OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
5A
TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2008
COMMENTARY
Gun nuts,what about the other amendments?
That moment struck me as one of those "are you kidding me?" moments. Surely these citizens realize that many of the rights in the Bill of Rights are subject to broadening or sharpening of definition by either the Judiciary or the Legislature. Shouldn't those people enamored of the Second Amendment be just as outraged with the Executive and Legislative branches and the extraordinary contempt of the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth amendments and habeas corpus that goes under that nasty title of The Patriot Act?
I just don't get gun lovers or the NRA. Yes, I am aware the second amendment explicitly allows for "a well regulated militia" and "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." Yet, I need to remind people that this right isn't absolute. Recently a column in The Kansan addressed Kansas legalizing silencers, machine guns and sawed off shotguns. I decided to take a peek at kansan, com to see some posted comments. The emotional rebuttals were unrelenting (Liberals hate guns, slippery slope, and so forth). Folks went crazy over their "untouchable" gun rights.
To cover all the breaches and exceptions would require a critical essay, so I'm going to focus on just the First and Fourth amendments. Ok gun lovers, please understand that one cannot yell "fire" in a full theatre, must obtain a municipal permit to protest, and cannot use hate speech to incite violence. Moreover, the FCC can fine one for indecent speech on the public airwaves. Even more so, libel and slander are not protected, and the current administration is looking into ways to dismantle the protection of anonymous
sources the press uses for whistle-blowing.
Journalists can be censored when national security is at stake, and critics still wonder why the president, congressmen, senators, and judges are sworn in on a Christian Bible.
More perplexing, Senator McCain insists this nation was founded as a Christian nation while completely ignoring the Establishment Clause, and good luck with getting this administration to heed a grievance, let alone a redress of one.
As for the Fourth Amendment, the Patriot Act broke many precedents by allowing for the bypass of the Judiciary branch by the Executive. Wiretapping may inadvertently intercept benign calls. The FBI can seize library, financial and confidential health records if it deigns someone as highly suspicious. I would rather have the court give consent for my seizure as a suspected terrorist than the FBI or CIA, because those two get a little trigger happy from time to time.
The FBI now only needs a search warrant to check voicemail messages where once a specific and strict federal wiretap warrants was required. In addition, even before the Patriot Act the police were often granted the exception to seize personal effects, like a bloody knife, in a home or vehicle if the item was in plain sight or would have been inevitably discovered.
My intention isn't to marginalize the gun control debate or instill fear in others, but to highlight how certain people hyperventilate over the regulation of the second amendment when other rights, presumably as important, are continually up for review. The first ten amendments are meant to operate in tandem, with one holding no more weight than the others.
Williams is a Coffeyville junior in English and Pre-Law.
BLOGS@KANSAN.COM
Yesterday I was making my way across Wescoe Beach, head down, discreetly avoiding the overly people-persony Democratites as they preyed on the last of us who hadn't yet voted. I was eventually caught, by someone from United Students of Connected Libertarianisms, and asked if I had voted. I lied and said I had. When they asked me who, I panicked.
Thumbing the air towards the large group of people waving the large red flags, I said "China."
Josh Anderson
1 Read more online.
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FROM THE DRAWING BOARD
COMMENTARY
Max Rinkel
'Walk-and-talking awkward for all
Editor's note: Cohen is a member of ConnectKU in addition to writing a bi-weekly column for the Kansan.
Some people call it "drawing blood." Some people call it "walk-and-stalking." Some people just call it the reason they hate Student Senate.
Those of us who commit the act just call it a necessary evil.
For a week every spring, Senate coalitions flood Wescoe Beach and then the rest of campus. Coalition members pass out fliers to every single person we see, following them to the ends of the earth (or at least campus), telling them why they should vote for us.
I admit that I've taken part in this for the past three years. The term those of us who run for Senate apply to the practice of harassing uninterested students is "walk-and-talking," a single letter separate from one of the previously mentioned terms.
