OPINION
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2004
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
EDITORIAL
Students must be aware of international tragedies
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Imagine that you are walking through a gym. On the floor are dozens of black and clear body bags which contain the bodies of children — many charred beyond recognition — waiting to be identified by their parents.
Sound like a movie? Sadly, this story is not fiction. The parents of at least 156 children killed in Beslan, Russia were forced to do just this on the afternoon of Sept. 5. The deaths were the result of a terrorist siege of Middle School Number One which began on Sept. 1 and lasted just over 48 hours.
More than 20 armed Chechen and foreign rebels were associated with the siege. The takeover ended with mass confusion. The terrorists detonated explosives and shot fleeing hostages.
In the end, at least 323 hostages were killed, along with 26 hostage takers and 10 Russian Special Forces Troops. More than 400 more were injured, many seriously.
international events. Look at this situation objectively. No one in this country would deny that the Columbine school shooting in 1999 was a tragedy. In that shooting, 15 students died. The killers were students at the school, and were among the dead.
Many KU students are not even aware of the tragedy. Other students know about it but do not realize the true weight of these international events.
and were among the more than 23 times that many people perished in Beslan. The perpetrators were linked to international terrorists.
final terrorists. Far too often and perhaps subconsciously, American citizens take
the position that if it doesn't happen here then it doesn't matter at all. This type of thinking is completely irresponsible. People across the globe offered sympathy on Sept. 11, 2001 and many nations shared the pain of the United States.
During the past months, Americans focused on the Democratic and Republican conventions.
ventions.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world experienced one of the most violent times in modern history. Separate terrorist attacks in Spain, Russia, Iraq, Israel and other nations have killed hundreds.
As college students, the Beslan siege and other terrorist attacks should play an important role in our immediate lives.
our immediate lives. The importance of global awareness continues to increase.Many of us will visit foreign countries or work abroad. For our safety and success we need to be globally aware.
More immediately, students need to be aware of current events on a global scale in order to make an informed decision on Nov. 2. John Kerry and George Bush have very different positions on terrorism and international relations.
international relations.
If students only know what is happening in Lawrence, they are not fully qualified to vote.
not tiny quantities.
Watch the news and learn about
the world. It is your civic duty. It is
part of being an American.
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and beat the everloving crap out of each other. It's fun!
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Please quit putting my roommate's stupid comments in the paper. They've never been funny.
I love how the protesters on campus refuse to identify themselves in their pictures. I love the fact they think enough of their opinions to be a nuisance to everybody else, but they don't think enough of them to stand up for what they mean.
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回
This is to that guy who dressed up like George W. in front of Wescoe: He needs to get a job.
length, or reject all submissions. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 200 words and guest columns should not exceed 650 words. To submit a letter to the editor or a column, e-mail the document to opinion@kansan.com with your name, hometown, year in school or position and phone number.
Here's a tip: If you and your roommate are having trouble starting your papers which are due tomorrow at 2:30 in the morning, just put on some Andrew W.K., go out in the hall.
length, or reject all submissions. Letters to the editor should be no longer than 200 words and guest columns should not exceed 650 words. To submit a letter to the editor or a column, e-mail the document to opinion@kansan.com with your name, hometown, year in school or position and phone number.
Molly from Naismith: It's Matt. When can I take you out to dinner?
Does the KU Wrestling Club actually exist?
Because I haven't been able to get a hold of anybody. Found out they wrestled on Tuesdays, went up the Rec, went right where they told me they had it, and there was nobody there. What's up?
STAYSKAL'S VIEW
I almost got hit by a guy in a moped who was wearing the matching colors of his moped.
I would just like to say that not all the girls in Elsworth have blonde hair and they don't all drink Diet Coke.
Man, I just saw a police car parked in a handicap spot. That's messed up.
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Save some change for United Way
Ah, football season. That marvelous time of year when, despite the team's successes, many KU fans realize we are still seen as a basketball school.
So what is it, then, that keeps Lawrence students and residents coming back? KU First shirts? That strange thing some call...spirit?
Nope—Concessions
COMMENTARY
Nope—Concessions.
Those of you who've attended a football game know what I'm talking about. Halftime hits and you tell yourself you just need a quick trip to the bathroom. Straight to the john and then back. No $4 nachos for you.
nachos for you.
Then, the smell hits you. Glorious nacho cheesiness wafts toward your nose, beckoning you towards the concession stand. What's a few bucks, anyway? Visions of chips dance in your head as you hand over a fiver to the guy behind the booth, bathroom trip all but forgotten. He smiles, you smile, you grab your nachos, turn, and—
Would you like to donate your spare change to the United Way?
change to the Church. Guilty. The smiling, blonde, much too cheerful girl sticking a bucket toward your face has caught you red handed. She saw you buy the nachos, she saw you take the change, and she knows you're hiding a wadded up one in your fist. The nerve! Is she honestly asking you to fork over your last dollar?
