Opinion
The University Daily Kansan
Laura Roddy, Editor Shauntae Blue, Business manager
Sarah Hale, Managing editor Brad Bolyard, Retail sales manager
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Tom Eblen, General manager, news adviser Scott Valler, Technology coordinator
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Tuesday, April 25, 2000
Wayne Stayskal / TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
Editorials
Fine may be best one can hope for, but commission set bad precedent
There seems to be a pattern in Student Senate elections. First, the campaigns are run. Then, fines are handed to respective campaigns for campaign infractions. However, Wednesday the fines hit a high that has not been seen in recent years. Much to the surprise of United Students student body president-elect Ben Walker, his coalition was slapped with a $1,250 fine for the part its members played in stealing 9,000 cash at the Kansan.
Even after receiving this political black eye, Walker should consider himself fortunate. Given the reasoning for the fine, the elections commission judiciary committee just as easily could have invalidated the election. Technically, it could have.
The ruling by the committee — based
Student election could have been invalidated; instead, it seems that candidates can buy victory
on the code of Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities that holds an organization leaders responsible for members' actions — is only one step away from invalidating an election. According to Walker's own testimony, Drew Thompson and R.J. Woodring, two of the four who confessed to stealing the newspapers, were crucial members of his coalition.
Yesterday, the Douglas County District Attorney officially filed charges against the four members of Walker's coalition who confessed to stealing the
newspapers. Clearly, the stealing of 9,000 newspapers is crime enough for Douglas County to press misdemeanor charges. And yet the Judiciary Committee seems content to hand out just another fine.
Perhaps it is the best one can hope for, and yet one must wonder about the disparity between Douglas County and the committee.
The handing out of fines continues to set the precedent that if candidates have enough money, they can do whatever they want to. Such a precedent begs the questions: If the criminal activity of a coalition warrants only a fine, what will it take for the elections commission to invalidate an election? And, will the pranks and illegal actions in next year's campaign be even worse?
Drew Ryun for the editorial board
Miranda rights ensure justice is served
Seventeen states, including Kansas, are advocating more lenient criteria for the recitation of Miranda rights. Although this would eliminate a possible road block in obtaining convictions, neglecting the recitation of these rights would do more harm than good.
The U.S. Supreme Court was divided last week after reviewing the relevancy of a 1968 law. The law states that the proper recitation of Miranda rights can be waived if the circumstances of a confession are proved noncoercive. If the law is given credence, police may no longer be obligated to inform people of their rights.
In today's society, reading Miranda rights may not appear to be a big deal because the majority of people already know them; yet, in an ironic way we
Making recitation of rights voluntary would open door to abuse of justice system
are familiar with these rights only because police must vocalize them.
Unfortunately, if police no longer read citizens Miranda rights, people may become unaware of their rights in several years.
Another argument can be made about the competency of an investigation in which officers cannot even recite four lines that have been committed to memory. Our country's law enforcement is governed by rules and regulations, and it is the police's responsibility to abide by these ideals
that insure the public's trust.
A further complication is that our legal system would be closing one loophole only to open another — possibly a larger one. Our government could become swamped with accusations that suspects misunderstood their rights. Replacing a black-and-white standard with gray area would increase room for the defense's legal maneuvers.
Nobody is happy when suspects evade prosecution on legal technicalities, but neglecting the recitation of our Miranda rights only would cause more problems. Our laws are as much a sieve to let the innocent go free as they are a web to catch the guilty. Without the reading of Miranda rights, we will be compromising the careful construction of our system of justice.
Tara Alexander for the editorial board
Kansan staff
Seth Hoffman . . . . . . . . . Editorial
Nadia Mustafa . . . . . . . . . Editorial
Melody Ard . . . . . . News/Special sections
Chris Fickett . . . . . . News
Julie Wood . . . . . . News
Juan H. Heath . . Online
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Matt James . . Associate sports
Katie Hollar . . Campus
Nathan Willis . . Campus
Heather Woodward . Features
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Clay McCuistion . Wire
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Broaden your mind: Today's quote
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”
How to submit letters and guest columns
William Feather
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.
