Tuesday, March 6, 2007
This past Thursday, March 1, The University Daily Kansan Free for All printed a most obscene statement that read: “I thought palm ashes came from the Holocaust?” While a quote like this shows the ignorant nature of the caller it also demonstrates The Kansan’s complete and utter disregard of their guidelines for the Free for All which state, “Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed.” The lack of professionalism and discretion shown here by numerous members of The Kansan staff disappoints us severely.
As U.S. citizens we would never challenge the right to freedom of speech, but we will challenge the acts of those who are with prejudice and in need of humanizing. We hold it our responsibility, not only as Jews, but as human beings, to bring tolerance and culpability to those who confuse ignorance with humor.
Liz Cohen, Elliot Kort,
Bridey Maidhof, Max Stettner, Allie Stillman, Casey Topol, Sarah Zurovsky
KU Hillel executive board
Letter to the Editor: Free for All ...
Free for All comment: "Jesus is being crucified in front of Wescoe. ...
Free for All: March 5, 2007
Spring has come again, which means the start of another baseball season, ...
Editorial Board: Colorado State editorial went too ...
Issue of respectable purpose comes into question.
Letter from the editor: Obscenity column raises ...
Letter to the editor sparks conversation about profanity
Free For All: 8/22/05
Free for All: March 1, 2007
I would like to know where these people were fixing potholes, because ...
CITIZEN DOLPH: A rare look at the ...
You may not recognize his name, but Dolph Simons Jr., chairman of ...
Free for All
Editor's note: No slight meant against the ...
Free for All: March 29, 2007
I’m a white guy and I have spinning tires. However, my rims ...
Chabad Comes to KU
Jewish students, or people wanting to learn more about Judaism now have ...
Jewish groups to honor heroic professor
Professor Liviu Librescu became a hero during the massacre at Virginia Tech. ...
Religious celebration attendance continues to expand
Short Stack
Letter to the Editor: Vulgar chant should ...
Kickoff yell serves as poor representation of University
Positions open at The Kansan
The 2011 summer and fall semesters have both advertising and news jobs ...
Politically incorrect
How to be "PC" and consider others feelings before making a comment.
KU Hillel celebrates new home
The Jewish organization on campus recently moved into its new facility on ...
The Kansan names next student editor-in-chief, business ...
Top student positions have been selected; applications for other jobs now available.
Biodiversity is... interpreted by artists
Two student and five area artists created representations of biodiversity for the ...
A question of identity
The Comanche Nation informed KU that a professor who claims he's Comanche ...
Put Up Your Dukes
Your hands are talking about you and you probably don’t even know ...
Minster: Campus isn't a sailors' convention
People use swear words as often as articles such as "the" and ...
Pitch publishes false news story
Erickson: Remind me: Which state are we ...
Q&A with KU Alumnus Luis Santos, Sr.
The Kansan spoke with Luis Santos, Sr. about his retirement and what ...
Student-led initiative tackles kick-off chant
Student leaders are looking for an alternative to the offensive phrase.
Free For All: April 16, 2007
I called because I didn’t know what you sounded like, and frankly, ...
Letter: Intelligent design documentary fails to find ...
Film seeks to refute evolutionary theory.
Liberals confuse Coulter’s words, react without listening ...
Editorial: Move in, sit down, rest, relax, ...
"Like" us, follow us, pick us up.
Know your Student Senate candidates
Learn more about the candidates for Student Senate
Free for All: April 12, 2007
I’m just holding a phone up to my face and talking to ...
Hartz: Athletics Department ignores concerns
We should go crazy for football because, after all, we only have ...
Free: Those against equality share in deaths
Anyone who works against equality for LGBTQ youth shares responsibility for the ...
Hillel needs new home
A conversation with Mandy Patinkin
Letter the the Editor: Standing up for ...
Refuting arguments based on fear and ignorance.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Letter to the Editor: Statement offends
Although the word 'ignorant' is used several times in this article, I fail to see was exactly was ignorant about the comment. It was a joke. In bad taste? Maybe. Your complaint, however, paints you in a negative light for having a hyper-sensitivity rather then making the free-for-all comment seem obscene.
Furthermore, what exactly is slanderous about the comment?
Letter to the Editor: Statement offends
I agree with danny. Exactly what about the comment was obscene or slanderous? I would argue that nothing about it was obscene, not by Supreme Court definition and not by the standards of a reasonable person.
And who was slandered? Simply making a Holocaust-related statement is not slanderous to Jews. Linguo is right-- if anything, it is slanderous to the Catholic Church.
All the Hillel board has done here is prove that they are exceptionally good at overreacting to the statement of one dumb caller. An attitude of hypersensitivity, especially when that attitude draws attention to drunken rambling, is more dangerous than this statement could ever be.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID