Weber State University Student Newspapers | 2005-02-02 | Page 4

The Signpost Page 4 Wednesday, February 2,200 Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Natalie Clemens Phone: [phone] 'No More Trademarks' amendment long overdue In April, The Signpost printed an editorial against the. flagrant use of copyrighted creative material in student election campaigns at Weber State University. It seems, finally, that either someone was listening or came to the same logical conclusions. Back then, The Signpost was told that trademark and copyright violation was not under the jurisdiction of the Elections Committee, student government or the WSU Supreme Court because it was a federal matter. Now, the Student Senate has laudably redrawn the lines by passing an election reform bill that Sen. John McCain would be proud of. No, it doesn't stop soft money from being funneled into candidates' coffers (not much of a problem here). But it does keep those running for office from getting an election edge by breaking the law. The "No More Trademarks" amendment, sponsored by Science Senator Jeff Bailey and unanimously passed by the Student Senate, will make it possible to punish candidates who "violate intellectual property rights (copyright, trademark, etc) in the process of running for office." The unanimity of the vote is especially notable because the election race the current officers participated in, like most of those in the past, were less than spotless when it comes to this kind of violation. Students are used to playing fast and loose with copyright laws during elections. The Student Senate deserves praise for setting a higher standard for the future. While some may feel that copyright infringement hurts no one and that the amendment will cripple candidates' means of name recognition, the truth is that forcing candidates to be ethical and rely on their own creative voice to stand out can only be a good thing, and can only add credibility to the whole elections process. Treated correctly, the rule will encourage originality instead of allowing students to take the easy and heavily trodden path of pop-culture references. It is not just trademark owners who will benefit from the responsible use of intellectual property. Student voters will see an elevated dialogue among future candidates that is forced to rise above flashy pictures and famous characters. - The Signpost Editorial Board The ^•^ A Weber State University weueroiaie university Signpost Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor Features Editor Entertainment Editor Business Editor Photo Editor Graphics Editor Online Editor Advertising Manager Office Manager Advisior Distribution Publisher Signpost Fax Natalie Clemens Maria Villasenor Heather Hunt-Wood Jon Nelson William Hampton Roy Pyatt Becky Palmer Candice Dallin Mo Williams Samuel T. Platt Nick Litster Devon Crus Georgia Edwards Allison Hess William Hampton Dr. Randy Scott 626-7121 626-7614 626-7655 626-7983 626-7659 626-7621 626-7105 626-7624 626-6358 626-7661 626-6358 626-6359 626-7974 626-7499 626-7974 626-6464 626-7401 The Signpost is published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during the semester. Subscription Is $9 a semester. The first copy of The Signpost is free, each additional copy is $.50. • The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University students. Student fees partially fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced are not necessarily endorsed by the university. • The Signpost welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include name, address, telephone number and the writer's signature. Anonymous letters will not be printed. • The Signpost reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right to refuse to print any letter. Letters should not exceed 350 words. Bring letters to the editorial office in SUB 267, mail to: The Signpost. Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84408-2110. Attn: Editor in Chief, email [e-mail] Remembering Auschwitz: Lessons still not learned Philadelphia Inquirer Knight Ridder Tribune Snow was falling outside the Polish town of Oswiecim on Thursday, just as it had Jan. 27, 1945, when Allied soldiers liberated the nearby, notorious Auschwitz death camp. As many as 1.5 million people- 1 million of them Jewish - were killed there during World War II as part of Nazi Germany's pogrom against Jews and other minorities. Sixty years has not been time enough to heal the hurt that Holocaust survivors still feel deep in their bones and their hearts. It has not been time enough to teach the world that failure to live up to the Holocaust-born mantra, "Never again," comes at a huge cost. It is tallied in the number of people killed around the world in later genocides. Pol Pot's forces seized Phnom Penh in 1974 and oversaw the kilting and starvation of 1.5 million Cambodians who did notfitthe Khmer Rouge's warped political vision. That was not lesson enough. In 1994, at least 800,000 Tutsis died in a frenzied, 100-day slaughter by extremist Hutus in Rwanda. Western countries and the United Nations knowingly turned away - becoming accomplices to crimes against humanity. It was a shameful episode that has evoked worldwide introspection. Yet it was not lesson enough. A genocide bleeds on at this moment in the Darfur region of Sudan. Recent bombings of villages by government helicopters have added to the thousands killed. This has not been lesson enough. By now, the world should have learned that "never again" bestows a solemn responsibility on governments and citizenries around the globe. Commemorate the Holocaust and other atrocities? That must be done regularly, especially as the generation of survivors passes away. But that is not enough. International leaders must not shrug at any slaughter, let alone one that is state-sponsored (part of the definition of what constitutes a genocide). Citizens must let leaders know that they consider preventing or stopping genocide to be a sign of their nation's moral health. Nor can the world afford to ignore a root cause of genocide: bigotry. To do so is to sanction targeted, mass killing of a group based on religion, ethnicity, skin color, or other differences. On that point, too, the Holocaust has not been lesson enough. For despite history showing how 6 million Jews were killed simply because they were Jewish, far too little has been done to stem recent years' worldwide rise of violent incidents aimed at Jewish communities in Europe and other nations around the world. Not enough has been done to aid innocent Muslims in the United Stales and elsewhere who have been attacked for the crimes of extremists claiming allegiance to Allah. How sad it is to note that in 2005, "never again" seems as far from being realized as it was the day after the horrors of Auschwitz were revealed for all to see. The Signpost wants to know what you think. Send us a letter with your name and phone number to [e-mail]