4 University Daily Kansan / Friday, May 1, 1997 OPINION Police acquittal exposes racist U.S. justice system The four Los Angeles policemen must be lynched now. That's exactly right! I didn't say they "should" have been lynched, although I would have been right in saving so. I meanRIGHT NOW!! String 'emup and let 'em hang on some tree where everyone can see, as a symbol of the new and just criminal justice system, because there is no justice in the white-controlled system. If anyone had any doubts as to who runs this country, the Rodney King trial should have cleared that up immediately. Four white policemen in Los Angeles savagely beat a Black last spring. This satanic beating was videotaped and shown to the entire world as a demonstration of how police brutality is more prevalent than it is believed to be. It also showed how Blacks are unjustly "handled" in the hands of the law. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that these four white police officers (although there were many more present) would do some jail time. I was not, however, so naive as to think that these four policemen would be sent to jail for 30 years for brutalizing a black man. Of course not, this is AmeriKKKa. But I did expect at least some form of punishment. Marc Ettrick Guest columnist Yesterday, after receiving the news, I was filled with hatred, disgust and utter rage. These four policemen were acquitted of almost all charges. According to this verdict, which was submitted by a 12-member, predominantly white jury, the policemen did absolutely nothing wrong. This is a travesty that sends a very clear message to the Black people in this country. BLACK MEN AND WOMEN, YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PLACE TO TURN! You can't turn to the police because they're nothing but corrupt, racist pigs. You can't go to the "judicial" system because it's racist. Where does the Black man and woman turn? I say, take this racist country to trial. Take it to the World Court. Let's go to the United Nations and present our case to the other 90 percent of the world's population (who happen to be people of color). Let's present our case to India, China, Japan, South America and all the countries of Africa. All these countries are victims of AmeriKKKa's racist and capitalist system in some form or another. They would surely be receptive to any plan that would bring "The Great Satan" to its knees. In the meantime, however, something must be done about the great miscarriage of justice that took place in Los Angeles. These four policemen and their families deserve nothing less than death. I advocate their deaths in any shape or form. Let there be no mistake. Black people are annoyed and tired of sitting back and taking notice. Singing "We Shall Overcome" and marching in peace is a thing of the past. Brutality will be met with brutality, injustice with injustice. I understand the violence in Atlanta as I understand the violence in Los Angeles. It won't be long before they get started in my beloved New York City. The verdict in the Rodney King trial is the most blatant and dishearming display of injustice imaginable. Anyone who has the audacity to hold this country as the symbol of honor, justice and equality is absolutely sick. I strongly urge that the end of the Pledge of Allegiance be changed to "...one nation under Satan with liberty and justice for WHITES." Marc Etrick is a Brooklyn, N.Y., junior majoring in political science. A year-end review of events The end of the spring semester lends an opportunity to recall the good and the bad events. good and the bad events As the spring semester ends and many students get ready to leave the University of Kansas for the real world, whether for graduation or for other good reasons, it becomes incumbent on us to review the previous four months' highs and lows. First the good news. On campus, the surprise-of-the-semester award went to Gov. Joan Finney for her announcement that $18 million of an out-of-nowhere $185 million windfall would be allocated for the replacement of Hoch Auditorium. The University had to compromise in other areas. Graduate teaching and research assistants requested that their fee waiver be increased from 75 percent to 100 percent. The Kansas Legislature, after consulting a mathematician, settled on 87.5 percent. More good news was the administration's plans to begin mail-in fee payment in the fall semester and to create a multicultural center. In sports, the men's and women's basketball teams brought home Big Eight trophies. And Roy Williams was named Coach of the Year by The Associated Press. Contributing to the marketplace of ideas was a new student newspaper, the Oread Review, which has made up for its lack of content with expensive-looking paper. Students made advances on the fronts of AIDS awareness, racial tolerance and ending sexual harassment—advances made difficult in a world where Fred Phelps continues to breathe, where white New York teen-agers assault and spray white sneaker polish on a 12-year-old African-American girl and where violators of the faculty code of conduct are punished with a year's paid vacation. In national news, David Duke's political career died at the hands of Pat Buchanan. Membership in women's groups surged in the months following Clarence Thomas' appointment to the Supreme Court. And the sleeping U.S. electorate at last began to stir and scare deadbeat members of Congress fromrunning again. And now the bad news. In a nation where 30 percent of the budget is spent on the elderly and only 2 percent on education, things became more unbalanced. Libraries suffered, and tuitions increased nationwide. Atthe University of Kansas, heralded professors announced their plans to leave because of lackluster state support. Graduate teaching and research assistants were told over and over again that they were not employees but recipients of a strange type of financial aid. And in a move that will save thousands of lives and ensure world peace, the Lawrence City Commission banned beer on campus. In an unrelated move, Sen. Bob Dole went on the warpath to withdraw federal financing from public television after hearing a disturbing rumor about Ernie and Bert. The lack of leadership in our nation was exemplified once again by President George Bush, who said he was sorry for raising taxes because it caused him political grief. In A Higher Education Map for the 1990s, Chancellor Budig lamented the faltering public image of higher education. But it's not just the image of higher education that is in trouble. It's the image of college students, too. What does the public think of us? We rarely vote. We light things on fire when our basketball teams do well. With bloodshot eyes, we in hand our term papers. We drink out of boredom. And now we walk down the Hill to seek employment in a nation where the entry-level positions are being taken by 40-year-olds, where 15,000 applications were requested for a graffiti-cleaning job in San Francisco, where the president took a year to get the word "recession" out of his mouth. We should remember those who came before us as we contribute our individual shares