4
January
Presidential prejudices could sway voters
C helsea C allas
Contributing Writer
"That's an excellent
question," was the response
of presidential candidate
John McCain when asked
by a McCain supporter,
"how are we going to beat
the bitch?" Although it's not
the job of rival candidates to
defend each other, McCain
could have handled the
comment with class instead
of overlooking the sexist
remark and continuing the
discussion like nothing
wrong was said.
This isn't justification, the
world of politics is vicious
and McCain was probably
doing what he thought was
best to keep the most votes.
According to
OutsidetheBeltway.org,
a political website which
posted a poll on candidate
prejudice, unfortunately
for Mitt Romney, 24% of
people wouldn't vote for a
Mormon candidate. Even
more surprising to me was
that 42% of people wouldn't
vote for a candidate 71 years
of age putting John McCain
behind in the race.
The statistics continue.
Women, atheists, Catholics,
African-Americans, ‘
homosexuals, Mormons
and many other personal
characteristics or beliefs
are looked down upon by
voters.
Where will the
discrimination end and what
kind of candidate are voters,
truly looking for?
For whatever reason,
age, gender, ethnicity and
religion come into play
when choosing a president.
Who cares what a president
looks like when they are
making decisions that
contrast with your personal
beliefs? We should choose
our candidates based on
the tough issues facing
the world today and how
they would handle them
as opposed to superficial
personal traits.
Although not all voters
vote with prejudice, by
looking at past presidents it's
easy to see prejudice exists
when voting.
All have been white
men at fairly old age (the
youngest 42, the oldest 69),
who come from a wealthy
background, and not every
president has been an angel.
The point I am getting at is
being white, male, wealthy
and old doesn't qualify
someone to be president.
I see the argument and
understand that there could
be reason for not wanting
to vote for a person because
of a specific trait or belief.
I understand that voters
could be worried about a
Mormon president because
of separation church and
state. I understand that
people could be afraid a
woman president wouldn't
be strong enough for the job.
But I don't agree.
These thoughts are based
on generalizations and
there is no way to tell if a
woman wouldn't be a strong
enough leader, a Mormon
would mix church and state
M ary W ood
Staff Reporter
Depending on who you
talk to, Valentine's Day can
be the most dreaded or the
most anticipated holiday
of the year. Many people
become upset as Feb. 14
approaches, feeling the
pressure of finding romance
in time for the holiday, and
others who have it can
become stressed out while
forming the perfect plans
for their sweetheart. But
Valentine's Day doesn't
have to be a painful
experience, if you
are in the right
frame of mind.
Though it's often
considered a scam
specifically designed to
sell cards, candies
and flowers,
Valentine's
Day actually
has a legitimate and
interesting history. Its name
comes from Catholic saints,
but the actual traditions are
said to be related to Graeco-
Roman festivals of fertility
and love, and the month of
Gamelion in ancient Athens
which was dedicated to
the gods Zeus and Hera's
marriage. In the 1400's in
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France, the High Court of
Love was established on
Feb. 14, and dealt with many
matters related to love. With
all of this and more behind
the formation of the holiday,
it's hard to prove that it's
simply about chocolate and
love notes.
Even w ith those
classic gifts,
Valentine's
(D ay still has
value. Though
giving gifts isn't
necessary to show
love for someone,
it's fun to do so
every once in
a while, and
Valentine's
Day provides
a time to do that.
Some relationships
just might not be filled
with romance all the time,
so February presents an
opportunity for couples to
bring out their mushy-gushy
side.
Valentine's Day doesn't
have to be solely about
romantic love, though. It's a
great time to show friends
and family that they're cared
about. I've heard plenty of
stories about single girls
bonding over the holiday
with a girl power night. You
don't have to be in love to
have a great time on V-day.
So before succumbing to
depression and anger this
year, take a minute to put
things into perspective. Even
if you're not in a relationship,
you can hang out with your
friends for Valentine's Day,
make valentines for others
and let everyone know
they're cared about. Caring
is the spirit of love anyway,
which is what Valentine's
Day is all about. Well, love
and candy, but that's a pretty
good combination.
Valentine's Day lurks around corner
Staff Reporter
S ài
issues you care about, and
seeing if it matches up with
your beliefs on that issue.
This makes it easier to see
how future presidents would
handle issues you care about.
It would be a very sad
thing for presidents who
could have been exceptional
leaders to be pushed out
of the race because of their
religion, race, age, gender,
or anything else that doesn't
have anything to do with
politics.
Voters—I urge you to be
informed when voting and
to not let image or prejudice
determine your vote. Every
vote counts, and a vote
based on prejudice will sway
the race.
Valentine's Day provides means for expression of love
K ira M atsuoka
•\
and a 71 year old president
would be "too old." Even
if these issues did exist in
presidential candidates, they
remain only a small aspect of
the overall person.
The only way to know
for sure if you agree with
a presidential candidate's
views, is to see how they
voted on the issues you care
most about, not making a
judgment that only pertains
to one issue.
The great thing is, voting
records for presidential
candidates are open for
anyone to see on the internet
at vote-smart.org.
Being an informed voter
means knowing how your
favorite candidate voted on
Valentine's Day is a day
that many people have come
to love or loathe.
It is said by some that
the holiday began with the
tragedy of St. Valentine, a
Catholic bishop. Valentine
died while in love with a
maiden. Moments before his
death he wrote a note to his
lover signed "your valentine."
Based on that historic
moment, people have been
sending valentines to their
loved ones on Feb. 14, the
very day St. Valentine died.
While this holiday is most
often viewed as a romantic
time for loved ones, to
some it can be the complete
opposite. In 2005, an Oregon
man, Gerald Krein, Jr.,
encouraged others in a yahoo
chat room to take part in a
mass suicide on Feb. 14. He
was charged with one count
of solicitation to commit
murder and four counts
of solicitation to commit
manslaughter.
Some use Valentine's Day
as a time to show admiration
for the one(s) they love. For
others, it is a day that leaves
them feeling left out. And
then there are the cases when
people are disappointed with
how their significant other
remembers them on the day
which seems to have so much
riding on it.
At first glance, Valentine's
Day is a harmless and
exciting day to express
emotion to the one you
love. But look closely and
you'll see something deeper
than just a love it or hate it
holiday. It is a day, that for
some, has devolved into
materialistic nightmare. Most
of us know how it feels to
be left out, it’s raw and it
lingers. Emotional distress
can result from not being
remembered that day, or
from spending the holiday
alone.
Valentine's Day shouldn't
only be a day to reward
someone with whom you
are romantically involved.
This day can be for anyone:
family, friends, or someone
who you know deserves a
little extra something to show
you care. Without love, life
can be tough, and Valentine's
Day should be used to show
others you care, because you
never know who might need’^ ^
love the most.