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Thursday, March 11, 1993
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
IN OUR OPINION
Amendment to liquor bill punishes minors unfairly
Last week, the Kansas House of Representatives passed a bill that would lower the blood-alcohol level at which drivers are considered legally intoxicated from .10 to .08 percent. This issue, in and of itself, has come under little criticism.
National studies lend strong statistical support to the notion that lower blood-alcohol levels make highways safer. Accordingly, many lawmakers consider the change a good one. However, an amendment to the bill calls for much stiffer penalties for underage drinkers and threatens to undermine the integrity of the original measure.
the amendment consists of special provisions for drivers under 21 with blood-alcohol levels in excess of .04. Those drivers who exceed the .04 level, but who test below .08, would not actually be charged with a DUI. Instead, they would lose their licenses for 30 days for the first offense and would receive a six-month suspension and a $25 fine for a second offense.
Creating this additional driving condition for underage drinkers smacks of discrimination. Laws are already in existence for the crime of underage drinking. Therefore, the crime of underage drinking should not be confused with the crime of drinking and driving. Laws pertaining to underage drinking seek to punish those under 21; laws pertaining to drunk driving should punish persons of all ages equally.
The obvious goal of this amendment is to deter underage drinking. Whether this goal is achieved is not the issue. The issue is one of age discrimination. Making distinctions in the consequences of drinking and driving that are based upon age is undeniably discrimination.
Decreasing underage drinking is certainly an admirable goal. Possible means of achieving the goal might lie in stiffening existing underage-drinking laws. Attempts at achieving this endeavor, however, should not be made on the strength of a measure concerning drunk driving.
This amendment, without question, is unjust and defines the essence of discrimination.
KYLE KICKHAEFER FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Trekkie neeas to get informed
I am a feminist trekkie with a journalism degree, and I am writing in response to Lisa Cosmillo's column. "Trekkie dreams of deep space fantasy."
I know that Ms. Cosmilo is a staunch feminist. I was surprised to see her rendition of the "Star Trek" opening as "where no man (or woman) has gone before." Doesn't she know that "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fixed that earlier lapse in judgment and changed the phrase to "where no one has gone before?"
And regarding the shape changer's ability to become various objects, I would assume that he is under much of the same physical laws as the T-1000 in "Terminator 2." As Arnold Schwarzenegger's character said in the movie, these shape changers cannot form complex weapons, chemicals or moving parts. It would be impossible to change into an airplane, car or gun, and the possibilities are not "endless," as Cosmillo claims they are. Turning into a key or a piece of paper would be difficult, since they only can become objects of similar size. Also, even though the shape changer could turn into the shape of a textbook, it probably would not be able to recruit all
the text on each individual page and "know every answer on a test." I realize that Cosmillo was just fan-fied when he did keep her self-more informed.
Shawna Rosen
Shawna Rosen Research Assistant KECRI/Life Span Institute
Kansan slights women's track
With all the discussion we've had lately on gender equity in sports, I could not believe my eyes when I saw the headlines in the March 1 issue of the *University Daily Kansan* on the Big Eight Conference track meet. There, in letters as big as you could feasibly run, was a headline stating that the KU men's track team had taken seventh place in the Big Eight. Good job, men! Then I noticed under that, in considerably smaller letters, a subhead telling that the KU women's track team had taken fourth place in the conference. Hey, wait a minute! Isn't it weird? Place better than have seized it? I picked up headlines from me in my book, fourth place beats seventh place any day of the week! Way to go, women! Wake up, sports desk!
Angel Clowers Lawrence graduate student
Not likely to be the most popular cause of the 1990s.
WELL, PEOPLE SAID THEY WANTED TO HEAR FROM US ON HEALTHCARE REFORM
UNIVERSAL PRESS SYND.
3 JANUARY 1993 THE BUFFALO NEWS
Anti-abortion feminist sets the record straight
"Never argue about facts," my father taught me. And although he's a middle-aged white male, I can't help but think this is good advice. But here I find myself compelled to defend the anti abortion position in the face of Lisa Cosmillo's blatant untruths perpetuated, ironically, in the name of breaching journalism protocol to defend the truth. However, this is not a personal attack. I understand the reluctance to believe the atrocities done to unborn babies and their mothers.
1. No, this is not Nazi Germany, and last time I checked — despite Clinton's wayward economic proposals
STAFF COLUMNIST
— we are not yet considered part of the Third World. Nevertheless, we allow the grisly first, second and third-trimester abortion procedure that literally sucks out babies' brains for fetal experimentation. Diliation and Extraction (D&X) is not in Webster's Dictionary yet, Cosmillo, but it was unveiled at the National Abortion Federation Risk Management Seminar September 13-14, 1992, in Dallas. Dr Martin Haskell of Cincinnati originated this technique and to date has performed 700. My space is too limited for the finer details, but as Haskell describes D&X, the kicking legs are grabbed by forceps and the body is pulled out until only the head is left in the womb. Then, a auction catheter is inserted at the base of the skull to suck out the brains while the baby is still alive.
