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Wednesday. March 31. 1976
University Daily Kansan
KANSAN Comment
Opinions on this page reflect only the view of the writer.
Crime data misleading
The total number of crimes reported to police in Lawrence increased 23.5 per cent from 1974 to 1975, according to figures from the Lawrence Police Department and the FBI. Nationally, the increase was 9 per cent. In Lawrence, rape was up 25 per cent; manslaughter, 33 per cent and burglary, 27 per cent. It might appear that a crime wave is sweeping the city, but actually there are several mitigating factors to be considered.
FOR ONE THING, statistics that give only percentages can easily be misleading. Saying rape increased 25 per cent last year sounds serious indeed. But the statistics more rapes and one more case of manslaughter were reported to the police.
Considering the large estimated number of unreported rapes and the programs carried out here that encouraged rape victims to report the crime, it may be fair to say rape didn't increase significantly at all.
HOWEVER, NOT all the figures can be so easily explained away. There were 174, or 27 per cent, more reported burglaries last year than the year before. Burglary is probably the most serious law enforcement problem for our country, with a large number of apartment complexes here makes enforcement difficult.
Students leave entire neighborhoods unpopulated for up to a month at a time during vacations. In apartment complexes where the average period of occupancy is relatively short, people don't know their neighbors and aren't likely to notice or report suspicious activities to the police.
ALSO, THE RISK of getting caught is fairly low for the burglar. Only 7.5 per cent.
cent of the burglaries committed in 1975 resulted in arrests. Burglers arrested are not always convicted, and those convicted for the first time are often put on trial. One case is jail. Thus, the chance of going to jail for any one burglary is quite small.
There are other reasons for the increase in burglaries. Thefts from automobiles are now considered burglary—the car is considered an item of property and citizens band radios stolen from cars are therefore counted as burglaries.
LARGE CITIES have increased their crime-fighting budgets, driving criminals to smaller towns. Kansas City, Mo., recently increased its police force. It seems likely that a good number of the crimes against property in Lawrence are committed by people who don't live here.
Larceny of more than $50 increased 54 per cent. As larceny is similar to burglary except that it lacks the constituent element of forcible entry into a dwelling, many of the same arguments apply to it.
THERE WERE also 162 auto thefts last year, an increase of 35 per cent. Almost all of the automobiles were eventually recovered, however. Auto could be virtually eliminated if people wouldn't leave the keys in their cars.
Although crime is a serious problem in Lawrence and one that is increasing, it isn't as serious as an uncritical reading of the statistics might suggest. Greater business and cooperation would go a long way toward reversing these increases.
By John Hickey Contributing Writer
WASHINGTON — Henry Kissinger is rattling swords these days. The Congress is rattling teacups. The secretary of state, surveying the African scene, proposes to present an image of bull strength. He would like to paw the earth and Congress, like Ferdinand, would rather snarl the flowers.
Senators fail African test
THIS IS THE pretty pass to which we have been led by the fall of the Imperial Presidency, Granted, beyond cavil, the Imperial Presidency had many bad aspects. But the shift to congressional dominance is in many ways worse.
So far as Africa is concerned, the congressional image is personified in the image of Sen. Dick Clark, D-Iowa. The senator's long-haired, pleasingly plump, a modish model of the most popular professor. As chairman of the African subcommittee of the National Academy, he is spokesman for the New School of African Thought.
THE NEW SCHOOL excels in the teaching of double standards. In the Orwellian fashion, its catechism finds black students bad; black terrorism acceptable, white resistance intolerable; black dictatorships benign, white colonialism a cancerous threat. New School's is, Let Us Not to the Reds.
These attitudes might usefully be examined as they are characteristic of African scene; the Soviet-Cuban adventure in Angola, the critical situation in Rhodesia, the cultural tension in Kenya and dependence of the Transkei.
KISSINGER HAS described Angola as a "disaster," and so it was. If the United States had attacked North Korea, an agogo, and had spoken with one
By James J.
Kilpatrick
(C) Washington Syndicate
arm voice, perhaps the disaster could have been avoided. We will never know. But even the possibility of decisive American action was nullified by last December's "Tunney Amendment." This was the stroke of fate that forced Sen John Tunney, D-Calif, a fellow professor in the New School of African Thought.
The Tunney Amendment was addressed to the Soviet Union, through the kindness of 12,000 Cuban troops. The effect was to say of Angola, take her, she's vours. The astonished Kremlin minister had asked In the Newspeak that is taught at the New School, Angola is today a "Marxist" state. In the old plain speech, the word was "Communist." For some indeterminate time, Angola will be characterized by the partnership of one-party rule and by the absence of political freedoms. Clark is not perturbed.
having tested American will in Angola and found it wanting, will try to a further adventure into the region and forces of the Rev. Ndabaning
THE COLLAPSE of anti-Communist factions in Angola has left the Cuban army to roam as a rogue elephant in southern Africa. It is entirely possible that the Soviet-Cuban masters,
KU-Y defends Rock Chalk
Readers Respond
We at the KU-Y appreciate Peter Orazem's letter in the Monday (March 29) Karsan raising questions concerning "fairness" with regard to Rock Chalk match-up techniques. He has pointed out a difficulty which we face regarding inclusiveness in the Rock Chalk matches. Peter Orazem lacks some specific information which we would like to offer at this point.
To the editor:
THE KUY organization has a history of being an advocate for University-wide participation in Rock Chalk. However, the fact is that paraplegic students have been basically from sororites and fraternities. This particular match-up technique is one
requested by the fraternity and sorority groups to help them meet their own needs in this area. The KU-V stepped in and provided an effort in an effort to open the greater possibilities of other types of groups participating. We felt that for Interfraternity members, "the opportunity charge" of such pairing would have the appearance of even more restrictiveness of other groups being involved. This is only one group which has already chosen one another.