Guest columns: Should be double-
spaced typed with fewer than 700 words
The writer must be willing to be photo-
graphraphed for the column to run.
All letters and guest columns should be e-mailed to opinion@kansan.com or submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Nadia Mustafa or Seth Hoffman at 864-4924.
If you have general questions or comments, e-mail the page staff (apionin@kansan.com) or call 864-4924
Peruvian elections hinge on claims of democracy
The democratic process in Peru has reached a historic point with this year's election. The presidential race, to be decided this summer, between President Alberto Fujimori and economist Alejandro Toledo divided not only the Peruvian people, but also several leaders and organizations across the world.
Perspective
This happened mainly because of their claims to be on the people's side - for different reasons.
Toledo, a business school professor, tries to use his Indian heritage and his past as a shoeshine boy to gain strong support from the Peruvian poor. He claims to be one of them, yet Toledo is a former World Bank official who studied at prestigious American universities in the 1960s. He is extremely well educated smart and knowl
Cássio
Furtado
columnist
opinion@kansan.com
edgeable about most Peruvian issues — unlike most Peruvians, who struggle just to make a better living
peruvians, who struggle just to make a better living. What seems odd is the fact that Toledo had previously run for the presidency in 1985 and lost to Fujimori. The president was elected with 64 percent of the vote, against 22 percent from Javier Pérez de Cuellar, the oppositionist candidate, leaving Toledo with less than 14 percent. At that time, however, Toledo didn't use his Indian heritage as a way to gather support. He was only Alejandro Toledo, the economist and president of the Democratic Coordination/Possible Country party, which elected only 5 representatives in 1995. Fujimori's party won 67 seats in congress. Obviously, Toledo's credentials were not enough to run against the all-mighty Fujimori.
Now Toledo presents himself in a different manner. He no longer wants to be seen as the economist. Toledo is now the Indian alternative to Fujimori. In a country that is 45 percent White, 37 percent mestizo and only 15 percent White, this seems to be a
powerful business card. Toledo utilizes Indian symbols, and calls himself *El Cholo*, a term used to describe Indians in Peru, a country which has never had anyone with Indian blood as president since its independence.
Fujimori, however, has been accused of committing election fraud several times. He is the incumbent, and has been in power for the last 10 years. During this period he has performed coups, closed the congress and fought terrorism. Fujimori is a tough president, but maybe too tough on the democratic process.
several international organizations have been monitoring the electoral process in Peru. Among these organizations are the Organization of American States and the Carter Center in Atlanta. These organizations, the U.S. government and several European governments pressured Peru to conduct a second round of elections. According to them, this was the only way for Peru's government to show that the country has had a clean and democratic electoral process. This attempt to force a second round actually might not benefit Toledo. It could help Fujimori, even though he has been facing fierce opposition.
Someone who has been in power for so long can handle all this pressure — both foreign and domestic. He portrayed himself as a victim of international intervention in the Peruvian democratic process. Fujimori does not want to be seen as a dictator; he wants to be seen as the savior of Peruvian democracy, even though he has done much to impede democracy while in Peru's highest office.
The second round of the Peruvian elections will be next June, and until then Fujimori probably will try several things to undermine Toledo's background and his Indian ties. He certainly will portray Toledo as a fraud. Fujimori was calmly able to win the battle against the terrorists who took the Japanese embassy 1997. Alejandro Toledo probably will be easier to defeat than those terrorists.
Furtado is a Pelotas, Brazil, junior in journalism and political science.
Bible class should separate teachings of facts,theories
There is a great need for truth today in the classroom. Webster's Dictionary defines truth as "the property of being in accord with fact or reality." It only makes sense that any respectable classroom would teach in accordance with fact and reality. This means looking at theories as theories, teaching facts as facts and looking at questionable issues with fairness and from all relevant perspectives.
Rather than teaching unproven, hypothetical theories, students need to be taught in such a way that they gain a firm grasp on the truth and reall
ty of a subject matter. What else should be expected?
