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COMMENTARY: Brandon Minster examines Alec Baldwin's parenting skills in the light of dealing with his own children.
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 10A
》 OUR VIEW
Greensburg devastation shows Bush's skewed priorities
The recent tragedy of a tornado leveling Greensburg, Kan., has cast this small Midwestern town into the nation's spotlight. At first, media attention was drawn to the destruction and despair. Now a town without a city hall is receiving political attention as well.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recent ly criticized the lack of supplies
and National Guard units in what is now declared a national disaster site. While President Bush pledged assistance and prayers over the weekend to Greensburg, prayers far outweighed the assistance entering Greensburg borders. Resources are moving slower than the last drops of ketchup out of a bottle because a large part of our
nation's resources are in Iraq.
Sebelius isn't the only governor to criticize the lack of National Guard units. ABC news did a story in which it reported that the depletion of the nation's resources was a problem in all states with National Guard units having only 40 percent of their equipment.
It's nearly impossible to prepare for everything. However, overextending our country's resources in one area and putting our homeland and its people on the backburner is poor decision-making. Hurricane Katrina is a perfect lesson of what happens when preparedness and resources for natural disasters is at the bottom of the priority list.
As a child we're all taught not
to put our eggs in one basket. Perhaps no one ever told that to our President.
This isn't about whether the war in Iraq is wrong or right. This is about the President taking care of the people he made promises to first; the people of Kansas, the people of New Orleans and the people of Florida, American citizens at
home.
We should all be able to trust that if something horrible happened to our homes, our country would take care of us. Unfortunately, President Bush has put that hope on the bottom of his priority list.
>> COMMENTARY
— Tasha Riggins for the editorial board
Celebrity teaches parenting lesson
Alec Baldwin dropped out of the running for Father of the Year, which only increased my chances of winning the award myself. Pretty soon I'll be atop the list, despite my telling my children that the play area at the mall is for terminally-ill children and the ball bin at McDonald's is for contracting hepatitis.
These look like trivial things compared to leaving harassing voicemails for your daughter as Baldwin did. "You are a rude, thoughtless little pig," he told her. Alec, of course she's a rude, thoughtless little pig: she's 11+.
Now everyone in the world knows about his unconventional parenting technique. Everyone except, probably, his daughter. If you want to communicate something to an 11 (or possibly 12) year-
Although in his defense, Baldwin was unaware of his own daughter's age. "I don't give a damn that you're 12 years old, or 11 years old," he said. Once the kid gets too old for the birthday cards that are shaped like numbers, it gets difficult to keep track.
BY BRANDON MINSTER
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
old girl, you go with a text message or you don't go at all.
I've never personally harassed anyone (at least not that I know of), but I bet I could flesh out the basic rules of harassment. It seems to me Rule Number 1 would be, "Don't let your harassment be recorded." Actually, that would be just about the only rule. Beyond that, it's pretty much freestyle.
But countless near-celebrities don't follow this one rule. Aren't they getting harassed enough to know how to do it themselves? Pat O'Brien and Bill O'Reilly both left weird, quasi-erotic voicemails. Baldwin, possibly because his last name lacks an O and an apostrophe, just went for an old-school beating.
"You have humiliated me tor the last time with this phone," he said, wrongly. What he didn't say, because it was so obvious that he didn't need to say it, was the coda, "I'm drunk right now."
I never thought I was a child-harasser, but recently my two kids have refused to go anywhere they weren't carried. I have to carry them to the car, through the store, on walks to the park, and to dinner. I began to make it known that I thought they were being lazy. Then I went to a church meeting where the speaker specifically counseled to not call your kids lazy.
I came home and called my two kids to me. "They told me I not supposed to call you lazy anymore." I said, "So I'm sorry." My son hugged my leg and ran away.
Was that really such good news for him? Had I been harassing him about his laziness? Maybe I'm further away from Father of the Year than I thought.
FREE FOR ALL
Call 864-0500
calls are recorded.
Minster is a Lawrence junior in economics.
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansas editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded
to me
To whoever took my skull and crossbones umbrella from 3139 Wescoe: Please turn it into the lost and found, because it means a lot
Did you know a stripper is a key component in the manufacturing
OI SOCKS
There was quite a murder of people who called in about the flock of crows
I just saw a used condom in one of the urinals in the boy's bath room at Mrs. E's
图
I totally just saw a guy puke three times in aisle 12 of Checkers.
