UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editors represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of
April 11, 1980
Ensure free speech
Almost a year has passed since an outspoken student was arrested after last May's commencement ceremony for exercising what he thought was his right to freedom of speech. Unfortunately, his definition of freedom of speech and the KU administration's definition came not only from different dictionaries but also from different decades.
Last week, however, the Blue Ribbon Committee on Freedom of Speech took a positive step toward aligning the University's definition of freedom of speech with the one universally accepted and enjoyed by citizens of the United States, whether they are college students or not.
The committee, which was charged on Nov. 1, 1979 to examine general policy issues related to freedom of speech at the University of Kansas, has submitted a report to Chancellor Archie R. Dykes for consideration and approval. The report's primary and main argument is that the rule prohibiting political advertisements and the distribution of political handbills at non-political
events be replaced by the following statement:
How beautifully simple, succinct, reasonable and practical!
"Freedom of political expression on the campus should be protected subject only to the rights of the University to maintain order, assure the safety of individuals, protect property and the continuity of the educational process."
The report, pointing out that administrative action in free expression issues has been ad hoc, says, "Consequently, the chancellors of the University shall have an ongoing charge, passed from predecessor to successor, to be the leading guardian of the institution's faculty. The blame has been correctly placed. The committee has done a commendable job.
This is your opportunity, Chancellor Dykes. The next, and we hope encouraging, word on freedom of speech at the University of Kansas is up to you. What will it be, sir? Recognition of the First Amendment or opinions and beliefs? Or continued abdication of the First Amendment, based on repression born in the 68s?
Legislative bickering could harm elderly
Score: Kansas elderly 0, nursing home owners 1, in the final minutes of the Legislature's game of tempers.
In a fit of petty animosity, the Kansas Legislature, before passing a bill that would require reporting of institutional abuse of the elderly, managed to remove the bill's penalties. The penalties, which would have been $250 million, misdemeasure and the firing of staff members who report abuse punishable, became the jetsam of the latest legislative effort.
Senate Bill 890, the elderly abuse bill, was modeled on laws that require health and
kate COLUMNIST pound
school officials to report cases of child abuse. In 2013, the population of 65-year-old population, the bill is much-needed step toward guaranteeing our elderly citizens bhumain treatment should be provided.
The bill is basic common sense. Child abuse is a crime. So is assault. The abuse of animals is considered a criminal act. Failure to report those crimes not only condones them, but also perpets them. Why should the elder be left unprotected? D'Kanssare care so little about their parents, parents, neighbors and friends?
UNFORTUNATELY, there are those who opposed the abuse乳L. Led by nursing home owners and administrators, witnesses of abuse were interviewed as an example of overgrown bureaucracy and that it was unnecessary. Conditions in Kansas nursing homes are good, witnesses
The witnesses seemed to think that the bill was an indictment against the nursing home manager, not intended to be an attack on the industry; the bill was designed to protect patients, employees and operators from abuse by members who do abuse or neglect patients.
Apparently, however, the bill's opponents were able to convince the Senate that the penalties were not needed. The Senate rejected the bill because of the bill entirely, and sent the bill back to the House. The House, rightly so, was against at the changes. The objections, however, were based more on the affront of the bill than on humanitarian feelings.
THE HOUSE CALLED for a joint conference committee to discuss the bill but the
Senate, annoyed at the House's move refused to join a conference.
The bill was passed this week, as amended by the Senate, putting a limp-wristed, half-hearted law on the books.
Now, that's unnecessary bureaucracy. Why bother making a law that has no penalties, no enforcement? Why even take it out of the way to prevent someone meaning? Why even pretend to care about the elderly? The Legislature must want to give a good impression on the good folks of Kansas.
It is annoying, no, frightening to think that nursing home employees are not required to work in nursing homes, even in nursing homes, the best of them, and patients should be assured that the law is written.
IT IS MADDENING to note that nursing home staff members who do report abuse or neglect are often fire or harassed by their patients and elderly patients lose their concerned care.
The law is made even more senseless by current regulations governing charges made against nursing homes. When a complaint about a nursing home's care is filed with the State Department of Health in connection with an inspection of the home is made.
If evidence of abuse is found, the department can take action against the person or their employer. Inspectors must actually see the abuse take place. How many nursing home employees are stupid enough to abuse or neglect a patient? How many nursing home employees are stupid enough to abuse or neglect a patient? The Department of Health and Environment will not act against a nursing home employee in complaint of a patient or a patient's顾觉.
THE ABUSE BILL, in its original form, would have made it easier for the state to prove abuse. Staff members, supporting the complaints of patients, would have provided solid evidence. However, as the law does not force nursing home employees to report abuse and does not guarantee they cannot be prosecuted, a long way from accomplishing its goals.
It's a shame that Kansans must suffer because their legislators act like children. It's too bad that the Senate and House don't allow them to vote on laws and to guarantee they will be enforced.
