Opinion The University Daily Kansan
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To contribute to Free For All, visit Kansan.com or call (785) 864-0500.
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Why in the world would you shut down the computer in Watson when you are finally done and a million people are waiting to use the computer??
What happened to the good old' days when women liked men for their charming wit and intelligence? I am horrible at
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What do you get when you mix a parrot and a caterpillar?
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Ferris Bueller, you're my hero.
The first thing I'm doing when I get home tonight is to download the new Taylor Swift album ... most likely illegally.
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I'm 21! I'm gong to frame my fake ID for keepsake.
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I love grammar. Hehe.
FYI, being a freshman is far from cool. Hanging out with freshmen is even further away from cool.
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Through scientific study, dinosaurs have been proven to be big birds with no wings or
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Dear Life: I'm over your damn lemos
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Red hair makes everything more sassy. Just think the havoc I would wreak if it was
Having a grizzly bear as a pet is a sure-fire way to dismemberment. Just saying.
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There's a mysterious trail of glitter in the Watson Library bathroom ... Who's hiding Gaga for now?
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Favre, you are the weakest link Goodbye.
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Why do so many FFA posts mimic my life?
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Do girl dinosaurs have boobies?
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If you shot a huge bag of weed to the sun, would it burn up and get everyone high?
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I remember watching the show CatDog on NICK ... How did they ever go to the bathroom?
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A drunk guy said I had nice St. Bernards, I've had my boobs called a lot of things, but never that
EDITORIAL BOARD
Personal awareness, lighting both needed
For years the University and the city have talked about increasing lighting in oatric areas, and although
high-traffic areas, some work has been done, there is still room for improvement.
Both the University and the city have a lot of things to worry about and a lot of things to budget for, but student safety should not be pushed down on the list.
city or other funding agencies."
Although some areas are pretty dark, including some around campus and some around popul-
In a University Campus Plan released in
The university and the city have a lot of things to worry about and budget for,but student safety should not be pushed down on the list.
1997, it was proposed to add "the extension of improved lighting to include routes taken by pedestrians traveling to and from campus, perhaps in cooperation with the
student hang outs such as The Wheel and The Hawk, the dorms and other more better lit areas should not be the site of pedestrian-car injuries, such as the incident last week where a student
was struck by a car on Daisy Hill. Student safety is not just at the hands of officials and planners. If there are crosswalks, pedestrians need to use them and motorists
need to have extra caution around them. With people constantly walking around and popping out of seemingly nowhere on Daisy Hill and around the bars, inattentive driving and walking will inevitably get someone hurt.
CARTOON
If you are driving around these known dangerous areas, slow down and look around, if you are walking, (or stumbling as the case may be) make sure to be aware that you can't always be seen, especially at night. We are too young to have our lives ruined by stupid decisions.
Although the University and the city need to do what they can to increase student safety, ultimately it is the students' responsibility to watch out and make good decisions.
Shauna Blackmon for the Kansan Editorial Board
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Article portrayed city code, rental situations in unfair light
I won't pretend that I wasn't horrified by the article that appeared in The Kansan about my rental business. Publishing an article without making attempts to contact the person whom the article concerns is unprofessional. The article is riddled with misleading and downright incorrect information.
A security deposit is certainly not a "13th month's rent." Security deposits, as my leases state, are used to clean and repair dirty, damaged houses. Unfortunately for both Mr. Markowitz and myself, he and his housemates left his house in a truly filthy state when they moved out at the end of the rental year. It was not just a few dust balls, it was a year's worth of ingrained dirt, including an unplugged fridge in the basement full of rotting meat and maggot*
from some of the claims made in The Kansan's article. In fact, we put a great deal of time, effort and money into making sure the houses stay well cared for and remain in good condition. Why else would two-thirds of our houses be already rented in advance for next year?
Believe me, I would much prefer to have given Markowitz back his money, and not had to spend any of his security deposit on paying people to clean fifth. When renters leave their houses in good shape and we don't have to spend time and energy on cleaning them, to no profit of our own, everyone is much happier. At the beginning of the contract, our representative will walk renters through a house, and we (reenter and landlord) make a list of its condition. On return the house is expected to be in the same clean condition, with no more than normal living wear and tear.
Quotes attributed to Markowitz that the City of Lawrence inspector Mr. Jimenez found only three occupants at 1736 Louisiana St. are incorrect. What Mr. Jimenez, who said he was doing a safety inspection (and found no safety violations) discovered in 2008 was a second dwelling unit, with a kitchen. Single-family zoning allows three occupants per dwelling unit. This would be a total of six individuals in the case of 1736 Louisiana St. No statement was made about how many people were living in the structure. What was acknowledged during that inspection was that the house had more than three unrelated persons living there. After inspecting the second unit, which appeared "vintage" and original, Mr. Jimenez said that if it could be proved that the second dwelling unit was legally allowed, then 1736 Louisiana St. had the rights of a legally non-conforming property in a single family zoned area.
