OPINION
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,2004
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
EDITORIAL
www.kansan.com
Mud-slinging ads detract from individual ideologies
George W. Bush is an intelligent man, and John Kerry served America
George W. Bush is an intelligent man, and John Kerry served America courageously during his service in Vietnam. Don't try to tell that to the party faithful, though. They're too busy making sure they'll never have to hear anything that challenges their beliefs by gobbling up a steady diet of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. Or they're occupied with the latest jokes about just how dumb and childish the reviled "King George" is.
There is just not enough time for a substantive policy debate. Don't even think about attempting an intelligent conversation on the values and ideologies upon which our political differences have arisen.
It is cliche by now to note that America has not been this politically divided since the Vietnam War era. Look at the protests during the Republican convention, close standings in the polls and the existence of "W" ketchup for confirmation of the gap that exists today.
Despite all of the negative attention it has received, the wide gap between the parties may not be the worst trait of politics today.
That dubious honor ought to go to the negative, ugly tone that has reached new heights this year, and the accompanying focus on highly irrelevant stories of sensation and scandal. Certainly negative campaigning has a long history in American politics, but the current brand is practically inescapable and backed by hundreds of millions of dollars. It isn't healthy.
Not only does it distract from the substantive policy and value debate, but it also frightens some of
the nation's best and brightest from entering the political fray.
If a war hero like John Kerry can be hit so viciously and effectively by flat-out lies about his service in Vietnam, then imagine what they could do to a qualified person who might have skeletons in their closet related to drugs, alcohol or sex. Many lives and careers have been ruined because of negative politics, and fewer are choosing to subject themselves and their families to it.
The vicious tone, combined with the gap between the parties, has also led to a significant decrease in political moderation.
Moderates such as Sen. Joe Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) have been jeered more vocally by members of their own parties than by their opposition. Party loyalty has defeated the truth.
In countless classes at the University of Kansas right now, students are learning about the ancient Greeks and Romans who valued moderation, civility and an eternal quest for truth and justice. Those people would no doubt be horrified by the state of politics today. There has probably never been a better time to study these texts.
Heed their call. Don't be afraid to challenge your own beliefs. Dive into a scholarly examination of the values and policies on which the candidates differ. Take a stand on what you believe instead of spouting the party line on everything.
And above all, tell those negative campaigners to "shove it!"
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All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One: Never underestimate your opponent; expect the unexpected. Two: Take it outside; never start fighting inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. Three: Be nice.
There's a Juggling Club? Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?
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This is the Grammar Police! You are under arrest for subject/pronoun disagreement between "someone" and "their" in the editorial "Grammar Police can take a break." Just so you know: The Grammar Police never sleep.
We salute you, Mr. Motorized Scooter Campus Rider. The way you weave strategically in and out of the busily moving students as they look on in envy. "Should I give them a ride? No, I just fly by." Here's to you, Mr. Motorized Scooter Campus Rider.
图
My professor was recorded saying, "mmm,
um, okay" 67 times last Friday because of
his word-filler choice.
There's no swimming in my show.
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(In Strongbad's voice) Everybody, this party's about to get crazy. Go nuts!
Roots rock reggae.
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Diversity learned best on campus
Arrah Nielsen's Aug. 25 column, "Diversity promoters misguided," agitated many readers. Nielsen argued that the University of Kansas over-emphasizes diversity on campus.
Her column was misguided, but it still has educational value.
NOT UNHEARD OF
I joined the opinion page to bring a new perspective to diversity on campus. My little corner of "Diversity Territory" includes disabilities and related issues that are relevant to the University. More than 50 million Americans have at least one disability, and they should not be ignored or demeaned — offenses Nielsen committed in her column.
Nielsen's column provides examples of thought errors and insensitivity, from which all students can learn.
TARA SCHUPNER
opinion@kansan.com
First, Nielsen offers a quick fix-it to increase diversity on campus: "Hire blind bus drivers."
This suggestion is an example of what not to say. Demonstrate the quality of the education the University gives you, and make politically correct and sensitive statements. Imagine if one of your parents, or even your employer, was blind or otherwise disabled, and act accordingly.
Second, Nielsen questions the necessity of diversity education in college. She said it could wait until students enter the workplace.
