UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editors represent the opinion of the Kansan
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January 28,1980
Specter of 60s rises
The draft. For most people now attending the University of Kansas, those words conglued into a specter of the past. The students and cousins had to go through in the 1960s.
But now the draft may become a reality for students and any other Americans in their late teens or early twenties. Wednesday night, President Carter announced that he would ask students to provide necessary for draft registration, as part of his response to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.
Within the next few months, American men—and perhaps women—between the ages of 18 and 26 may be to go to their local post offices to register with the Selective Service System, as part of a program aimed at providing an available pool of manpower for the military.
Carter's announcement brought fear and resentment from many of those who could be drafted. Many look back to the United States' involvement in Vietnam and remember that many people refused to be drafted to fight in war, so mass they could not accept the government's reasons for fighting there.
The main reason for the Vietnamese "police action," at least as announced by the government, was to stop the spread of communism. This, in the hearts and minds of many Americans, was not sufficient reason to submit to shooting or being shot at in a steaming jungle halfway around the world—especially in the later years, after many revelations about the ineffectiveness of the American involvement.
Stopping the spread of communism aso is one reason for Carter's tough stand on Afghanistan and for the call for registration. Whether this will be a convincing reason depends upon the government's ability to prove to the world that communism can provide involvement in the Middle East will make any difference at all.
The people of the United States do not want to become mired in another energy- and resource-sapping war in a conflict that is in a land where we are not really wanted.
There are other reasons for fighting to protect Afghanistan. One possible reason for the current Soviet action could be a move to control the Persian Gulf, the primary access to the crude oil ports of the Middle East. Because we have allowed ourselves to become so dependent upon petroleum, for everything from food to transportation, a Soviet takeover of this area could drastically change our standard of living.
The so draft may be important in a fight to maintain our way of life. But Carter must assure the country that he is not getting into another Vietnam. If thousands of young Americans are called upon to die in another losing fight in a foreign country, the malaise caused in the 60s by the war in Vietnam will return, in a deeper and more pervasive fashion, and will harm the American way of life more than the loss of Middle Eastern oil ever could.
Olympic boycott justified
To the Editor:
Being a former member of the University of Wisconsin track and field team, racewalking title—I can sympathize with my former teammates and those other athletes who have suffered hard work and sacrifice will be washed if the government asks the United States Olympic Committee to boycott the Olympic games to pay respect.
However, after going to summer school in Leningrad, I can see no other way, short of going to war, to show the Soviets that their invasion of Afghanistan is unacceptable to
Their preparations for the games are extensive and they see the games as a way to acquire badly needed foreign capital
through the expected tourist tours and
supply products for the games. But of its
greater importance is the fact that the
games are a justification of their
foreign
Nothing could do more to reinforce their belief that "history" is on their side for the United States, "the leader of the nations of darkness," to send a team to the games in
Moscow. The Soviets have always used the Olympic Games as a way to prove that their system is better, that the "new socialist man" is superior to his capitalist counterpart, and going to the games we would, in their eyes, justify their invasion of Afghanistan.
Those who say that sports shouldn't be mixed with politics have never read their own writings. Many political activists as a political tool. For example, there is the classic case of the 1986 Olympics in Berlin that Canada refused to admit the athletes from Canada's 'reflux to admit the athletes from Europe' and the Olympics and the house of the Soviets and East Germans of the 1976 world speed skating championships because there were many Russians.
by boycoting the Summer Games we would let the Soviets know that we are at war in Afghanistan. But this should be the first step in a re-evaluation of our relations with the US.
The people of the Soviet Union don't want war, but then neither did the majority of Germans in 1939, yet they still fought. The time to make sacrifices has come because there are many things more important than war, such as making a fast buck by exporting to the Soviets.
Michael Fein 1726 Kentucky
KANSAN
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Secrecy won't solve stereotyping
When KU officials said they would aid imprisoned impounders in making proposals concerning recommendations to stitutionalize the prevention of sex and race role stressing the general response of inmates.
In non-administrative terms, the University was attempting to further opportunities for women and minorities at the University of Kansas.
The studies, now being conducted by various agencies of the University, are in response to a self-evaluation conducted by the University in 1976.
The recommendations make way for studies of discrimination at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The self-evaluation was designed to determine whether KU was in compliance with Title IX, which requires equal opportunity for all students. To this day, the results of the 195% evaluation remain locked in the conditions of Strong Hall.
COLUMNIST
david lewis
The attempt by KU officials to halt off-crimination was the approval of 10 of 15 candidates in recruitment, placement, admissions and tutorial services of minority and women students.
IRONCALLY, it was this evaluation that started the ball rolling in the first place. Obviously the study could not have shed too much light on the cause because many recommendations were made.
FROM THE WORD sterotyping, one can infer that the term sterotypic problem of a attitude Sterotyping develops from a poor line of communication, a lack of understanding
In all, 13 requests were set forth by the Campus Committee on Race and Sex role stereotyping in June 1978. But those 13 requests came on 15 on the basis of finances and need.
What remains unclear is whether the "institutionalization" of these recommendations will put KU in line with the vague requirements of Title IX.