Our rentals are a very far cry
Currently, the city attorney is reviewing the historic evidence of a multiple family legally conforming house in the 1940s up until today. A building permit issued by the City of Lawrence in 1963 for a
second dwellings unit is on file as a public record.
The law affirms the right of a property to be "grandfathered" if its use predates zoning. A "grandfather" clause is an exception that allows an old rule to continue to apply to some existing situations, when a new rule will apply to all future situations. The City cannot enforce a code retroactually. The Lawrence Land Development Code (effective July 1, 2006) states that: "...all rights to continuance, maintenance, or repair of the nonconforming use shall be allowed regardless of registration as a nonconforming use".
And just in case anyone is wondering, because the reporter chose to leave it out, the bat was promptly removed from the house (and relocated to a safe place) within half an hour of the first phone call.
— Serina Hearn is a Lawrence land owner. She is writing in response to the story "Landlord, city in dispute" that ran Oct. 12.
CIVIL LIBERTIES
Question 2 can protect against unfair language
In the upcoming election, citizens will vote on a new law (question 2)
referendum (question 2) to remove the language in the state constitution that allows legislation denying voting rights to a person based on a diagnosis of mental illness.
A vote of "yes" on this referendum, question 2, is a step toward getting rid of the stigma associated with mental illness.
This clause does not define mental illness any further than those words. As such a broad term, it could encompass illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The current language, which includes these illnesses, is a social injustice to those who have mental disorders but are still functioning members of society.
Any such legislation would infringe on the civil rights of many Kansas residents who are fully able to participate in elections. The fact that this encroachment is expressly permissible by the constitution is worrisome at best.
Question 2 is a nonpartisan issue; gubernatorial candidates Sam Brownback and Tom Holland have both endorsed the amendment striking the words "mental illness" from Article 5, Section 2.
The above mentioned are very common disorders. The Protect Voting Rights website (the campaign endorsing a vote of "yes" on question 2) says that one in five Kansas residents suffer from a mental illness.
The constitution does not provide the legislature the right to restrict voting based on, say, I.Q. or a test on knowledge of current issues. The idea that mental health is singled out is a significant elucidation of the societal attitude toward these disorders.
BY KELLY COSBY
kcosby@kansan.com
Most obviously, the constitutional provision
discriminates against people based on a health diagnosis. Equally important, though, is the text's reinforcement of the negative connotation associated with mental illness.
The text of this clause groups together criminals and the mentally ill, as if those with mental illnesses have committed a crime against the state. This exclusion from voting could be viewed as a type of "punishment," further perpetuating the stigma that comes with mental illness.
Kansan editor-in-chief Alex Garrison recently wrote a poignant opinion piece urging everyone to recognize the struggles endured by those suffering from mental illness and to treat them with respect and consideration. I, too, believe that, as Garrison pointed out, an open discussion will bring about positive change in dialogues on mental health.
Another way is to acknowledge that those dealing with illnesses such as PTSD or ADD are capable individuals, just like everyone else, and are adequately competent to exercise the right to vote.
This referendum can and should serve as a vehicle for initiating conversations about mental illness. We should take this as an opportunity to reflect on how we view mental disorders and what we can do to help those dealing with them.
Cosby is a junior from Overland Park in political science and English
Chatterbox Responses to the news of the week on Kansan.com
—“Beech27” in response to “Team lacks talent, fails to improve once again” on Oct. 24.
"It's easy to assume that KU football will be horrible forever, as it was during the dregs of the Terry Allen years. But, to borrow a quote from ultramarathoning, "It never always gets worse." Things might get better. They might get worse. But in all likelihood, both are going to happen."
An editorial that appeared in the Oct. 20 edition of The Kansan, "Hazing code needs more clarity"/insuited that an investigation into possible hazing at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity following the death of KU student Jason Wren in March 2009 was not conducted by the University. However, according to Marles Roney, Vice Provost for Student Success, interviews with residents were conducted after the death to determine if hazing was involved. No evidence of hazing was found.
personally I think a large part of sexual "orientation" revolves around culture. Change the culture, and you change the norms. For instance, if you examine prisons or other places with all male or all-female populations, you will see homosexuality rates skyrocket. Clearly, that is not a case of being "born" one way, but "raised" a certain way due to culture - and when that changes, so can lots of things."
— "NarCap" in response to "Those against equality share in deaths" on Oct. 22.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Alex Garrison, Kirk Gerik, Brown David, Jonathan Shorman and Shauna Blauk