Tuesday
January 21, 2003
Vol. 113. Issue No. 78
Today's weather
30°
Tonight: 21*
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Tell us your news
KANSAN The Wildcats are in the bag for men's basketball team p. 4B
Contact Kristi Henderson, Jenna Goepfert, and Justin Henning at 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
Scott Revnolds/Kansan
Yvonne Thornton, M.D., speaks during the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday observance at the Lied Center. Thornton was the keynote speaker.
Phelpses protest MLKspeech
By Henry C. Jackson
cjackson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
On a day celebrating diversity, protesters, led by two of Fred Phelps' daughters, gathered outside the Lied Center yesterday to decry homosexuality and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s memory in their own way.
"We're celebrating Martin Luther King," said Elizabeth Phelps, Topeka resident and daughter of anti-gay rights activist Fred Phelps. "He was a righteous man. The fags have hijacked his freedom
train."
Elizabeth Phelps and about 15 others gathered outside the Lied Center yesterday as people arrived to attend Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremonies sponsored by the University and the Ecumenical Fellowship, Inc.
About 20 feet from protesters led by Phelps, about 25 people gathered to preach diversity and acceptance, presenting a stark contrast outside the Lied Center.
"We're here because of Martin Luther King Jr." said Claudia Bode, project coordinator of biology. "This point of
today is to celebrate his message, which was diversity and acceptance."
Abigail Phelps, another daughter of Fred Phelps, said she disagreed with Bode and others from the group preaching diversity because she did not interpret King's message as all-inclusive.
"He said 'I have a dream that a man should be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character,'" she said. "Being a fag means something is wrong with your character."
SEE PHELPS ON PAGE 6A
Speaker encourages hard work
By Henry C. Jackson
cjackson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
As a first grader growing up in Long Branch, N.J., Yvonne Thornton and her sisters played in a rhythm and blues band called the "Thornton Sisters." The sisters achieved a fair amount of success with their five-piece ensemble, including appearances on Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour, a six-week stint at the Apollo Theater and, eventually, several years of lucrative tours of the East Coast.
But, as Thornton noted in her keynote address at Martin Luther King Day celebrations yesterday at the Lied Center, you might lose your voice someday, so it's a very good idea to get an education.
In her speech, which focused on persevering despite obstacles, Thornton
"As a child, you never know what your parents go through,what they sacrificed to keep you going."
Yvonne Thornton
Keynote speaker at Martin Luther King Day celebration at the Lied Center
highlighted the hard work it took her, a Monmouth (NJ) University graduate and doctorate recipient from Columbia University, to obtain her education.
Thornton said she and her sisters
"If the front door's closed, go in the back," Thornton said. "If the back door's closed open the window. If the window's locked, I don't know, climb on the roof and go in through the chimney. Just find a way in."
faced a variety of obstacles growing up.
Thornton said her parents helped her overcome low expectations by encouraging her and at times, pestering her. Thornton's speech emphasized the impact of her parents and how important parenting is.
"My sisters and I looked like the sisters of Buckwheat," Thornton said, referring to the familiar African-American character from The Little Rascals. "Plus, we were women, and we were black."
"As a child, you never know what your parents go through, what they sacrificed to keep you going." Thornton said. "No amount of success in your profession can make up for your failures at home."
When asked about her own parenting style, Thornton was blunt.
SEE SPEAKER ON PAGE 6A
Sidewalk graffiti remains until it's weathered away
By Erin Ohm
eohm@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
- Black spraypaint bearing the message "Jesse Garcia is a rapist" is visible to passers-by on the sidewalk between Watson Library and Stauffer-Flint Hall.
The message has slightly faded, but it will remain visible until weather wears it away because no policy exists at the University of Kansas preventing writing on horizontal surfaces. Also, no one is responsible for handling messages that may be offensive.
Doug Riat, director of Facilities Operations, said any writing on the sidewalk, whether done in chalk or another permanent material, was left alone unless the department received a call from the office of the provost to remove it. Facilities Operations removes only graffiti written on vertical surfaces or buildings.
