OPINION
7A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BRIDAY,APRIL 25.2008
》 TALK BACK TO THE KANSAN OPINION DESK
ASSOCIATED PRESS
What you say
Western world does not understand China
The debate about whether America should boycott the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony reminds me of a thick and heavy wall that stands between China and the rest of the world.
I used to have romantic views about the West. However, I am extremely disappointed by the western media's attempt to demonize China.
The world has waited for China to join it, yet China also waits for the world to understand her. The Beijing Olympics provides a great chance for us to know each other.
— Minran Pu, president,
KU Chinese Students & Scholars Friendship Association
Politics, Olympics always intertwined
Whether we like it or not, politics will remain entangled within the Olympic matrix until it is no longer conducted.
When people compete in the Olympics, they are not wearing uniforms that advertise Adidas or Nike — the uniforms worn by Olympic athletes, rather, proudly display the name of the respective home country of each athlete. Just as a soldier in the Army would wear an American flag patch on his or her uniform, so too do the athletes of the Olympics.
When Olympians suit up, strap in or take aim, they carry the weight of not only their own hopes and dreams but those of the men and women of their respective countries.
— Ryan Shaffer, Omaha, Neb., senior
Media don't portray China accurately
I am disappointed by the Western media's one-sided reporting about Tibet.
The media here stereotype to frame the story for China.I have seldom read any positive story about China here.
I strongly support the Beijing Olympics, not only because it is a good opportunity for China to showcase its development, but it also is good for the mutual communication and understanding between people from China and countries abroad.
Dan Wang, Shenyang China, graduate student
@KANSAN.COM
Read and comment on all student responses at kansan.com/opinion.
Olympic games falling to greed, hypocrisy
What we say
The idea that the Olympics are somehow above politics is ridiculous. Beijing is using the games as political leverage, just as every politician is using the torch relay as a photo op. If politics can be used, why should bovcotting be off limits?
I will not be watching the games and am sad that a once great event has been damaged
People have the right to support the Olympics, just as others have the right to protest them.
Giving China a free pass because of its economic importance is ridiculous, especially when these games are made possible through political oppression in Tibet and arms deals with countries like Sudan
by greed and hypocrisy. Kelsey Hayes, editorial board writer
China running out of time to clear the air
China has a long way to go before its pollution is under control and at the levels that its government promised would be attained in time for the Games. With one coal-fired power plant built weekly, those standards have gone out the window.
Although pollution is no reason for countries to boycott, the United States, and the rest of the world for that matter, start worrying about China's growing influence environmentally, socially and economically.
— Lauren Keith, associate opinion editor
HOW TO SUBMIT
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni.
The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions.
hometown (student); position (faculty member/staff); phone number (will not be published)
Questions about submissions? Call Bryan Dykman or Lauren Keith at 864-4810 or e-mail kansanopdesk@gmail.com.
General questions should be directed to the editor at editor@kansan.com.
GUEST COLUMN
GUIDELINES
LETTER GUIDELINES
The submission must include: Author's name and telephone number; class.
Maximum Length: 200 words
Maximum Length: 500 words
The submission must include: Author's name and telephone number; class, hometown (student); position (faculty member/staff); phone number (will not be published)
The Kansan will not print guest columns or letters that attack a reporter or another columnist.
CONTACT US
Matt Erickson, managing editor
864-4810 or merickson@kansan.com
Tyler Doehring
Darla Slipke, editor
864-4810 or dslipke@kansan.com
Dianne Smith, managing editor
864-4810 or dsmith@kansan.com
Bryan Dykman, opinion editor
864-4924 or dykman@kansan.com
Lauren Keith, associate opinion editor 864-4924 or lkeith@kansan.com
Malcolm Gibson, general manager and news adviser
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Katy Pitt, sales manager 864-4477 or kpitt@kansan.com
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Alex Doherty, Bryk Dykman, Matt Erickson, Kesley Hayes, Lauren Keith, Darla Slipke, Dianne Smith and Ian Stanford.
COMMENTARY
Prostitution policy lags behind others
The scene: After school, 12-year-old girls wearing mini-skirts and tube tops wander the clean-cut suburban streets in search of middle school boys to have sex with. With maroon lipstick in one hand and a pocket mirror in the other, these girls prepare for the seduction. Upon consummating this abomination against God, these whores rob the moral bank of society until sucked dry.
The problem with the above doomsday scenario is that it has no basis in reality. It is an act of the imagination, yet opponents to the legalization of prostitution continue to use a variation of this slippery slope argument to support their beliefs. Other imaginary effects of legalizing prostitution include the complete and utter destruction of the family or simply the end of civilization.
No one can predict the future, but it's logical to speculate on what would happen if prostitution were legalized based on areas where it has been legalized.
In the United States, prostitution has been legal in parts of Nevada since 1967. Here the government taxes and regulates the industry. Prostitutes are required to get monthly exams to check for STDs and brothel owners are liable if a patron contracts an STD from a prostitute.
Condoms are mandatory for all forms of sex in areas where prostitution is legal.
The problem with keeping prostitution illegal in most parts of America is that it allows the sex trade to continue to flourish and for the exploitation of women to continue.
San Francisco is a major hub for sex trafficking, and this is not likely to change. Here, women don't go to the police because the activity they're engaged in is illegal and prostitutes are punished for it.
In the U.S. alone, the State Department estimates there are 14,500 to 17,500 people brought into the United States each year.
Keeping prostitution illegal is the 21st century version of prohibition. Bootlegging emerged in America from prohibition just as the sex trade emerged in places
Again, sex trafficking is only a problem in places where it's illegal because there's a high demand and that demand cannot be legally met — this creates a black market. Why risk breaking the law, possibly exposing yourself to an STD and supporting a trade that abuses women when you could legally, safely and humanly buy the services of a woman? This is the way it is in places like Germany or Amsterdam.
