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EDITORIAL: Voting may seem like a quaint idea in today's lobbyist-dominated political world, but it's still a way to honor the people who made it possible. See kansan.com for more opinions and Free for All comments
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 5A
》 OUR VIEW
Despite sour climate, voting still a civic duty
There isn't much excitement about voting these days. Gone are the days of marches and protests aimed at securing the right to vote for all. The primal excitement of having a direct say in government is largely a thing of the past. Instead, we have growing disillusionment among young voters, more influence placed on donations than votes, and new voting machines based on suspect technology and advocated by transparent partisans.
So why vote? Can anyone really argue that the act of checking a box has the same degree of influence as a mammoth contribution from Altria, Exxon or Wal-Mart? Will one voter's voice speak as loudly as a lobbyist's? Does one person's opinion on a piece of pending legislation matter as much as the opinion of a pollster or special interest group? Probably not. The oligopoly that is our federal government has long since lost much of its touch with the common people. Why not abandon the simple act of voting?
Because too many people have given too much to ensure that right for you. Look around at the nations ideologically opposed to us. Does a North Korean citizen have any level of influence in that regime? Does a reformer in Iran have any hope of enacting serious change in that theocracy? For many, voting in a republican democracy remains a fanciful dream, a milestone that has never been within reach.
If you consciously opt out of voting today, please do not think yourself entitled to criticize the actions of government in the near future, for you have abandoned your chance to have a say in those actions. You had a chance to affect those proceedings, however meager that effect may be, and you chose to ignore that chance. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but do not engage in retrospective lamentations later if you pass up your chance to make a difference today.
Voting is not merely a civic duty; it is a way of affirming the debt of gratitude we owe to those who have come before us. When the founders crafted a new government in 1787, they deliberately created a structure in opposition to the monarchy of the past. They made a system that depends on the active engagement of its citizens — hence "participatory democracy." To ignore the duty of voting would be to ignore the grand tradition laid forth by the founders, defended by generations of honorable veterans, and perpetuated by our commitment to liberty and freedom.
McKay Stangler for the editorial board.
Make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.
The Republicans' best weapon in the midterm elections GRS'06
Grant Snider/KANSAN
COMMENTARY
Kerry's remarks hurt Democrats' chances
"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
Practically the instant these words left the mouth of could-have-been-president John Kerry as he spoke to a group of California college students last week, Republicans screamed in outrage. Fellow Democrats distanced themselves from Kerry like he was a tax cut for the rich. And a clever group of soldiers made a sign reading "Halp us Jon Carry — We R stuck hear N Irak." John Kerry went from has been to hated as fast as the quote could speed across the information superhighway.
Meanwhile, the wheels of the political spin machines began turning. Kerry's camp claimed he had intended to say that if you're "intellectually lazy," you "end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq." Apparently, it was meant to be a slur on Bush's mental and tactical shortcomings, not at all directed at America's troops. Republicans could barely contain their saliva while demanding an apology, drooling
over the obvious political ramifications for the approaching mid-term elections.
Despite the "botched joke" explanation given by Kerry and his minions, it is unlikely that what he said was not what he meant. Directing the comment toward Bush would be a slight insult to himself, given that they both hold degrees from the same university. So does his comment have any merit? Were your former classmates who enlisted after high school not "making an effort to be smart?" Let's consider troop demographics.
"Given the nature of the military rank structure, most enlisted recruits do not have a college education or degree," states a study from the Heritage Foundation. The percentage of recruits with a college education is lower than that of the general population, and those who have experienced the joys of higher education tend to be commissioned officers. This information is from a conservative think tank with the audacity to feature a quote from Rush Limbaugh on its home page.
College graduates, with the exception of gung-ho ROTC students, are certainly not forming a
single-file line to enlist. The prospect of fighting in Iraq may not be as appealing as a well-paying job, or even a mediocre-paying job. However, members of our military are by no means intellectually deficient, and nearly all have a high school diploma. While they may be lacking in credit hours earned, they have countless hours of training and a well-developed sense of dedication to our country. Whether the decision that got them "stuck in Iraq" was boneheaded or not, the troops themselves are not mentally inferior.
Kerry's apology for his statement came too late, giving the Republicans even more ammunition. The Democrats, with an easy shot to upset Republicans in the mid-term elections, have bricked a lay-up, forcing overtime. What will the final outcome be? Stay tuned. John Kerry will have to sit on the bench in the final minutes. Though his other teammates may refuse him high fives, Howard Dean may be able to offer some consolation.
Grant Snider is a Mulvane junior in chemical engineering. He is The Kansan's editorial cartoonist.