It is never too early to learn about diversity — including how to interact with people with disabilities. People do not wait until they get a job to acquire a disability. There are people with disabilities in the public school system and at
the University who do not deserve to be ignored and shunned until they enter the workforce.
A college education does not include just academics and Partying 101. Take advantage of the other opportunities the University offers and learn how to work with people with disabilities. It will benefit you in the long run, as well as impress your future employer.
"Students are here at KU to learn new things," said Kim Bates, the Interpreter Coordinator in the University's Services for Students with Disabilities Office. "So, if they willing and open-minded to relationships with people with disabilities, that can only enrich their lives."
Third, Nielsen argued "there is no empirical evidence to support [the Office of University Relations'] claim" that "diversity enriches the educational environment greatly."
Nielsen has a narrow and skewed viewpoint. She forgets, or neglects to consider, the benefits of diversity in education to minorities, such as people with disabilities. Part of why disabled people can receive a college education
is because diversity is fostered on the University level.
Just 50 years ago, many disabled people had no access to higher education. If I, a deaf person, had been a college student then, I would have no interpreters. Others could not navigate campus because ramps and elevators were not mandatory.
Because of the hard work of open-minded and sensitive individuals who promoted acceptance of disabilities — the same people Nielsen slams in her column — the federal government passed legislation including the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, which required schools to make their campuses accessible.
Twenty years later, matters have improved but a large gap remains. The 2000 Census found that, though more than 21 percent of non-disabled Americans ages 18-34 are in college, less than 15 percent disabled people in that age group are college students. Also in that age group, more than 86 percent of non-disabled people have a high school diploma. Less than 74 percent of people with disabilities graduated from high school.
To close this gap, the University should embrace diversity. The University is not just for non-minority Kansas residents, but for every individual who wants an education regardless of their disability or minority status.
Schupner is a Lenaea senior in journalism and English. She is deaf.
Education is readers' responsibility
When I moved a few weeks ago, I wrapped my ceramic mugs in copies of the summer Kansan. As I separated the sheets and stuffed them into boxes, I was struck by the irony of packaging my breakables with not just paper. I was padding my stuff with news.
The realization made me question how seriously I regard the Kansan's news. Do readers really gain knowledge from our paper?
PERSPECTIVE
BECCA EVANHOE opinion@kansan.com
Newspapers, in theory, have a noble purpose. Adair Lara wrote the following in a 1999 article: "A 19th century Irish immigrant named O'Reilly called the newspaper 'a biography of something even greater than a man. It is the biography of a DAY. It is a photograph of 24 hours' length, of the mysterious river of time that is sweeping past us forever."
I doubt many readers view the Kansan as a photograph of the mysterious river of time sweeping past us forever. Most would probably agree more with George Bernard Shaw that a newspaper like the Kansan "is a device unable to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization."
The extreme viewpoint is that the newspaper is a fundamentally flawed medium. In Neil Postman's book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public
Postman argues that the flashy, sensationalistic headlines and pictures with snappy cutlines are simply attention-grabbers. No real "learning" takes place.
Discourse in the Age of Show Business, he asserts that newspapers are only for entertainment value.
Newspapers are designed to be convenient summaries of daily happenings. Readers want something to read over their morning coffee. But it is a problem when readers assume a single article is the full story.
Another problem arises when readers don't read *the news* in the paper.
An April study by the Readership Institute of Northwestern University showed that people ages 18 to 24 about the age of most KU students are attracted to lifestyle stories and features
like home, health, food, fashion, recreation and science. Oh, and advertisements.
If you only read the Jayplay section and the Free For All, the fact that you're not learning about other news stories isn't our fault — it's yours, buddy.
This dichotomy between those who point fingers at the media and those who blankly fill out the crossword, can be remedied.
The reader and journalist must meet halfway.
With the upcoming presidential election, it's too important to just keep reading the ads while ignoring the news. Use newspapers for what they are — a tool.
Regard media coverage as a jumping-off point. Ask yourself what questions the article leaves unanswered, and further research those issues that most interest you. Ask yourself what the bias of the medium is. Read several stories on the same event in different papers.
Readers should hold journalists to high standards of integrity — but journalists should have similar expectations for the readers.
Evanthoe is a Dorby senior in chemistry and journalism.