| The Behrend Beacon
The Behrend Beacon
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BEHREND
Beacon
“Professionalism
with a personality”
Penn State Erie,
the Behrend College;
First Floor, The J. Elmer Reed Union Building,
Station Road, Erie, PA 16563.
Contact The Beacon at:
Telephone: (814) 898-6488
Fax: (814) 898-6019
ISSN 1071-9288.
Mean girls don’t cry
I believe my roommate said it best
when she said “I just don’t understand
why do people do the things they do.”
Why do people make the decisions they
do? Is it to better their social standing,
make someone else feel less then they
are or out of sheer laziness and selfish
ness. The world may never know.
I’ve seen so many of my friends get
hurt by others they care about and by
complete strangers, I’m sure we all have
but it’s almost funny in a way when it
happens to you.
One could say there are many reasons
to do the things they do. Take for in
stance the presidential election.
For months, campaigns ran commer
cials which held only one purpose: to
bash and diminish the other candidate’s
credibility and image. Now, I realize that
there was some strategy behind it. Make
the other person look bad or worse than
you at least and you’ll probably get more
votes which in return will win you the
presidency. But is it right?
In what grade or stage in our life did
we learn that making other people look
bad for personal gain is the right thing
to do? I can only imagine if this think
ing was taught in every school’s curricu
lum across the nation or even worse the
world.
There would be complete pandemo
nium and distrust. America would look
like the Jerry Springer stage, hopefully
without the nudity. There are
just some things in this world that no one
should have to see. But, if this bashing
and diminishing was in a lesson plan I’m
pretty sure I was sick that day.
It’s fascinating to see how people treat
each other. I’ve seen at least six people
today who should be receiving coal in
their stockings for Christmas, but will
they? More than likely not.
The fact is we’re raised in hopes that
one day we’ll be able to make our own
decisions. Which is a good thing, but
are we raised to treat each other nicely
and to make the right decisions? One
Letter to the editor
Marisic Attacks!
I am going to write a letter not about poli
tics, I am going to write about the gross in
competence of a member of the Beacon staff
for blatant disinformation. The target: Sa
rah Weber, copy editor’s opinion article
“Gaymarriage, abortions are not the enemy.”
This article would be more appropriately
titled “Democratic Propaganda.” Where
shall I start? Morality appears to be a good
place. America has proven homosexuality
is disapproved of by all races and genders;
as Sarah herself said “voters in 11 states
decided Tuesday to outlaw gay marriage.”
The gay population makes up 3 percent
of America. America has grown to be about
tolerance, but tolerance does not mean ac
ceptance. I tolerate gay people, just like I
tolerate your article. You have a right to say
what you did even though you are entirely
unsound That’s the difference between tol
erance and acceptance.
Next cm the list: the Roe vs. Wade court
decision. You mistakenly target that as the
deciding case for legalizing abortion. Once
again you are wrong. Roe vs. Wade upheld
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Daniel J. Stasiewski, Editor in Chief
Amy Frizzell, Managing Editor
Courtney Kaplin, Advertising Manager
Alyssa Peconi, Public Relations Manager
Dr. Cathy Roan, Adviser
Student Life Editor
Lori DeFabio
Calendar Page Editor Assistant News Editor
Rob Frank Dan Snedden
Copy Editor
Lacy Buzard
Jenn Haight
Sarah Weber
Opinion Page Editor
Andy McNeil
could only hope
This summer I worked as a counse
lor at a summer camp with children no
older than ten years of age. Out of
about fifty kids, I think five of them
had some sense of the right way to treat
others. Some readers may defend them
saying that they’re only ten.
Let me just say this, if these girls are
old enough to wear deodorant and
shave their legs, they should know how
to treat other people.
The sad thing is, it only gets worse
as you get older. Think about it. You
get away with it for so long that it be
comes second nature, there’s no guilt
involved just personal satisfaction and
it’s almost repulsive.
In no way am I claiming that I’m per
fect. I’ve made my fair share of mis
takes and hurt plenty of feelings, too
many in fact. I have often felt that sick
ening feeling in my stomach telling me
that what I did was wrong. I believe
that feeling is called guilt.
Fortunately, I was blessed with par
ents who in no way accepted my
wrongful actions and forced me to learn
the hard way about taking responsibil
ity for my own actions. Trust me it’s a
hard road to take but it’s one we should
all follow.
the doctor-patient privacy clause and it did
not say any where in the decision that
“abortion is now legal.”
Following that will be your false claim
that “this is a nation founded on
the separation of church and state.” Where
in your education was this procured from
the annals of time? I’d be quite amazed to
witness a history teacher endorse your
contention, because you are entirely
wrong.
The United States was established on
Christianity; the basis of our whole jus
tice system is directly from moral right as
found in the Bible. It wasn’t for many de
cades that a Democrat whined so much
that an amendment “separating church
from state” was drafted. It’s still quite clear,
our nation is Christian and so is our gov
ernment.
