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EDITORIAL: Rep. Charlie Rangel's proposal to reinstate the draft is misguided, but it reminds us to always pay attention to our government. See kansan.com for more opinions and Free for All comments
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30,2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 7A
OPINION
》 OUR VIEW
A common complaint about young Americans is that we lack the civic engagement and activist bent of the preceding generations. Our attention to and knowledge of foreign affairs, for example, probably pales in comparison to that of our parents' though that may be a product of fewer large-scale foreign conflicts. So how, our elders wonder, are they to force us to become more involved in the actions of our government?
Efforts to encourage the participation and engagement of young people in both domestic and foreign affairs are based on good intentions. Our grandparents' generation showed what legions of committed fighters can accomplish in pursuit of a noble goal. However, Rangel's largely symbolic bill would encounter two main problems if passed.
Drafting all straw men
Enter Rep. Charles Rangel of New York. In what has become a yearly tradition, Rangel will again propose a bill that would require public service of Americans between the ages of 18 and 42. While the bill is geared mostly to encourage military service, it would provide alternate positions in the civil service corps. Rangel, a Korean War veteran himself, proposed a similar bill in 2003 that was overwhelmingly defeated, with Rangel himself curiously voting against his own bill.
First, we would see a massive increase in federal spending and
bureaucracy. The defense budget already accounts for a gigantic proportion of U.S. discretionary spending, and would increase exponentially if millions of new soldiers were added. The ensuing spike in federal employment, along with all the benefits and payments therein, would likely cause a strain on the national economy. Second, Rangel is overlooking the profound cultural shift required for draft reinstatement. Current students have grown up knowing only the concept of a volunteer military, and suddenly requiring service would be an unwelcome affront to many young people's concepts of liberty and career freedom.
If Rangel is serious about encouraging service and foresight, perhaps he should look inward. It has been suggested by some that if military service were required of legislators themselves, or of their children, they might be less cavalier about committing a volunteer military to a given conflict. A Congressman might think twice about approving military action if he had a more personal stake in the proceedings and outcome.
Students should not worry about Rangel's bill passing in the near future, but should heed the bill's intent. Taking a greater interest in public affairs must be a goal for Americans of all ages.
McKay Stangler for the editorial board.
GUEST COMMENTARY
'Hawk fans in contempt of court
I have always been very proud of jayhawk fans and think we are some of the best fans the Big 12 has to offer. However, this month I'm about as embarrassed as I've ever been with my own fan base. It all started after a victory against an unranked K-State football team to a handful of students tore down the goalposts. It continued when our basketball队 beat No.1 Florida in Las Vegas and fans stormed the floor. It's time to start acting like we've been there before.
However, the thing that is really disappointing was the home game against Dartmouth this past Tuesday, following the Florida game, when there were a good 2,500 empty seats. A good portion of those seats were student seats. The University has 28,000 students and we can't even fill the fieldhouse?
I know some students may have tests or homework but this wasn't the only game this season that has not been filled to capacity. Besides the opener, no other game has been full to capacity, thanks to the students. There is no excuse for this. We have the No. 5 team in the country and are known for having some of the best basketball fans in the nation. Just because the 'Hawks play a no-name team doesn't mean it's a free pass to not support the team. How do you think our players felt when they ran out of the tunnel on Tuesday, after winning the biggest game of their career three nights earlier, to an Allen Fieldhouse only three-quarters full!
Many of you students not showing up for these games are taking your tickets for granted, and if student attendance doesn't improve
I can almost guarantee you that Athletic Director Lew Perkins will cut back student seating next year and sell the tickets to the public. And he should. There are many people who would do almost anything to go to a Jayhawk basketball game but can't find tickets because the games are sold out most of the time.
Another disappointing trend is how many fans don't wear blue to the games. The majority of the students are pretty good about wearing blue, but as the season has progressed fewer students are wearing blue. How dumb does it look when a jayhawk fan shows for a game against the Dartmouth Big Green in a green KU shirt? I saw several. I'm not saying don't ever buy a pink or green KU shirt, but don't wear it to a sporting event. It just looks silly. Our colors are crimson and blue, not green, yellow, pink, orange or any other bright or creative color.
Almost every other school in the country has their school colors figured out. If you attend a K-State game in Manhattan, they all wear purple. If you attend a Nebraska game in Lincoln, they all wear red. It's preschool logic, really. That is where we learned our colors, right? Can you imagine how cool it would look to paint the Fieldhouse blue?
To the students who actually show up and wear blue, keep up the good work. To the students slacking, let's pick it up and make Kansas the best fan base in not only the Big 12, but also the whole country.
