Opinion The University Daily Kansan United States 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. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2010 Follow Opinion on Twitter. @kansanopinion T PAGE 5A --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." To contribute to Free For All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500. --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." To the people giving me weird looks because I has a pillow and blanket on the bus. .it's basketball camping season...get used to it! 3-2-1-Cram. --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." Election day! One of two days every two years I acutely listen to talk radio! (The other is primary day). --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." It itucks to realize you just aren't good-looking. I think I'm throwing in the towel. --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." Oral contraceptives? You can't get pregnant through the mouth. Didn't anyone tell them that? --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." I am blasting the Christmas music while studying. Only 53 more days until Christmas! --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." Yep, 58 pictures in and it's confirmed: my minor crush just turned into a major crush --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." I still analyze my boogers before eating them. Isn't it a violation of the laws of nature for us humans to spend more time clothed than we do being naked? --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." OK, seriously ... something needs to be done about those pear trees by Lindley. That sidewalk smells DISGUSTING!!! --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." You're a TA, and you're really trying to get college students to put their phones away in a three hour long class? Probably not gonna happen --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." Oh, goodness, I'm now dating a Wildcat. (How am I going to explain this to mom and --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." Studies show that the average person will drive 12 miles per hour faster in a parking lot when they have seen a spot open up, even though no one can pass them to get it. --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." Sooo, if it was a one time thing, why do you keep messaging me? It only tortures me, Mr. Ridiculously Good-looking. --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." Vote or die. I suppose if you're reading this you chose to --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." If I had more time I would go around campus hi-fiving everyone wearing an I voted relations --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." Allo poppet. --few years ago I was sitting with my good friend, and I said to him poignantly, "I'm convinced that Apple ... could be the future." ELECTRONICS Windows fanboy weighs in on Apple-Microsoft fight My interest in the subject was far greater than his and the conversation moved on to other topics. To a large extent, I still believe what I said to be the case, and my thoughts on that were reaffirmed by an article I read on CNN. This article, by David Goldman titled "Microsoft is a dying consumer brand," says exactly what you would expect from the headline - that consumers are no longer interested in Microsoft's products. It talks about how Microsoft has been late to the game in so many technical areas that are currently revolutionizing how people use technology - phones, search engines, browsers. I can see this in my everyday life. As an adamant Windows Technically Speaking fan-boy (only in opposition to Mac), I still love and use Apple's iPhone, Google's search engine, and Mozilla's Firefox or Google's Chrome Web browsers. BY DAVID CAWTHON dcawthon@kansan.com As for Apple potentially stepping up to take Microsoft's place as a near-monopoly technology provider, every day at the University of Kansas I see people using Mac laptops and iPhones and iPads and iPods. And maybe I see all of this because I'm on a college campus, where people have more disposable income to spend on such expensive items. However, comparing Apple and Microsoft's year-to-date stock prices with each other, I can see a trend. Apple's stocks have increased 44.46 percent, compared to Microsoft's decrease of 14.63 percent. So does this mean that consumers are rejecting PCs in favor of Macs? I certainly think they are. Let's face it. For the average user, Macs are far easier to use, much more stable, less prone to viruses and they're sleek and cool looking. The PC vs Mac debate isn't Microsoft's only problem, though. As Goldman says in his article, Microsoft has simply not kept up with its competition in the important areas consumers are interested in. CARTOON Cawthon is managing editor for Kansan.com and a senior from Lenexa in journalism and political science. NICOLAS SAMBALUK WikiLeaks document drop reveals much in face of war The release of nearly 400,000 confidential Iraq war documents on Oct. 22 by the WikiLeaks website revealed a startling image of the secret history of the war in Iraq. The documents contain details of events reported by the United States military and provide evidence of systematic torture and rape used as weapons of warfare. Sixty percent of the deaths registered in the documents are civilian. Supporters of the whistleblower website contend the documents contain information the public deserves to know. According to the documents, as many as 15,000 Iraqi civilian deaths were previously unaccounted for. Critics argue the release of this sensitive information will jeopardize US military operations and be used by opposition forces to seek out and kill Iraqi civilian informants working with the US military. The documents reveal the use of indiscriminate and disproportionate force used and condoned by the US military. They also raise substantial questions concerning war crimes. To be fair, the files document the Iraq war during a time Obama was not president, but that doesn't excuse him from failing to hold the Bush administration accountable. Secrets and lies are what paraded the US into the war in Iraq. The When President Obama was elected, he promised to conduct his administration with transparency. The amount of secrets revealed within the documents WikiLeaks released flies in the face of such promises. - It is difficult to justify a war waged under false pretenses. It is also tough to support a war effort that tolerates torture and civilian murder and gives private contractors free reign. Julian Assange is the spokesperson and editor in chief for the WikiLeaks website. As would be expected, he is receiving a great deal of flak for releasing the Iraq documents. In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a former Rand Corporation employee, released Department of Defense documents that detailed the United States political military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The documents became known as the Pentagon Papers and indicated, among other things, that the Johnson administration had systematically lied to the public and to Congress. The publication of the papers caused a national outcry for government transparency and accountability. The WikiLeaks files are important for the historical record as primary documentation of the many mishandlings of a complicated war. It appears the media is more concerned with attacking Julian Assange than with discussing the