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Pesky relatives —The holidays are filled with good food, great friends and no school, but they can also have a troublesome side — a reunion with those pesky relatives you, thankfully, only see at this special time of year. These are the distant cousins, aunts and uncles you know live far away from you for a reason. They ask caring questions such as, "Do you have a boyfriend yet?" and say loving things such as, "Don't let the freshmen 15 get you down." But it's important to just ignore them to keep them from ruining your holiday season. Remember, no matter what, they're still your family, and just remind yourself that you're the normal one.— Alexandra Esposito, University of Kansas' University Daily Kansan
Black Friday — It seems Thanksgiving has become less about giving thanks and more about celebrating consumerism. Black Friday news is filled with images of thousands rushing, shoving and fighting to cash in on a great deal by purchasing the latest unnecessary gadget. With stories of people being trampled, brawls breaking out and even shootings in toy stores, I wonder what happened to all of the thankfulness. One day we are celebrating all of the wonderful things in our lives, and the next morning we are a nation of "green-eyed monsters." It is as if the meaning of thankfulness never existed.— Bobby Gomez, Kansas State University's Kansas State Collegian
I cannot fathom why so many consumers are willing to wake up before the sun rises and face the reckless crowds that await the opening of stores during Black Friday. Numerous times, people have been injured, some even killed, and all for simply a good buy. There comes a time when traditions need not be traditions, when a retailer's best shopping day of the year emerges at the expense of the safety of its customers. This is unacceptable.— Nicole Ruvolo, Wichita State University journalism student
Volunteering — As daily consumers of news, we are bombarded with information about Americans cutting back in these trying economic times. But typically we hear these stories in purely economic terms — efforts made to save money and reduce spending. However, according to the 2009 America's Civic Health Index, we are also decreasing our civic and community engagement. This national survey found that 72 percent of Americans have cut back on time spent volunteering and participating in groups or doing other civic activities. Thus while our country's economic capital is hurting, so is our social capital.— Molly Hamm, Kansas State Collegian
Native history — In most media, the first Thanksgiving is boiled down to a happy-go-lucky picnic cartoon. The Indians, with their feathered headdresses, happily share food with the friendly pilgrims, who wear massive belt buckles and black suits. In some schools, it's even taught that the pilgrims did the sharing. In reality, the Wampanoags didn't wear feathered headdresses and the pilgrims didn't wear giant buckles. The natives gave aid, as per Wampanoag tradition, but things definitely weren't tension-free. European slave traders had entered the territory decades prior, creating an immense distrust between the two peoples. And the pilgrims were incapable of sharing. They were starving when Squanto found them. The underlying lesson of charity and idealism of the first Thanksgiving story is noble but naive. It's impossible to create the kind of equality portrayed by just glossing over one of the most brutal eras of America's history.— Melissa Lytton, University Daily Kansan
Palin — How can Sarah Palin, a figure so unqualified and uninformed on both domestic and international issues, gain the legitimate support of millions of adoring fans? Politics has always been about charm, sex appeal and style, so a candidate millions of rural and conservative Americans can relate to will, of course, be popular. Supporting someone like yourself does not make for intelligent decisions, however. Your neighbor may have abundant friendliness, energy and kindness — traits that Palin undeniably exudes — but that does not mean you should elect your neighbor president, governor or even mayor. Jobs such as these require expertise in management, business, politics and even geography and history, in addition to charm and affability. This is not elitism, but rather common sense. The Democrats suffer from the same star syndrome as well. Young voters gobbled up the idea of a young, charming and elegant candidate without concern that Barack Obama had been in the U.S. Senate for fewer than four years and in an elected public office for just more than 10 years. Maybe it is our "American Idol" culture of voting for the charismatic, or perhaps the ancient human tendency to view those similar to oneself favorably, but America has enabled self-aggrandizing politicians to take offices for which they are not qualified.— David Shaub, Wichita State University's the Sunflower
Panhandling — A law that would ban panhandling is not the solution for an increased homeless presence in downtown Lawrence. Rather than kicking these people off of the streets, city commissioners should focus on solving the housing problem as opposed to the possibility of infringing on First Amendment rights. The act of panhandling, which means asking pedestrians for money, is currently legal in Lawrence. City Commissioner Aaron Cromwell recently sought to pursue a ban on panhandling, citing that the problem has been getting worse. However, there is already an ordinance against "aggressive panhandling," which is touching a person while begging or repeatedly asking someone for a donation. A ban on panhandling could not only be an abuse of the basic rights of individuals, but it also brings the wrong focus to a discussion that needs to be solved in a different manner. The homeless population that isn't aggressive and the street performers of Lawrence deserve better treatment than to be forced off the streets. Rather than taking a step backward, city commissioners should come together and take an important step forward in working toward an end to homelessness. —University Daily Kansan editorial
