OPINION
7A
MONDAY MAY 5,2008
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Concerned citizens should vote Democrat
>> LETTER TO THE EDITOR
In light of recent events such as the troubled economy and the continuing struggle in Iraq, there has been renewed interest among the general populous in politics.
It's a shame that this interest had not been there all along, but it is never a bad time to start having a critical eye on those running the country and ultimately our everyday lives.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about elections is that when people are really pressed to make a decision and actually go out and vote, incredible leaders can emerge.
In the past four years, our country has been run by nothing more than a band of buffoons whose only interests lie in raping the pockets of the general American citizen.
Unfortunately for them, though, is that their theft of the American Dream will actually come full circle to bite them in the rear if things are not changed as soon as possible.
When asked by local governments of border towns what Bush was going to do about the strain that illegal immigrants are putting on the governments of these towns, Bush responded by saying that it is not the federal government's responsibility.
Just this past week, President Bush said that government subsidies for farmers are "luxuries," when subsidies for farmers actually benefit the general population by ensuring farmers are not forced to plant profitable crops that destroy the food market for years to come.
The argument for going into Iraq was that American lives
would be saved as a result, but more than 4,000 Americans have been killed in the fighting, and the whole world is ticked off at us now.
I have a lot of friends I know are good people but align themselves as Republicans.
The Republican Party's stance on issues like family values is incredibly attractive and even overriding to many people who would otherwise vote for Democratic candidates.
But if we continue to prance around the world like a bully, injecting ourselves in business that is not ours, we can expect a prison-style gang-up with WMDs instead of shanks being used against us.
If our government continues to implement stupid, reverselogic domestic policy that undermines the whole purpose of our democracy, then we can be sure our political infrastructure will collapse like a house made of cards.
So please — now more than ever — put aside petty differences. We need to think about the survival of the greatest nation in the world and all who encompass it.
When the clock rolls around to the second Tuesday in November, make sure you get up and vote for a candidate who believes the American government should be both for and by the people. Please vote Democrat.
Love, America
Ryan Shaffer, Omaha, Neb. senior
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Tyler Doehring
Bill Self deserving of his own street?
As I've told many of my peers, this year's cataclysmic, epic, tear-inducing national championship was the greatest thing that's ever happened. Why not commemorate that event with a much-deserved name change of a 150-year-old city? Why not go larger? I've always thought that the name "United States of America" has
Local radio station Lazer 105.9 is promoting an online petition intended to "rename the section of 19th Street between Iowa and Lousiana Streets to Bill Self Boulevard." According to the Web site, "Bill Self exemplifies a strong leader by exercising high integrity and consistently putting others before himself. His generosity in giving back to the community, players, and fans sets a fine example for what we should strive to emulate." The petition is online at ipetitions.com and currently has 1,138 digital signatures.
Why stop at just a street?
Lawrence has been a great name for this city, but a more deserving moniker has emerged. I'm open to any kind of variation, but I suggest "Bill Self," "Selfsville," or "Championship Peak at Bill Self Town."
Anyone who has been reading my columns knows that I haven't minced words about my love for our national championship-winning basketball team. So when the question of whether a street bearing Bill Self's name should exist, another question pops into my mind—is that enough?
But why stop there? After all, he won us a national championship in basketball, which is, after all, the real reason why we're here at the University of Kansas, paying thousands of dollars to ensure our sports ratings are higher than our GPAs. In fact, this feat is so great we should rename the city of Lawrence to be Billsville or Self City. No, wait! Why not the world? Or the universe? With valuable taxpayer dollars we can send up a sign into space: Bill Self Universe.
In all seriousness, if we are going to rename anything on or off campus after a person, that person should have done something that has impacted humanity for the greater good. And all the championship has done is increased alcohol and T-shirt sales and inflated our egos.
Should we re-name 19th Street to be Bill Self Boulevard?
Of course!
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ANGELIQUE MCNGAUGHTON
Who cares?