Next year's production staff will be selected April 5 and 6 by the KU-Y. The production organizing begins immediately with the theme been announced in early fall. Groups can choose
KU-Y Student Board
to participate at any point up to the deadline for scripts being due in late fall. Sororites and fraternities agree to commit themselves in the spring. They choose to get involved later.
THE KU-Y does not have the authority to “pair” anyone. That’s up to the groups. In fact—as far as we’re concerned—pairing with another group is not necessary. We must participate in any group or of any paired groups.
The KU-Y always welcomes further questions or comments. Feel free to drop by the office in Room 110, Level 3, in the Kansas Union or call us at 864-3761.
I do not agree with John Hickey's editorial, "Patty and the Press."
Trial publicity To the Editor
In the first place, a reporter's job is to report the news, not protect the rights of a person involved in a criminal trial. The officer is responsible for protecting the parties' legal rights.
IN THE SECOND place, the writer makes the assumption that mass publicity (news of the candidate) for Hearest to have a fair second trial. I believe defendants are supposed to receive a fair and speedy trial under the Constraint Rule, but there has never been proven that a
fair jury could not be drawn from a citizenry that is well informed on the facts of a case. A judge has been established in fact that defendants can be guaranteed a second fair trial if the first trial received heavy coverage. Because are concerns for the court.
Sithole, operating from Mozambique, doubtless would welcome an ally so well armed and experienced.
A reporter, and the public, should be concerned that no limitations are placed on our First Amendment rights lest we all have an opportunity to face an "impartial" jury (one that is made by a majority because no coverage was allowed in some 1984ish future.
Would the United States react against the prospective
Bill Redlin, director News and Public Affairs KANU Radio
massacre of 250,000 white Rhodesians and the seizure of their property? Clark finds the thought of reaction unthinkable. Rhodesia, in his view, is an "illegal, racist regime." But the independence of Rhodesia is no more "illegal" than the independence of the United States; and what kind of one-man attack would result with all-black, one-party rule?
But on March 18, the commissioner of baseball, Bowie Kuhn, ordered spring training to begin as negotiations continue. The game will be immediately, games began and now everyone can be reasonably assured that when the season starts April 5, the team will be physically fit and playing on professional style.
AND SO BEGINS the sport that has come to be associated with America and mom's apple pie Games will be played almost every day until the World Series in October, with only a short break for the All-Star Game. Then you'll become famous, old ones will fade out and records will be broken.
The good part about baseball is that one can become just as involved as he cares to. One can memorize every team player's batting average and pitcher's pitching record. On the other hand, one can enjoy the game while knowing only what constitutes an out and a run.
IN OCTOBER, the Transkei is to be granted its peaceful transition to independence from South Africa. This is a potentially rich land, larger than many countries, with better levels of education and higher levels of personal income than one finds in 20 other
AS FOR ME, I don't know Ty Cobb's lifetime batting average. Hank Aaron's home-run record or how many bases he hit in a season on the band. I can't even name the most valuable player of last
Nation's spectators deserve baseball
Spring has arrived. The flowers are in bloom, the birds are chirping and baseball broadcasts are beginning. As a result Kansas City Royals aren't running over all their opponents.
AT FIRST, it was feared that the spring training camps wouldn't open at all. The baseball organization was worried about other problems, which often accompany enormous money-making businesses. The camps, which usually open on March 1, remained closed in mid-March and offered no acceptable solutions.
African states contried in recent years. The Transkei, once the old Xhosa Nation, has experienced 13 years of gradually increasing self-government. As an independent nation, it would be no more of a puppet of Pretoria than, say, Botswana or Swaziland.
But to the New School, so peaceful and orderly a transfer of power is unacceptable. The United States General Assembly has voted the Trankelbe out of bed even asked to come in. The apparent rule is that only Martinisky apply. All this makes seance in the New School, and the lessons of the New School, alas, are the lessons now being taught.
Letters Policy
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editor, but asks that letters be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 400 words. All letters are subject to editing and condensation, according to space limitations and the editor's judgment, and must be signed. KU students must provide their name, year in school and hometown; faculty must provide their name and position; others must provide their name and address.
During the past years, football has surged ahead of baseball in popularity and is encroaching upon baseball's superiority. This year, baseball
year's World Series. I do know most of the rules and I can understand why some people consider it the most complicated major sport. Strategy plays a tremendous role in the game.
Enough about the differences between football and baseball. I'm not an absolute hater of football and I know that there are good and bad things to say about both sports. I wish, though, that football would stay in its own season instead of trying to become a year-round sport.
or searching for the beer man who wanders among the stands.
By Marne Rindom Contributing Writer
WHY FOOTBALL has become so popular is beyond my understanding. Why is there such a tremendous interest in sitting outside in sub-freezing temperatures in men in padding throw each other to the ground? With professional baseball, you can be outside on a beautiful summer evening and be entertained for a couple of hours or just going for a few moments, which unfortunately occur in baseball, can spent watching the flashy scoreboard
clubs have been playing for only two weeks and already their sports stories are being crowded off the sports pages by stories about football spring training. The situation will change in time but football will always be burling in the background ready to sprint out and take over the sports pages.
SPRING AND SUMMER are times to be outside. It's time for a move from the enclosed basketball arenas to the open baseball fields. And now, before the baseball season begins, one can believe anything—including that the Royals will win the season, the team can even hope that the Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals will play each other in the World Series. As the season progresses, these hopes will most likely go unfulfilled, but for a moment the roster is better, whatever happens will be fun to watch. So thank you, Mr. Kuhn, for getting the training started. Baseball players have a number of grievances that may good to know that, at least this year, the negotiations can be carried on while the games are being played and enjoyed.
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