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Tuesday, January 17, 1995
OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE ISSUE: CREATIVE COURT SENTENCING
The punishments fit the crime
The creative sentence handed down recently by a Johnson County district judge signals a refreshing change to a legal system often plagued with problems and controversy.
As criminals and their crimes continue to change with the times, the legal system — primarily the punishment ordered — must change, too.
Judge Steve Tatum ordered Yancy R. Jones, Leawood, convicted of spraying anti-Semitic graffiti on a synagogue, to hear the personal account of Holocaust survivor Walter Stras.
This unusual sentence, although not unique, is as creative as it is effective.
In Houston, District Judge Ted Poe recently ordered a drunken driver convicted of killing a family to hang a picture of the family in his prison cell. In Memphis, Tenn., District Judge Joe Brown permits burglar victims to enter the homes
As criminals and crimes continue to change. judges should be commended for dispensing unique punishments.
of convicted burglars, under police watch, and take possessions equal to their losses. And in Chicago, Associate Judge Sam Amirante is known for sentencing teen-age traffic offenders to write essays on the dangers of drunken driving and speeding.
Jail time alone is not enough.
With a growing adolescent population and the everpresent KU student body, Douglas County district judges would be wise to take notice of what these judges are doing.
Forcing offenders to think about how their crimes affect victims is the most effective method of dissuading potential repeat criminals. And that is the ultimate goal of the criminal justice system.
TIM MUIR FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
THE ISSUE: SIMPLY EQUAL
City must support all rights
Tomorrow the Lawrence City Commissioners will be faced with a difficult decision.
The commission is considering a proposal to add two words, sexual orientation, to the city's Human Relations Ordinance. Simply Equal, the coalition proposing the addition, has gathered hundreds of signatures from city residents and local groups, including many Lawrence churches.
Even some prominent local figures, such as Republican State Sen. Sandy Praeger, and Lawrence restaurateur, Bob Summm, have voiced their support of the change. Both are former city commissioners who voted against a similar proposal in the past.
Opponents of Simply Equal, who also will be present at the study session, say that they have nothing against homosexuals and are against discrimination. They argue that this is a divisive issue. They say that extending the right to equal access to employment, housing and public accommodations to people of all sexual orientations would equate extending special rights to lesbian,
Adding the words 'sexual orientation' to the city's civil rights ordinance would prevent future discrimination.
Jeff MacNelly / CHICAGO TRIBUNE
bisexual and gay people.
The wording of the proposed addition to the city's Human Relations Ordinance is inclusive. It guarantees non-discrimination to people of all sexual orientations. Currently the ordinance protects people of any race, sex, color, national origin, age, ancestry or handicap from discrimination.
At present, if people are discriminated against in employment, housing or public accommodations because of their actual or perceived sexual orientations, they have no right to legal recourse. Employment, housing and public accommodations are basic human necessities. Therefore, to discriminate against anyone in these areas is to deny these basic needs.
Our city commissioners need to show their commitment to equal rights for all the people of Lawrence, regardless of sexual orientation. Such a commitment is long overdue.
JOHN BENNETT FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Whirlwind '94 wrests away Americans' sweet innocence
Ladies and gentlemen, last year an icon of American folklore passed away.
She lived a long life, helping millions to better their hygiene. A patron saint of promotion, she's the end-all, be-all of endorsers.
Martha Raye, denture wearer, is dead.
The singer and comic actress, who was absolutely ecstatic about dunking her false teeth into fizzing water, left us in 1994.
But the commercial always will be remembered as a set of false teeth that looked like they belonged to someone who just gorged on blueberry pie being plopped into a bath of bubbling liquid. And when pulled out, they sparkled magically, like a shiny Cadillac.
Gets 'em clean. even in between.
With the death of Martha Raye came the death of an innocent public — a society that was given a first-hand glimpse of its own underbelly.
It was a year I will never forget, no matter how hard I try.
Here's what I can't seem to get out of my mind:
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Rwanda. An episode that sent Sally Struthers back to high school. A disaster of apocalyptic proportions. The tooties and the hootos? They sound like something I might find on the bottom shelf of the cereal aisle.
Speaking of breakfast, how about O.J.? It was the biggest hour in Domino's history — a "where-were-you-
when" story from the twilight zone.
Was it a media circus? Hardly. It was more like a media army, trampling real stories in its path.
cles and fanzines, puts a shotgun to his head. Typical, the electrician who discovered Cobain's body called a radio station before the police. Maybe he should have rung up Hard Copy
"Natural Born Killers" (or is it Killaz?). It starred Woody Harrolson, the "Cheers" charming country mouse, blowing away umpteen people while draped in blood. Then there was "Pulp Fiction," the story of murderers, hypodermic needles and gimps.
Nine Inch Nails tore through top 40 with an album recorded in the Tate mansion. Soon enough, 'Closer' will be a long-distance dedication.
Marion Berry, a convicted crack smoker and solicitor of prostitution, was elected mayor of an American metropolis.
Genitals, genitals, everywhere. Michael Jackson, self-proclaimed savior of children everywhere, appeared on national television saying penis more times than I cared to hear. A pathetic and lonely woman form Arkansas described the penis of (who else?) the President of the United States of America.