Senate Majority Leader Norman Garaad said it rather aply when he described the current battle as part of the end of the session "silly season." Only problem, that theilly season has been going on all year. Don't legislators ever grow up?
it is shameful that the elderly and infirm will be hurt because of petty feuds. What ever happened to serving the public, instead of legislative ecos?
Hawksiness and concern for national security have been politically fashionable in the U.S. since the nation's future security-Soviet advances, not in Afghanistan, but in high-energy physics and space technologies—has been a priority of the public, press and presidential candidates.
By RUN BAIN
Guest Columnist
New Soviet weapons threaten U.S.
Satellites are our most vital link to the rest of the world: they tell us what the Soviets are doing, warn us in the event of a nuclear attack, and provide intercontinental communications, especially presidential and Pentagon commands, and what the weather is like in every part of the world.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
By RON BAIN
All of this is threatened by a Soviet invention appropriately named the 'hunter'; it uses a weapon to destroy alien satellites. The Soviets have an interest in owning satellites so far, but it has been tested.
And it works.
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Editor
The Soviet hunter-killer is an ordinary satellite equipped with an explosive charge. It can attack satellites, like an American early warning satellite, and blow itself up, thereby disabling the target satellite. The satellites are somewhat crude, but very effective.
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THE SOVIETS ARE also developing a weapon, according to American satellite photography, made possible by recent advances in computer graphics. Soviet and American laboratories. The still-wearable weapon, called either a particle-beam weapon or a ballistic weapon, functions somewhat like a large laser. Lassers, by the way, represent another weapons research area the Soviets have not
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MX MISSILES, cruise missiles and not an army are not the answer to national security threats of the future, as many seem to believe. The time when laser weapons, beam weapons and space-based weapons could have been confined to science fiction could be over; the future begins today, and the future's demands begin today.
A laser amplifies and condenses light, lining up photons, which are subatomic bits of light without mass, in regiment-style columns. A particle-energy weapon would do the same thing on a planet, positively charged subatomic particles, that a laser does to photos. The result is a high-energy beam that could reach hundreds of miles through earth's atmosphere into a weapon that could destroy males missiles but they were referred to the atmosphere.
INDEED, ONCE SUCH weapons become common, the nuclear age will be obsolete. The military is now facing a massive nuclear attack by preventing missions from reaching their targets. Never before has a nation been threatened that missile weapon been available to the United States or the Soviet Union, and despite the 1972 AMT treaty, the particle-beam weapon threats to upset the world's balance of power.
The Soviets recognize the potential of weapons such as hunter-killer satellites, particle-armed weapons and energy weapons. They also arm the vehicles from desirable, it is imperative that
Twice before, during the Manhattan Project and the Apollo Program, Americans have faced impossible odds and untestable deadlines to protect the nation's security. In 1962, a commitment one more called for Bain Bain is a Wichita senior majoring in Journalism.
be effective without accurate information instant communications or the threat of nuclear retaliation?
We need defenses against hunter-killer satellites now, and we need particle-beam defense. The latter is more expensive. Otherwise, the balance of power will be dangerously tipped toward the Soviet Union.
But what is lacking is an appropriate sense of urgency.
The Pentagon and American scientists are not unaware of these recent Soviet technological advances, and appropriately research programs are in the works.
Suppose that a year from now, several Hunter killer-kilts袭击 knock out key American communications and warning satellites, while a functional particle-beam weapon kills thousands of Western troops simultaneously attack either Western Europe or Middle East oil fields.
What possible American response would
A DISTURBING SCENARIO is very easy to imagine:
To the Editor:
I have been asked by many persons and asked myself at one time, "What is the Free University?" Until last year I did not know where to go. I found a very small pamphlet describing some classes that could be taken for one's own benefit. Most of the classes were offered in free classes not actually offered through the free university. This was, I found, the Free University.
This year I waited and waited for someone to find one of those small pamphlets that many persons would share. But alsa, once arrived, I did hear, literally, of a couple of classes, but one hat to call the SA office to find out information, if one knew the inquiries, was not available at University. Now, because of lack of interest, the Free University is being terminated.
Americans also recognize the need for such weapons. Although it may be unfortunate, the new arms race has already begun, and Americans are generally unaware of it.
Free University's benefits ignored
Let me define "lack of interest." I think a fair definition in this context would be a lack of interest to the students with the knowledge that the program exists. But now let me ask, "How many students know about the Free University?" I think we can ask such a question and a lack of knowledge about the Free University, most likely because of neglect by the Student Senate. Perhaps if we can give our students a percentage of said funding for publicity, can an show interest by students. Let us not claim lack of interest until "interested" students are enrolled at the worthwhile alternative's existence.
The classes offered through the Free University are diverse and interesting, but they can be difficult to mention. Is it possible that the decision to terminate this alternative should have been thought more thoroughly? I think publicity rather than termination is the best option.
