The University Daily Kansan emphasizes the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech. or of the press; or the right-of the people peaceably to assemble. and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
KEALING: Notice Free for All is missing today? The Kansan is revising its editing policy after an insensitive comment was published. It will return Thursday See kansan.com for more opinions
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 7A
OUR VIEW
Protestors must work to define
It was difficult not to notice the peace protest marching north on Massachusetts Street this past Saturday. The marchers were a motley crew of aging activists, dedicated students in studiously drab clothing and a few dazed wanderers who seemed to have accidentally crossed the march's path. But judging by their fervor and ceaseless chants, it was clear that this was a group of people that stood for something.
What was not as clear was exactly what they stood for. Signs carried by the marchers proclaimed support for everything from Iraqi peasants to hemp farmers. The pseudo-Guevarian chant leader used his megaphone to rally support not only for the antiwar movement, but also for the bizarre calls of "Free South Dakota" and "Free South Side Chicago," presumably as a reaction to their respective abortion restrictions and substandard big box store wages. Sadly, the march seemed to have devolved into a cafeteria-style protest that encompassed every piece of token liberal angst.
There was a time not so long ago when peace protests were of vital importance to the nation. Many of our parents can tell us about their memories of antiwar protests in the Vietnam era, when a massive gathering of students committed to a cause actually helped influence and shape national policy. It is hard not to be stirred when you look back on pictures or video of these protests, which attracted tens of thousands of young idealists who firmly believed they could change the world. Transcripts of conversations within the Johnson and Nixon White Houses reveal that the presidents were, though infuriated, still impressed with the dedication of the protestors.
Today's marches possess no such primal excitement. We saw perhaps the last gasp of that feeling in the pre-Iraq invasion protests in New York and other large cities. What we are left with today is a diverse assembly of equally diverse interests, all rallying around the shared knowledge that their causes have been demeaned and trivialized by the ruling classes. These protestors are then forced to band together and create a bizarre amalgam of myriad causes.
A catchall protest march that joins every politically liberal cause is becoming worthless, a mere spectacle of naivete that makes it easier to marginalize all of those singular causes. The few remaining idealists need to ensure that they do not become caricatures of themselves. A more cohesive and tie dye-free explanation of their positions might be a good start.
McKay Stangler for the editorial board
PLAYBOY CREATES MORE CONTROVERSY ON CAMPUS
Grant Snider/KANSAN
GPs '05
COMMENTARY
How to walk the walk (of shame)
I don't like knowing that I just hooked up with chewbacca, but I hate it when everyone watching me walk home after a late night also knows I just hooked up with chewbacca.
The walk of shame is a timeless passage, dating back to the inventions of sex and walking. Whether it's walking back to your car, house or dorm, the walk of shame is an awkward experience for everyone.
Today, there are two types of the walk of shame. The first really isn't shameful. When you're walking back to your place after a night with the hottest guy or girl you'll ever be with, your walk is something out of a Bee Gees video. With air kisses, winks and pistol points to the onlookers, you strut home to the sound of whatever song screams, "I rock."
The other walk of shame is very different. You hooked up with someone very regrettable. Their teeth were so bad, if they bit metal, they could make barbed wire.
When you make that walk of shame, it feels like everyone is
BY ERIC JORGENSEN
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINIONKANSAN.COM
watching you. Your walk feels like it's in slow motion as everyone secretly judges you. All the while Nickelback's "Photograph" plays in the back of your mind. This situation is no good and I have never met a person that said that song is any good, so it's fitting.
While you walk home and everyone stares, it is safe to assume that people will ask you why you look the way you do. Why is your hair so matted? What is that smell? Where are your pants?
When people start asking where you ended up last night, it's time to decide whether to fess up to the icky truth, or to just lie. I'd lie.
Considering your condition, the lie options are limited.
Women, the easiest lie for you is obvious, though: Naked pillow fight.
seriously women, if you looked like hell and told me it was because of a naked pillow fight tournament the night before, not only would I believe you, I'd thank you.
Men, it's typically harder for us to lie in this situation. The reason is that regardless of the "quality," we still always have a little sparkle in our eye and that dumb look on our face that says, "Yeah, I totally did."
Usually men can make the boldest lies and not show it on their faces, similar to that World Series of Poker commercial where the guy "auditions" to play in the tournament. Pull it back.
The only lie that works in this case is a dog attack. The perk to this lie is you can use many of the same descriptions from your ugly sex as you can in your dog attack story.
"It was terrible, unlike anything I have ever experienced. At first I thought the dog was nice, even though it was mangy. But then it
started scratching and biting me. When I tried to yell for help, it smothered me with a pillow ... I mean paw. So, I let the dog continue to attack me until it got tired and passed out."
Just insert dog attack for fugly lovin' and you can actually describe what happened to you last night.
On second thought, that lie also works for women, maybe even better than it does for men. So, maybe men are just screwed.