This is not only a U.S. problem, though. According to the FBI, the industry pulls in $9.5 billion worldwide each year.
In places like Russia, pimps have threatened violence against women's families if they try to run away. Thailand has one of the worst records in the world. Women are routinely abused and sold into sexual slavery — many as young as 12 or 13. These are both places where prostitution is illegal.
If legalized, the industry should be taxed and regulated like it is in Western Europe. This is the middle ground between illegality and a laissez faire system. Women younger than 18 should not be allowed to participate, but women who want to should be able to.
A 5 percent sin tax would be pragmatic to help convince people who would initially oppose the legislation. This idea has already been applied to alcohol and cigarettes.
where prostitution was illegal.
The tax money from prostitution could be used for things that benefit society such as funding higher education or starting paying off the $9.4 trillion national debt.
Legalizing prostitution would also decrease isolation, make people less ashamed of sex and create jobs. These jobs created would also decrease the income gap between men and women.
In conclusion, the illegality of prostitution allows for the exploitation of women to continue. Opposition is based on slippery slope arguments. Also, the government will directly benefit from legalization and so will we, as this is a government of, for and by the people.
Mangiaracina is a Lenexa senior in journalism.
COMMENTARY
Looking back, there may be more to opinions than just having them
I've spent a great deal of time this semester worrying. Not about tests or grades as much as the backlashes for columns I've written.
I'm not naive enough to be surprised at this. I know where I stand in relation to many who disagree with me on many issues, but it doesn't change that I am actually a fairly sensitive person and am not the biggest fan of confrontation.
than a hunch or a political leaning. It is a matter of logic and reason. Our response to an opinion should involve as much consideration for the truth (or untruth) of what it says as the penning of it. That way, someone's hunch doesn't give birth to a knee-ierk reaction.
Because of this, I've thought of this semester as "the opinion." I've derived a number of ideas, a few of which I'd like to relate here.
1. There are many types of opinions: informed opinions, uninformed opinions, logical and illogical opinions, well worded and impressive-sounding opinions as well as perplexing and ambiguous ones.
Our culture is permeated with a sense of our inalienable right to instant gratification. Our dealings in the world of opinions and dialogue should not follow this model. There is no drive-thru window to healthy dialogue, and once we take a bite we should chew it seven times and let it digest for 30 minutes before we jump back in the pool.
Granted, some opinion pieces function more as observations of the world through an author's unique lens instead of as statements of truth. Others, however, have absolutely everything to do with a morality — whether something is right or wrong.
A responsible attitude and behavior toward opinions is essential because informed opinions constitute the cornerstone of a democratic society. In a sense, this nation is built on the foundation of the opinion page, on the back-and-forth of ideas and values.
2. A certain amount of critical thinking must be involved not only the formation of the opinion, but also in understanding another's opinion. A valid opinion is more
In order for this to happen, we must work to rid ourselves of a number of bad habits.
1. We must abandon the doctrine of assuming. If I make the statement that A is better than B, it would be irresponsible to assume that this is because I hate B with an illogical and genocidal hatred.
Assuming why or how a person can come to such a conclusion is much less valuable than knowing why they think that way, let alone actually dismantling their argument.
2. Accusations leveled at an author that do not address the
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to the editor by e-mail to kansanopdesk@ gmail.com. Letters should include the author's name, grade and hometown.
how to submit
@KANSAN.COM
4.
ONLINE COMMENTS Comment on all stories at Kansan.com. Registration with the site is required.
Opinions, editorials and the dialogue that flows from them in our culture should all be crafted in such a manner that they work towards the betterment of individuals, society and the whole world. Our goal should be to foster a language — not of simplification (politics) or repetition (the media) but of understanding.
Anderson is a Perry junior in creative writing.
text of the author's argument are despicable, because they exist only to unsettle a reader's understanding of what the author is saying. There are many forms of this: name-calling, calling into question the author's life experience or education, or associating the author with negative elements outside of the argument itself. Besides, this sort of thing is just plain childish, and should be left to children and presidential candidates.
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.
I have bubbles in my soul.
Chat me up on Facebook!
On second thought, don't because it is really creepy.
Every time I finish one thing,
a thousand other things to do
come and take its place.
Your fake-bake tan doesn't look real at all, sorry.
Thanks for whispering the answer to me in Spanish today. You're sweet.
Seriously, how much more noise can you make outside of Oliver in the morning? If it isn't the dump trucks, it's the lawn mowers.
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I just friended KU Info on Facebook. Easy Info all the time now.
What I don't like about DMB is why does Dave have to act so profound? Why does he take every song so seriously? It's like he thinks he's Bob Dylan.
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That's an awful feeling.
When a professor hands back an assignment, and she hands yours to you upside down and half-folded in her hand, you know you did horrible and she knows that and wants to hide it from your neighbors. That's an awful feeling.
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For the longest time, I thought it was the coyote fountain. I think I'm just going to keep calling it that.
Don't judge hooking up on Craigslist until you've been a closedet gay man.
ADD + sleep deprivation + paper that needs to be written= screw it, let's drink.
You already are in two differ ent relationships, so please can I have just one?!
Mario, please come back
KU Parking keeps giving my friend parking tickets even though he doesn't park at KU.
Just because you are friends with my roommate doesn't mean you can waltz into our room when he isn't here without knocking.
Dear Facebook, it's me again,
and I seriously need to do my homework. Thanks.
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Wescoe's water fountains have cool water that tastes heavenly. Summerfield should take notes
@KANSAN.COM
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