Patricia Ann Dziadura Spring Hill junior
Assertive faculty needed for fair pay
Unlike T. P. Srinivasan, president of KU's chapter of the American Association of Faculty Admissions, he has no reason to be pessimistic about the future of faculty salaries and benefits at the Regents department. I disagree with his view that there is no problem in building a relationship "down the road" between faculty and governing board. We have been given the opportunity to speak to him in the April 4 Kansas with the very deficiencies in compensation that he perceived. But are there enough faculty
To the Editor;
UNIVERSITY DAILY letters KANSAN
Elizabeth C. Banks
members at KU who are willing to stand up and be counted? Recent experiences suggest that there are not.
Elizabeth C. Banks Associate professor of classics
Crawford plagued by students' hostility To the Editor:
This letter is in response to the March 25 story concerning Michael Crawford, professor of anthropology. The story was in part mislabeled and somewhat incomplete
For example, your reporter states that the U.S. Attorney failed to uncover enough evidence to prosecute Crawford. In reality, the evidence uncovered by the U.S. Attorney consisted only of judgment bookkeeping errors. These findings were made years ago before the judge's knowledge by Crawford as mistakes that he would be careful not to make again.
Also, you fail to make clear that all the charges stem from a four-year vendetta against Crawford by Elizabeth Murray and Nancy Simpsett. These two were my mentor in the 1970s and I knew Crawford in 1976 when they began their campaign of harassment. Since that time, they have made complaints involving other graduate students, faculty members, the Anthropology and, in particular, Crawford's every governmental, University and professional organization that might have an interest in their charges. No investigating body has found it necessary or reasonable to charge Crawford as a result of their charges.
Murray and Sempokki have developed an obsession with destroying Crawford's reputation. Four years ago, when for personal reasons I was necessary for them to sever their academic relationship with Crawford, they told me that they would carry on their fight against them. If they hadn't matter what the cost, to clear their own names, the tragedy of all is that, failing to accomplish this, they continue to worry about it and a great deal of the taxpayers' money.
Sempakisi, not having worked on any of the research involved in the complaints, has no first-hand knowledge of any of her many charges and complaints.
It is unfortunate that only the people who are directly involved can be aware of the extent of the hypocrisy displayed by Murray and he complaining about were things that she enthusiastically supported before this trouble began. The financial arrangements he made for her had been known to her before she agreed to them, but she was thrilled at the time with the chance to do field research with Crawford. In fact, she also would have nodded inocks she now pretends to fool abnormally.
The few facts presented in your story combined with the distortions and false accusations expressed by Murray and Todd are not to be ignored, because the picture of event as they are known to those of us were part of the entire unhappy episode. Therefore, I would like to suggest to your readers that they not attempt to reconstruct the events solely on incomplete coverage by the media.
Robert M. Baune
Assistant professor of anthropology and sociology
Baker University
Facts obscured in drug labeling story
To the Editor:
This is in reply to the story "Drug labeling omits inactive ingredients," written by a writer who was an aspiring chemist. The ingredients in an aspirin tablet cannot fit on the point of a pencil as was reported—unless you are really good at balancing %4 of an ingredient in a pencil tip or you have one a bit of a penill.
The staff reporter also took completely out of the context the statement from Newtonton High School in a non-invasive which would mean that only 250 *1000 mg* in each tablet is active. The reason many vitamin tablets weigh more than the recommended amount of vitamins are contained within a gelatin capsule or are coated with layers of "inactive" ingredients to make the tablet less water-soluble.
If you buy a vitamin that claims to have 1000 mg of a vitamin per tablet, it does indeed contain that amount. Also some vitamins are too much, so that it would be extremely difficult, without
a tweezers, to take a vitamin tablet this small.
The staff reporter wrote that most aspirins contain a pain-killing ingredient to reduce fever and an anti-inflammatory ingredient to help with arthritis. Unless someone has pulled a fast as ALI aspirins, the one made as a first ingredient; in fact, that ingredient IS aspirin.
Someone might also want to tell the staff reporter that the anti-inflammatory ingredient in aspirin tablets is, yeah you guess it, aspirin. By the way aspirin has a laxative effect and can reduce fever. Kind of makes you feel like you're getting a deal when you buy aspirin, doesn't it—except for those inactive ingredients, which allow the tablet to be absorbed properly, to cause it to dissolve properly, to prevent the from crumbling, and increase its stability.
The staff reporter first wrote that "milk and fruit juice contain antibiotics that cause bad reactions with the drugs." About the only way you'll find antibiotics in your milk and fruit juice is if there are bacteria and mold growing in them. Drinking moldy milk will cause bad reactions whether you drink it or not. Where does this staff report buy her milk?
The reporter had one fact right: "That doctor insisted that you care about the best type if you are in to consult pharmacists and to get to know them personally. Well, I'm not against getting to know them."
If in the future this reporter has a "drug expert" check her information before publishing, the public would not be misled by unqualified reporting.
Jav Vallortigara
Jay antongura
Castro Valley, Calif., fifth year student
David M. Gasche
Wichita fifth year student
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