Grant Snider/XANSAN
GUEST COMMENTARY
Franti's lyrics window into war
A few rhyming bumper stickers does not an anti-war activist make. Today, youth proudly display bumper stickers that say things like "Buck Fush," or "You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace." For the 18-25-year-old demographic, it's cool to protest the war in Iraq. I'm not sure if it's the rumblings of rebellious youth testing the boundaries set by their parents, or if we really feel that war is wrong. Writer Rich Brooks of the Sarasota-Tribune Herald stated it perfectly when he wrote, "Without the threat of Uncle Sam taking away your freedom, today's college students don't have a stake in the Iraq war."
How is this demographic supposed to understand the war? One answer is to listen to Michael Franti and Spearhead's newest CD, Yell Fire. A year ago, Franti was just another singer angry with U.S. politics and the decision to invade Iraq. However, instead of writing a few hit singles about it, he decided to go to the Middle East. While visiting Iraq, Israel and Palestine, he didn't talk to politicians and religious leaders — he talked to the people. He talked to soldiers on both sides,
Reid Petty Liberal junior
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Franti's answer is that we're all human. Geographic boundaries, religions and skin tone may divide us, yet we're all residents on Earth together. In the song "Hello Bonjour," Franti sings, "Don't tell a man that he can't come here' cause he got brown eyes and a waxy kinda hair / Don't tell a woman that she can go there because she prays a little different to a God up there /
You say you're a Christian 'cause God made you / You say you're a Muslim 'cause God made you / Then we all kill each other 'cause God told us to?"
The war in Iraq has been connected to the Vietnam War, which had a strong youth anti-war following. However, those Vietnam War protestors were attempting to avoid the draft and create cultural change. In a society that has no draft but does have political apathy, why should youth be expected to care about the war?
According to the London newspaper The Guardian, "The Bush administration's response to its critics in the entertainment industry has been to portray them as pampered liberals out of touch with ordinary Americans." So while artists can benefit by filling a niche market for anti-war music, Franti took on the task of relating emotions of distrust, anger and fear on a human level for all listeners to understand. He offers a voice and a conscience to a generation that has never been held responsible. Yes, there are 18-25 year-olds who are anti-Bush and anti-war, yet cannot find Iraq on a map, or believe the Gaza Strip to be the name of a steak. However, Franti's music presents a vivid picture that may influence followers to become activists.
Tasha Riggins is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism.
In the song "What I've Seen," Franti sings of things that aren't seen on the 6 p.m. news: "Razor wire on the street, every corner / 90 degrees at six in the morning / Run like mad just to make a connection / Pack what you need for your own protection." Showing, not telling, Franti puts listeners as close as he possibly can to the Iraqi position.
TALK TO US
"Love Enough," in which he asks,
"What language are your tears?"
Franti doesn't use political terminology that most cannot comprehend. He likens Iraqis to Americans by inextricably linking us and them. The end result is an "other" with a shared understanding. How many of us have been to the Middle East? Most of us don't have that human connection to the war-torn area, particularly Iraq. By making a multitude of connections between the two cultures, Franti attempts to break down the distance barriers. An example of this is in the song
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Franti views war on a human scale. He doesn't give numbers of bodies. There have been an estimated 655,000 Iraqis killed as of this July, according to a study done by Johns Hopkins University. Imagining 655,000 units of anything is hard enough — imagining 655,000 bodies is even more out of Americans' realms of imagination. Putting a face with the cause creates a relationship between the cause and the activist. Franti attempts to build that connection for his young fan base. He's the pied piper of peace for the youth music market.
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansas editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
went into war-torn neighborhoods and talked to the people affected most by the invasion.
Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser
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are recorded.
It's really slick outside, ladies and gentlemen, so you'd better watch your feet when you're walking.
You don't really know how much it sucks to be on crutches until it rains and your crutches fall out beneath you.
To the girl who fell on the front steps of Sigma Kappa: You made my day.
"Yield" does not mean "stop," you jerks.
Smokers should have to smoke in the rain.
Hey, here's a math problem for you: Inconsistent play-calling, plus Adam Barmann, plus several blown leads, equals a non-KU
I had never wanted to watch a women's basketball game until Kelly Kohn came to KU. Kelly, will you marry me?
Julian Wright, where were your socks?
Somebody needs to get rid of that opossum that was smiling at me outside of Anschutz.
To all you drivers: You really can spray people with puddles.
bowl year.
you man
To the person who called me an
idiot for supporting the president:
Your symbol is the jackass. What
does that say about you?
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GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
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EDITORIAL BOARD
1
Jonathan Kealing, Erick R. Schmidt, Gabriella Suza, Frank Tankard, Dave Ruigh, Steve Lynn, McKay Stangler and Louis Mora
3