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.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010
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EDITORIAL
FREE FOR ALL
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
To contribute to Free For All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500.
Halloween weekend = success.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
I went to Mizzou for the weekend. Won't make that mistake again.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
Wow, Christmas stuff already?
Oh goodness.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
I'm proud to say I was fully covered and not dressed like a skank this Halloween.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
Good morning, starshine, the earth says hello!!
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
To the slutty skunk I saw on Friday night; Really? A SKUNK?
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
I love it when my roommate goes home for the weekend because that means I can sleep bra-less.
I really want to bang you,but I just can't
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
Because you went all Jesus freak on me.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
So, that "pledge of allegiance" post wasn't hazing? Because I know hazing is banned on campus.
Hooking up with my ex tonight. There's totally no way this could end badly. Nope.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
Props to the tetris guys that showed up in BIO 100. You were just the pieces I needed to win
Penasia ... the plural for penis.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
I wish it was socially acceptable for boys to wear leggings. I have excellent leg definition
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
If you get blood on your pool cue, you're doing it wrong.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
Did you seriously just ask what a Hufflepuff is? Did you grow up under a rock?
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
I just cleaned a ton of earwax out of my earphones. Back to sthling
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
I think I might like you,but I don't know just yet.
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
I can't believe you've never seen Hocus Pocus. Did you not have a childhood?
--of people will decide the outcome of hundreds of contests, from representatives and senators to library expansions and the legalization of marijuana.
Participation in election vital
Tomorrow is an important day in this country of ours. On Tuesday, millions
Though it's often said, voting is an important act for citizens. It is the reassertion of power. It is the single best chance for people to help guide the direction of this country. When we elect someone into office, we're sending a statement about what we value, what laws we would like to see, what our philosophical principles are and how we want government to operate.
become in many cases about the size and scope of government. The national discussion over this issue has played everywhere - in Congress during the health care
Nationally, this election has
debate to each afternoon on Glenn Beck. Some of the discussion on both sides has been substantial, but much of it has been trivial.
congressional representatives and state legislators give Kansas voters additional opportunities to decide what direction American policy should take.
Students have as big a stake in who our leaders are as anyone else in this country.
In Kansas, voters can choose between Democrat Tom Holland and Republican Sam Brownback for governor. Races for
expansion of the Lawrence Public Library through an $18 million bond.
But the national questions are not the only issues to be decided on Tuesday; local decisions are being made, too.
Voters will decide on a proposed
Two amendments to the Kansas Constitution will also be voted on. One amendment would "preserve constitutionally the right of a person to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and state, and for all other lawful purposes, including hunting and recreation" according to an explanatory note on the ballot.
The other amendment would, if passed, prevent the Kansas legislature from excluding mentally ill individuals from voting.
These questions and more will be decided Tuesday. And students should be a part of those decisions.
Congress and state legislatures are not exactly sexy topics, but the bills passed by these bodies can have lasting impact on our lives.
Students registered to vote should take the time needed to walk down to their polling place Tuesday, even if it means skipping a bit of class.
Students, and young people in general have as big a stake in who our leaders are as anyone else in this country.
The results may or may not be to your liking, but we can all agree that participation is vital to creating the government we need, if not always the government we want.
So take two minutes to fill out a ballot that will help determine the next two years. Vote!
Jonathan Shorman for The Kansan Editorial Board
Non-partisan voter information votesmart.org
View a sampe Kansas ballot vote-ks.org
MARIAM SAIFAN
POLITICS
Obama has shown courage
Poor Obama. He's becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of presidents.
Conservatives are calling him a socialist. Tea-partiers are painting him a witch doctor. Moderates are disserting him. Democrats are telling him to "shove it."
... And Jon Stewart is even questioning his temerity.
This historic piece of legislation depleted a lot of the administration's political capital. We will see the fallout tomorrow. Yet I can't think of a more endearing trait for a leader: doing the right thing no matter how unpopular it might be.
He gets no respect, I tell ya.
Flak is coming from all directions, but one thing goes without question: This presidency has been anything but timid.
"Obamacare" took more than temerity. It took courage. Obama-Dangerfield took the opportunity to get legislation passed that several presidents before him could not. His leadership extended health care to millions of Americans who couldn't afford what had been a privilege, like avoiding bankruptcy because of disease.
Chrysler is now safely in the hands of Fiat. And in August, General Motors posted its second quarterly profit in a row, its best showing in three years. This month G.M. will repurchase $2.1 billion in preferred stock held by the government. After the buyback, G.M. will have repaid 20 percent of the money received from the
Starting the Conversation
Obama-Dangerfield provided the leadership needed to save the economy from going "into the ditch," an oft-used one-liner of his. The problems he faced demanded bold solutions, like passing a stimulus bill and bailing out Big Auto. Both were wildly unpopular but successful moves.
