Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10,2010
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--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
I've decided I want to be a polygamous woman. Any guys want to join my harem?
I can't let you do that,
Starfox.
If Sarah Palin becomes president does that mean I can write all the answers to my tests on my hand?
How can I stand here and not be moved by you?
One week ago my boyfriend was a clumsy virgin. Now he's a sex tiger. Guys, you don't need fancy moves, all you need is boldness, enthusiasm and focus.
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
Marcus Morris has a dislocated finger? Ain't no thang but a chicken-wang.
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
Do you really have a crush on me?
I'm addicted to pineapple juice.
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
Don't trust me.
I am going to start brushing my teeth with a bottle of Jack, and dating guys that look like Mick Jaager.
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
Three orgasms later and I'm off to bed. Goodnight, world!
KU basketball is my religion and Allen Fieldhouse is my sanctuary
Your mom is a joke.
Am I the only person who thinks Google Earth is creepalastic?
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
Good morning, Kansas! Let's get work done!
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
Man, am I cross!
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
Who the hell rides the elevator from floor three to floor two. Wow, lazy people these days!
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
Most people think of the Flying Spaghetti Monster like a piñata and their prayers are the stick. They're blinded, and if they pray they're touched by his noodly appendage.
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
So I'm a single guy, and I desperately want to go see Taylor Sweift when she's in KC...Any girls want go go with
--most torthright symbols of gay and lesbian discrimination in the United States. It would be negligent for young people, regardless of sexual orientation, not to voice their concern for the repeal of this policy.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Policy for equal protection in the military is overdue
The federal policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is one of the most forthright examples of
Passed under the Clinton administration, the law bars gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military. Though originally considered a compromise from an outright ban of gays and lesbians in the military, the law is nothing more than a juvenile, poorly worded and ignorant piece of legislation
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" evidently demonstrates that the equal protection clause in the Fifth Amendment doesn't apply to the treatment of gay people.
What is even more troubling about the 16-year survival of this law is that the Department of Defense has failed to give any rational explanation for why the rule should be any different for heterosexuals.
The sexual identity of a specific group is in not relevant to its performance as military personnel. According to the Legal Defense Network, millions of dollars are spent a year on discharging LGBTs, and this isn't going to make or break the defense department's budget. But surely a better way to expend this money can be found than by investing in the irrational elimination of adequate service members.
This unjust administrative oppression has been a problem since the investigation of gay men and women serving in WWII. These people were given blue discharges, which were neither dishonorable nor honorable, but disqualified these soldiers from subsequent military benefits.
Finally, after more than half a century of gays and lesbians serving with mouths shut and cheeks turned, Obama, as promised in his campaign, pledged with enthusiasm a call to action for the freedom of LGBTs in the military.
The original policy of issuing a blue discharge and the successive "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has ruined the lives of thousands of Americans who served with patriotism and spirit.
In his State of the Union speech, Obama announced that after 2010 he would work with lawmakers and defense leaders to reverse "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
"It's the right thing to do," he said during the address.
People, particularly those will
ing to risk their lives for this country, should not be met with intolerance and forced into silence simply because of whom they love or how they identify themselves.
LGBTs should be allowed to openly serve in the armed forces, so that, at last, gays and lesbians in all branches of military and ROTC programs can be who they are, without having to worry about being discharged and stripped of their benefits.
The president cannot persuade congressmen and senators on his own.
Take a stand and get involved by contacting local representatives. Kansas currently has no co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, and though things may be looking up for LGBTs in the military, this effort needs all the help it can get.
James Castle for The Kansan Editorial Board
Call or write to the Lawrence office of your Representative and ask him/her to co-sponsor the repeal of "Don't Ask, Tell."
Dennis Moore:
Dennis Moore:
Phone: (785) 842-9313
Address: 901 Kentucky St. #205
Lawrence, KS
Lynn Jenkins:
Phone: (785) 234-5966
Address: 3550 SW 5th St.
Topeka, KS
EDITORIAL CARTOON
AROOJ KHALID
SEXUAL HEALTH
Gender inequality stunts chances for academic growth
As recently as 1978, women were banned from enrollment in certain colleges. Now, women's lead in enrollment compared to men has capped out at 57 percent. In students 25 and older, the gap has settled at on even more drastic ratio: two women to one man.
A recent study by the American Council on Education, however, shows the gender gap in college has stopped growing, the only exception being with Hispanic students. There are many theories as to why the gap has plateaued.
It's possible that supply and demand has as much influence on gender roles as it does on Wall Street. During World War II, women rushed to fill the empty jobs left by so many enlisted men. Now, with the recession limiting employment, many men are returning to school in a similar surge.
What about the feminist movement? More women are putting off raising families to focus on
Are women just "brainier"? Anything women and men tend to have different aptitudes, there's nothing showing that one sex is smarter than the other.
But why did the gap get so big in the first place, especially in older students?
