Robertson's vote for on-campus weapons a bad move

Editorial Board Staff Column

President-elect Colorado Robertson's final vote as speaker of the Student Government Senate could taint whatever mark he will leave when his days are done at the University.

After hours of debate stretching between two Student Senate meetings, Robertson cast the tie-breaking vote in support of a resolution supporting Louisiana House Bill No. 199. If passed, the state bill could allow people with concealed weapon permits to bring their guns on campus.

A previous resolution sparked the debate Wednesday night. Sen. Drew Prestridge led the fight for his resolution opposing the House bill, but it was voted down 9 to 14 after debate Thursday. With barely a quorum present - half of the Senate plus one, the Senate's required attendance to conduct business - the Senate split voting on the supporting resolution, 11 to 11.

This board strongly opposes any type of gun on campus, and we are disappointed in Robertson's vote.
On the flip side, this board congratulates outgoing SG President Cassie Alsfeld's refusal to sign the bill.

As this board has said before, college campuses around the country face a serious dilemma from proponents of the Second Amendment, as well as those of us actively pursuing a rational solution to the crisis affecting America's institutions of higher education.

The arguments in favor of this legislation were the same arguments any Second-Amendment-loving American will put forward when asked to defend the individual right to bear arms.

But the phrase "law-abiding citizens" is thrown around so casually that it is easy to forget everyone is technically a law-abiding citizen until the split-second they decide to break the law - and for those of us in the classroom, a split-second is not enough time to react.

Hypothetical scenarios, then, are drawn to distinguish what would happen if someone with a gun ran into a classroom.

Here's one for the supporters: if this bill passes, how many people in that room will pick that moment to prove their heroism all at once?

How many bullets will it take before you're satisfied?

President-elect Robertson should be ashamed now that his Senate legacy has been established.


Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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Check your push cards because this one counts

Editorial Board Staff Column

Today, it's all over but the shouting.

This Board urges students - one last time - to vote in today's runoff election between The Foundation's Colorado Robertson and Shannon Bates and Vision 2008's Dixon McMakin and Kristen Oaks.

Thanks to Do Nothing's Taylor Craft and Wesleigh McLeod's 374 votes received this past week, neither major campaign was able to secure the 50 percent majority necessary to clinch the election.

As a result, both Robertson and McMakin are busy campaigning today, having conversations with students in an attempt to claim victory.

The endless assault of push cards, ticket stickers and promises to make the student body better finally comes to a close today.

None of these, however, will be present in Free Speech Alley or any other place on campus Thursday.

On each candidate's push card are promises to be met by each potential student cabinet. The Foundation promises extended Campus Transit hours and tax exemptions on meal plans, Paw Points, Tiger Cash and textbooks. Vision 2008 sees the creation of more campus lighting, bike paths around campus lakes and free blue books and scantrons provided to the students year round.

Both tickets share the same basic notions for a better campus community, although some of the promises on their tickets seem relatively far-fetched.

The Foundation promises free hot chocolate and snow cones during finals week and free rain ponchos. But the kicker is a public feeding of Mike the Tiger.

This Board does not know the consequences of potentially sending some wild animal into Mike's pit to be devoured in front of the masses, but hopefully the eyes of PETA will be diverted away from the proposed carnage.

On the other side, Vision hopes to update the lighting on the Memorial Tower as well as establish a weekly SG update column in The Daily Reveille.

This Board does not see that column ever coming to fruition.

Directions for voting today are exactly the same as last week. This Board urges students to take a maximum of 20 seconds out of their day, login to PAWS, select "Student Services," click on "2008 Spring SG Runoff" and get your voices heard.

Online voting has increased the potential for student involvement in SG, but it remains to be seen whether students will follow through on their vote by keeping SG accountable next year.

Think about it.

It's all over tomorrow.

Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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Anniversary of King's death a time to reflect

Editorial Board Staff Column

This past Friday marked the 40th anniversary of the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and it's important to note the progress we've made as a state in the civil rights movement. But we're far from finished.

The ideals King stood for are timeless - equality, respect, freedom and love for our fellow man. Unfortunately, for King and for all of us, our state's commitment to these ideals has been less than timely.

