OPINION
7A
TUESDAY, MAY 6.2008
THE UNIVERSITY DIARY KANSAN
You read this daily, so you might as well work for it
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》 LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Why does McCain get a 'faith' pass?
With all the talk about the Rev. Wright controversy I can't help but ask what about the "agents of intolerance" (to use the words of the candidate formerly known as McCain) on the other side?
Wright's comments that the government had intentionally introduced AIDS into the black community and that 9/11 was justified are of course ridiculous allegations, but compare them to the comments of pastor John Hagee who recently endorsed John McCain because he thinks we are in the final days and McCain would make the best apocalyptic president. While it's offensive to suggest that the government was behind the spread of AIDS and that we deserved 9/11 because of the actions of our government, how much more offensive is it to suggest that it was in fact God who spread AIDS as a punishment to homosexuals and God who punished America on 9/11? — sentiments which Hagee has repeated in no uncertain terms.
Where is the John McCain of 2000 who called these people out for what they are? Even as an atheist I'm more offended by Hagee than Wright! McCain has also welcomed the endorsement of the equally offensive televangelist Rod Parsley. Does it make a difference that Obama was a member of Wright's church for 20 years. Of course, but two questions: First, does this justify the fact that the Wright controversy blankets the news while the Hagee/Parsley should be controversy is utterly absent? And second, isn't this analogous to the unsolicited endorsement of Obama by Farrakhan? And yet
again and again I hear people say things like Obama has not been sufficiently vetted or scrutinized — subtly alluding to the idea that he is somehow being given a pass because of his race. If anyone is getting a pass it's McCain — especially considering that, where Obama's Farrakhan endorsement was unsolicited and denounced by Obama, McCain has not only happily accepted his controversial endorsements but he actively courted them! Why has this story fallen through the media cracks along with McCain's recent gaffe that the Iraq war was about oil?
I think a few conclusions can be drawn from this. First, more often than not, matters of faith or religion are given a pass in the political arena except when they are mixed with racial issues. Why the double standard? Second, wouldn't our democratic system be much better off if we kept religion out of it altogether? It's interesting to note that not long ago Tony Blair spoke candidly about the role that his faith played in his policy making. Over there it was a scandal and yet here faith is a requirement. I think faith is afforded way more political purchase in this country than it deserves. Why not an atheist president? Maybe then wed have a president who would genuinely uphold the constitution because they would be accountable to the people rather than their imaginary friend. Would an atheist ever start a faith based war?
Aaron Dopf
Graduate student in Philosophy and GTA
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Alex Doherty, Brydan Dykman, Matt Erickson, Kelsey Hays, Lauren Keith, Darla Slipke, Dianne Smith and Ian Stanford.
Which candidate will take the election in November?
ASSOCIATED PRESS
This November, I am voting for a man who has throughout the years started a variety of non-profit organizations, all of which call into question the institutions that run our lives and are dominated by corporate interests.
Ralph Nader has proven himself a loyal consumer advocate since the early sixties. Since then he has fought for not only our consumer rights, but for environmental and democratic ones as well. My favorite of his many issues (all available on his official Web site) include: Cut the wasteful military budget, aggressive crackdown on corporate crime and corporate welfare, adopt a carbon pollution tax, and open up the presidential debates.
Don't ignore third party candidates like Nader. We equate running as an Independent as crazy and a waste of time, but if you give him some of yours you will find that he is an experienced politician and honest progressive who would show you more results and less tipping than a democrat who still needs his or her pockets padded by multinational corporations.
Even if you believe (falsely) that your vote for Nader would take away Democratic votes, ask yourself if you are exercising true freedom of choice and democracy. Two choices are not enough, and when third-party candidates can only even debate with 15 percent support in poles we don't get to see more options. Don't throw your vote away because you think Kansas will always vote Republican. Vote your conscience, not just whom you think has the better chance. I am, and I'm voting for Ralph Nader.
flicker.com
Obama/Clinton or Clinton/ Obama '08 would be fantastic, in the sense that it would be like a political sitcom. Think about it, you've got Obama, the young, fun type who always has friends over, living with Clinton, the older, more organized one who desperately wants to make sure her roomie doesn't mess up the big dinner party she's planning for that evening. They've got a lot of differences, but ultimately, they know they'd be sad without each other.