I was shocked by what I was taught in the Understanding the Bible class I took at the University of Kansas, I was expecting a rational, objective study of the message of the Bible. Instead, the class sought to discredit it and explain the Bible as a natural work by corrupted men apart from all supernatural influence.
The Old Testament was taught as being composed by four different unknown
Nathan
Rice
guest columnist
opinion@kansan.com
authors, denoted by the letters J, P, D, and E. There is no evidence that these people actually existed, and evidence supporting this theory is very weak. The idea of an arbitrary, nonexistent document, Q, written by an unknown person, in an unknown place, at an unknown time was presented in class. This document would be devastating to the Christian faith and was emphasized greatly to do just that. This was taught as fact despite recent findings in the Dead Sea Scrolls that cast great doubt on this theory.
These theories were the only ones proposed concerning the Bible's origin, and they were presented as fact, dramatically emphasizing a particular unproven belief about the Bible's origin. The course specifically taught that the Bible was a collection of myths composed by men to affect the political and social environments they were writing to.
The chairman of the religious studies department was quoted in a Kansan article as saying that classes teach the Bible as "a product of
ancient culture, and not the word of God." Is this a truthful, factual approach? Has this been proven to be the case? It was taught as if it was an absolute fact in my class. This teaching constitutes a religious belief concerning God and the Bible. It is fine for them to believe that the Bible is not the word of God, but these religious beliefs should not be imposed upon students at a public university.
The appropriate way to teach a class on the Bible would be to focus primarily on its content, just as any other book would be studied. If the origin of the Bible is to be explored, it must be done in a factual, objective way that gives appropriate attention to all widely believed and reasonable perspectives. To study the Bible's origin and take a stance one way or the other is to promote a religious belief because no viewpoint has been proven. By teaching that the Bible is not the word of God, the religious studies department has placed itself directly in conflict with numerous religions and is overstepping the bounds of teaching facts, and entering the realm of promoting a specific religious belief. Therefore, this teaching is violating the First Amendment.
If a controversial area is to be explored, all relevant theories should be presented along with the respective evidence. This way the student is allowed to choose a particular belief and will be taught in accordance to what is actually known and not by propaganda in favor of a particular viewpoint.
Unfortunately, that was what was done in my class and in several others of which I know. Meager evidence is presented in favor of the view of the religious studies department, and although there is a landslide of credible, reliable evidence available for the opposing view, it is ignored entirely. Is this teaching truthful, honest or objective?
An alternative Bible course taught for credit outside the University is pending. This course would focus on the content and message of the Bible. It would teach the Bible like any other ancient book, thereby expanding students' ability to learn and benefit from the content of the book. I believe there is a great need for alternative course material, whether from an alternate source or from a change in curriculum.
Rice is a Richardson, Texas, sophomore in computer science.
Feedback
Pink, blue uniforms symbolize University
I enjoyed reading of the history of the pink and blue track uniforms and was disappointed to hear of their possible demise.
rose hot-pink shorts were my introduction to the University of Kansas. As a high school track athlete in the late 1960s, I attended the West Coast Relays in my hometown of Fresno, Calif. This was a major meet in those days, and it attracted athletes from all across the world. In 1969, the local community college, Fresno City College, appeared at the
Relays in hot pink shorts and light blue tops with a pink stripe under the arms. I couldn't believe the change from the team's traditional red and blue. I wondered, "Who on Earth came up with this garish color scheme?"
Soon I learned: The University had sent a Jim Ryun-led medley relay team, and I understood when I saw the Kansas pink and blue. The FCC coach was a middle-distance runner, and he idolized Ryun. The new uniforms were a clear homage to Kansas track.
I happened to be standing next to this coach during the medley
relay. Another team had built up a huge lead going into the anchor leg, and I made the comment that as great as Ryun was not even he could overcome such a deficit. The coach was silent but gave me a look that said, "You stupid little brat."
Of course, Ryun was leading before he was half-way home. From that time until I was a KU student in the late 1970s, and now as a faculty member, those pink and blue uniforms are as much a symbol of the University for me as the Jayhawk itself. It would be a shame to lose them.
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Greg Simpson
Professor of psychology
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