The walk of shame is a very delicate situation. Sometimes the walk of shame turns into the run of shame. The hookup was so scary that running from it as fast as you can is all you can think of. Plus it just jumped in the shower and you have a four-minute window to escape.
So, when everyone can tell that you settled the night before (three times) and you're not quite willing to confess, my advice is a clever lie. Pillow fights and dog attacks, those are convincing.
Jorgensen is a Baldwin City senior in journalism.
Free speech is for all
I recently received a bulletin to sign a petition to have the group "Fuck the Troops" removed from myspace.com. Let me now state that I find this group narrow-minded,
ing some of the comments posted in the petition to ban the group, numerous people made statements that alluded to the idea that the troops fighting in Iraq were there preserving our freedom of speech isn't one of those they are protecting? Or are they only protecting the freedoms that are most comfortable to justify and paint with nationalism?
If you think someone is grossly mistaken on an issue and is expressing hated and ignorance, why not explore the reasons?
That being said, I believe they have every right to exist. I thought it was interesting that while read-
Sean D. Galloway Sioux City, Iowa, senior
amateur and hollow on various levels of reason and intent.
FROM THE EDITOR
Free for All to be edited more closely
BY JONATHAN KEALING
KANSAN EDITOR
EDITOR@KANSAN.COM
I messed up.
Please use it my job every day to scour the Opinion page for any possible inappropriate comment or commentary. You'd be amazed how often I find it.
On Monday, I missed something And our Opinion editors missed something. And it's bothering me that we missed it.
It was in the Free for All - the source of most inappropriate comments - and whether intentionally or not, seriously mistreated a family that is enduring more anguish than virtually all of us could ever imagine.
Weve skirted the line of good journalism before with Free for All, often veering across the line.
I won't repeat the comment but to say it was a comment about a dead baby. In light of the tragic and deadly fire on New Jersey Street, that comment was wholly inappropriate. I can't imagine what would drive someone to phone that comment in, but I'm even more disappointed in our newspaper for failing to catch the egregious violation of good taste and good journalism.
At the same time, though, I'm asking you all who call the Free for All to exercise good taste and good judgment. Yes, it's our job to review every word that is printed in the Kansan - and it's a duty we enthusiastically undertake - but as a community of adults in a learning environment, I challenge you to do the right thing and think before you speak.
Taking Free for All out of the paper has crossed my mind. But I'm not going to take that step — yet. The reason why you see no Free for All today is because of the new procedures I've put in place to help avoid any occurrence like this from happening again. Free for All will now be reviewed by at least four sets of eyes before it is published, with mine being the last.
Use Free for All as it's intended.
Tell jokes. Tell stories. State opinions. Laugh with friends. Vent your frustration. Don't say something that you'd be embarrassed to have your mom see with your name on it.
The thought may seem funny when it pops into your head, but reality is it should be funny to most people who didn't hear the comment. And it certainly shouldn't offend. This staff will do everything in its power to keep Free for All, appropriate, but we ask you to take a part in that as well.
We at The Kansan apologize for letting such an egregiously inappropriate comment into the paper. No words can make the pain the family is already feeling go away, and we know that. We just want the family – and the community – to know that we're sorry if we've added anything to the pain.
Kealing is a Chesterfield, Mo., senior in Journalism and political science. He is Kansan editor.
TALK TO US
Dave Ruigh, associate opinion editor 864-4924 or druigh@kansan.com
Jonathan Keiling, editor
864-4854 or jealting@kansan.com
Erick R. Schmidt, managing editor
864-4854 or eachmidt@kansan.com
Gabriella Bouza, managing editor
864-4854 or gsouza@kansan.com
Frank Tankard opinion editor
864-4234 or frankard@kansan.com
Kyle Hoedl, business manager
864-4014 or khoedl@kansan.com
Lindsey Shirak, sales manager
864-4462 or lshirak@kansan.com
Melocim glbcn, general manager, news adviser
844-7697 or mglbcn.kansasan.com
SUBMISSIONS
Jennifer Weaver, sales and marketing adviser
834-7688 or jweaver@kansas.com
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Frank Tankard or Dave Rugh at 864-4810 or e-mail opinion@kansan.com.
General questions should be directed to the editor at editor at kansan.com
LETTER GUIDELINES
Maximum Length: 500 word limit
Include: Author's name; class, home-town (student); position (faculty member/staff); phone number (will not be published)
Also: The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack a reporter or another columnist.
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
Maximum Length: 200 word limit
Include: Author's name and telephone number; class, hometown (student); position (faculty member/staff); phone number (will not be published)
EDITORIAL BOARD
Jonathan Kealing, Erid R. Schmidt, Gabriela Souza, Frank Tankard, Dave Ruhe, Steve Lynn, Louis More and McKay Stangler.
SUBMIT TO
111 Stauffer Flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 68045
(785) 884-4810, opinion@kansan.com
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