4 Wednesday, July 21, 1993 OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN IN OUR OPINION Phelps 'demon' himself instead of homosexuals Saturday was supposed to be one the happiest days of Molly Price's life. It was her wedding day. But thanks to Fred Phelps, a disbarred Topeka attorney known for his anti-homosexual protests, both Price and her husband, Joshua Fraser, will remember on their wedding day exiting Danforth Chapel into a hate protest. Phelps' ministry of hatred and bigotry found yet another victim on Saturday a victim who had no more to do with homosexuals than Phelps has with reason. Price, by chance, scheduled her wedding the day of a memorial service for Greg Barker, a KU student who died of AIDS complications June 30. Chance turned to misfortune when Phelps and members of the Westboro Baptist Church showed up to protest the memorial service. More unfortunate for Price was a Kansas law that forbids protesting an hour before, during and the hour after a memorial service but does not forbid protesting at a wedding. And most unfortunate is that Phelps, while ruining a wedding, broke no laws. He has made his career around ruining the most significant events in people's lives. Saturday's protest wasn't the first. On December 23, 1991, Phelps first protested the funeral for a man who died of AIDS complications. In Phelps' backwards, twisted reasoning, he continues to rationalize the insensitivity of shouting messages that homosexuals are demons in the eyes of God. Phelps is entitled to his beliefs on homosexuality, and he is entitled to protest any cause he believes worthy of his energy. The First Amendment protects his rights, just like everyone else's. But it doesn't protect the victims of Phelps' hatred. Only when Phelps respects other people's lives and private moments will the senseless anguish end. No one expects Phelps to change his ideology, but protesting with blind emotion and without sensitivity proves that Phelps is the real demon. TERRILYN MCCORMICK EDITORIAL EDITOR GTAs merit $10,000 fund given by Budig and wife For years graduate teaching assistants have performed a valuable and dramatically underpaid service for the University of Kansas. Chancellor Gene Budig and his wife have recently made an important contribution to recognizing the value of GTAs at the University. They have established a $10,000 fund to honor outstanding graduate teaching assistants. GTAs are an essential part of the University. Budget cuts have made GTAs even more important than they have been in the past. Last year at KU, GTAs taught about 40 percent of all undergraduate students and about 50 percent of all first-year students. Their impact is greatly by students at KU. Budig said the fund's purpose was to recognize the importance of teaching excellence. Three to five GTAs have been recognized annually, but it is obvious from the quality of students graduating each year that there are more than three to five excellent GTAs. While Budig's gift of $10,000 won't be enough to recognize all of the truly excellent GTAs, it is appreciated. It is hoped that this will lead to more contributions by others who see the need to support excellence in graduate teaching. VAL HUBER EDITORIAL WRITER Search for apartment requires new vocabulary I now know that "so diverse" meant "suckers." Finding an apartment in August in Lawrence is about as much fun as having your legs waxed. The room looked like something from a Depression-era movie. The floor leaned in one direction, the rusty refrigerator in another. Lighting consisted of one naked light bulb I am one of the poor souls forced to play the Summer Apartment Hunt game. It is sort of a scavenger hunt where there is no real winner, and the loser is the one left with the biggest slum hole. Initially, I considered placing an ad myself. Aging graduate student and precocious cat seek housing for cold months to come. Prefer roof, floor, walls, indoor plumbing and basic appliances, if possible. So you see, I really don't expect much. Yet, I am continually underwhelmed. And slums in Lawrence aren't a new phenomenon. I remember the first apartment I saw. It was during semester break my freshman year. The woman showing the apartment seemed nice enough. As we walked up the rickey staircase to the apartment door, she cheerfully remarked how she liked renting to students, because we were so diverse. swinging from the center of the room. One look at that apartment and I decided that an additional semester at Daisy Hill wasn't so bad. Until this year, I've been lucky. Planning in advance, checking on the moving status of friends with cool apartments, and not moving for years at a time has kept me in livable, affordable form this year. I think my number is me. The first problem is my cat. I've never understood the fear that 12 pounds of fluff can instill in any prospective landlord. Compared to 165 pounds of a drunken fraternity guy, a cat vomits a lot less and is less likely to urinate in a corner. The second problem is trying to read between the lines of the ads. Some landlords go to extremes in their desire to embellish the bleakness of their apartments. Here is a little insight into "apartment speak." Artistry studio. Read it barren room with lots of drafts for ventilation. Cozy: Count on not fitting much more that a twin bed in the room if you want to get the door open. Efficiency Apartment: Why an apartment with no counter space can be considered efficient is a mystery to me, unless you consider the fact that the only place to put the bed is right in front of the stove. Close to Campus: Be skeptical of this one. If as many apartments with advertising "close to campus" actually were close to campus, the Oread neighborhood would have the population density of downtown Tokyo. Consider "close to campus" to mean "somewhere in Douglascount." Old World Kitchen: This one should should win the Best Euphemistic Description of a Slum award. I can't decide if it means dorm-room size refrigerator and hot plate, or the read "Olde Worlde Kitchen," complete with hearth and cauldron. Good luck to you if you find yourself in my situation. You'll need it. Personally, I'm seriously considering moving into the KU parking garage. I figure past fines should pay for my first six months, at least. Val Huber is a Lawrence graduate student majoring in journalism. