4A the university daily kansan opinion tuesday, february 24, 2004 EDITORIAL BOARD Show respect to classified workers on campus Often lost in the day-to-day hustle of the University of Kansas are the people who make it function. Anyone who has ever taken a class at the University, walked across campus or simply enjoyed the spring tulips in front of Strong Hall has benefited from the services classified workers provide. They are the custodians, landscapers, maintenance personnel and all other support services workers. These 1,500 members are as important to the campus as anyone who works or studies at the University. Without them, there would be a OURVIEW The classified workers at the University deserve respect for the work they do on campus. Their work affects everyone. hill, but not really a campus. On Feb. 10 a group of classified employees from the University of Kansas and other Regents schools, including Kansas State University, lobbied the Legislature for a 7.5 percent pay increase. According to Kathy Jansen, president of the KU Classified Workers Senate, the increase is meant to make up for inadequate raises in recent years. Their case is solid. Since 1981, their wages have grown at about half the rate of inflation. Jansen said some entry-level classified workers were below the poverty level. Jansen said classified workers expected to get the 3 percent pay increase Gov. Kathleen Sebelius proposed for state employees. But, she said, the chances of getting the 7.5 percent increase they wanted were slim. Students, faculty and staff may not be able to help these workers in their fight to cross the poverty line but we can do a better job of acknowledging their struggle and their work. How we treat the people we depend upon most is a character test those in the University community face daily. Don't ignore the custodian mopping the floor or the landscaper making campus the spectacular sight it is. The next time you encounter classified workers, show your appreciation. They deserve a pay increase, but if that fails, we can at least give them a respect increase. ON POLITICS Main goal remains; remove president In the past few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion about the Democratic COMMENTARY Anna D. Gregory opinion@kansan.com candidates. You may be wondering why all this politicalrucks is important. There is only one reason folks: Bush sucks and he has got to go. In the last four years, the price of higher education has skyrocketed. We have felt the effects of this every time we write a check to the University of Kansas. Under Bush, education as a whole has been neglected. Not only are college students being priced out of an education, but the Bush administration's policy for elementary education is not working. The No Child Left Behind Act created standards that most struggling schools, the same ones the act was designed to help, cannot live up to. How are students supposed to get better test scores if they don't have the books and other resources they need to learn? The American economy — the one thing a Republican is supposed to be good at — has failed under President Bush. The deficit is higher now than when Bush was elected in 2000. More than 2 million manufacturing jobs have been lost since Bush took office. Corporations are setting up shop off-shore in order to avoid paying American taxes. What has Bush done about it? He certainly hasn't stopped it. And where are the jobs that Bush promised us this year? We only got a fraction of the 100,000 new jobs Bush said he could produce. There is no question that Bush has created a tax policy that benefits the rich. Bush has consistently made deals that benefit corporations over the average American. Case in point — health care. Bush's health care plan will give more money to HMOs and drug companies without giving your parents or mine the health care that they need to survive. And finally, our president misled the American people about going to war. He told us Iraq was a threat to the United States because it had weapons of mass destruction. One year later, still no weapons, but we have American troops dying every day in Iraq. And for what? I won't argue that Saddam Hussein wasn't a bad guy, and that the Iraqis suffered under his leadership, but we didn't go into Iraq because we cared about the Iraqis. We went because we were scared from Sept. 11. We went because we wanted to protect ourselves. Now we know that Iraq did not have the capability to attack the United States with nuclear weapons, nor did Iraq have the kind of ties Bush led us to believe it did with Al Qaeda or Osama bin Laden. America, we were lied to. President Bush needs to be kicked out of office. Bush has neglected to solve the education problem in America. His budget and tax policy have hurt the economy, instead of helping it. Most importantly, our country is fighting a war Zach Stinson for The University Daily Kansan because Bush did not tell the American people the truth. It is time for a change. Gregory is a Topeka senior in history and political science. PERSPECTIVE America's freedom foundation crumbling On the Fourth of July, D-Day, Veterans Day, and during Black History Month, we are reminded of the gift of freedom and of those before us who fought hard for it. GUEST COMMENTARY Unfortunately, in these secularized times, many of us have forgotten what true freedom really is and have replaced it with our desires. A strong influence has been