Sincerely,
Chris Marisic,
SEBDOS
News Editor
Brad Stewart
Sports Editors
Sam Cibula
Sara Kamber
Beacon Assistant
Carolyn M. Tellers
Amy Frizzell
managing editor
OPINION
We’re only as moral as our pop music
I often have odd conversations at work.
From the value of canned-tuna currency
in a post-fossil fuel age America to loony
predictions for local politics, the ex
changes with co-workers are often as for
gettable as they are absurd. After Presi
dent Bush’s re-election, exit polls showed
morality as the main issue for Bush back
ers. One now unforgettable discussion
with a rather naive coworker (from now
on called Penny) represents the ass-back
wards logic of the red states and right
wingers in the national morality-versus
personal-freedoms debate.
It had to do with strippers. A customer
of ours (and I say ours because, in a phar
macy, we still have some personal con
nection with the people who pay for their
overpriced prescriptions) wasn’t dressed
“respectably.” Complete with fingernail
Freddy Kruger would envy, whorish
makeup and a leather outfit, Penny called
the woman a derogatory name. She said
the woman looked like a stripper and
scoffed at the existence of the profession.
Long fingernails, whorish makeup and
leather pants aside, the person couldn’t
be identified as a stripper or a prostitute.
She could have been a transvestite for all
we know. Or just a mom. Still, stripper is
the word that came up.
To cut to the chase, I said strippers (and
pornography for that matter) are neces
sary for the stability of society as we know
it. Penny disagreed using college-level
words such as “sick” and “disgusting” in
justifying her case.
Penny didn’t vote. In casual conversa
tion, however, she did mention she would
have voted for Bush.
For such a conservative, I found it odd
that Penny was able to lambaste stripping
and in the same week come bobbing into
the stockroom with R. Kelly’s “Ignition
Remix” playing in the background. That
makes Penny a conservative that listens
to a song that blatantly references sexu
ality like this: “Girl I’m feelin’ whatchu
feelin’/No more hopin’ and wishin’/I’m
about to take my key ‘n’/Stick it in da
ignition.”
Santa: breaking and entering charges pending
Yesterday, I was strolling through the
mall, celebrating Armistice Day, better
know as Veterans Day, by partaking in the
joys of commercialism and capitalism.
Since Thanksgiving is only two weeks
away, I expected to see storefront displays
catered toward this grand holiday which
so joyously brought together the indus
trious pilgrims and those lovable scamps
known as Native Americans.
Instead, I see that it’s beginning to look
a lot like Christmas.
It’s been beginning to look a lot like
Christmas ever since before Halloween.
Halloween is on Oct. 31, Christmas is on
Dec. 25, and last I checked that’s two
months folks. You want to know where I
was on Halloween night last year?
I was at the mall nearly 20 feet up in a
boom lift hanging brightly colored Christ
mas balls from the ceiling. Don’t ask.
Whilst ghouls and goblins ran about in
the streets demanding sugar saturated
food products, I was busy making sure
that gaudy garlands made of fake pine
needles were lined up properly.
As I watched a guy who was working
with me try to steal quarters from the
wishing fountains, I had a societal rev-
Counterattack: Disagree but don’t deny
By Sarah Weber
copy editor
First of all I would like to thank Chris
Marisic for reading the Beacon and tak
ing the time to respond my “Gay mar
riage, abortions are not the enemy” edi
torial.
I would also like to set the record
straight on a few of Marisic’s points.
I agree that Roe v. Wade upheld a patient’s
right to privacy. However, like I stated
in my previous editorial, the case also
protected a woman’s right to choose.
To be certain, I looked the case up in
my Government in America (Edwards,
Wattenbeig, Lineberry; 2004) text book
glossary. I found the following: “Roe v.
Wade - The 1973 Supreme Court deci
sion holding that a state ban on all abor
tions was unconstitutional.”
Secondly, while our country was indeed
founded by Christians, our forefathers had
the foresight to allow the American people
to practice, or not practice, religion as they
so choose. If the first amendment “Con
gress shall make no law respecting an es-
Daniel J. Stasiewski
editor in chief
Oddly pornographic, I thought. Penny
disagreed, of course, because that would
make her a hypocrite. We all know right
wingers aren’t hypocrites. I decided to
give Penny a quick lesson on the word
pornography according the Webster’s
New World Dictionary. According to
Webster, pornography is, “writing, pic
tures, etc. intended primarily to arouse
sexual desire.”
Granted being able to stick a key in
the ignition is one step passed desire, div
ing head first in to hardcore sex, but
Penny wouldn’t buy it. Unless it in
volved a visual money shot, a graphic
reference to promiscuous sex doesn’t
count. Okay, okay, how about this then,
Penny.
Some scholars use the term “explicit”
in their discussion of pornography. For
example, Destiny’s Child’s current Top
40 hit “Lose My Breath” asks an inept
lover “Can you keep up?” The group
goes on to sing lines like, “All them lies
like you could satisfy me/Now I see
where believing you got me/Gave you
the wheel, but you can’t drive me.”