Let's not forget the Bobbitt trial.
Or, daeJesy Issv. Bobbitt remembered?
There were karate lessons for 5 year-olds via the Mightily Endorsin' Power Consumers.
Woodstock, two days of peace, love and music was sequenced into two days of Pepsi, money, and shriveled rock musicians trying to re-live (or even remember) their drug-hazed past.
My gentle readers, it is no longer fun and games. We've been beaten, blamed and given a glimpse of the innards of our society.
Who knows what 1995 will bring?
The pope in Playgirl Billy Graham's transsexual secret? No matter whose integrity is sold, whatever innocence is exposed as a fraud, we'll live.
But cheer up, folks, because 1994 also brought us "Forrest Gump." How about Barney? Jim Carrey? The Los Angeles earthquake? Okay ... the November Republic landslide?
Oh well, it was worth a shot.
Rest in peace, Martina.
David Day is a Wichita Junior in magaz
Journalism and creative writing.
Silent bigots are worse than outspoken 'Phelps'-types
On Nov. 20, the Topeka Capital-Journal published an editorial titled "A Community Harassed: Enough is Enough," which called for the people of Kansas to declare war on the man who we all love to hate, Fred Phelps. The editorial was a result of poet Maya Angelou canceling a speech at
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Emporia State University after the Phelps family showed up at one of her engagements, surrounded her limo and shouted homophobic epithets.
Many concerned citizens, who are tired of the ubiquitous Phelps clan and their hateful signs, sent letters to the Capital - Journal in
response to this editorial. At first, I followed the editorial page with interest, pleased to finally see people outside of the queer community strongly speaking out against the Phelps message of hate. Then a friend showed me something more disturbing than any "God hates faas" "sim could ever be."
The letter writers complained about how bad Phelps is for the image of Kansas. Eventually a letter appeared saying that the queer community should just shut up and that the writer would no sooner like to hear from that group than from Phelps, himself.
The original Capital Journal editorial said, "Make no mistake about this: This is not about gays or freedom of speech. It's about lust for attention and a blood lust for inflicting pain on others."
But it is about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons. If we pretend that the only problem is the image Phelps projects of our state, then we're ignoring the people who have been the target of his small-minded rage for years. This indicates a much more dangerous silent bigotry that exists throughout the world.
Could it be that Phelps has gotten away with his behavior because he managed to pick the one group toward which it is still socially acceptable to be bigoted? There are Fred Phelpses all around us. This particular one has the guts to be open and honest about his hate, while most would rather have others think of them as fine, tolerant people.
Give me Fred Phelps any day of the week, as vile and disgusting as he may be, over the average, upstanding, quietly bigoted citizen who doesn't want to hear from the queer community any more than he or she wants to hear from Phelps.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
Chris Hampton is a Lawrence first-year graduate student in higher education.
—Roy Williams, Kansas basketball coach, on last week's NCAA vote to prohibit student athletes from working during the academic school year.
"WHO ARE WE PENALIZING? WE'RE PENALIZING THE KIDS BECAUSE OF OUR IGNORANT ATTITUDES, AND YOU CAN TELL THAT TO ANY COLLEGE PRESIDENT WHO VOTED FOR IT."
"I JUST DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL SOMEONE WOULD SAY, 'WHAT ABOUT 400?'"
"HE WAS JUST A DECENT HUMAN BEING. FULL OF LIFE AND ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT."
—Marian Washington, Kansas women's basketball coach, after her 400th career victory Jan. 2, which put her in the top 30 of active Division I coaches.
—Jason Craig, Derby senior, about roommate Hermann Lucke, Kansas City, Mo., senior, who died Jan. 7 after a car accident in southern Chile.
—Mark Stuart, Kansas City, Kan., junior, after a University-wide on-line computer system crashed Wednesday, delaying enrollment and fee payment for almost two hours.
"NOTHING HAPPENED, AND NOTHING HAPPENED, AND NOTHING HAPPENED."
KANSAN STAFF
Compiled from Kansan staff reports the week of Jan. 9
STEPHEN MARTINO Editor
Guest columns: Should be double-spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
DENISE NEIL Managing editor
JENNIFER PERRIER Business manager
How to submit letters and guest columns
TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser
All letters and guest columns should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or out-right reject all submissions. For any questions, call Matt Gowen, editorial page editor, or Heather Lawrenz, associate editorial page editor, at 864-4810.
MARK MASTRO Retail sales manager
Editors
News ... Carlos Tejada
Planning ... Mark Martin
Editorial ... Matt Gowen
Campus ... David Wilson
Colleen McCain
Sports ... Gerry Pey
Phoenix ... Jamret Latté
Features ... Nathan Olean
Design ... Brian James
Freelance ... Susan White
Business Staff
Campus mgr...Beth Pots
Regional mgr...Chris Branmanen
National mgr...Yves Talley
Coop mgr...Kelly Connelyse
Special Sections mgr...Brizz Bloomquist
Production mgr...Ji Cook
...Kim Hyman
Marketing director...Mindy Blum
Creative director...Dian Gler
Classified mgr...Lisa Kuseth
CATHERINE ELLSWORTH Systems coordinator
By Jack Ohman
MIXED MEDIA