KATE JENSEN opinion@kansan.com
Yeah, she is.
Yeah, she is.
You see, that girl and others like her sitting just outside the concession stands know something you don't. The money you donate to this mysterious thing called the United Way goes a lot further than your $4 to nachos ever will.
The United Way is a not-for-profit national organization dedicated to raising funds for other non-profit agencies doing great things within and for their community. Douglas County has a United Way branch, which raises funds for over a hundred agencies in and around Lawrence such as the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Pélathé Native American Resource Center.
Yeah, that girl is asking you to donate your dollar. Maybe you don't, but she knows your dollar will go directly toward helping feed a family that's run out of food, educating a child.
transitioning a homeless person off the streets and into a job, or sheltering a woman who's run away from an abusive spouse.
sive spouse.
That girl knows you don't have a lot of money. She knows what it's like to wake up in the morning, yank on holey socks and ratty jeans, slam down a breakfast of 7-day-old mac and cheese, and ride to class on a duct taped bike. But she also knows that one dollar to you, or to her, doesn't make that much of a difference.
One dollar from you and 15,000 others like you can make a difference.
My astute readers have probably figured out by now that the "girl" of mystery is me at the football game. Don't worry, I won't think any less of you if you stop by my booth, shrug your shoulders, and say you're sorry but you can't donate anything. We've all got our own reasons for the decisions we make, so I'll say thanks and wish you a nice day anyway. But if you've got a buck, a couple of quarters, or even a dime to spare, take a look for the girl or guy with a tireless smile asking—
Would you like to donate your spare change to the United Way?
We'll be happy you stopped by
Jensen is a Minneapolis, Minn., senior in math, Spanish and international studies.
Celebrities help mobilize public
People are bombarded daily with messages about the strengths and weaknesses of candidates in every election, both local and national. The importance of voting is also being driven into the ground, but surprisingly not by the politicians. Rather, celebrities are taking the lead in the voting campaign, further blurring the lines between entertainment and politics.
POLITICAL COMMENTARY
SARA ZAFAR
opinion@hansan.com
ment and politics.
The spectacle at the end of the MTV Video Music Awards is one recent example of the mixing of entertainment and politics. In case you missed it, the mega-hit band OutKast took the stage as red, white and blue balloons rained from the ceiling. Members of the audience held signs resembling campaign signs. The band rapped, the crowd cheered and the whole event resembled a political convention.
During the same event, the daughters of John Kerry and George W. Bush took the stage to encourage people to vote. They tried to de-emphasize party lines and focus on the issues, but the audience response was mixed.
With all the hype over the Republican and Democratic conventions, it is interesting to note that these conventions were the lowest rated ever on television. It seems the public is no longer interested in hearing the candidates, their running mates, spouses, and children taking the stage and touting the greatness of their party, or why
their husband or father is the best choice for president. In fact, the public in general is rather jaded about the whole political process.
whole political process. It is this jaded public attitude that is motivating many celebrities to take front stage and encourage people to vote. While several do not represent specific political views, or support one party over the other, many others do.
In 2003 the Dixie Chicks made several negative comments about the Bush administration at a concert in London. Susan Sarandon, Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck are among the celebrities who openly support the Democratic Party, while Kid Rock, Bruce Willis and Britney Spears advocate for the Republicans.
TUESDAY, SEI
Debate circles around the power of celebrities to influence the public. Many argue that simply because someone is a pop star or a renowned actor, their celebrity should not increase the value of their opinions, or validate
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They wear ribbons, wristbands and buttons to advocate awareness of abuse, cancer, hunger and other causes.
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abuse, cancer, hungers. Election years always bring the majority of citizens to the peak of their political awareness. Celebrities are much the same. Similar to the average citizen, some are more informed than others, and some have much more basis to their opinions. They should not be discouraged from using their fame and status to state what they believe.
status to state when they are Celebrities are a phenomena ingrained into American society. They have significant influence on the public, whether or not they admit it. They should be commended for their efforts to mobilize the public away from their jaded political state, not discouraged simply because of their status.
simplify because the responsibility of the public is to discern which issues and opinions match their own needs and concerns. If they happen to become aware of an issue through a celebrity's speech, then so be it. People still must make their own decisions, and look into the issues themselves. An informed public is still the best avenue towards improvement and change.
Zafar is a Wichita senior in history.