Jim Long, vice-provost of facilities planning and management, said no specific individual exists in the office who made decisions regarding offensive statements.
Danny Kaiser, University Events Committee chair, said the committee asked people to use chalk designed for sidewalk writing and to do so in open, uncovered areas where it could be washed away by the weather. Kaiser said the University had no restrictions as to what organizations or events could advertise.
"We don't have a policy, and as long as we don't have problems, there is no need for a policy. If you have a policy, you have to enforce it," Kaiser said.
Kaiser said he was not aware of any problems recently regarding offensive statements.
Amber Henry, KU Ambassadors
Coordinator, said she had never
"There is no one in charge of erasing offensive messages or assigned the responsibility of determining what writing should be erased."
Jim Long Vice-provost of favilities planning and management
heard of any prospective students or their parents who had problems with messages on the sidewalk or offensive statements.
Henry had mixed feelings about the University policy on sidewalk writing and the possibility of offensive statements.
"I think it would reflect poorly and parents may be concerned, but I'd rather have people have the right to write that message," she said. "It's not exactly the message we want to convey, but at the same time it could be contradictory with the University, which we are representing as open to many different people."
A similar incident of sidewalk writing occurred about two years ago. Chase Richards, director of Queers and Allies, said the University removed graffiti written for National Coming Out Day.
"The fact that there isn't a policy is a problem," he said. "There were things you would expect to violate that policy if there were one. The problem was that a lot of messages were removed along with the offensive ones."
Richards said he would like to see a policy that included a stipulation that non-offensive messages would not be removed.
- Edited by Jason Elliott
Jared Soares/Kansan
"Jesse Garica is a raptist" sprayed by an anonymous artist is one of many graffiti pieces around campus. Sidewalk graffiti around campus is not erased by the University of Kansas.
Hundreds of Lawrence protesters rally against war with Iraq
Anti-war protesters march down Massachusetts Street Saturday. Thousands demonstrated in Washington as 650 people gathered to protest in Lawrence. The Organization of Lawrence Anti-imperialists, organized the march from Buford Park, Sixth and Kentucky Streets, to the Douglas County Courthouse, 11th and Massachusetts Streets.
Kellev Weiss/Kansas
By Kelley Weiss
kweiss@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
About 650 demonstrators gathered in front of the Douglas County Courthouse Saturday to take part in the largest anti-war protest in Lawrence in the last 19 weeks.
Across the country, Saturday was recognized as a national day of demonstration and approximately tens of thousands of people protested in Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Post.
In Lawrence, several groups were involved in the demonstration at the courthouse, including the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice, the Black Cat Collective, Women in Black and Organization of Lawrence Anti-Imperialists.
"This has been the most diverse crowd we have had," said Allan Hanson,
The Organization of Lawrence Anti-Imperialists, OLAI, organized a march down Massachusetts Street to meet the other protesters at the courthouse. Demonstrators marched with OLAI from Buford M. Watson Jr. Park, Sixth and Kentucky streets, to the courthouse, 11th and Massachusetts streets.
The demonstrators held such signs that said "Drop Bush not Bombs."Ethan Fosse, Manhattan senior, said he had several reasons for opposing a war with Iraq.
"I think that a lot of people don't realize how many people oppose going to war," Fosse said.
Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice coordinator.
Hanson said the protest was a success and that he was surprised at the number of people that came. Hanson said the largest previous protest in Lawrence was 300 people.
For the past 19 weeks, the Lawrence
Coalition for Peace and Justice has held a peace vigil on Saturdays at the Douglas County Courthouse. Hanson said that in the 28-year history of the Coalition, no demonstration had lasted as long as the protest of war in Iraq. Hanson said one reason people were demonstrating persistently was because many of them regretted not protesting the Vietnam War earlier.
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Tristen Desetti, a recent recruit in the United States Marine Corps., said he did not agree with the demonstrators, but that he was at the rally to protect their right to protest.
"I think it is utterly stupid that they are protesting war on oil, but that's not the story," Desetti said.
-Edited by Leah Shaffer
.