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(08/04/11 12:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>How long does it take to paint white apartment walls white?I was surprised to find the answer when my roommate and I received our security deposit settlement letter from Campus Walk Apartments.From our deposit, we were deducted $100 for “general cleaning,” $305 for “painting labor,” $37 for “paint” and $69 for “carpet cleaning.” I’m going to accept the charge for carpet cleaning because I did not pay someone to steam clean our apartment before we left. As for the ambiguous $100 charge for “general cleaning,” it smells rotten to me, especially after spending a weekend with a vacuum and a bottle of bleach in an already clean apartment. But I’ll let that charge slide by.It’s the $342 for painting that does not seem squeaky clean to me. My apartment at 312 S. Dunn St. was left in as good of, if not better, condition than we found it. According to the latest numbers on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website, painters make, on average, $14.87 an hour. For a $305 labor bill that means Campus Walk paid painters to spend over 20 hours repainting our undamaged apartment. Well, perhaps they hired perfectionists. The paint job I experienced as a tenant would say otherwise, but they may have gotten it right this time around.According to the latest prices on The Home Depot’s website, a cheap gallon of white semi-gloss paint runs for $15.94. And that’s the cheap stuff. If the price Campus Walk paid for labor is any indication, they may have bought a single gallon of premium paint for that price. But, giving them the benefit of the doubt for a $37 paint bill, that buys around 2 gallons of paint. Using 2 gallons of paint in a few hours is a reasonable task. Two gallons in twenty hours is simply unacceptable. This leaves me, a former tenant at Campus Walk, with two options regarding their move-out policies. Number one, Campus Walk cares so much about their properties they are willing to spend extensive amounts of their tenant’s money on labor and in turn, greatly improve their apartments. It would seem this is not the case after having rented from Campus Walk for two consecutive school years and finding the paint job done during our intermission was less than ideal. Number two, Campus Walk is continuing a trend that has been highlighted by the Indiana Daily Student: Landlords will capitalize in any way they can on people who are not aware of their rights and who have to suffer a set of state laws which disproportionately favor landlords. Not only are college students often scammed out of monies or renter’s rights, they are also not entitled to have their non-returned deposit money spent on what it is line-itemed for in their deposit settlement letter. The $342 taken from our security deposit for painting labor and 2 gallons of paint, which may have not even been spent on either of these things, could have been used to ensure an outrageous quality of craftsmanship not found elsewhere in Campus Walk Apartments. If so, this craftsmanship only improved regular wear and tear of the apartment. It appears a great deal more likely this money was pilfered from two more college students who were not supposed to do anything about it.— schammoo@indiana.edu
(01/12/11 12:30am)
Should the shooter be the only one held morally responsible? Should
public figures who have used vitriolic language or imagery be at least
partially blamed, as well? Or should society at large hold the blame for
producing such a violent individual?
(01/09/11 10:37pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An attempt on the life of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., has left her in critical condition. Twelve others were injured and six people, including a nine-year-old girl, were shot to death. Witnessing the violent murder of a nine-year-old student council member as she met a member of the U.S. government is hardly a forgettable image. It is an image that has sadly become reality as the political climate in the U.S. continues to boil. Some commentators have connected the horrific violence in Tucson, Ariz., to the violent rhetoric that pervades the political discourse in our country. The Opinion staff has compiled a few snippets of recent political vitriol as well as a few notes on its consequences.“When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous, and unfortunately, Arizona I think has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”—Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik“This may be free speech, but it’s not without consequences.”—Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik“When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action,”
—Gabrielle Giffords, talking about Sarah Palin’s crosshairs map last year-------------------“I tell people, ‘Don’t kill all the liberals.’ Leave enough so we can have two on every campus — living fossils — so we we’ll never forget what these people stood for.”—Rush Limbaugh“I say round liberals up and hang ’em high. When I hear someone’s in the civil rights business, I oil up my AR-25.”—Michael Savage“I’m thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I’m wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it ... No, I think I could.” —Glenn Beck“Don’t retreat! Instead — RELOAD!” —Sarah Palin on her Facebook page where she depicted Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in rifle crosshairs“Minnesotans should be ‘armed and dangerous.’” —Michele Bachmnan, talking about opposition to cap and trade legislation“Having a revolution every now and then is a good thing.” —Michele Bachmann“To the day I die I’m going to be a progressive hunter.” — Glenn Beck. Weeks later, a man claiming to be inspired by Glenn Beck was arrested after shooting officers on the way to kill members of the TIDES Foundation and the ACLU. “Violence is coming ... and the Left will blame it on me.” —Glenn Beck on his radio program
(01/06/11 11:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Glenn Beck clowned around with revolution in the New Year on his radio show by calling for America’s fundamental transformation. We rang in the New Year with our own thoughts on his inspirational speech.[The bracketed comments are ours] The rest is Mr. Beck's.America is at a crossroads [Cliche]. We have known this for 10 years now [No more, no less] but after each tragic event or “bubble” America has gone back to sleep because we wanted to believe that we could have it all and “it just isn’t as bad as they say.” Our gut, [Who all is being referenced in this collective?] however, has told us that it was time to wake up and use what used to be known as “common sense.” It is what Americans from all points of the political compass meant when focus groups gave every politician the presidential campaign slogan: change [We have a feeling that Obama’s “change you can believe in” has nothing to do with any of Glenn’s ideas].After spending years, and thousands of man-hours, in research, reflection and prayer, my team and I have come to realize that a “Fundamental Transformation” is required [Of course, this transformation should be applauded]. While it is just as powerful, it’s also the polar opposite of what President Obama touted last election. President Obama and the progressive ruling class of both parties [Progressive Republicans? Where?] believe in the collective planned society. I believe America’s answers are to be found with, by, and in the individual American honestly pursuing happiness, [But only in ways which Glenn’s religious guidelines allow] not in 2,000-page bills [What page number would be appropriate?].If one is looking for a “collective”- [Commie buzzword!] based solution it can be found in the phrase: America is great because America is good. When we look for our answers in Washington we ask our politicians or parties to “make us good.” They cannot [Probably because we are born evil]. But we can, must and will. The secret our Founders understood [Have you channelled them?] was that America is good because individual Americans are honest, just, thrifty, responsible, educated, charitable and God fearing [Which one of these does not fit into the Deist mindset?].