Progress has been made: gone are the water fountains labeled "coloreds only," and black University students can - to the best of our knowledge - sit wherever they like on our inefficient campus buses.

The trappings of overt racism have been largely eliminated from mainstream civil company, but there is still progress to be made - in our state, our city and here at our University.

In recent years, University students have protested the purple-and-gold Confederate flag. The flag, which for some symbolizes a history of oppression, racism and slavery, still flies on game days among tailgaters.

Although we at The Daily Reveille unconditionally support free speech and recognize the right of these people to wave their flag, we also believe there is something to be said for respecting the pain this speech brings to many in our University community.

Just because something can be said does not mean it should be said, and just because tailgaters have the right to wave the flag does not mean the flag should be flown.

But the University community is not alone in its need to stand up for equality.

The Baton Rouge city council voted against One Baton Rouge's motion to include in city literature that Baton Rouge is tolerant of all people, regardless of sexual orientation.

By voting down this motion, our city council has essentially stood up - not for equality or tolerance, but for division and perpetual segregation, regardless of the target subject.

The legacy of Rev. King's dream will not soon be forgotten. Each year to commemorate his birthday, we will relive his epic speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, his freedom walks in Selma, Ala., and his continuous stride for peace throughout the world.

But simply reliving his famous clips is not enough. As he eloquently put it, "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

Now is the time to demand equality for all.


Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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Today's election a chance for students' voices to be heard

Editorial Board Staff Column

If you're reading this copy of The Daily Reveille on campus, you've probably seen signs, stickers and candidates vying for your vote in today's Student Government elections.

While much has been made during the past two days about previous candidates and allegations about experience and judgment, the student body will suffer by not participating in today's process.

This Board implores all students - all of you - to vote in today's election.

The presidential candidates include The Foundation's Colorado Robertson, Vision LSU's Dixon McMakin and Do Nothing's Taylor Craft.

It's no secret that in the past, much of the voting in these elections has been dominated by fraternity and sorority members. A large majority of the total votes cast come from the Greek community, partially because of their accessibility and collective fortitude for doing things in large numbers.

Their collective voice has trumped the rest of the student body's will more often than not, citing an obvious reflection of the general lack of interest the students have for SG, and - arguably - vice versa.

By the time you made it to this sentence, you could have already made your voice heard.

Voting in this election - thanks to the advent of online voting - has become much simpler and user friendly. It has become as simple as logging in to PAWS, selecting "Student Services," clicking on "2008 Student Government Elections," and selecting your choice.

SG serves as the main liaison between the student body and the administration. All SG members are required to hold at least one office hour for listening to their constituents and bringing those concerns to committee meetings and the general convening of the SG Senate, held every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Atchafalaya Room of the LSU Student Union.

They have the power to push for change - from choosing which organizations to fund to editing the academic calendar and introducing initiatives such as "Easy Streets."

It's important for the newly-elected government to be accountable to the students who elect them. The executive candidates' emphasis on SG transparency and student correspondence reveals their knowledge of a growing distrust in SG. Incoming government members have the opportunity to stop that perception if they stick to their campaign promises.

Today is the student body's turn to let their voices be heard. Login to PAWS, vote for the candidates and make SG mean something. Speak up and be counted.


Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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House Bill pushes to raise legal smoking age to 21

Editorial Board Staff Column

The war on personal responsibility is dangerously close to claiming its next victim. This time, it's smoking.

Rookie Rep. Walker Hines, D-New Orleans, has filed House Bill 240, which, if passed, would raise the minimum purchase age of cigarettes from 18 to 21, according to The Times-Picayune. The bill does not spell out penalties for potential offenders, but Hines claims "if someone does not start smoking by age 21, that person probably will not smoke."

This lapse in judgment would bring Louisiana up to par with such civilized nations as Kuwait and Sri Lanka.

Less than two years ago, former Gov. Kathleen Blanco signed into law Senate Bill 742, prohibiting smoking in most public buildings and bars attached to restaurants - excluding free-standing bars and gambling outlets such as casinos.

The law, written by Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Livonia, could be supplemented by Senate Bill 185, a new measure from Marionneaux that would ban smoking in any bar or restaurant where food is served "at any time the bar is open to the public." State law prohibits smoking in restaurants but allows smoking in bars that serve food.