America's elections affect world at-large
COMMENTARY
Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
The Web site I'm looking at offers a plethora of U.S. midterm election information. Poll shows who is ahead in the various "hot" races. Pundits dissect the meaning of ads and note who gave money to whom. Hundreds of write-in comments show support for one party or another. This in-depth election
Beyond the obvious point
— Americans should learn that not everything revolves around them
— is the possibility that by making informed decisions today, we may prove to our international friends that, despite all appearances, we know what we're doing. Sort of.
Many Americans, including myself, scoff at being considered ignorant of global affairs. Then my U.S. foreign policy lecturer tells us in class that when Prime Minister John Major visited the States, most Americans assumed that Margaret Thatcher was still in charge. I think, yeah, there's a point there. My lecturer follows by reminding us that when President Bill Clinton first committed troops to Kosovo, he went on national television with a map to show Americans where the hell Kosovo was. I shrink down into my seat and blush.
FREE FOR ALL
Should I be freaked out that my physics teacher keeps telling me to "massage the data?"
I've never seen British or French or Japanese election coverage this extensive in American media, yet a major foreign
outlet is falling all over itself to provide information and predictions regarding the elections of another country. We might learn a thing or two from outlets such as the BBC.
Most British (and probably French and German) citizens following our elections through the BBG and other international coverage know all about the stem cell ads, the stump campaigning and Mark Foley's e-mail habits. They know as well as anyone following an American outlet's coverage exactly which candidates have conducted themselves in a positive or not-so-positive manner. They'll see who we elect today, and they'll note which voters fell for that off-color television spot, which voters voted not so much for a party as against another and which voters decided just to stay home (which is, for midterms on average, a shade less than 60 percent of registered voters, according to the Census Bureau).
report comes courtesy not of The New York Times or CNN, but from ... the BBC?
What happens today will affect not only our nation but the world. America is the only superpower left, and with this privilege comes the responsibility to vote accordingly.
I'm not naive enough to say that voter turnout is indicative of a well-oiled democracy, and I won't tell other people the standards by which they should judge a candidate
(though a candidate's race, religion and sexual orientation aren't my top priorities when punching the button). I will only say that, just like every other election year, what happens today will affect our nation's policy for at least the next two years, and may possibly determine 2008's presidential race.
I think Borat must be writing the headlines for the sports page.
Call 864-0500
Who picks the stuff that goes
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.
into the Free for All? (Editor's note:
Some of the coolest cats you could ever hope to meet.)
It may be easy at first to write off the opinions of the rest of the world — after all, they're not Americans, it doesn't matter in their lives. However, that's not entirely true. What America does or doesn't do affects so much more than just our country. British soldiers in Afghanistan and Basra are waiting to see if American policy changes so they might go home. North Korea and Iran's nuclear aspirations and the defense of Japan and South Korea may hinge on this election. Iraq's future, the infamous Darfur genocide, Mexican immigration, economic competition in India and China, Europe's willingness to deploy troops ... all of it can and probably will receive attention from our Congress after today.
Why do kilts always have the pocket in the front?
Most of us feel comforted by the fact that America is the only superpower left; the beacon of freedom and democracy in the world; the last great hope. With this privilege comes the responsibility to act accordingly. It means that a few million Americans hold in their hands the fates of hundreds of millions of people across the globe, whether we're saving them from genocide, providing them with economic aid or protecting them from aggression. We owe it to them and to ourselves to vote and to vote well — with conscience, compassion and consideration.
If all men are created equal then why is Julian Wright so much better than me at basketball?
dered why I should care so much.
Why should we care, and why in the world do a bunch of foreigners, who at first glance aren't even affected by this election, care?
I came to The Crossing at three today. That is probably a bad sign for the rest of the night.
I'll watch the returns tonight, knowing that as America goes, so goes the world. As such, it's up to us, in our unique position at the "crossroads of history," to hold up the lantern and show the way.
I had to fill out an absentee ballot this year — my first national election. After deciphering the heightened language (what does "facsimile" mean?), I mailed that sucker back to Johnson County and then won-
I'm at a party and there is a keg of wheat beer. I was curious if that means it is good for you.
Sex can wait — masturbate.
Kelsey Hayes is a Lenexa sophomore in journalism and political science. She is studying abroad this year in Reading, UK.
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Jonathan Keuling, editor
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What is up with all the professors cancelling classes? You would think they would do it ahead of time so we could actually sleep.
Erick B. Schmidt, managing editor
864-4854 or eschinitd@kansan.com
People who work at the parking department shouldn't be allowed to have anyone's baby.
Dave Ruigh, associate opinion editor
864-4924 or drulig@kansan.com
Gibbora Sorella, managing editor
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God must love us, because it is basketball season again.
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Jonathan Kealing, Erick R. Schmidt, Gabrielle Souza, Frank Tankard, Dave Ruigh, Steve Lynn, McKay Stangler and Lora Mursa
A