“America is great because America is good” is not just some trite slogan. It is a deep and well-thought-out philosophy that has over 200 years of evidence of its truth. Yet we are being told on every level from our classrooms to our newsrooms that America is not good and never was great [Think: slavery, whiteness, patriarchy, xenophobia, sexual discrimination, racial segregation, etc.].[DOOM!] We cannot as a nation survive much longer [Why?]. We must take a page from our own history at the Alamo and “draw a line in the sand.” We must decide who we are, what we are capable of and look to the heavens to chart our course. Do we return to the ideas of the past or do we continue West [Think: Manifest destiny] to the yet unrealized and unfulfilled promises laid out in our Founding ideals? We must choose as individuals and then put those choices into action. We must demonstrate to our children, neighbors and to ourselves that it is not policies or politicians but people [Perhaps because politicians are not people] that make this nation what it is for better or for worse.This year, I, as an individual and private citizen, stand at those crossroads and boldly declare my choice. I will not accept that America’s best days are behind her, that there is no such thing as American exceptionalism [Think: slavery, whiteness, patriarchy, xenophobia, sexual discrimination, racial segregation, etc.]. Nor will I stand by silently as the most charitable nation in the history of mankind now needs the IRS to act as our charitable collection basket. I refuse to believe that Eric Holder is right when he states that we “are a nation of cowards” when it comes to issues of race [What if the Tea Party were black?].I will admit our wrongdoing, but I will not be a constant apologist for our nation’s mistakes. However, I will also look for historical context [Perhaps we should restore the Constitution]. I choose to believe that while many Americans may be ignorant of even the basics of our own history, Americans are waking up in record numbers educating themselves [Or being force fed historical misinformation. Think Texas school’s reformed history books]. One of the first things they will find is that history tells us when this happens Americans change the world.I will no longer look to others for leadership or answers. I will lead my family [As every man should] and teach them to be independent, honorable, educated and charitable. With firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, I choose to refound this amazing nation by rediscovering within myself, and my own circle of influence, the principles and ethics that defined American exceptionalism [Think heteronormativity].In 2011, my wife and I will dedicate significantly more of our personal resources to what some call charity but as you and I will show is nothing less than “investing in people.” [Modesty is a virtue] I have also charted a new and exciting course for my company, Mercury Radio Arts. I currently have plans on hiring more than 40 people [Job creation!] as I expand many of our operations as well as creating new divisions such as one that will be known as “E4 Experiences”.Over the next 12 months, all Mercury divisions, radio, television, books, digital and stage will focus on what I call “The E4 Solution.” The four “Es” consist of: Enlightenment, Education, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship. We will challenge ourselves, and those who choose to chart this course with us, to find what we as individuals really believe, challenge what we think we know and dig deep to find out what we are each capable of.Today, I call out to those who are tired of feeling powerless [Think of the people whose unemployment benefits were barely extended]. Commit to become the person you were meant to be, not who you have allowed yourself to become; the father, mother, sibling, friend, businessperson and American. As the old story goes:A man decided that he would change the world.But, he wasn’t successful.So he decided to change the country.But, he wasn’t successful.So he decided to change his community.But, he wasn’t successful.So he decided to change his street.But, be wasn’t successful.So he decided to change his family.But, he wasn’t successful.So he decided to change himself.AND HE WAS SUCCESSFUL.AND HIS FAMILY CHANGED AND THEY AFFECTED THEIR STREET.AND THE PEOPLE ON THE STREET AFFECTED THEIR COMMUNITY.AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY AFFECTED THEIR COUNTRY.AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY AFFECTED THE WORLD.Today, I ask you to take the first step in your success. This is part Enlightenment and part Empowerment (E1 and E3 of the E4 Solution). One of America’s premier psychiatric minds, concerned American and good friend Dr. Keith Ablow has been working with me on a project called “The 7.” Together we have developed seven steps that can help you change your life — I know because they are the seven steps that I used to change my life [Now he’s appropriating the AA handbook]. This book is meant for those who are tired being less than happy, fulfilled and want to be a part of a life that is bigger than they can currently imagine.In the next 12 months, I challenge each American to come to the place where they can say without equivocation “YES, I CAN.” [How original?] I believe strong, educated, charitable individuals who can stand on their own two feet, because they know who they are, will be remembered by future historians as those Americans who once again answered the call and changed the world again [Think invasion of Iraq].Transcript found on theblaze.com