The original bill signed into law by Blanco is reasonable. If a person is eating and cigarette smoke wafts in his or her general direction, the disgust in understandable.

But in a bar or casino, where an age limit is imposed at the door, cigarette smoke is expected, especially after factoring in a repayment of a cover in certain establishments if one steps outside the locale to fire up a joe.

This proposed bill could have the exact opposite intended effects on youths and adolescents wishing to have a cigarette. The limit, rather than curbing underage smoking, could further promote the notion that cigarettes are cool. Making them less attainable only adds to their appeal and temptation.

According to a 2006 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 3.3 million youths aged 12 to 17 reported using a tobacco product in the month before the survey. For perspective's sake, 10.8 million of that age group consumed alcohol, and the mean age of initiation to marijuana was 17.4. Half of those surveyed said marijuana was "fairly or very easy to obtain" - marijuana is illegal, and one could imagine the relative ease with which adolescents could obtain cigarettes.

Raising the minimum smoking age to 21 will not only fail to curb underage smoking, it will increase its popularity among adolescents eager to practice illegal activities.

After all, whenever someone says you can't do something, isn't your first urge to do it anyway?


Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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University abandons dream of top-tier status

Editorial Board Staff Column

A glaring difference exists between a flagship school and a top-tier university.

A flagship school is a term reserved for public universities known for their notoriety, enrollment numbers and years standing. It lowers standards and decreases the value of our degrees.

A top-tier university, on the other hand, possesses the correct combination of criteria - not just test scores and GPA, but also alumni donations and graduation rates - to be nationally recognized not for its history, but for its impressive ability to educate and graduate the future workers of the world.

LSU's Board of Supervisors has decided to fight for the former and eliminate previous attempts at the latter.

The Board is reviewing our admissions policy, venturing into community colleges or other universities to interview students previously overlooked by the University.

Astrid Merget, executive vice chancellor and provost, advocated a balance between higher enrollment while not sacrificing standards.

This argument is not just flawed. It simply won't work.

This call from the Board, in retrospect, makes former Chancellor Sean O'Keefe look very good.

O'Keefe stressed his belief in standards, deviating from the enrollment philosophy of current LSU System President John Lombardi to the point that it factored into his decision to resign.

O'Keefe is "of the mind if you're chasing after a number, you don't care as much about standards. You start driving after numbers, and all of a sudden the message to the institution is all about body count," according to a Jan. 30 interview with The Daily Reveille.

Lombardi is directly opposed to this message.

"The number of kids force the world to pay you for more faculty," Lombardi said during a Jan. 23 meeting with the Faculty Senate. "You have to do things that force people to respond."

When the students of LSU depart into the working world, our degree should be a representation of the benefits of higher education, not a notch in an arbitrary number of students meant to emphasize the prominence of our school.

LSU will always be a prominent university. Thanks to the Board, it seems our dream of becoming top-tier is slowly fading away.


Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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College of Education sets bar high for other departments

Editorial Board Staff Column

As cliché and repetitive as it is, children are still the future.

The world they will inhabit will have made it through incredible strife, immeasurable trials and calamitous tribulations, leaving an awesome legacy to be fulfilled.

The beginning of this "build to a better tomorrow" begins with our parents, moving subsequently to teachers. No issue facing America today - be it health care, immigration or the economy - is as important to the future of our nation as education. The tasks of the future start their quest of completion in the classrooms and curricula of today's kids.

But we have come a long way.

Tonight at Tiger Stadium, the College of Education kicks off its Centennial Celebration with a formal, RSVP-only event in the South Atrium. LSU System President John Lombardi echoed the importance of education, saying, "Nothing is more important to America's future than a highly-educated citizenry capable of competing with the best in the world," according to a news release.

In an increasingly globalized society, the children of tomorrow will begin the work so unfairly piled by current and previous generations.

The College of Education is committed to providing students with the tools necessary to better instruct our nation's youth in the areas of math and science, history and the arts, foreign languages and physical education.

The college also oversees the K-12 University Laboratory School, which has been ranked among the nation's top 2.5 percent of public high schools by Newsweek and which houses the state's first international baccalaureate program.