Sex and Sensibility
BY MELISSA LYTTON
their careers. But considering that the population ratio of men to women is fairly even, that should just put women's enrollment at the same rate as men's.
One of the possible reasons that so few men over the age of 25 go back to school is that men consistently get paid more for their work. Before the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963, women made half the pay of men.
That is, if they had to work the same amount as men to reach the same goals.
Today, regardless of the job, women still earn an average of 30 percent less than men. There is less incentive for a man at Job A to take off from work and go after further qualifications than there is for a woman at Job A. Basically, women have to rack up the credentials for Job B to get the same pay that a man is getting for Job A
It's ironic that inequality in
the workplace is creating inverse inequality in the classroom. I experienced the result of this first hand in my honors proseminar class, where all but one student was female. The class was enjoyable, but as a women's literature class, certain discussions were definitely one-sided. I felt I could have gained more if so many of us hadn't been white 20- something females.
Whatever action is taken, it's clear that something has to be done to even out the gender gap. It creates a rushed, have-to-achieve-it-all mentality for women post-graduation, and it deprives students of a properly rounded education just as much as racial inequality does.
Many countries with similar problems have talked of Affirmative Action-like quotas for gender equality in schools and businesses. I'm not sure if quotas are the proper response or not; perhaps making gender-study classes a graduation requirement would raise awareness enough to make a difference.
Lytton is a senior from Kodiak, Alaska, in creative writing.
POLITICS
Scientific skepticism key in good politics
Environmental issues are among the most polarizing in American politics today. Recent blows to the environmentalist's biggest tool, the theory of man-made global warming, have only exacerbated this divide.
First, there was the Climategate scandal in November. This was when e-mails between some top-level climate scientists conclusively revealed they had distorted research, plotted to destroy data and conspired to prevent publication of dissenting views. Although the mainstream media did their best to ignore the issue, the house of cards began to tumble.
Fallout has continued since Climateate. In early January, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was forced to issue a humiliating apology over inaccurate statements made in regard to global warming's effect on the Himalayan glaciers. The claims that the glaciers would disappear by 2035 were based solely on a pamphlet published by the World Wildlife Federation, not on science at all.
Even more recently, shocking revelations have led to further embarrassment for the IPCC. Its most recent report said reductions to mountain ice in the Andes, Alps and Africa were caused by global warming.
The IPCC cited two sources for this claim. One was an article published in a magazine for climbers that was based on anecdotal evidence from mountaineers in the area. The other was from a Swiss college student's undergraduate geography dissertation in which the student used quotes from interviews with mountain guides in the Alps.
These IPCC reports are not something that should be taken lightly. They are used by governments and policymakers worldwide to aid policy decisions that affect billions of people and billions of dollars.
When asked about these new reports, Roger Sedio, a contributing author of the last IPCC report said, "The IPCC is, unfortunately,
The Right Idea
BY CHET COMPTON
a highly political organization with most of the secretariat bordering on climate advocacy.
Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations wrote in The American Interest, a non-partisan review, "The global warming movement as we have known it is dead. The movement died from two causes; bad science and bad politics."
Republicans must not let this slam-dunk issue slip through their hands. The global warming theory, not so coincidentally, fit the liberal ideology to a tee. It was about taking radical action in the name of the environment. It was about government saving everything from ants to polar bears.
It created a great excuse to raise taxes and slap more regulations on corporations. It stirred class warfare while demonizing evil capitalism and the sinful individual. It was about fear of an apocalypse and the need for government to take drastic steps to save us by curbing our activities.
Perhaps most importantly, it was based on emotion rather than logic, placing empathy over reason, with no regard for the consequences.
History shows that liberals are in the habit of manufacturing climate change fears every few decades. Americans must not forget this fraud like they did the global cooling scare of the 1970s.
As the sun sets on the global warming hoax, whether conservative or liberal, we all must remember the lessons it taught us. When science combines with politics, a little skepticism will serve us well.
That's the right idea.
Compton is a senior from Wichita in political science
What people have been saying on Kansan.com
Chatterbox
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— "JConnor," in response to "Residents march to protest school closing" on Monday.
"Every single one of us has a special interest. What happens when they start attacking yours, and to what end? Until they have compartmentalized every single special interest group, dividing us all so we cannot stand united against injustice? Has this already happened?"
— “RVanchieri,” in response to "Police and FDA raid local herbal stores" on Friday.
"If the idea is help students 'expand their religious knowledge'; then why not allow each lecturer, each scholarly expert—including those of a Christian background—to openly reflect the religion and culture that they are studying about, writing about and living out?"
— "Mellotron," in response to "Blackmon: Bring a theologian back to residence" on Saturday.
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
THE EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kaiser Editorial Board are James G. Rehman, Kenneth J. Anstey, Jennifer Tortore, Luanne Cunningham, Vesky Lui McCoy and Kate Larabee.