BY D.M. SCOTT
Without the stimulus bill, the economy would be 2.5 million jobs lighter. The bill saved jobs in education, law enforcement and transportation, extended unemployment benefits that bolstered consumption and provided temporary tax relief to individuals and businesses, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
government. The auto company has secured a $5 billion revolving credit line and had $26.8 billion in cash reserves at the end of June, according the New York Times.
Had the government let G.M. and Chrysler go, the economy would have lost three million jobs at a time when it was hemorrhaging hundreds of thousands of jobs a month.
Through government intervention, lead by Obama-Dangerfield, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, America dodged a depression, plain and simple.
While these leaders paved the way to recovery-a slow and painful recovery-the Republicans have been busy playing politics. They decried stimulus spending simply because it was a Democratic idea.The main objective for Politicians like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been and remains to derail Obama-Dangerfield's presidency,rather than fix the catastrophe his party created.
This kind of tunnel vision does not bode well for America. Fueled by the G.O.P. faux-fiscal austerity—embodied by the "Pledge to America" that will supposedly eliminate our "crushing debt" without cuts to military spending—the ideological shift headed toward Washington is the exact opposite of what we need. It will breed the sort of policy that could possibly lead to a period of stagnation similar to the kind experienced by Japan during the 1990s that lead to the "lost decade."
japanese economists and policy makers are watching us, wondering why we haven't learned from their mistakes. We don't need to extend tax cuts to the rich, a top priority for Republicans. We need government spending because it hits the economy faster than taxcuts and compensates for the lack of consumption and investment.
We most restore growth first and worry about deficits later. This means we need to spend more money now despite how unpopular it might be.
This is why some pundits are calling Obama-Dangerfield timid. The government hasn't been bold enough to spur the growth we need. The economy needs more stimulus and more spending. This is not Obama-Dangerfield's fault. The administration has been handicapped by political operatives more concerned with their own agenda than policy that will help America.
The president has been thwarted by the tyranny of the minority.
Our economic forecast may now get much worse before it gets better. Want a second opinion? Expect Gridlock, too.
Find your polling place myvoteinfo.voteks.org
D. M. Scott is a junior from Overland Park in journalism.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Oral contraceptives harmful to women
The recent article, "Oral contraceptives pricier than in past" suggests that oral contraceptives should be subsidized by the federal government or otherwise made more readily available to college students. I would like to point out a few of the many reasons that oral contraceptives are extremely harmful to women, making them unworthy of support from any source. Firstly, oral contraceptives are not truly medicinal. While medication is intended to restore health, oral contraceptives cause a disease, namely, infertility. The artificial hormones supplied by "the pill" may also increase risks for breast cancer, blood clots and stroke. Further, birth control pills are often prescribed as a superficial remedy which mask the symptoms of underlying medical problems. Often, irregular cycles and pain are signs of reproductive health disorders such as ovarian cysts or endometreosis. More healthcare practitioners should be encouraging gynecological charting as a way to uncover the problems related to a woman's health. For more information regarding natural
fertility education, see www. creightonmodel.com.
Additionally, and most importantly, since lives are in the balance, oral contraceptives are abortifacients. There are several mechanisms of action, including the suppression of ovulation, alteration of mucus and the disruption of the endometrium growth cycle. When this "last defense" mechanism is required, the pill is not merely contraceptive; it can abort the newly conceived life by preventing implantation. Even if employed a very small fraction of the time, the sheer number of sexually active women on the pill ensures that tens of thousands of lives are lost to this form of silent abortion each year.
Finally, oral contraceptives are not necessities. Why should taxpayer money contribute to something that simply makes it convenient for individuals to engage in voluntary behavior for which they are not willing to accept the consequences?
Patricia Huber is a graduate student in bioengineering from Leawood.
Chatterbox
Responses to the news of the week on Kansan.com
"I think it's ridiculous that you blame the coach for this tragic accident. I don't understand how our society feels the need to place the blame for an accident on a certain individual. He practiced outside because the conditions were ideal for game time. The death of this kid is not anyone's fault. It was an accident. Simple enough, just an accident."
—"danr238" in response to "Tragic Notre Dame death unnecessarily" on Oct. 31.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are
Alex Garnison, Nick Gerik, Ben Brown, David
Cawton, Jonathan Shorman and Shauna
Blackmon.