(11/30/10 12:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>No matter how passionately the Palinites might scream, American exceptionalism remains revolting and meaningless.With each document uploaded to the internet by Wikileaks, the dream of America’s beacon-of-moral-light-on-a-hill for other nations dims.Wikileaks’ “Cablegate” offers an insightful, nuanced view of human beings acting as human beings do; in some instances, with subtle aggression, in others, with a sense of unchecked ambition. Sunday’s leak of more than 250,000 documents is the check of democracy. It is the balance to a system that grows from half spoken lies, intermingled world players and painful bargains for the price of global domination. While some will argue for political points in this debacle, one cannot ignore the implications across the political spectrum. These documents offer a form of transparency only dreamt of in the smoke of campaign promises. This leak speaks to the demand of honesty by the represented. It is creating a loud voice of opposition in the place of what was once an uninformed consent.There are those who argue this leak is classifiable as treason. The action of leaking this document was not treason. However, those who read its thousands of pages might be inspired to commit such a crime. The only enemy being aided by these documents is the one made up of citizens who demand to be informed by those who are acting in their name. These documents offer a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a paranoid and complex system of governmental relations.Others will paint Julian Assange, the director of Wikileaks, as a radical, and to that point, I agree. Assange is presenting a radical alternative to a carefully created sociopolitical reality. The word radical is defined by going to the basis of a problem or argument. Assange is offering information that tugs at the roots of Americana and its own dream of exceptionalism. The truth of government superpowers is complicated and disgruntling, but a sliver of it can now be accessed.Looking at these documents can do little more than draw disgust for the actions that take place in the name of democracy and the free world. Yet, there might be some comfort in hoping that the same level of disloyalty to the idealized principles of human rights and personal freedoms is being acted out by our global partners.The United States cannot be the only bad guy. It will be interesting to see our increasingly polarized political system justify its actions by juxtaposing them against those of nations across the world. Perhaps the next big leak will reveal France’s inner embassy workings; the leak could be ripe with painful details and unbelievable missteps. Wouldn’t that make us all feel better? Wouldn’t that place Americans in a club of nations who do what they have to do, damn the moral consequences?Wouldn’t that be the perfect sidestep to American exceptionalism even the Palinites would be glad to embrace?E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(09/15/10 12:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are plenty of Republicans ready to strip down and run for president in 2012. Look out Mitch Daniels, we picked a few of our favorites.Scott BrownAmerica didn’t see it coming, but this silver fox never looked so good. Senator Scott Brown is the definition of the political heartthrob. Having already been a (semi-nude) model during his twenties and an accomplished legislator in Massachusetts and Congress, what’s more to love in a man? He’s got both power and looks. Plus, his wife is also a hottie (Can we say the next Barack/Michelle?). But America knows that looks only help a presidential campaign. Real public servants know how to flex their muscles while also using their brains at the same time. The senator has that covered too. Brown received his bachelor’s from Tuft University then later his JD degree from Boston College Law School. He’s smart and sexy. Now that’s hot. For 2012, Brown will have to choose between a re-election bid and the White House. If he chooses the latter, then a match up against Obama is sure to heat up. Brown and Obama’s political beliefs are oil and water. When Obama tries to fix the economy, Brown voted against unemployment benefits. The senator disapproved of Elena Kagan when the president loved her. While Obama is the face of the liberals, Brown is the GQ for conservatives. But no matter where the 2012 results fall, at least there will still be some eye candy inside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.Ron PaulRep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, might be three times the age of his largely college-aged supporters (he turned 75 last month),but he has nevertheless generated a great deal of enthusiasm among young people since running for president during the 2008 election cycle.During that unsuccessful presidential run (who saw that one coming?), Dr. Paul generated so much enthusiasm among 18- to 24-year-olds that 500 high school and college chapters of Students for Ron Paul — which became Young Americans for Liberty after Paul withdrew his candidacy — were founded in just an eight-month span.Much of his support resulted from his adherence to traditionally libertarian principles of constitutionally-limited government, free markets, sound money, permissive social policy, non-interventionist foreign policy and free pot for everyone.Although the congressman did not win any primaries or caucuses in 2008, he placed second in seven such contests and set fundraising records that were all the more impressive given his relative lack of support in polls. Dr. Paul placed a close third in the primaries with approximately 35 of the more than 1,500 delegates available. Since end of the 2008 campaign, Dr. Paul’s political star has continued to rise, as he won the Conservative Political Action Conferance straw poll in February and was one vote shy of winning the Southern Republican Leadership Conference’s April poll. Sarah PalinJust when you thought the Republican ticket for 2012 was a boys only club, the wet dream of every young creationist is ready to take a stand for your rights. You may know her from a failed vice-presidential bid in 2008, or perhaps because of her cute almost-son-in-law spilling her family’s secrets in the media, but from now on you will know her as a Mamma Grizzly, listen to her roar.Sarah Palin says she believes in freedom, honor, liberty and a slew of other generic feel-good terms. She will fight for your right to grope a gun, respect a racist and harass a homo. Perhaps known best for use of the phrase, “No Commie” after endorsing more government oversight for oil drilling, she is sure to spice up this election season with a slew of delightfully witty catchphrases. If we’re lucky, she will hold onto her faux-folksy accent as she reaches out to (metaphorically) slap liberals with the notes on the palm of her hand. God, guns, glory and Palin in 2012.Mitt RomneyWith his reputation for (somewhat) conservative stances and dislike of caffeinated beverages (he’s Mormon, after all), Mitt Romney has impressed many in the Republican Party. He is widely credited with helping make the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City a success despite reports of corruption and bribery in the host city bid process. Romney is also well known for his venerable tenure at Bain & Company (and was a co-founder of investment firm Bain Capital). However, he may have a tough time wooing uncertain voters who question the enacting of near-universal health care, and gay marriage, In the wake of a blatantly Muslim president, American voters will have to grapple with the big question — can we afford to place another member of an extremist religious group in our highest elected spot? His apparently flexible views on a variety of issues will probably earn him success on the national stage — just ask Senator John McCain. Romney may look the part of a future U.S. president, but only time will tell if we’re willing to place another rich white man in the Oval Office in 2012. No matter what happens, he’ll still only be the second most attractive east coast politician — John Kerry’s got that spot on lockdown. (Brown’s pret ty cute, too). If Sarah Palin is any indication though, looks may be enough to propel this Massachusetts money maven to GOP superstardom. Mike HuckabeeMike Huckabee’s candidacy will mean Americans can meet another man who believes in a place called Hope. And as obesity rates soar nationwide, we all yearn for another audacious bedtime story from a commander-in-chief. Huckabee offers his book “Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork.” Governor Huckabee believes God helped him in the 2008 campaign. In a likely field of candidates that includes new-comers such as Sarah Palin and savvy returnees such as Mitt Romney, Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher, may again need a substantial amount of intervention from above to win in 2012.Tea Party supporters will be delighted to learn about the number of ways Huckabee’s polymath skills will contribute to lowering taxpayer expenses. If elected president, Governor Huckabee won’t need to hire fancy, formally trained musicians to entertain guests at inaugural balls. In fact, winning the election might give Huckabee and his band Capitol Offense a first shot at performing at an official inaugural ball. Evidence suggests Huckabee may also be handy with the White House’s holiday festivities. His most recent book is a volume of 12 simple Christmas stories. In search of a fiscal conservative, Republicans may find themselves a Renaissance Man who cultivates a blossoming of the arts.
(08/30/10 12:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“America, today, begins to turn back to God,” said a fiery Glenn Beck at his rally to restore honor in America.The problem lies less in the fact that Glenn Beck was speaking with a racially charged, egotistical authority rooted in the entertainment industry and more in the knowledge that to turn backward, one must have been facing forward first. The call to turn back to a God who has been forgotten by mainstream America is a cry that has faced progressives as they have imagined an enlightened and nuanced deity for decades.The conservative Christians who swamped Washington D.C. this weekend have been searching for an angry and wrathful God to crush the liberals, sodomites and commies from their first days of Sunday school. And now that an inflammatory talk-show host has blessed this quest from the sacred ground of the Lincoln Memorial, a crusade of perverted Christianity can invade the 2010 election season.While the ultimate purpose of a gathering one-twentieth the size of our president’s inaugural address might be to show the force of the no-longer silent majority and its power as a voting block, the disheartening recognition of a community so out of flux with a modern understanding of God is a painful one for the modern left to comprehend.This rally to restore honor in America did little more than refurbish the wrathful God of evangelical America.This newly refurbished God is one who is not compatible with a progressive agenda, civil rights for all Americans or any threat to an unbelievably top-heavy form of capitalism. This is the God of Moses, as Beck points out, and he is the God whom conservatives imagine receiving the glory and praise of our Deist Founding Fathers.There is also an eschatological drive to this God, which presents Americans with stark options. Beck’s simplistic realization left his crowd with little room for discussion: “We must advance, or perish.” Advancement, of course, is closely linked with the fighting for many political issues that were carefully side-stepped in the crusade for a self-satisfying morality. In backing away from political rants and into the realm of the divine, Beck and his supporters fundamentally attacked a mainstream that is shifting away from a blind faith in an angry God and into the realm of spiritual exploration. The root issue lies in the quest to capture what Beck’s supporters identify as the Judeo-Christian God, which ultimately entrenches their argument in the self-identified moral high ground.From the eyes of the informed public, this quest for the high-ground is merely an exercise in moral masturbation, but to the community of believers who is frightened by their impending condemnation, delivered every weeknight at 5 p.m. as a direct command of God, this crusade is real. It is a call realized through aggressive indoctrination of fear and is one that is sure to deliver many into the hands of an angry God.E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(08/27/10 12:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>DEFINITE NOUN is officially over, and the NOUN is officially here. This season of GERUND may be one of the best opportunities you will ever have to DRAMATIC VERB your family, friends and community as national hardship is upon us. While DEFINITE NOUN looks for answers to a multitude of problems, you will have a chance to plan your PLURAL NOUN this NOUN and perhaps in doing so realize a little something about yourself. Potential NOUN: On your way down the street, you hear the piercing ding of the PLURAL NOUN. Your hand digs into your CLOTHING ARTICLE for PLURAL NOUN and a few loose bucks — not because you are trained to respond this way but because you want to VERB people in need, no matter how they arrived in their terrible situations. Just giving is enough. You know that the GROUP OF PEOPLE is a credible organization that VERB. Potential NOUN: By giving PLURAL NOUN to a group who will use it for the greater good, without NOUN, you are creating a level playing field for those less ADJECTIVE than you. Giving the gift of NOUN to those in need could mean a/an ADJECTIVE life for the poor in a wealthy nation. You believe in NOUN PHRASE. Potential NOUN: You discover that a family friend has lost her or his NOUN. With the holidays -ING VERB and the threat of his or her heat being shut off, you decide to help by –ING VERB and offering whatever resources people can spare. This is a small but powerful NOUN for a family who is less fortunate, a small NOUN that you hope would be PAST TENSE VERB to you in the case of your own NOUN. Potential NOUN: It would be a powerful NOUN of solidarity if that company had taken a few PLURAL NOUN on the whole, instead of -ING VERB off its workers during the holiday season. You would have done it because you understand the NOUN OR ADJECTIVE of the dollar to keep a family ADJECTIVE. If only you and your NOUN owned that NOUN, there would not have been the wasteful GERUND that brought you to –ING VERB a needy family. You believe in public ownership of production. Potential NOUN: You decide to live in the NOUN this ADJECTIVE season, -ING VERB each second for all that it is worth and then some. Life is ADJECTIVE, and you are living in the NOUN. Potential NOUN: You see your life ADVERB rather than on a continuum. You ascribe to liberation theology. Final NOUN: You are a modern socialist. There it is, simple, ADJECTIVE and powerful. Go back and re-read; there is no tomfoolery here. Equal NOUN, public NOUN, liberation theology. Not so ADJECTIVE, now, is it? E-mail: Your e-mail could be here!