There's a werewolf in my chern discussion.
In the end of the new "Citizen
every other movie ever.
Kane "movie, Rosebud is his sled.
every other movie ever.
In the end of the new George Lucas movie, Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father
图
At the end of the new "Planet of the Apes" movie, it's actually earth
--every other movie ever.
At the end of that new movie "Fight Club," Tyler Durden is actually in his imagination.
every other movie ever.
allya ghost
At the end of the new "Sixth Sense" movie, Bruce Wilms is actu
Rocky loses in "Rocky I," he loses and wins in Rocky, no, "Rocky III," he wins in "Rocky II," he wins in "Rocky IV," and he wins in "Rocky V" in the street fight, and he wins
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in vi
At the end of "Die Hard", it's actually a double-cross. They're not really terrorists with political agendas; they're trying to rob the
At the end of the first "Friday the 13th,"it's actually Jason's mother that's killing everyone.
At the end of the new movie "Reservoir Dogs," Mr. Pink, played by Steve Buscemi, is actually the
place
--every other movie ever.
At the end of the new movie"The Village,"it's not actually set in the past, it's set in the present.
图
At the end of the new Free for All movie, they give away the ending to "Spider-Man 3" and some asshole keeps calling in over and over, and ruining the ending for
Black and Milds are like smoking a Fig Newton.
traitor.
I'm a little lass that likes berries and cream, and a tail boy named
I just bought a microwave enchilada dinner, and now I know where E's gets their Mexican food
Steve
Have you seen that movie "Pasion of the Christ?" Yeah, spoilers.
from.
Jesus die
To those two sorority girls in my English class: Every time you talk, I die a little bit inside.
My honorate chem teacher just set a flower pot on fire without using
available the same day received. In addition, it treats your book information as theirs. Furthermore this action jeopardizes students of the best buyback prices and freedom of information for competing stores.
available the same day received. In addition, it treats your book information as theirs. Furthermore this action jeopardizes students of the best buyback prices and freedom of information for competing stores.
If we put a keg inside a giant red cup in Naismith, can we throw a kegger? Just wondering.
life.
Patrick Ross, managing editor 864-4854 or pross@kansan.com
Courtney Hagen, opinion editor 864-4924 or chagen@kansan.com
Gabriella Souza, editor
864-4854 or gsouza@ikansan.com
Nicole Kelley, managing editor
864-4854 or nkelley@ikansan.com
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864-4462 or jschaffer@kansan.com
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864-4924 or njohnson@kansasan.com
Lindsey Shirak, business manager
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Grant Snider/KANSAN
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HOW HARD IS IT TO GET BASKETBALL TICKETS AFTER LEAVING KU?
TRY GETTING THROUGH THIS GUY ON AN ENTRY-LEVEL SALARY.
Unlike the KU decision, I will send hard-copy information to the KU Bookstore and University Book Shop. Timely information is requested, as we will again pay the best text book prices possible plus an extra 10 percent cash May 10-18.
New bookstore policy
Bill Muggy owner and manager, Jayhawk Bookstore
>> LETTER TO THE EDITOR
In an unsigned e-mail sent after store hours last Friday, the Kansas Union Bookstore management advised us that effective May 14, no more requisition information will be shared with us or the University Book Shop.
This latest edict first, violates a 30-year contract with layhawk Bookstore to have information available in a hard copy form and
Instead, all "third party vendors" will have to extrapolate it from their Web site, whenever they update the information under "Click Here to Find Your Course Textbooks."
For 30 years I have sought to provide faculty, students, and staff with the best customer service, timely book inventory and solutions to educational needs. I ask for your
Since neither the Chancellor, nor his executive assistant returned a call as promised, this KU Bookstore management decision appears to be affirmed.
support and text book information to be sent via our Web site requisition form at http://www.jayhawk-bookstore.com/courserequest.php
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Gabrielle Souza, Nicole Kelley, Patrick Ross, Courtney Hagen,
Natalie Johnson, Alison Kleer, Tasha Riggins and McKay
Stangler
4