Very few of the people who run, regardless of partisan affiliation, honestly enjoy doing this. One can get desperate when trying to be elected by thousands of strangers, and after a while, any idea sounds like a good one.
The mindset behind walk-and-
talking is that it leaves no stone unturned when searching for people who may be interested in supporting your coalition.
The last week before the polls open, when we are allowed to do this, is a period of incredible uncertainty and anxiety to all involved. The members of the various coalitions pour their souls into those Senate campaigns that clog campus for a few weeks every year.
I ran twice with the Delta Force coalition and saw two radically different results based on how much we engaged in walk-and-talking. One year, it was discouraged among members of the coalition, and although a fair amount of people were elected, we didn't do all that well.
Some years, it is more effective than others.
Last Thursday marked the end of the campaign season, which pitted United Students, Students of Liberty and ConnectKU against each other. The election had a significantly better turnout, with around 17 percent of students voting, as opposed to the previous year's 12 percent.
It is about as awkward for us to do as it is for you to politely listen and nod at appropriate times. All we ask is that you don't hold it against us the rest of the year.
I was elected to Senate for the
The next year we reversed directions and did it constantly. The coalition did better, at least in regards to how it stacked up to its competition when the votes were tallied, but that election had a voter turnout that was so low it was a little embarrassing to all involved.
first time by something greater than a five-person committee.
Everyone who participates in Student Senate elections knows how it looks when we crowd campus and beg you to listen to our rants about how we will bring about world peace and sunshine and puppy dogs if you'll vote for us.
This year also saw more people engaging in walk-and-talk. I get the idea from seeing this voter increase that people are enthusiastic about the various coalitions' ideas, things like putting up wind turbines on campus, making Gmail KU's new e-mail system or making it easier to use the Union parking garage.
But maybe, just maybe, people are getting used to seeing the coalitions roaming campus to the point that they are starting to warm to it.
Cohen is a Topeka sophomore in pre-journalism.
That is reassuring because of how much it is pushed on candidates that this is the way to be elected. People have always complained about how annoying walk-and-talking is.
The annoyance is understandable, even from the perspective of somebody who has engaged in it for a few years now.
editorials around the nation
If you're college age or slightly older and a young, hip candidate for president hands you free tickets to a Dave Matthews concert, he's got you registered and he's got your vote.
Democrats try to 'rock' the vote again in '08
It remains to be seen whether the Barack Obama campaign's rockin' outreach will roll over as dividends in the May 6 Indiana primary or beyond.
Voters in the 18-to-29-year-old bracket tend to vote Democratic and thus far have favored Obama over Hillary
Well, not necessarily.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clinton. Their turnout has been higher than normal throughout the primary season, as it was in the 2006 midterm elections.
For Republicans, there is plenty of comfort to be found
in recent history. John Kerry expected to profit from a massive "Rock the Vote" effort in 2004; but after all the music and celebrity exhortations had died away, turnout by the young only modestly improved over the 2000 election: Just 56 percent went for Kerry.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Increased political participation by the emerging generation is not just welcome, but vital. The paramount issues debt, defense, health care education, Jobs, Social Security are issues of the future
Word to the newcomers:
After the rock comes the hard part.
The Indianapolis Star April 8 editorial
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Everyone should friend "Rock Chalk" on Facebook. Best. Profile. Ever.
Orange peels are following me all over campus. Can oranges stalk you?
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A test over 155 pages of material. I'm halfway through page one. It's going to be a long night
I'm ecstatic that we won the national championship, but can we stop inflating the players' heads with a parade? I'm sure their heads are big enough already. What's next, they get to go the White House? Oh wait,
--all weekend.
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Everyone that voted for the socialized bus system is selfish. Stop stealing my money.
Did Bill Self really reference "High School Musical"?
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Whoever told me that taking philosophy is a good idea was wrong, very wrong. You bastard
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I just had the best weekend ever, and I was in Junction City all weekend.
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I have done more "once in a lifetime" things this week then I ever need to do again.
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