(08/25/10 1:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All of us know someone who has been afflicted with a bad case of the Frightened Freshman. The list above is your first step to avoiding all the clichés, conundrums and calamities that tragically often come with the first year of college. Fortunately, this social disorder is one of the most easily avoidable diseases you can contract on campus (STIs are another story). There are numerous treatments to help alleviate the sickening symptoms of this unfortunate condition if you happen to accidentally contract it. Freshmen, don’t be a cliche. Take these tips to heart and avoid the classic slip-ups that often accompany your first year. If you have more ideas of things that freshmen should avoid being associated with during their first year on campus, comment here.
(08/23/10 11:53pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Timothy McVeigh was a radical Christian terrorist. The masterminds of the 9/11 attacks were radical Muslim terrorists. No God-fearing American would ever question the presence of a building affiliated with Christianity within blocks of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. And yet there is a veritable uproar over the planned building of the relatively innocuous Cordoba House , an Islamic community center near Ground Zero. This fracas can only be attributed to racially-tinged Islamophobia. Irrational American fear and loathing of “the other” is nothing new — every wave of immigrants to this country has faced discrimination and despicable public attacks. Opposition to the planned Islamic center at Ground Zero stems from the same repulsive vein of American history our immigrant ancestors faced. Critics argue this is not the case. It is merely the proximity to the site of the World Trade Center that incenses them. Where some would argue building the Islamic center “down the road” is acceptable, how far is far enough? What about Murfeesboro, Tenn., where the Islamic Center of Murfeesboro is being built in the face of public outcry and intolerance? Or perhaps Temecula, Calif., where protesting has occurred with signs reading “No more mosques in America.” Where were these protesters to defend the religious honor of those killed by a Christian in the Oklahoma City bombing? It is disgusting to see this irrational fear raging in the world of public debate today. It is disheartening to look to our past and see the acceptance of an idyllic American Christianity being unquestionably revered only blocks from the site where one of its own radical members murdered 168 people and wounded hundreds more. It is disconcerting to see self-righteous hypocrisy destroying the benefits of the First Amendment. E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu, zammerma@indiana.edu
(04/22/10 11:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You squeal with delight. A shaky hand-held camera shot opens on an adorable baby bunny. His big dark eyes look into yours through the screen, and his nose twitches just a bit, as though he is trying to cringe from the high heel that is just above his head.Just when your eyes lock with the pleading bunny’s, the high heel comes down, slowly at first, but as it nears the baby animal you have just fallen in love with, the foot holding the heel gains audacity and stabs deep into this bunny. You squeal with terror.This is precisely the type of video which was banned by a federal law in 1999 that prohibited the sale or possession of any video showing animal cruelty, if the actions contained in the video are illegal in a given area. While this piece of legislation would seem to make sense in its understanding of the disgusting world of animal cruelty, it was overturned by the Supreme Court this week in a vote of eight to one.This piece of legislation was deemed unconstitutional on grounds that it violates the First Amendment. The Supreme Court notes that because this law effectively outlawed even hunting videos in the District of Columbia, it reaches farther than was originally intended — into the realm of what the official opinion cites as “alarming breadth.”While the current federal law broadly banning animal cruelty videos has been overturned on First Amendment grounds, a more concrete and narrowly framed piece of legislation is in order. A more specific piece of legislation is necessary in the United States because videos of animal cruelty have absolutely no social, historical, artistic or moral merit. These videos are more than just emotionally repulsing, they effectively condone vile and violent behavior merely for personal enjoyment.By declaring this cruelty itself illegal while protecting videos depicting it, we are making a certain allowance for this type of behavior. While this effort for more humane treatment of animals was a broad basis for the 1999 law, it rose out of specific events.“Crush videos” are those similar to the one described above, in which an individual watches someone crush a small animal on film — either with their foot, shoe or buttocks — for the desired effect of sexual gratification.These videos, while the original target of the 1999 legislation, are only a single category in the larger world of animal cruelty being captured on film for amusement.A new piece of legislation, which clearly yet broadly defines animal cruelty and offers realistic and meaningful repercussions for engaging in it, is exactly the type of bill which needs to take the place of this 1999 law.The existence of film that documents, for personal gain or pleasure, the pain of another living being is an exploitation of the First Amendment. It is obscene, repulsive and without any merit, even in the most liberal understanding of artistic worth. A new piece of legislation that protects the rights of animals and counteracts this behavior will lead Americans to a more compassionate view of the world around us.E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(04/08/10 10:34pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After weeks of being in the news for wanting to attend prom with her girlfriend, Constance McMillen finally saw the truth of her community emerge as they celebrated a secret prom while she, her date and five other students were sent to a “fake prom” at a local country club in Fulton, Miss. Despite a judge’s preliminary ruling that it was a violation of her rights to be barred from her high school prom, McMillen and a few other classmates were denied invitations to Itawamba Agricultural High School’s “real” private prom organized by local parents, not the school itself.Although the school did technically follow the court’s ruling in that it did not bar McMillen from prom, the organization of an opposition to these two young women by “adults” is disgraceful. All of this disgusting discrimination leaves me with a few thoughts for the “adults” in Fulton: Why can a young woman not bring her girlfriend to her prom?Because it makes you uncomfortable that two girls are dancing together?Have you ever been to a high school dance? Let me help you out. These dances can easily be summed up as follows: guys in disheveled shirts distantly shake their hips with feet firmly planted while girls with low-cut