In reality, if those two ran together, you could probably cut the tension in their campaign offices with a knife. The two spend so much time taking pot-shots at each other, one would almost think there's nobody else they are competing against.
Maybe the best answer would be to let them run as candidates for co-president of the United States. They could still have a vicepresident along with them, which would be Bill Richardson's dream come true.
The pre election buzz has, as usual outweighed the real issues on the table for 2008. Major media outlets seem to be more concerned about what Obama bashing terminology Hillary spotted out this week than what she actually plans to do if elected. The way I see it, if the Democrats win, one of two social barriers will be shattered. The lingering issues our country has with either race or gender are sure to falter if there's a donkey in the White House. If to my horror I see another large, bourgeois, nearly balding elephant in the oval office come November, I'll know that we just haven't gotten the hang of this democracy thing yet.
NICK MANGIARACINA
With gasoline nearing $3.50 a gallon nationally, the average saving rate in the negatives, skyrocketing food prices and the collapse of the housing market, America is flirting with another depression. All signs show that Americans (at least those of us in the bottom 99 percent) are getting crushed. As well as this, consumer spending is down and job creation is lagging behind the number of people entering the workforce. The proposed solution has been more of the same though—more tax cuts on order of $600 or less to people who need help the most. This is yet again another short term solution to a long term problem. For another depression to be avoided, whoever wins in November will have to push for a more progressive taxation policy, investment in alternative energy sources and an end to combat operations in Iraq.
Apparently third party candidates are shunned like the plague these days. I'm not sure how it happened, but the popular opinion on the aforementioned untouchables falls somewhere between traitor and egomaniac. Even more so than the legitimate contenders, who never think they're better than anyone else or deceive us.
I'm going to vote 3rd party. I'm not sure who yet, but there are a few to choose from. Of course the front runner would be Ralph Nader himself, the man who gave us seat-belts (Mania! Traitor!). But I think I'm going to cut to the chase and vote for Jackson Kirk Grimes, our resident Fascist candidate. At least with him in office we could feel good about being honest with ourselves.
what do you think?
Clinton? Obama? McCain? Nader? Who has the best chance? Who would be the best leader? Comment online at kansan.com.
To contribute to Free For All, visit Kansan.com or call 785-864-0500. Free For All callers have 20 seconds to talk about anything they choose.
Guys in dorms are so ugly that they make me fall for frat
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to do
I really did like him until we kissed, and he almost ate my face. Now I don't know what
revenge is sweet.
Next time you decide to screw someone over, you better make sure you keep plenty of toilet paper in your bathroom, otherwise that bitter person might decide to use your towels instead. Haha
Alright, no one worry. There will be no extensive destruction or robot killing spider monster things. Aunt flow has made it to town.
Don't do it. I Facebooked her and now she thinks I'm a
I love how you rip on people for not being able to spell, and yet you mispell "seriously," and didn't include an apostrophe at the end of "freekiln"
"freakin."
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Fucking grammar Nazi
Facebook him. Trust me. Its the only way.
Goddamn it, Hume. I know I can defend inductive reasoning, just give me a few minutes.
To Facebook him or not facebook him, that is the question.
Well, you're not supposed to roll around with it and try to get all freaky.
UDK what is up with printing the front page with all black ink? I have it all over me by the time I'm reading it.
So if I could drive a wooden spike through my hand or take Spanish 212, I would definitely take the spike.
"This magic moment..."
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I've decided to become a spinster at age 18.
I couldn't sleep last night, so I went to the rec at 5:30 and walked back to my dorm and for the first time, I watched the sun rise, and I felt my life was worth living.
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It's 4:20
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