This Board congratulates the College of Education on this incredible milestone and wishes the best of luck for another 100 years. Teachers, as much as parents, are responsible for the world of the future, as they are charged with educating our most valuable assets - the children.


Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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Universities should never allow guns on campuses

Editorial Board Staff Column

College campuses around the country face a serious dilemma from proponents of the Second Amendment, as well as those of us actively pursuing a rational solution to the crisis affecting America's institutions of higher education.

This Board is infuriated, however, with the lackluster suggestion - provided by self-described, red-blooded Americans - of allowing "law-abiding citizens" to conceal weapons on campuses.

Utah is the only state in the country allowing students to carry concealed weapons, but the university prohibits the display of these guns in public.

South Dakota might become the second, pending the passage of HB 1261, which would prevent any public institution of higher education from "regulat[ing] or restrict[ing] the right to carry or possess a firearm in accordance with state law." The act further stipulates that guns must be stored in a locked gun safe registered within the students' residences.

It takes only one bullet, however, to kill someone.

"Law-abiding citizens" abide by the law until the second before they commit a crime. They should be viewed as such in the public domain, but that does not lend credence to the thought of eliminating "gun-free zones."

These zones are as such for a reason - and it has nothing to do with restricting rights.

The premise for a gun-free zone is contained within the Second Amendment itself.

According to U.S. law, "a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The most important part of this is the "well-regulated militia." Our laws concerning gun control are in serious need of reform, as they have been for a significant amount of time. But whenever change is imminent, groups like the National Rifle Association - which has absolutely nothing to do with higher education - asphyxiate the process with fiercely ignorant psycho-babble about gun rights.

For too long, we have engaged in empty rhetoric about our constitutional rights, without examining the problems happening today. Guns serve no purpose other than to destroy; throwing more guns at the problem in lieu of commencing a proper forum on the need for better security measures and alternate means of realizing a safe environment.

For anyone who argues, "Guns don't kill people; people kill people," the message from this Board is crystal clear - guns kill people, and bringing more on campus makes us less safe. More controllable measures will work better for the common good.

Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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Bush continues to disregard Gulf Coast

Editorial Board Staff Column

"The evil that inspired and rejoiced in 9/11 is still at work in the world."

Those were the words of President Bush during the 2007 State of the Union address, in reference to the threat of terrorism in the Middle East. But the same evil that inspired and rejoiced in 9/11 is still at work in the White House.

It has become repetitive to say the Bush Administration sold a war to the American people with, as The Associated Press reported this past Wednesday, 935 false statements from 9/11 until the start of the war.

It has become seemingly cumbersome and tedious to continue to speculate how we entered this calamitous situation. But this situation we find ourselves in is merely one of many others - and like the Iraq War, seemingly without end.

The president used the word "bombs" in this past year's address more times than hurricanes Katrina and Rita, New Orleans, Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf Coast combined.

The truth: he didn't mention any of them.

The president will enter the congressional chambers for his eighth and final State of the Union address this Monday. After seven long years of incredible trials and tribulations, this administration has proven that when it comes to the security of the American people, the answer lies in our military arsenal.

He mentioned this in the past year's address: "For all of us in this room, there is no high responsibility than to protect the people of this country from danger." He then proceeded to say 2,456 words about war, bombs and death, without one mention of his ineptitude, and subsequent apathy, for American residents on the Gulf Coast.

In the history of the Gallup Poll, no president - not even Richard Nixon - has ever had 50 percent of the population say they "strongly disapprove" of the commander-in-chief's job performance. President Bush won enough hearts and minds this past November to achieve his dream of such a rating.

Bill Clinton's approval rating never dipped below 53 percent, consistently registering in the 60s. But he was impeached. Ample evidence exists to charge our current leader, but this Board feels it is best to wait patiently for a year instead of trusting in a Congress who, only two months ago, had a 20 percent approval rating.

Expect President Bush to be oblivious to the Gulf Coast once again. After all, it was his own mother, Barbara Bush, who said about evacuees in the Houston Astrodome, "so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this [chuckle] - this is working very well for them."

She's right. We're fine. Who has an asbestos-tainted FEMA trailer when you need one?

Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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