSAN.COM
Lenz: Kathy Griffin deserves backlash
▶ JARED LENZ
@jared_james11
Humer often is used as an escape from the seriousness of real issues we face in the world today. At their best, successful jokes can ease the pain from hardship or tragedy. At their worst, well, we all saw what happened when Kathy Griffin made the decision to tweet a photo of herself holding Donald Trump's bloody, severed head.
I am arguably one of the most lenient individuals in the world when it comes to whether a joke is appropriate or not. I am not here to tell people what they can or can't joke about. Griffin's attempt to make people laugh is different for a number of reasons.
First off, in order for something to be considered a joke, it has to be funny on some level. Or, at the very least, has potential to be funny. What is remotely humorous about our president's head being severed?
I may be going out on a limb here, but if your head is severed from your body, you are probably going to die. I think. I will get back to everyone on that.
Regardless of how you feel about Trump, do you actually want him to die because you disagree with him on different issues?
There is a vast distinction between making a joke in real time, i.e. live-tweeting your reaction to a real-world event, responding to a reporter at a press conference, etc. versus what Kathy Griffin did.
Griffin conceivably planned the whole thing out. One day, she decided she was going to make this attempt at humor, then organized the photo shoot, reviewed all the photos and still thought, "you know what, a picture of our president's bloody and severed head would truly be captivating and awesome."
This was not an instance where she said something she didn't mean in a heated moment or got her words tangled up. She had ample time to make the decision whether or not the tweet should be published.
Next, instead of putting out the fire, she poured gasoline on it.
Griffin, the same woman who publicly fantasized about murdering our president, held a press conference to announce that she is actually the victim in this situation.
"A sitting president of the United States and his grown children and the first lady are personally, I feel, trying to ruin my life forever," Griffin said in the press conference.
She continued by saying she was being bullied, and that she believes her career is now over.
Don't you just hate when people say you are being disrespectful for posing
with an ISIS-like photograph of the president's severed head?
I am going to be honest, I am at a loss for words on what to say. Is she actually being serious? The victim card has gotten really old.
In no way, shape or form is Griffin the victim here. She brought all of this hate upon herself. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the repercussions that may stem from comments of poor taste.
In the press conference, Griffin stated she would never hurt a child. This is contradictory to what she said in an interview with Vulture magazine in 2016.
"I'm happy to deliver beat down to Donald Trump — and also to Barron," Griffin said in the interview with Vulture. "You know a lot of comics are going to go hard for Donald, my edge is that I'll go direct for Barron. I'm going to get in ahead of the game."
Her edge is to go after an 11-year-old boy? I am casting my ballot now, Kathy Griffin is heading to my Comedic Hall of Fame.
But, hey guys, maybe this was another one of her hilarious jokes.
Whether you're Trump's biggest critic or his biggest supporter, I think we all realized something. Trump is
Illustration by Gracie Williams
still a human being. He has a
an 11-year-old boy.
Kathy Griffin absolutely deserved the backlash she received for this. She is no victim.
Jared Lenz is a junior from Andover studying journalism and finance.
P/T workers needed for veg farm and/or farmers market. Call 842-7941 leave message with exp.
Robertson said, shows the need for a community like this one.
"We've talked about it over the years but never had a sense that there was a particular interest or need yet. When it began to percolate from the students, before it was mostly our staff wondering if we should do it," Robertson said. "Finally it was our students saying, 'Hello, we want this,' and that's when we're going to act on it."
The work group, spear-
"Having a single room was cool, but it did suck that I missed the opportunity to live with a roommate all because I couldn't find someone who was open-minded," Wantling said. "Especially because once I got to KU I met a lot of open-minded people that said, 'Oh, I would have lived with you had I
year. Wanting's year in Student Housing was a good one spent in a single room at GSP, she said, but getting there wasn't easy.
tance.
"I had a lot of people turn me down just because of my sexuality," Wantling said. "I had one girl who said, 'My mom doesn't want me to live with anyone that's gay,' and another one that was like, 'Well, my boyfriend might have a problem with that.'"
The creation of the GIH wing, Robertson said, is one step toward removing hurdles like those faced by students
SEEDORM PAGE2
MCKENNA HARFORD
@McKennaHartford
Editor's Note: This story is the third in a series of stories looking at the way concealed carry on campus will look once it goes into effect July 1.
Each new semester brings a new round of syllabuses, but this semester professors will include a new added section of information that addresses concealed
carry on campus. As the University prepares to shift to an environment where students are legally allowed to bring concealed handguns to class, this will be just one of many preparations.
In response to the arrival of concealed weapons on July 1 as a result of a 2013 state law, professors are taking steps to adjust their teaching style, class content, office hours or even seeking employment elsewhere.
Aerospace engineering professor Ron Barrett Gonzalez, president of the Kansas chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said this is because many faculty members are concerned that concealed carry will have a chilling effect in classrooms.
"I know a nontrivial number of faculty members who are changing their syllabus.
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OPINION...3
ARTS & CULTURE...4
SPORTS...6
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