issue of human rights the documents raise. Shouldn't he be considered a champion of truth and democracy? Don't the people have a right to know about the sort of devastation and destruction that is happening in their name, with their tax dollars? WikiLeaks files reveal that secrets and lies have only prolonged that war. An Army whistleblower, Spc. Bradley Manning, is currently in custody. He is suspected for leaking thousands of Iraq war documents to WikiLeaks. The Obama administration has brought as many prosecutions for leaks to the American public as all previous administrations combined. Granted, it is a small number — three — but it is still important to note. The administration is also threatening to use the Espionage Act to prevent further leaks. If that happens, the American public will know even less about the destruction that is happening in their name. WikiLeaks is trying to pull the wool out of the eyes of a world that prefers to live in the dark. Today, the socio-political For a democracy to function as a true democracy, the governing body must live up to the public's expectation of transparency and accountability. Wikileaks is providing information the United States government was expected, but failed to provide. landscape is much different. On the other hand, some media sources commend the website for its courage and goodwill comment of being unsurprised by the lack of government honesty. There is no palpable call to action or demand for accountability. Instead the politically discontent shrug their shoulders and brush off the failure of military responsibility. — From UWIRE, by Stephen Bartholomew, The Independent Collegian, University of Toledo LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Oral contraceptives Letter was misleading the pill does not cause abortions We, the Commission on the Status of Women would like to address the recent letter to the editor concerning oral contraceptives. We feel the response to the original article was misleading and inaccurate. First we would like to clarify that oral contraceptives do not cause abortion. The term "abortifacient" is used politically, not medically. Oral contraceptives do not cause abortion as defined by the National Institute of Health, but prevent pregnancy. The author also erroneously leads the reader to believe that contraceptives cause permanent infertility. Contraceptives do not cause infertility. They temporarily suspend ovulation, and thus prevent pregnancy, but this is not a permanent state. When a woman discontinues her usage, she will be become fertile again. Like any medication, birth control affects every woman differently. For women who may be at an increased risk for blood clots and stroke, their medical provider should advise them on the best course of action. Contraceptives have many medical benefits, including regulating the menstrual cycle, treating acne, and relieving pain. Contrary to the author's statement that these symptoms are signs of more serious health disorders, this is not often the case, and we believe it is irresponsible of her to suggest that this is the norm. The advent of oral contraception was not only a medical advancement, but an important social advancement for women. The availability of oral contraception in the United States created an unprecedented expansion of women's reproductive freedom, allowing all women not only sexual freedom but the ability to plan their reproductive futures. The Commission on the Status of Women believe that reproductive choice is a woman's right, and that the misrepresentation of facts surrounding this issue is more a detriment to women's health than contraception will ever be. -The KU Commission on the Status of Women is a campus organization that focuses on gender discrimination. The president is Liz Stuewe. Sexual conservatives cannot have their cake and eat it, too As a woman who has been on the Pill for over two years, Patricia Huber's Nov. 1 letter offended me. I respect a push for natural solutions to reproductive problems, but many of her claims are both incorrect and offensive. Though recent studies have indicated that nearly 30% believe using the Pill causes infertility there is no medical evidence to support it. The pills have considerably fewer hormones in them in contrast to their older counterparts, making them safe for women who wish to eventually conceive. While the Pill poses risks for women such as blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes, these side effects and risks are explicitly stated in birth control ads and again in directions and additional information that come with each pack. Much like surgery and other medications, people consent to these risks when they begin taking them. While much of Huber's information is incorrect, my problem lies mainly with her last paragraph in which she says that she should not have to pay for women who take a medication just so that they can "engage in voluntary behavior for which they are not willing to accept the consequences" As a supporter of safe sexual exploration and experimentation, I find her tone insulting because the point of most women taking the Pill is to not face consequences at all. For this reason, I'd rather pay for a woman's birth control than for her children. To put it into perspective, a month of birth control pills costs about 15 dollars after insurance. A month of Pampers diapers would cost 84. Finally, sexual conservatives cannot have their cake and eat it too; they oppose several forms of contraception yet are unrealistic about the risks we take without them. Being on the Pill doesn't make women deviant. It makes us responsible for our sex lives, and we deserve more credit than we're given. Rachel Keith is a junior from Wichita. Chatterbox Responses to the news of the week on Kansan.com "Because Kansas football fans don't really get it. I am sure people will view this as a bad thing. This is awesome for the KU football program! Gill is a very good football coach and a little stability and time are just what he needs to rescue the football program from the shambles that Mangino left it in. Gill, those of us who actually understand football are behind you! Do Work!" — "KUJoshua16" in response to "Gill won't be leaving anytime soon" on Nov. 2. HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Send letters to kansenpdesk@gmail.com. Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the e-mail subject line. Length: 300 words The submission should include the author's name, grade and hometown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansan.com/letters. Alex Garrison, editor 864-4810 or agarrison@kansan.com Nick Gerik, managing editor 864-4810 or ngerik@kansan.com Erin Brown, managing editor 864-4810 or ebrown@kansan.com CONTACT US David Cawthon, kansan.com managing editor 864-4810 or dcwthon@kansan.com Jonathan Shorman, opinion editor 864-4924 or jshorman@kansan.com Emily McCoy. Kansan TV assignment editor 864-4810 or emccoy@kansan.com Shauna Blackmon, associate opinion editor 864-4924 or sblackmon@kansan.com Joe Garvey, business manager 864-4358 or jgarvey@kansan.com Amy O'Brien, sales manager 864-4477 or aobrien@kansan.com Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news advisor 964.2657 e-mail@malcolmgibbon.com Jon Schilt, sales and marketing adviser 864-7666 or jschilt@kansan.com THE EDITORIAL BOARD THE EDITORIAL BOARD THE KANSAS Editorial Board are Alex Garrison, Nick Girk, Erin Brown, David Loehner, Jonathan Shaun and Shauk