Other than the odd coincidence that
both songs have car references (though
nary a mention of a stick shift), these pop
songs have in common the fact that they
were heard by millions of Americans
over MTV, Top 40 Radio and even
iTunes. They aren’t sent to 10 p.m., rot-
Andy McNeil
opinion editor
elation.
I’m sure you don’t want to hear an
other tyrannically socialist rant about the
commercialization of Christmas by the
American commerce community, so I’ll
attack on a different front.
It has become apparent to me that we,
Americans, have no tolerance for delayed
gratification. Why wait for dinner when
we can grab a Snickers? This underlin
ing marketing philosophy has become a
wayoflifeforus. Everything we’ve ever
tablishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof...” is not evidence
enough, Thomas Jefferson further reit
erated the point in a letter to the Danbury
Baptist Association in 1802.
“Believing with you that religion is a
matter which lies solely between man and
his god ... that the legitimate powers of
government reach actions only, and not
opinions, I contemplate with sovereign
reverence that act of the whole Ameri
can people which declared that their leg
islature should make no law respecting
an establishment of religion, or prohib
iting the free exercise thereof, thus build
ing a wall of separation between church
and state. Adhering to this expression of
the supreme will of the nation in behalf
of the rights of conscience, I shall see
with sincere satisfaction the progress of
those sentiments which tend to restore
to man all his natural rights...”
Having read and understood this pas
sage, what else can be concluded except
our forefather’s intentions were to found
a nation where religious beliefs are kept
separate from governmental affairs?
Friday, November 12, 2004
ting next to Dennis Franz’s bare ass.
They are songs that are sold by and pur
chased to Americans who are supposed
to be in the middle of a conservative
revolution.
I don’t buy it. George W. Bush and
his theo-con cohorts can pretend to be
Jesus’ homeboys, but none of them are
stupid enough, economically speaking,
to ban strippers, pom or the equally ex
plicit pop music.
Besides, consuming pop music that
goes way passed innuendo doesn't strike
me as a right thing to do in these times
of morality. In the current America’s Top
40 Chart there are at least four songs that
graphically describe sex, and many oth
ers that make reference to sex, promis
cuous or otherwise.
While I doubt the tide is turning for
American’s to take a mature look at
sexuality, there is a large market for
music that has no better purpose be
played while drinking, dancing and
screwing. County music is catching up
with the hit song “Save a Horse, Ride a
Cowboy.”
To Penny's credit, she does think
Britney Spears is a “slut.” But that
doesn’t explain why she and many other
white college age conservatives have
latched onto contemporary hip-hop for
carnal excitement on the dance floor. It’s
all about titillation and Ludicrous howl
ing at women to bend over and touch
their toes is no different than watching a
topless stripper do a pole dance. It’s not
even a matter of degrees.
If anyone has read my editorials in the
past, they know I’m not calling for a
moratorium on bad music with sexual
references. I just can’t imagine that the
talk of morality is as black and white, or
rather red and blue, as the media has
made it out to be. Of course, I could be
wrong, but the red state Nevada is the
only state with legalized prostitution.
The rest of the country, Penny and I will
just have to settle for strippers, pop mu
sic and a whole lot of purple.
wanted is just five minutes from our fin
gertips, except for those pesky intangible
concepts we cannot buy such as love and
satisfaction. I’m confident that Donald
Trump will find a way to market love
within a few years though.
So why wait when we can have Christ
mas everyday? I mean what the hell!
We’ve got Christmas in July haven’t we.
When I worked at McDonald’s in high
school (I shutter in shame as I type this)
our managers, pompous tools of a cor
poration trying to kill us faster than to
bacco companies, forced us to buy gifts
to celebrate Christmas in July. If that
wasn’t bad enough they blared Christ
mas jingles nonstop as I was forced to
stand over a scolding hot grill and fryer
all day long.
Why I am opposed to the spreading
cheer and goodwill to the American
shopping public you ask? Basically, it
comes down to this. I can only endure
hearing “Jingle Bells” so many times be
fore I snap and am forced to binge drink
myself to sleep. So on behalf of livers
everywhere, please people, let’s move
Christmas back to December where it
belongs.
Finally, your argument that while gays
and lesbians can be tolerated but not ac
cepted is irrelevant to my original edi
torial. I stated quite clearly that people
have a right to disagree with gay mar
riage. Tolerate them, accept them, de
spise them, I could care less. However,
the government has no right to tell gays
and lesbians that they can’t have the
same rights to life, liberty, and pursuit
of happiness that straight people enjoy.
And using the government as a mecha
nism to enforce your personal or reli
gious beliefs goes directly against our
founder’s intentions.
I’m certain that no matter how legiti
mate my argument, my opposition will
still try to find ways to justify forcing
their beliefs on the country via the gov
ernment. But history has proven that in
time, people do tend to see the light, for
example the cases of women’s suffrage
and civil rights.
One day, gays and straights alike will
be able to enjoy the benefits of marriage,
I promise you that.