the phrase, "It's a free country, so I can do what I want." James R. Arruda opinion@kansan.com If I were to tell you that there were forces in our country that sought to control your decisions, your actions, and the very way you think toward their own selfish ends, you would be disturbed, perhaps even outraged. We are a nation founded with the goal of freedom in mind, and we should rightfully oppose those who would seek to take it away. Unfortunately, those aforementioned forces have succeeded more than you can imagine. These forces are the people who say true freedom lies in doing whatever you want, and whatever makes you feel good. It lies especially in the media that diffuses those ideas throughout our culture. Contrary to the "It's a free country" notion, we are truly slaves to the culture, and we have accepted it willingly under the false pretense of freedom. Johann Goethe said, "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." We believe we are free to act as we please, but we have become nothing more than slaves to the chemicals in our heads. The feelings from a sexual encounter, the toxins in alcohol, and narcotics are prime examples of our desire to be "free," but we have been duped into thinking we made the choice to do it. You may not realize it, but someone convinced you in some way to behave that way. In the beginning we had the ability to make the choice, but once you have made the choice you lose your freedom. The media only reinforces your lack of choice by telling you that sex is OK, as long as it's "protected." They tell you to do what they want you to do, and then they give you excuses for doing it. History provides a lesson as well. The Roman society eventually crumbled (among other things) because they sought to find pleasure in violence, debauchery and drunkenness. Do not become like the Romans. We have the ability to be much more. Society has worked hard to strip away your freedom, and tell you that you still have it. It tells you to make your own choices when it has made them for you already. During Black History Month when we honor those who fought to slavery and promote the values of true freedom, let us not forget what true freedom is. Do not be slaves to the synapses in your mind, do not be a slave to the secularized culture of the world. True freedom is the ability to stand against those who would seek to control you, and we are controlled. Use your true freedom; it's why we have it. Arruda is a Pittsburg freshman in aerospace engineering. MORE ONLINE Want to read more from the opinion page? Hungry for more Free For All comments? Check out The University Daily Kansas's Web site. Check out The University Daily Kansan's Web site, www.kansan.com, for more columns and editorials about the Quiznos commercials, PepperJax Grill, passion parties, reality television and more. KANSANREPORTCARD TALK TO US To the fraternity members of Delta Sigma Phi who were passing out hot chocolate on campus yesterday. They even stopped a police officer and tried to give him a cup. Pass: The Into the Streets Week publicity. ITSW is a Center of Community Outreach program that organized next week's philanthropic events. Its posters have covered campus. Look for the posters to get involved. The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni The missing copier in the Kansas Union. Students are busy and sometimes unprepared. The copier was convenient and useful. For more comments, go to www.kansan.com The Pachyderm's inaccurate African-American statistics. The newsletter writers should check all relevant statistics before drawing conclusions. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Meghan Brune or Johanna M. Maska at 864-4924 or e-mail at opinion@kansan.com. If you have general questions or comments, e-mail Michelle Rombeck at mburhenn@kansan.com. - Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. I am very disappointed with this year's Student Senate. Why do we have to pay for printing? Seeing that Quiznos' commercial doesn't make me me want Quiznos. It makes me want to become a dentist and put braces on those stupid hamsters. Call 864-0500 Free for All Fail: --- I just saw a Bud Light commercial using the KU fight song on KU TV. Can they do that? - I saw more people wearing red, white and blue last week, but that still wasn't enough. Could it be that the students of KU are no longer proud to be American? So come on KU, let's wave that flag together. Chlorophyll. Sounds more like borophyll. - THE LONDON POST KANSAN Michelle Rombeck editor 864-4854 or mburhenn@kansan.com Andrew Vaupel managing editor 864-4854 or vaulpel@kansan.com Meghan Brune and Johanna M. M.aska opinion editors 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com Danielle Bose business manager 864-4358 or addrector@kansan.com Stephanie Graham retail sales manager 864-4358 or adsales@kansan.com Malcolm Gibson general manager and news adviser 864-7661 or mgibson@kansan.com Matt Fisher sales and marketing adviser 864-7686 or mfl屑者/kansan.com Editorial Board Members Editorial Board Members Kendall Díx Amanda Flatt Lynzee Ford Laura Francoviglia Anna Gregory Amy Hammontree Kelly Hollowell Teresa Lo Stephanie Lovett Mindy Obearne Gholm Reglquist Ryan Scarrow Sara Behunek Kevin Flaherty Brandon Gay Zack Hememway Alex Hoffman Kevin Kampwirth Amy Kelly Cameron Koilling Courtney Kuhlen Brandi Mathesen Travis Metcalf Mike Norris Jonathan Reeder Erin Riffley Ala Smith Kari Zimmerman 1 A R