WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2008 Opinion WWW.KANSAN.COM THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3
OPINION
DISCUSSION
PDA: Legitimate actions or too much information?
Yelena: Handholding, kissing,
cuddling or any other PDA is inappropriate and inconsiderate.
Jessica: But you and I hold hands in public all the time. I always get a little kiss on the cheek before I leave.
Yelena: True, but there is a big difference between best friends and romantic partners. We are just friends (contrary to rumor).
Jessica: Body language shows an unspoken realm of communication, and that doesn't stop in public.
Yelena: You should be secure enough in your relationship without the public announcement. The only time a kiss in public is acceptable is if your romantic partner is going off to war. If I wanted to see PDA, I would watch an adult movie. Respect your
environment and the people in it.
Jessica: Wow, Yelena, you made a grown-up comment. You must be aware of your surroundings and judge your behavior accordingly. However, you could leave your partner feeling inadequate if you don't show your willingness to show everyone how well he or she complements your life.
What do you have to hide?
Yelena: Actions do speak louder than words. Yet, it's sickening when couples say "I love you" every two seconds. It is as if you are so unconfident in your relationship that you need constant reassurance. There is a man in my life whom I hold dear to my heart. Throughout our relationship, he never showed PDA, except before sending me off to Europe. Before him, I did not understand the connotations of PDA. At social functions, we felt so closely connected on other levels that we did not need to be touching. I never felt more loved and secure in any other relationship.
Jessica: I used to think that PDA was bad until I met a man who refused it. Why? I was not the only
girl he had to show off. Ladies, for the sake of your heart, you need to watch how your man refuses that ever so criticized PDA. Is it because he is truly self-conscious or is there another reason? My boyfriend showed his first display of affection immediately after our first kiss. We went to a bar in New York City and he held my hand proudly as if to say, "Yah, she's mine. Jealous?" That legitimized our relationship.
Yelena: You are not on a reality TV show. Your relationship is for you and your partner alone. The way he treats you is important. However, partners should show this with their time, attention and commitment, not with tonsil hockey in the middle of campus.
Jessica: Agreed, but that attention shouldn't end at the front door. Think about it this way. What is the first thing a child does when they find something they love: say dancing, baseball, or a drawing. They go to their parents and say, "Mommy, daddy, look!" It is natural to share your happiness with those around you. I'm not advocating making a statement on Wescoe Beach with your tongue, but if you won't hold my hand, you're telling me that you don't want other people to know we're together. Life is too precious to hide your affections.
Jessica Wicks is a Bakersfield,Calif., senior in journalism.
Yelena Pavlik is a Plano, Texas, senior in journalism.
COMMENTARY
Did the prolonged decision to nominate Obama as the Democratic candidate hurt the party's chances of winning the election?
If the Democrats lose the election this coming November, they very well might have Senator Clinton to thank for it. By not taking measures to unify the Democratic voting base as early as possible in order to build it, and instead dragging the process out longer than anyone in history, the Democratic party has done itself a massive disservice, one that very well might cost them the election.
The Democrats should have taken notes on how the Republicans were going about things: knowing that their chances were as slim as they've been in eight years, they chose their man, they chose him early and they chose a moderate, someone who could scoop up all the centrist labs and holdout racists and sexists. By not following suit, the Dems have given the GOP plenty of time to consolidate their game plan while minimizing their own opportunity to rally around a candidate in what should be a no-brainer election.
Anderson is a Perry senior in creative riting
I don't believe political pundits when they say the prolonged decision to nominate Barack Obama will cost him the election.
The presidential election is six months away, which is plenty of time for Obama to unite the Democratic Party - especially if he chooses Clinton as his running mate.
However, making Clinton his vice president will ultimately depend on whether she decides to comply with Obama's decree he made last week that the Democratic National Committee "won't take another dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs." If she doesn't agree to that, then there is no way Obama can put her on the ticket without being labeled a hypocrite and a flip-flopper.
I think his presidency depends on two factors; whether Clinton agrees to stop taking money from registered lobbyists, or whether Clinton crybabies will grow up, stop pouting and show up to vote in November.
Greenhaw is an Independence senior in Journalism
Not so fast.
You'd think that the extended, bitter contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would make John McCain's road to the White House a little easier. After all, McCain was the Republican nominee back in February, and could focus on the general election while the Democrats were still mired in primaries.
If the drawn-out Democratic primary season did anything for Barack Obama, it put him up against an opponent who was at least as tough as McCain will be. If Obama could survive the Tony Rezko and Jeremiah Wright scandals against Clinton, he can survive anything against McCain.
Clinton and Obama are also close enough on the issues that most Clinton supporters will probably come around by November. Whatever their dislike for Obama, they won't risk the economy, the Iraq War or Roe v. Wade by voting for McCain or abstaining.
Hayes is a Lenexa senior in Journalism
Max Rinkel
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