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Ban on smoking needed for health The new campus ban on smoking is more than just the "politically correct" thing to do. It is a very positive acknowledgement by the University that all persons, smoking and non, should be able to freely walk through campus buildings. Banning smoking indoors is no more discriminatory against smokers than banning open burning on campus is discriminatory against pyromaniacs. Banning indoor smoking was a public health decision; it was not designed to antagonize anyone. rather than the current practice of feetboarding the campus with campers. Kellie Hogan Now that all campus smoking will be conducted outside, the university should provide a place for smokers to put the unused portions of their cigarettes. Sand buckets would provide an inconspicuous place to collect cigarette butts Wichita law student Column on trees unrealistic, false Your second error involves your vision of loggers wontally chopping trees, just watching them fall. Actually, most loggers are contracted by lumber companies who don't want In response to Doug Hesse's column concerning trees Your July 14 column is environmental extrominent drivel Your pessimistic vision is flawed. There are more acres of trees in the United States today than there have ever been. The Great Plains was still the "Great American Desert" 100 years ago. Dear Mr. Hesse, us to run out of trees. Every humber company in the U.S. from Bosc-Cascade to Weyerhauer realizes that trees are a crop and to continue harvesting, more trees must be planted. Believe it or not, they do. This brings me to your third error. Most trees used by the lumber industry mature in about half the 80 to 100 years you say it takes to tree. Near the end of your column you surmise that Clinton made it law to save 80 percent of the old-growth forest, and in the next paragraph you say the nation became "devoid of trees." You can't have it both waves. Can I assume your fictitious grandson was named Al after another The next time you write a column, stick to the facts. Brian Orr Brian Off Shawnee senior GUEST COLUMNIST Don't ask, tell recruit policy unrealistic for women, gays The date is earlier this century. The place is your local Navy recruiter. He has just received notice from the President that women are finally allowed into the military. But it is under a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The recruiter cannot ask an applicant's gender, and the applicant cannot act in such a way that would disclose his/her gender. A potential recruit, whose name is Terry, approaches the recruiter's table and says, "I want to sign up." He checks it on your shirt, says "I'm busy" before he asks "Nothing, sir." Terry says. "You sure those ain't breasts?" "No. sir." "Ain't your voice a little high? Term Griffes. "Have a gold sir." "You can't a woman, are you?" the recruiter asks. At this point a lawyer steps forward, "Ma'am, or sir—whichever you are, it doesn't matter to me because you're still a valuable member of society—you do not have to answer the question. By law, the Army cannot ask you what your gender is when determining if they want you." "Realy, sir?" Terry asks, looking at the recruiter. in people. The recruiter shakes his head and begins muttering, "I want you to know I don't like this. Pretty soon, they'll have to let everybody in, like Negroes and queers. You aren't amit, are you?" Three weeks later Terry is caught with a brassiere. Two other recruits had gone through Terry's foot locker and, upon finding the offending undergardment, had took it to the commanding officer. "What do you have to say for yourself?" the commanding officer says, holding the bra with a pen as if it was poison. "You don't wear this thing now, do you?" "Cuz we don't take too kindly to those cross-dressing types, you know." "No, sir, I don't do that. It's ... it's a gift." "A gift" the CO says, raising his eyebrows. The CO leans back in his chair, a smile spread across his face. "A gift from a girl, I guess." The CO throws the brassiere at Terry. "I like that. Your girlfriend sends you her underwear. She send you her panties?" Uncertain how to respond. Terry stands awkwardly. "Just one pair, sir." Terry says quietly. The CO laughs. He looks over Terry's file for a moment. "Son, you're getting some good marks around him and you'd like a temporary promotion?" "Promotion, sir?" "Yes," the CO says, getting out of his chair. He comes around to the front of his desk and puts his arm around Terry. As they walk out of his office, the CO says, "You can be my driver tonight. You ever heard of Talhook?" Nathan Olson is a Chicago graduate student majoring in English. KANSAN STAFF Copy Chief DAVID MITCHELL Editor JAY WILLIAMS Managing editor TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator Editorial Terrillyn McCormick Campus Planning Jess DelaVen Campus News Will Lewis Photos Melissa Levy Graphics John Pafogel Copy Editors Lisa Committee Katie Greenwald Todd Puntney David Stewart Caitlyn White David Christy Gorder Gennifer Leaver Territh McCormick Beth Rendolph J. L. Hewitt Photographers Valerie Bontrager Doug Hesse Tom Leininger Angle Lower Heather Lofflin Brian Vandenvliet James Wilcox **Letters** should be typed, double spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. Writers affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. **Guest columns** should be typed, double spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be photographed. They must have the right to rewrite or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansai newsroom. 113 Stuaffer First Floor. JOHN CARLTON business manager JENNIFER BLOWEY Retail sales manager JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser BILL THOMAS Production PATBOYLE Accounting Business Staff Production manager Robin Kring Creative director Brian Fusco Classified manager Brenna Daubert Photographer Andrena Arneu Retail Zone Managers Kate Burgesa Regional Zone Manager Cathy McWilliams Dale Van Tusk Josh Hahn Retail Account Executives Ilene Brenner ... Jean Gordon Katty Kelly ... Kesha Larson Shannon Reilly ... Jenny Scherzer Julio Suarez ... Jennifer Zerbe Regional Account Executives Arville Crawford ... Franklin Williams Campus Account Executive Rick Kelley ... Intern Paulus Probowo ... Creative Staff Danielle Green ... Shanda Kunto Chad Tunget ... Shawn Wright