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Show Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012 Page 10 =Free Speech Views&Opill Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR? vm ( I'M THANKFUL THAT GAY MARRIAGE 15 GAINING WIDER ACCEPTANCE. THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAP THIS GREAT NATION. sHENEmANT. Editor in Chief Steve Kent Copy Editor Eric Jungblut ... erg` . . News Editor Allee Wilkinson ( :tz-z2.."1..--_ ,• ----------2". :::-_:-:-'1:;.:-,15-1:".‘ •%:' I, ---'''' ---- 1--7-- o% --' (z (Cti_ a--i -,—,1 . , iv , 11 •-•it _---r--- r11--- ' ( Our View ForumLetters Pornography hurts relations To the editor: In some of the past issues of the Utah Statesman, a few misconceptions of pornography and its effects have been thrown out. First, it is important to know that the body itself is not pornography, as the "Pornography is not a Drug" opinion column seemed to suggest. It is utilized in pornographic material, but the mere exposure of the body does not make it pornography. So saying nudists and artistic works represent pornography is incorrect, because the way the body is presented and the purpose is what makes the difference. The opinion article argued against the Fight the New Drug Campaign using these examples, whereas the website actually states that "nudity can be a beautiful thing in the right context," and defines pornography as a "substantial distortion and misuse of sexuality in a way that potentially harms those who participate." Another important issue to address is the effect pornography has on its users and those around them. While pornography cannot kill like drugs, and may not have as many effects on the physical health of its users as the article pointed out, its psychological and social impact is profoundly negative. Research on its harmful effects is not a pseudo-science based on religious dogma - rather, numerous psychological studies have linked pornography to many problems. According to solid academic and scientific research, pornography affects the chemistry in the brain just as illicit drugs do, is correlated to severe clinical depression and has adverse effect in addicts' relationships. Research has demonstrated that exposure to pornography decreases its user's interest in real relationships, that 56 percent of divorces involve at least one person being addicted to porn and that it increases the marital infidelity rate by more than 300 percent. This makes complete sense: imagine how a wife or girlfriend must feel when she feels she is being compared by her significant other to some photo-shopped model or a starved actress. Imagine what an addict might expect in relationships after being exposed to unrealistic depictions of sexuality. So pornography is not just a matter of religion, it is an ill that must be fought to protect our happiness, families and society. For those who still doubt it, try a search on EBSCO or actually check out Fight the New Drugs website to find out what the website actually says. Bradley Robinson ery. This essential attribute is exquisitely captured by Spielberg and the actor Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, resolute, consummately political, tortured and ambitious; a visionary who uses a story or a joke to defuse tense situations. When it's suggested that the vote on the amendment in the House is in the hands of God, the president observes, "I don't envy His task." As with big issues in Washington, then as now, the drama is about choices with consequences: a re-elected Lincoln decides to push the anti-slavery amendment at the risk of prolonging the Civil War. There are compelling figures: William Seward, his secretary of state and shrewd political confidant; Thaddeus Stevens, the fiery abolitionist who tempers his principles to achieve the legislative goal, and craven and cowardly congressmen. Mainly it's about political leadership. To persuade some, Lincoln appeals to their nobler instincts about the evils of racial hatred. With others, he does what's necessary. With the outcome in the balance, a trio of fixers brought in to help is told: "You will procure me the votes." This is the way presidents, most recently from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan, get their way: maintaining a core principle and tactical flexibility. Joe Califano who, as a young man, was President Lyndon Johnson's point man on domestic legislation, remembers this quality as the essence of LBJ. In 1968, the Fair Housing Bill was stalled in the Senate. The president, Califano recalls, was told by Senator Walter Mondale that they were hopelessly one vote short of breaking a filibus- News Senior Writer Tmera Bradley Features Editor Natasha Bodily Features Senior Writer Cale Patterson Sports Editor Tavin Stucki Sports Senior Writer Curtis Lundstrom Book sticker is insensitive To the editor: As students register for next semester and begin to buy books, I am calling attention to a completely insensitive labeling of used books. Instead of a simple sticker saying "USED," the bookstore has a sticker saying "I am Cheap, I am Used, I am Available." This is demeaning to both men and women, but especially to women. To those who have lived outside the "Utah bubble," it connotes a "profession" where many of the "practitioners" are just that: cheap, used, available. This slogan is offensive. I know the bookstore has been told about this. This has to be changed. Richard Sherlock Photo Editor Delayne Locke Senior Photographer Curtis Ripplinger Web Editor Karlie Brand Editorial Staff: Steve Kent Allee Evensen Delayne Locke Tavin Stucki Eric Jungblut Natasha Bodily Karli Brand About letters • Letters should be limited to 400 words. • All letters may be shortened, edited or rejected for reasons of good taste, redundancy or volume of similar letters. • Letters must be Coach thanks Utah State fans To the editor: Dear Utah State Students and HURD members: I am fortunate enough to be the volleyball coach here at Utah State University. Our season just ended and I wanted to take the time to say thank you, on ►See LETTERS, Page 11 Leaders can learn from 'Lincoln' Before scheduling any budget negotiations at the White House, on Capitol Hill or at Camp David, President Obama