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Kansan
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Tuesday, February 2, 1999
Robert James Novak / KANSAN
Editorials
Military pressure, strong policy imperative for handling Hussein
the Clinton administration must keep military pressure on Iraq and formulate a strong policy that has its goal the removal of Saddam Hussein.
The killing of 11 Iraqi civilians on Jan. 25 has brought U.S. policy toward Iraq into question. The death of these people was a tragedy. Whenever someone is killed, we should feel a sense of loss. This is true whether the life in question was soldier or civilian, Iraqi or American.
Although these deaths are tragic, it also is tragic that they will be used by opponents of military force as a reason for the United States to remove pressure from Iraq.
These 11 casualties pale in comparison to the 2,500 political prisoners, thousands of Iranians and Kurdish rebels who have been killed by Hussein's government. We cannot overlook the Iraqis killed years ago by Husein's poison gas attacks.
The U.S. planes with the errant missiles that killed 11 were protecting no-fly zones established to protect Kurds and Shiite Muslims, who Hussein was trying to eliminate after the Gulf War.
Since Dec. 16, U.S. and British aircraft have been attacking Iraqi targets, first during Operation Desert Fox and now in response to Iraqi missile attacks on U.S. forces. After a month and a half of almost daily attacks, only 11 civilians have died.
The continuation of military pressure is essential to U.S. security interests. Iraq has an active missile program as well as advanced chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs.
Civilian deaths not enough to dissuade U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf.
Rod Burton, a senior United Nations weapons inspector, who has worked in Iraq since 1991, said Iraq still could produce significant amounts of biological weapons within six months and significant amounts of chemical weapons in a year or two.
The cease-fire agreement signed after the Gulf War allows the Iraqi to possess short-range missiles.
Burton said the Iraqis still had some Scud missiles. They could obtain longer-range missiles from the Russians and Chinese, who already have sold advanced missile technology to rogue states, including Iran and North Korea.
The Iraqi missile program has been set back significantly by a combination of U.S. air strikes and constant monitoring, but it could get back on track quickly.
This, along with Hussein's hatred for the United States, makes Iraq a threat to U.S. national security and a definite threat to neighboring countries and Israel.
This makes containing Iraq a vital goal in the United States foreign policy. The goal requires supporting U.N. weapons inspections.
Hussein repeatedly has ejected
U. N. weapons inspectors from Iraq. The agreements he signed after the Gulf War and the agreement he signed in November requires him to allow "immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access" for U.N. inspectors. The only way to get him to comply is with the credible threat of military force.
The administration should evaluate the use of an embargo to cause an overthrow of Hussein. Historically, embargoes are most effective when used to get specific concessions not when used to change a whole system of government. However, removing the embargo against Iraq would allow Hussein to claim victory and possibly weaken efforts to revive the damaged inspection program.
Critics of the embargo point to hungry Iraqis and ask the embargo to be lifted for humanitarian reasons. They should be aware that Hussein has warehouses full of food and medicine that he refuses to distribute. He has rejected offers by Arab nations to provide humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people.
The United States even has proposed that Iraq be allowed to sell unlimited amounts of oil to buy more food and medicine. Iraq rejected this proposal because it did not include ending the arms inspections.
Hussein needs starving Iraqis; they are political tools to him.
rine United States must continue to take the lead in containing Iraq.
Timothy Burger for the editorial board
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Diversity requirement opens too many doors
of the United States" be added to the current general education requirements for all students who receive a B. A. or B. G. S. degree from the college. The committee proposes to define "diversity" broadly.
Perspective
The College Committee on Undergraduate Studies and Advising goes before the College Assembly today, proposing a course that "emphasizes the diverse cultures
Don Marquis
Buest columnist
"Courses that deal with specific U. S. populations and cultures; e.g. racial, ethnic, sexual, religious, age, disabled, class — represent one form of the requirement; courses that focus on specific social
movements and political forces" also are appropriate. The committee assumes "that courses fulfilling the requirement will address issues of inequality, power and justice."
The committee has presented and defended this proposed requirement at two meetings of the College Assembly this fall. At both meetings, the committee proposal was criticized because the scope of the proposal was unclear. Such criticism has apparently not deterred the committee.
Surely it is not unreasonable to suppose that the proposal means what it says. Disability, says the committee, is one kind of diversity. Presumably, courses in the cultures of the deaf, the blind, the developmentally disabled, the demented and the mentally ill will satisfy the requirement.
One must suppose that the spirit of inclusivity will be as opposed to discrimination against nonhumans as it is to discrimination against those of other races. Courses in the social lives of bees, ants or gray wolves ought to count.
Age, according to the committee, belongs under the heading of diversity. Presumably, a course in the social lives of preschool children will count to satisfy the requirement. This should gladden the hearts of the Department of Human Development and Family: Life.
For the same reason, a course on the oppression of fetuses also will count to satisfy the requirement. Such a course would present a special opportunity for an instructor to focus on how some of these very young human beings are oppressed.