of $3,800 to pay for the savings and loan party. We should also remember those who came before us when we look at the destruction of the environment and the ozone layer. The future's so bright, you goawwear shades. And hats. And sunscreen. Martin Scherstuhl for the editorial board Editorials reflect the majority opinion of The University Daily Kansan editorial board. Opinions expressed in letters, cartoons and guest and staff columns are solely those of the author or artist. Views expressed in columns and cartoons are not necessarily shared by the Kansan. Givers are not selfish Members of the editorial board are: Alexander Bloemfohn, Jim Brown, J.R. Clarbome, Mark Coatney, Amy Francis, Tiffany Harness, Tiffany Lasha Hurt, Kate Kelly, Julie Eileen Litt, Stephen Martino, David Mitchell, Chris Moeser, Beth Randolph, Martin Scherstuhl, Jill Wasson, Frank Wilson, Sarah Zercher Catherine Morris Lawrence sophomore I'm writing this in response to Michael Leich's letter. I think Mr. Leich is missing the point; a real philanthropist doesn't give time or money and then whines when he newspapers and television stations didn't notice. He needs to decide whether he is doing these things for those who need it or to make himself look good. Death penalty is wrong I was upset when I read the column concerning the death penalty in the April 27 Kanson. The statement upsetting me the most was the justification of the death penalty by putting yourself "into the victim's families" shoes." I was put in those shoes when my sister, Joan, was murdered by Richard Grissom. I am offended when people put themselves in my position and assume that because of this I support the death penalty. But I do not speak for all victims' families. In my opinion, killing Grissom, or any killer, is not the answer to the problem. To take certain criminals' lives because they have murdered would be sinking to the level of a killer. Even the Bible states "do not repay evil with evil" (1 Peter 3:9). I do not believe "our society coddles criminals" as Monday's article read. As much as I resent Grissom's right to due process, I have faith that the judicial system will ensure that justice is carried out. Although Grissom is appealing his sentence, I am comforted knowing he will spend the rest of his life in an overcrowded maximum-security prison. I am much more willing to appear periodically before parole hearings than to have a vengeful death on my conscience for the rest of my life. If society truly feels the death penalty is a deterrent, why is there a debate as to which means is more inhumane? The result is always the same. Therefore, the argument against capital punishment is not about money, but morality. I am glad the Kansas Legislature has not passed the death penalty, only the hard 40. Killing Richard Grissom as a form of punishment will never bring back my sister. Letterstotheeditor Greeks get bad rap Wichita senior How ironic it was that the editorial board comments on Hands Across Campus ended by accusing the KU campus of perpetuating racism. I was shocked that in an article trying to promote student harmony the Kansan made such sweeping generalities about the "scheme of things" in the Greek system. In years past, problems did occur that were well publicized that no one in the Greek system would attempt to deny. Rather than trying to forget these things happened, however, the leaders of the Greek community have made conscious and earnest efforts to increase cultural awareness among their chapters. It is also true that the composition of Greek chapters is not as racially diverse as would be ideal. However, efforts are being made to improve this as well. Greeks face problems in finding minorities who are willing to join their chapters because of unfair stereotypes exactly like Frank Williams' statement that "If you do not fit into a certain scheme of things, you will not be admitted to the ranks of the greeks." How are we to recruit new members from different backgrounds when our own student newspaper, without any knowledge of how our members actually interact, is telling people they will not fit in? Like the rest of campus, the Greek system has changed with the times. The changes have apparently gone unnoticed by the Kansan, whose continued negative comments and coverage about Greek activities are only contributing to campus ignorance. It is time for the Kansan and the editorial board to act responsibly to become a part of the solution to a problem we would all like to see corrected rather than being a source of the conflict. John Gollier Ottawa junior Not all killers insane I wish to comment on David Mitchell's 'April 27 column. I have no quarrel with Mr. Mitchell's assertion that serial killers such as Tundy Buddy and Jeffrey Dahmer should suffer the death penalty. I do take issue with Mr. Mitchell's assertion that these people are "psychotic serial killers." They are serial killers, but they are not psychotic. Many serial killers are thought to have an antisocial personality disorder, characterized by a lack of guilt and an inability to empathize with others. There are serial killers who are psychotic, but they tend to be the exception rather than the rule. People who are psychotic are not necessarily violent. Some research has shown that people with schizophrenia, one type of psychosis, exhibit a lower incidence of violence than the average population. Also, in many states, antisocial personality disorder cannot be used in an insanity plea. It just this kind of uninformed stereotyping of serial killers as psychotic that contributes to the aura of fear and disgust within which people with psychosis are viewed. The media tend to connect psychosis with violent acts like serial killings, which leads to assumptions like Mr. Mitchell's. Have been interacting with people with psychosis for eight years. I have never been attacked or threatened, either verbally or physically. I do not have the time or the space to debunk every myth or stereotype about people with psychosis, but it only takes a little investigating to do so. I am disappointed that Mr. Mitchell did not research the facts before writing his opinions. Jennifer Snyder Lawrence graduate student KANSAN STAFF TIFFANY HARNESS Editor VANESSA FUHRMANS Managing editor TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser Editors JENNIFER CLAXTON Business manager Editors News Andrew Editorial Beth Randolph Planning Lara Gold Campus Eric Gorski/Rocheille Oleson Sports Eric Nelson Photo Junior Jacobson Feature Debbie Moore Graphics Alina Brainstorm/Jeff Mewes JAY STEINER Retail sales manager JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser Business Staff Marketing director ...Kim Claxton Creative director ...Leanne Bryant Classified mgr ...Kip Chin Business Staff Campus sales mgr...Bilie beibengo Regional sales mgr...Rich Hashburger National sales mgr...Scott Hanna Co-op sales mgr...Aroh Johnson Production mgrs...Kim Wallace Lisa Keeler Marketing director...Kim Claxton Creative director...Leanne Bryant Letters should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words. 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