and congressional leaders should go see Steven Spielberg's classic new film, "Lincoln." It's the best movie about Washington politics I've seen. The centerpiece is the American icon, Abraham Lincoln; it brilliantly captures him doing what politicians are supposed to do, and today too often avoid: compromising, calculating, horse-trading, dealing and preventing the perfect from becoming the enemy of a good objective. In 1865, the issue was getting the votes to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, banning slavery. Today's fiscal negotiations seem trivial by comparison. Yet achieving success requires the same ingredients: bargaining, bartering, bluffing and cutting a few dubious deals. This is what Americans too often forget about Washington: Our representatives are hired by the voters not to be priests or philosophers, but to be politicians. There is no greater hero than Lincoln; we extol his courage, his eloquence, his resilience and his sense of humor. Rarely is his political cunning celebrated. That was the quality that enabled his final great triumph, the end of slay- AboutUS 1 This semester, the Student Sustainability Office awarded grants to 100 percent of applicants. Why? Among other things, only five grant proposals were submitted. A little more competition for Blue Goes Green funds would be nice, especially since the money comes from a fee paid by every student. But how do you get students involved? An Editorial Opinion Timing may have contributed to the scarcity of applicants this semester. In March, two of the Blue Goes Green grantees were engineering students. The mechanical engineering department encourages students to apply for Blue Goes Green money to help fund their capstone projects — which only reach the grant-writing stage in the spring. We predict you'll see more Blue Goes Green applicants next semester. Other colleges could learn from Engineering's example. After all, creating a greener, healthier and more efficient campus isn't exclusively the territory of Natural Resources and Engineering. The Huntsman School of Business has a history of helping student entrepreneurs find start-up funds. Why not encourage students to start businesses or programs that fit the grant requirements? If the student body is having trouble finding ideas, why not add a Blue Goes Green pitch to the list of persuasive essays English 2010 students need to write? Not every idea would be viable, effective or even original, but the thousands of students who take the course each semester would surely brainstorm more than five good ideas. The essays could be judged by instructors and entered in a contest across sections of the course to sift out the ideas most likely to inspire a group willing to make it happen. Every college has something to contribute. The College of Education, the Caine College of the Arts and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences could help students start outreach programs, designed to educate and inform a more sustainable campus. The College of Agriculture could use the money to promote local food through events like Food Day. The College of Science can provide data on campus sustainability through surveys and other research. The majority of students have never and will never need to write a grant proposal in their chosen professions. Even the most environmentally-counscious student might have trouble finding the energy to write a proposal outside of the classroom. In our eyes, the best way to get more students involved is to get more classes involved. Opinions on this page (columns, letters unless otherwise identified are not from Utah Statesman staff, but from a wide variety of members of the campus community who have strong opinions, just like you do! This is an open forum. Want to write something? Contact: statesman@aggiemaiLusu.edu Lis (J, .:C 0- Blue Goes Green needs competition Zone ter. On the list of opponents, Johnson spotted Alaska Democratic Senator Bob Bartlett and remembered that he wanted a big maritime agency project. Johnson called the Alaskan, ordered the agency to give him the project. Bartlett voted to end the filibuster, and the measure outlawing discrimination in housing was approved. A Model Cities bill intended to benefit large urban areas was resisted by Maine Democratic Senator Edmund Muskie. Johnson directed Califano to include a city from Maine, even though the state didn't have any large metropolitan areas. "What city?" the aide asked. "Any goddamn city he wants," LBJ replied. "Johnson knew everybody's price," Califano observes. "He knew what he had to give to get what he wanted, and he never gave more. But he was always willing to give." That is the mindset required for the current fiscal negotiations. On the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, Obama starts with a strong hand. The presidential campaign wasn't edifying; it was rife with attack ads and vague promises. An exception is the tax cuts for households making more than $250,000; on Jan. 1 the marginal top rate on these incomes is scheduled to revert to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. Obama campaigned on the wealthy paying more. His Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, was opposed to any increase and wanted to cut tax rates for the affluent. Obama's position prevailed. House ►See LINCOLN, Page 11 topic oriented. They may not be directed toward individuals. Any letter directed to a specific individual may be edited or not printed. • No anonymous letters will be published. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or e-mail address as well as a student identification number (none of which is published). Letters will not be printed without this verification. • Letters representing groups — or more than one individual — must have a singular representative clearly stated, with all necessary identification information. • Writers must wait 21 days before submitting successive letters — no exceptions. • Letters can be hand delivered or mailed to The Statesman in the TSC, Room 105, or can be e-mailed to statesrnan@aggiemail. usu.edu, or click on www.utahstatesman. corn for more info. Polls, submission box, calendars, news archives and more: www.utahstatesman .com |