tops grind provocatively against each other, with both sexes just waiting for the lights to signal them out to their cars for a quickie before the after-prom, where they will probably drink too much and finish the night with a happy ending they will not remember the next day.And you think two lesbians will topple the sacred seductive dance of a high school promenade? Will they really cause a greater immoral overflow, in your mind, than what is already busting out of bras and beer cups in this sham of a tradition?How can you expect your children to move forward in the world when your eyes are only turned away from the times in which we are living?Do not attempt to take the moral high ground in your denial of a high school tradition, no matter how ridiculous it may be, while your own children will undoubtedly follow in the sexualized style of proms past. Your actions are both deceptive and disgusting, not only to the seven secluded members of your children’s high school class, but to a nation that is looking forward to a day when sexual orientation will be seen as an essential piece of a person, not an attention-grabbing choice.Your choice to ostracize is one that has affected the hearts of millions. Do not expect acceptance of your hate.E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(03/29/10 11:04pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Follow House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as she explores the underbelly of Washington, D.C.’s seemingly unsexed cougars while they search for raw meat. In what promises to be the most titillating season yet, Nancy will go undercover to discover what your representatives are really working for and just how far they will go for another vote. She will uphold and defend the constitution of your deepest desires. Write in to Nancy and tell her exactly what you want to see this season, and she just might fulfill your wildest fantasies. Going farther than she ever has before, Nancy will open your eyes to the dirty backroom deals, the sneaky stall pickups, and the raunchy Republican rendezvous that are happening after C-SPAN turns its cameras off and we turn ours on. Watch as Nancy slips out of her pantsuit and into the night in hot pursuit of the sweet deals your elected officials are making.Episode 69: Anne Coulter hits the pavement with two legs wide open while your hostess with the mostess slinks through the shadows of D.C.’s seediest Republican bars. Follow Anne home this Tuesday at 8 p.m. and uncover the hidden panther behind the good, conservative girl. E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(03/25/10 11:18pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Joe Biden’s commentary on President Obama’s signing the health care bill, captured by an open mic, is a big fucking deal.It has succeeded in distracting a frenzied media from the bitterness of health care debate for a short while and has paradoxically offered one of the most genuine praises yet from an elected official for this monumental health care bill.Only a few months ago, America was being lambasted with Sarah Palin’s imagery of a “real America.” This America consisted of infamous men such as “Joe the Plumber,” and after yet another profanity outburst, “Joe the Vice President” can be added to that list.Joe the Vice President deserves to be counted among all the other Joes whose last names consist of their occupation, or at least the one they dream of being licensed in someday, because he represents the real individual undaunted by the polite speech Zeitgeist. Joe the Vice President has offered more to America through his one genuine reaction to historic legislation being signed into law than the facade of other “real” Americans ever will.Joe the Vice President has given the media an opportunity to jump off message for a short while and to look for more reactions that were born in that moment. Whether those reactions be from either side of the aisle, and whether those reactions are as intense as this Joe’s is not important. These authentic reactions, when not degrading to another group, form the basis of public opinions. What lies key to this argument is that a man who is well-informed and has done his part to help make a difference in the lives of millions Americans has the right to express himself in a way that is not directly offensive to any individual or group. This same form of verbal expression is available to individuals every day, and whether or not it includes “profanity” holds no bearing on the substance of their statements, unless this “profanity” is truly abusive toward an individual in instances such as hate speech hurled by virulent protestors. Had Joe the Vice President whispered something to the President along the lines of, “Looks like we’ve finally shoved it up the Republicans’ ass,” he would have been greeted with the same maelstrom of media, but for a substantive reason. He would have effectively isolated a group and offered offensive commentary on their political stances.This negative reaction is intrinsically different from the positive one that Biden’s expression of congratulations took on Tuesday. It is one that speaks in the common language of a people a joy that is true. With polls showing this bill gaining popularity after being signed, it is difficult to ignore the “will of the people,” a phrase which has been tossed around during the past year.This will is born from authentic attitudes toward a momentous occasion in the United States’ history. A genuine, emotional reaction to a major historical event is no reason to extend a condescending tone toward Joe Biden. In fact, it is the perfect opportunity to see him as a “real American” and ultimately, as a human being.E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(03/09/10 12:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The ability of a people to look into the workings of their government is not only a promise to campaign on, it is an essential link in the connection between constituents and the administration they elected. At IU, this relationship grows from students’ easy access to the inner workings of IUSA.For a group whose classy Web site boasts the slogan “working for you,” having not posted bylaws or meeting minutes for the past year online is disappointing. This contradiction could be easily remedied; regularly updating a Web page and blog is a quick fix that could begin to establish trust and commitment between this group and the average student, about whom student leaders appear to know and care little.The current administration, when asked about its lack of commitment to its most easily accessed communication tool — its Web site — responded by citing that it is one of the least visited IU Web sites. It also appears to be one of the least updated.The disconnect embodied by IUSA and its Web site is indicative of a government whose Congress has yet to pass a single resolution this year and whose members have not taken the time to post their happenings and discussions. When IUSA begins to reach out through practical resources such as its Web site, the student body will respond. When IUSA begins to shed some light on exactly what it has accomplished and what it is working