Because the University community does not have access to the self-evaluation report, it will remain in the dark as to KU's progress in compiling with TITLE IX.
EXAMINED CLOSELY, or even briefly, for that matter, most of the recommendations say very little. For example, the course office is determining which graduate programs use tests for admissions and placement of graduate programs.
big deal. What then, if anything, will happen? Even if all of the graduate programs use placement tests, presuming they are honest, bad, the recommendation does nothing.
Like most of the other recommendations, this one has no direction. No immediate or long-term action has been planned. If both personal and institutional forms of sexism in society are a common occurrence at this school, Husum has been increasingly slow to react.
It is hard to believe that three years of committee discussion have led to only a few studies that do not promise further action.
IF KU's commitment to Title IX were as strong as KU officials say it was, the University would be spending more money for specific, progressive recommendations.
Witness the indifferent reaction of the KU offices of minority affairs and affirmative action. These agencies have ignored the truth, not to mention the injuries of junk Truth. They may be just that.
Instead, the University is spending next to nothing to conduct vague studies that do nothing more than regurgitate already known statistics.
KU officials need to convey the stereotyping problem to the community and to bring the problem out into the open. Women and minorities have felt the aggravation of stereotyping, which in some cases plagued their career opportunities.
This indifference only reinforces the assertion that the recommendations will not
All this happened year after right, earl under everyone's nose because the problem is almost impossible to detect unless you are directly affected.
The community's attitude could change for the better if the stereotyping problem were approached openly by everyone.
do much to alleviate the stereotyping that a mysterious report says is in existence at KU.
The recommendations were discussed and approved in virtual secretry. And that secrecy caused only further misunderstanding and communication gaps.
A study here and there cannot match openness when it comes to coping with communication problems. It may be a simple principle, but it is a true one.
"Fifty-four percent of calories from sugar" on a cereal box is not a useful bit of information to the general public and only serves to imply that the product promotes healthy eating when used with milk as they usually are, do not promote caffeine; sticky sugars eaten
Labels on apple and pineapple juices would explain that more than 50 percent of the product's calories are in the form of sugars. The other 40 percent is "102 mg of cholesterol per 8 oz. serving."
IF LABELED, potatoes would be shown to contain 150 different chemical substances, including citric acid, alcohol, 31 carbonyls, 13 acids, 9 bases and sulphur compounds. Eggs contain many amino acids, sulphur, lips, butyric acid, acetic acid, zeaxanthin, phosphates and sodium
Second, this type of labeling provides information that most consumers may misinterpret.
Actually, the government's labeling approach is misleading. Natural products may be label-free, but they definitely contain of chemicals, sugar, fats and cholesterol.
Problems spoil new food label plan
BY LEEBERT WILLIAMS
N.Y. Times Special Features
By ELIZABETH M. WHELAN N.Y. Times Special Features
First, the new Food and Drug Administration Trade Commission ingredient-labeling plan, requiring disclosure of additives, would apply only to foods of fat, would apply only to fruits and foods.
NEW YORK—Three federal agencies recently moved toward requiring major grocery stores to provide more information about the main ingredients in foods. Unfortunately, the new regulations are far from being final.
After reading that Tang, a powdered breakfast drink, has, among other things, sugar, citric acid, maltoe dextrin, calcium hydroxide and alpha-tocopherol; that 54 percent of the calories in Kellogg's Apple Jacks come from sugar; and that a tablespoon of sugar contains 10 grams of cholesterol and 11 grams of fat, you might conclude that processed foods represent a virtual chemical feast and that you should limit your intake of these chemicals and avoid tooth decay and heart disease.
THIRD, AND related, the full listing of added chemical ingredients would perpetuate the myth that there are "poisons" in processed foods but not in natural ones. Shoppers would be unaware, for example, that potatoes contain arsenic, that lima beans have traces of hydrogen cyanide, and that fruits contain the hallucinogen methylstine.
between meals do). Giving specific fat and cholesterol contents only raises concern about the safety of animal and dairy products (a direct relationship between diet and heart disease in an otherwise healthy population has not been demonstrated).
Providing chemical information on all foods would at least give some perspective
and underscore the scientific adage that "only the dose makes the poison."
Fourth, comprehensive labeling of foods is a cumbersome, expensive and ineffective means of communicating food-chemical information.
REFORMULATING packaging on all foods processed in the United States to accommodate this information is going to allow us to give new pennies, while offering no health benefits.
Instead of putting complex and expensive labels on one category of foods, it would be more practical and efficient to limit label labels. Foods should be labeled with protein and other information of clear use.
We could then put in all retail markets a large reference book listing the chemical
GOVENMENT-MANDATED detailed labeling of food is simply another example of frozenized treat that placates Washington's small core of self-appointed government officials in the food industry, keeps government officials busy, and benefits the consumer not at all.
ingredients in all commonly used foods. Beyond that, if indeed there is a consumer who wants to consume the food they could certainly prepare books and articles containing such information. Consumers may need to have access to conditions requiring a low-fat diet) would thus have the information for their specific needs.
Elizabeth M. Whelan is executive director of the American Council on Science and Health.
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