Bill Self Boulevard. Sounds catchy, but I'm not sure that the street name change is a necessary homage to a great coach.
Honestly, I wouldn't care one way or the other; it would just be another street I pass by or drive along.
I acknowledge that Self has done great things over the past five years: Big 12 championship titles, winning seasons, not to mention that little title he gave our boys this year; champions!
When the time is right to honor Self as one of the greats, we will have a better suggestion as to how to do it. Instead of taking someone else's name off of a building or renaming a street, we should honor Self in a way that only his legacy could be tied to the unique tribute.
Self said hed stick around and as much as we would all like to believe it, we never know.
Renaming a street doesn't feel right
There was a time when basketball fans in this town thought as much of Roy Williams as they now think of Bill Self. Few feel that way now. Naming a street after someone is something best left until he or she at least retires.
College athletics is a fickle business, and no one can say what the future holds for Self and KU. He might spend the rest of his career here, or he might be successful for the next few years and leave for something more challenging and rewarding, or he might stumble and be forced out or fired.
Johnny Depp once got a tattoo that read "Winona Forever," but when his relationship with Winona Ryder ended, he either had to find another woman named Winona to love or get his tattoo changed. Imagine the limited size of the coaching pool from which KU would have to select Self's replacement if he had to be named Bill Self. Wait until Self retires to name a street after him. Old people love that kind of crap, anyway.
Our University is a huge part of Lawrence, but there's more to this city than just KU athletics. If we were to name a street after Bill Self we would be ignoring the importance of many of Larry Town's very own that deserve street sign recognition as much as our beloved coach.
One who jumps to mind is William S. Burroughs, the beat generation genius behind the books "Naked Lunch" and "junkie." He surely has had great enough impact on our city as well as the nation to warrant his own avenue, or at least a cul-de-sac.
Heat waves off Mass Street hoards can distort and make us forget our city's famed children from ages past; so before immortalizing the heroes of today, bear in mind the great Lawrencians of yesteryear.
Never have I felt so proud of a town or an institution. The only reservation I've been wrangling with is the root of this pride. It's indescribable to me at this point in time. I can't imagine how a person who cares for basketball felt that night of triumph. I know it will stay with me long beyond my time here at the University.
I don't think renaming a street is the right route to go, but something needs to be established in Self's name for future students and alumni to look up to, walk across or drive through when they come to or come back to the University.
I consider myself lucky for attending here concurrently with a championship. We won, though, not out of luck, but because of the leadership of Bill Self.
what do you think?
Is Bill Self deserving of his own street? Comment online at kansan.com.
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Yeah, sure, you can trust the government. Just ask the Native Americans.
--the eagle landed.The eagle symbolized freedom.
--the eagle landed.The eagle symbolized freedom.
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I just saw two gay guys kiss.
Oh wait, one was an emo girl.
Free For All, tell the blonde girl who sits next to me in Spanish 216 that ... I will call
you?
Free For All, what am I going to do in the summer without
Editors Note: Free For All will be around for your commenting pleasure in the summer Kansan and at Kansan.com.
To the guy who was picking his nose and almost hit me with his car: I hope you picked a good one.
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When you make it into Free For All, nothing can get you down
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I need to stop calling Free For All in bed and get up and do something.
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I can't wait to get out of the dorms. I'm tired of looking at only guys
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Did anyone else smell BS when Chief Justice John Roberts said that being a judge meant putting aside personal opinions for the sake of upholding the law?
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Socks and sandals? Sasha Kaun,you rock.
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Free For All needs an Italian dictionary.
I'm wondering if the person driving the Parking Deptartment truck outside of Watkins Friday morning gave him or herself a ticket for not having money in the parking meter.
Why are there five McCollum buses for every Naismith-Oliver bus? Just because I don't live on the hill doesn't mean I'm not a person.
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I'm not a person.
I just saw a white Taurus with flames on the side. Makes me think that I could do that to my Taurus.
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