toward, the student body will have a reason to be interested in its work. When IUSA begins to take itself seriously, so will the student body. All of this begins with a commitment to an accessible and open government that the incoming administration has the opportunity to build.E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(03/05/10 12:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Marriage is invariably reserved to the union of one man and one woman because of their unique ability to bring children into the world, thus forming a stable and secure foundation for our society.” This statement released by the three Roman Catholic bishops who oversee the Church in Maryland could imaginably continue to read: Even when this secure foundation fails, we believe it is wrong to place its children under the care of two homosexual individuals, no matter how loving and nurturing they might be. This statement was released amid the recent firestorm the Diocese of Washington (D.C.) is battling, where it is arguing against allowing benefits for same-sex couples within their partially state-funded organizations.The most hyped of these battles is a Catholic Charities affiliate that is following a sad precedent set in Boston by closing its adoption and foster care programs rather than allowing same-sex couples to contribute to their success. The group will be passing its cases on to another organization, the National Center for Children and Families.The center “shares our commitment to permanency for children and our perspective that foster parents are real partners with us in serving their children,” said Edward Orzechowski, president and CEO of Catholic Charities.It is recklessly irresponsible for Catholic Charities to pass some of the neediest members of our society to another organization rather than look beyond a set of archaic rules to see individuals who are truly willing and able to take in the poorest of the poor — those who cannot possibly fend for themselves.To these children, any food, shelter and interaction gives them another day and another chance to escape from the conditions they were unwillingly thrust into. To these “adults,” any contribution from a non-heterosexual family is unacceptable and asininely avoided. To this outsider, the complacent dismissal of care to another organization by the Catholic Charities only advances the tarnished image of the Catholic Church and ignores a potentially empowering opportunity.A real understanding of humanity is being offered to Catholic Charities in Washington and subsequently to members of this nation’s largest religious sect.The Catholic Church in Washington has been given the opportunity to stand firm with its belief in gospel living by continuing to benefit the neediest members of our nation’s capital, yet it has completely undercut itself by falling back on dogmatic irresponsibility rather than facing a modern dilemma with Christian compassion. There is little compassion in passing off these downtrodden children to another group.If the National Center for Children and Families offers the same quality of care as Catholic Charities and is being endorsed by them, why not exclusively use the Center? Catholic Charities is doing little to offer reasonable solutions to problems it feels strike at the heart of its values.What if there had been no other group to conveniently pass these children off to? Would the Church be as willing to abandon our society’s most vulnerable members in opposition to those who happen to share genitalia and a bed?The concluding paragraph of the Maryland bishops’ statement against same-sex marriage starts by offering a paradoxical plea: “We respect the dignity of homosexual persons and roundly reject all unjust discrimination against them.”Who has the right to determine what discrimination is unjust? Is it a group willing to abandon helpless children? One can only hope not. E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(02/19/10 12:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Every 4 days in American more black children are killed through abortion than the KKK killed in 144 years.” This is a base-energizing, factually misleading, hardly original and grammatically challenging tidbit given front-page billing on the Georgia Right to Life’s Web site.The deplorable klanparenthood.com takes the Right to Life stance one step further by saying, “Lynching by the Ku Klux Klan isn’t as efficient at killing Blacks as Planned Parenthood abortions. Thanks to them, in America today, almost as many black babies are killed by abortion as are born.” It even offers free brochures titled “Lynching is for amateurs” to prove its point.These inflammatory statements set the stage for the drama of eighty billboards, which are starting to appear in Georgia, depicting an adorable black boy with piercing eyes while text next to him screams, “Black children are an endangered species,” under which the sign advertises “toomanyaborted.com.”The sleek and inventive graphics of toomanyaborted.com are little more than a shambling facade for its patronizing quest to stop black abortions all under the guise of disdain solely for Planned Parenthood’s founder, Margaret Sanger.From a source whose subtitle is “No hype. Just truth,” one cannot help but be interested to see that three of the 10 footnotes for its “Negro Project” piece are references to Wikipedia. Perhaps the most inflammatory of these Wiki-sourced references is one that supposedly connects Sanger with Nazi Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, which was responsible for the Third Reich’s eugenics program. While a controversial figure in her own right, Sanger is merely a scapegoat for the Georgia Right to Life’s campaign.It is no secret that the black population in the United States was treated as animals for centuries and still feels the aftershock of this maltreatment. Georgia Right to Life has made an unmistakably horrendous decision to do nothing less than capitalize on the social stigma of the black population as subhuman and animalistic with their racially charged language.The choice is one that this Right to Life group should never have made, yet it was one they had the option of utilizing. It is a choice based on what they have imagined are shocking statistics both of their own manipulation and of those who hold an even deeper racial hatred. Although it is true that black females have relatively high rates of abortion, the grotesque visualization of these infants as animals is one the Georgia Right to Life should never have employed. While Margaret Sanger’s intentions can be picked out from scraps of her work, seen both in and out of context, the body of the argument against the “Endangered Species” campaign is not found in the misrepresentative connections and untraceable paths of slanted historical data that make up sites such as toomanyaborted.com; the disgust for these advertisements is born from yet another image of heartbreaking racial naiveté that would find it is most welcome in a dumpster.E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(02/05/10 12:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It ain’t easy being white during Black History Month.Not because there is no “White History Month.” No, it sucks to be white during Black History Month because members of the white population are hardly turning a head to see the history of blacks. If this February is much like any other, it will be one of voluntary segregation. Even the figures and generalizations that make up what the white community at large identifies as the “black experience” do not ripple the ocean of opportunity that this month highlights.Slavery has been reduced to a page or two in history books. Civil rights battles have become a nearly unnoticed recent past. Even the community around us is one riddled with invisible lines and uncaring individuals.Black History Month is not about everyone, but it does take everyone to celebrate it. February is a month which affords us the opportunity and necessity to immerse ourselves in more than a shallow and politically correct interest.An alternative to not paying attention is for individuals to memorize names, dates, statistics and facts involving black people – this is merely a superficial look at a culture and a people that is diverse and unique in too many ways to count. Black History Month offers the white community and America at large the prospect of an honest understanding of the American epic and the critical role that black people have played within it.This role stretches into our food, music, dance, ideas, art, theatre, religion and morals. It enriches and enlivens the American experience no matter how much one recognizes it. It teaches us, in the words of Rev. Joseph Lowery, to “make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.”A deep and real understanding that ventures beyond the tangible and into the intangible emotions that range from terror to strength and form the experience of a people and a culture is the sympathetic understanding which Black History Month affords.White people, and America at large for that matter, it is time to “embrace what is right.” Reach out and make a real connection with another individual this month. Black people, you have so much to offer us this month through your ancestral past and vibrant present which is built on that past – speak out and stand strong because there are so many issues which we have yet to understand and uncover.Let us reach back and better understand living history in order to look to the future as a myriad of individuals forming an expansive nation; let us “turn to each other and not on each other.”“Let all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen! Say Amen! And Amen!” E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu
(01/26/10 12:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The combination of Barack Obama’s enchanting oratorical skills and his persona as a revolutionary candidate who arrived to upset the unacceptable status quo are the glitz and glamour that have held the American people enthralled for the past year.But “three more years” is not something many Americans are left shouting, especially when the politics of the Democratic Party are only a boulder in the mountainous assault on human rights the United States of America continues daily .It would be naive to expect instant, ideal and irreproachable answers from our president in only a year, and yet a year appears to be a quarter of this “change” that will never come back. We are still waiting.The GLBT community is still waiting for their “fierce advocate” in Barack Obama. The world is still waiting for Obama to deliver on his now-overdue promise to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay.U.S. citizens are still waiting for a real health care system that presents real solutions to their most uncontrollable disasters.The Middle East is waiting to see the fruits of our efforts in the eyes of their murdered loved ones and in the now-postponed elections in Afghanistan.The Earth is still waiting for a nation and its people to shepherd in genuine measures against climate change.We are still waiting for a unique and talented president to lead the United States with more than an expertise in public relations.We are still waiting for the Barack Obama of hope and change to come out with clearly defined positions and a powerful, well-versed voice to compel even the most fractured parts of this nation.Looking back over the past year it is easy to point out failures and shortcomings in one man who is only part of a larger system. It is just as easy to point out the immense talent and potential this man has yet to unleash to enact change both politically and in the overlooked expanse of social justice issues that make up the heart and soul of a nation.My grade? 68 percent (a D+). Maybe I am a harsh grader. But the message lies in the other 32 percent – there is a great deal of room for improvement.Grade: D+
(01/22/10 12:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It is not difficult to see a complete lack of accomplishment in Washington during the past year. Disheartened and disenchanted constituents will soon be banging on their representatives’ doors demanding answers.The answer of a comatose Congress will be the Democratic majority cramming passable legislation down their Republican counterparts’ throats in the upcoming months in an attempt to portray a working group of what we know are fighting children.Disappointed citizens are on the prowl for something new, someone to blame and something to change.Pollster Celinda Lake, who worked for freshly defeated Democratic senatorial candidate Martha Coakley, thinks “2010 is turning out to be a blame election.” And right she is.But Democrats are counting on something more than finger-pointing in this next election; they are banking on a key population who is terrified to see another Republican romp in 2010. That core is quickly dissolving.Democrats would do well to band together during the upcoming months to enact the real change Americans have been dreaming of for too long.Democrats, if nothing else, repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” This would not only be an act to satisfy disappointed Democrats – it would be the repeal of a policy that is both a slap to human rights and a stain on Obama, who promised to be a “fierce advocate” for GLBT rights.According to a released memorandum, chief officers in the Pentagon are willing to put this issue off until 2011, but it could serve as both a step forward for the GLBT population and as one of the few kept campaign promises. With gay marriage being stricken down in state after state,it is time for our government to step forward and lead in the campaign for equal rights and opportunities for every individual. Start by showing pride and promise in every member of the armed forces, and Americans will soon follow.An infinite number of chances keep appearing for this congressional majority and our president, and they will continue to do so until the “blame election” of 2010. It is time for the Democrats to begin holding true to their guiding principles and enact a genuine measure to “uphold the civil rights of all.”Democrats, start with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” With any luck your constituents will apply the same phrase to your recent history in government.E-mail: schammoo@indiana.edu