The study of religious groups presumably satisfies the diversity requirement. Will a course in Amish culture count? What about Pentecostal culture? What about monastic culture? What about a course in Puritan culture? Catholicism? Presbyterianism? Episcopalianism? A course in which there is discussion of the diversity between high church Episcopalians and low church Episcopalians seems fully in the spirit of this requirement. Perhaps the sin of using one's dessert fork for one's salad could receive special emphasis.
What about offering a course in extremist right wing or left wing groups? A course about the American Nazi Party or the religious right might be quite appealing to those of a particular political persuasion.
Even the above suggestions do not fully reflect the inclusivity that motivates this proposed diversity requirement. Shouldn't a course in Mafia culture count? What about a study of the social groups involved in the manufacture of pornographic videos? Such a course could be extremely popular if accompanied with visual aids.
There are more attractive possibilities. A course in Colorado diversity might seem much more exciting to many, especially if field work on the ski slopes were possible. Hawaiian diversity anyone?
There are other possibilities. A TV promotion for the University claims that a bus trip for KU faculty and staff promoted knowledge of Kansas diversity. Perhaps the diversity requirement could be satisfied by such a bus trip.
No doubt those who favor the diversity requirement will be irritated by the above paragraphs. They will think that I am making fun of the proposal. They are entirely correct.
This diversity proposal has been criticized in the past on the grounds that it embraces far more courses than any sane person would want to require. Nevertheless, the same proposal is being presented to the College Assembly today.
Perhaps we should hope that the proposal passes. Sometimes university life can be grim: students can receive low grades, and faculty can get turned down for grants. Opportunities for levity should not be discarded lightly.
(
Marquis is a professor of philosophy.
Student driver surprised by officer's suspicions
It was a Friday, and I was thinking that I wouldn't have to worry about school for the next 24 hours. That is true happiness.
Diana
Victor
opinion @ kansan.com
I was really excited that night. I had just seen Stomp for the first time — and anyone who already has seen the show knows that it has an impact. A friend and I
When we got to a stop sign in front of a residence hall, a police car across the street blinked its lights.
were in the car, and I was driving home. We were delighted, trying to get any possible rhythm out of the car panel and windows.
As soon as we started moving, I saw the police car's lights come on.
"Unbelievable," I thought. "What did I do?" Immediately, I thought of Edna Buchanan, The Miami Herald crime reporter for more than 20 years. I was reading one of her books at the time — The Corpse Had A Familiar Face. She says no better human being exists than a good cop, and no worse creature than a bad one. I was just wishing that the officer who pulled me over was included in the first category.
It made a lot of sense because the police car got to the stop sign first.
"He is telling us to go," my friend said.
I held the wheel and waited. My friend and I were making a list of things we were not doing wrong. We were not speeding, drinking in the vehicle or driving under the influence of alcohol. I couldn't help being nervous, though.
ing, especially during But the relationship between the police and the rest of the community has to be based on trust, not on fear. After all, this institution exists to guard us — not to scare us. Besides, police should be the first to know that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
The actual problem: my lights were off.
Victor is a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, junior in journalism.
I understand that Lawrence is a college town and that the police must have a lot of problems with students drinking and driving, especially during weekends.
Feedback
Spirit squads suffer unfair shake
But if someone asks something in a sarcastic way, an affirmative answer is expected. If a policeman suggests I'm drunk because my lights are off, that is disturbing. He or she may investigate whether I'm sober, but there's a thin line between protecting the community and reprehending people without evidence.
The police officer just gave me a warning, but I also got a message from him: If you are driving in Lawrence with your lights off on a Friday night, chances are you are drunk. I don't know what kind of method this is, but it's wrong if it qualifies me as a potential suspect.
A man in a uniform stuck his head into my car and asked, smiling, "Anything to drink tonight?"
The actual problem: my lights were on.
I was not nervous anymore, but I was really shocked. A cop has the right to pull me over if my car lights are off, but that does not imply I am under the influence of alcohol. The connection from "lights off" to "alcohol" did not exist.
I answered negatively, and the cop said. "Never mind. I don't smell alcohol here anyway."
I would like to thank Jamie Patterson for her column about the lack of respect that our spirit squads are receiving from the Athletics Department this year. I feel that the spirit squads are an intricate part of the University of Kansas. They should never be overlooked as just a mere support system.
The spirit squads do more than just the athletic events.
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We need to make a change. Let us support our spirit
You will see at least one member, be it a mascot, cheerleader, or even the Crimean Girls, at many charity events around the city and state. For them to not only go to school, practice, go to games, go to outside appearances, somewhere find the time to study, and try to keep a job, it is only fair that spirit squads members receive the same luxuries that all athletes already receive and exploit.
squads instead of shunning them. We need to support them financially. We need to allow all members of the spirit squads a chance to make it to their national competitions. After all, they have more Top 5 national finishes in the '90s than most, if not all sport teams here at the University. That includes the heralded men's basketball team.
Brian Carpenter
Overland Pa. Junior
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