2. Insisting that rejecting the Freedom of Choice Act — allowing abortion in all nine months for any reason — would pave the way for women to get accidentally sterilized or die through illegal abortions totally ignored my point. Women are becoming sterile and dying from legal abortions. You might remember a noted feature on "60 Minutes." The attorney for a woman paralyzed and brain-damaged by abortion said, "In Maryland, you have to be licensed to open a junkyard, but you don't have to be licensed to open an abortion clinic." Or as Rachel McNair, president of Feminists for Life said, "Roe vs Wade only made it legal for butchers to advertise in the Yellow Pages."
3. It is short-sighted to assume that "something will not happen if you make it illegal." The same thing was pointed out to Martin Luther King.
But should we overturn the Civil Rights Act since it has not put a stop to racism? Should we legalize robbery because it still occurs even though it is illegal?
4. Cosmilo can deny that women casually use abortion as birth control, but I don't know how she can be sincere when, according to Planned Parenthood's own statistics, 40 percent of all abortions are at least the woman's second, if not third or fourth, abortions. Lumping together abortion procedures and birth control education as means to "protect women who choose to be sexually active but do not wish to have a child or die." depicts abortion as birth control.
5. If as anti-abortionists never think of women, Cosmillo asks if we know of women who have had abortions.
Yes I do — many of them are now ardent anti-abortionists. These women, such as Nancy Jo Mann, founder of Women Exploited by Abortion, and Olivia Gans, founder of Victims of Abortion, can explain why abortion is such a hard choice — a question that Cosmillo seems happy to put forth, but is afraid to answer. After all, if abortion is so safe and if only a "fetus," Latin for "young one," is evacuated, why the trauma? Why is it there "no harder decision?" Isn't abortion difficult because it is not only dangerous and painful, but because it takes a human life. These so-called fetuses have their own genetic codes, they respond to touch, they feel pain and they will fight to live.
6. Cosmido defends her pro-choice stance on the grounds that it is a woman's body. So should we allow prostitution and drug abuse? Furthermore there is another body involved, as Ana Rosa Rodriguez, whose arm was cut off during in a late-term abortion attempt last year, knows all too well. Cosmido also says that every
child should have love, food and safety. I agree, let's work on that. But with her reasoning, we should kill the hungry children in Somalia.
7. Cosmillo claims that we could have fewer unplanned pregnancies with sex education, as has been done Europe. Maybe she doesn't watch MTV or go to the movies, but I fail to see how our country is sexually repressed. Europe may be even more open about sex, but it has not resulted in fewer abortions. Holland is often cited has having the lowest abortion rate in Europe. It's a lie — they use the same trick Cosmillo tried, they call it something else. The Dutch use "overtime treatment," elsewhere called "bringing on the menses" or "menstrual regulation." When a girl misses a couple periods, the physician destroys her pregnancy by Dilation and Cutterage (D&C) or mini-suction without verifying it as a test. Approximately 60 percent of all these procedures are done on unmarried women. Abortion is never mentioned — who said they were pregnant? They only missed periods.
8. And finally, regarding my alleged missing the point of an entire generation of feminists, since Cosmillo does not explain how I do this, are we just to take her word for it? I would suggest that interested readers contact Feminists for Life at (816) 753-2130. It is a national organization headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., and was founded by a group of women kicked out of the National Organization for Women for espousing an anti-abortion/pro-woman position. Unfortunately women can be just as hegemonic as men. FFL would be more than happy to explain why Susan B. Anthony called abortion "child murder."
And FFL can refer you to agencies that will help you before, during or after pregnancy, or if you suffer from post-abortion syndrome. You can also call the Birthright Hotline at 1-800-848-5683, or in Lawrence at 843-4821. Cosmillo suggests you cannot be pro-life and pro-woman. FFL thinks differently. Give FFL a call because Cosmilo is absolutely right about one thing abortion is "traumatic and painful."
There are other choices.
Ann Jurczyk is a Kansas City, Kan., graduate student majoring in liberal arts.
STAFF COLUMNIST
Opponents should know why people oppose rape
Usually when people make judgments that are completely wrong about my opinions and actions, I can laugh it off. But there are times when I'm hurt.
Because of a column I wrote about rape myths and the movie, "Body of Evidence," some of my friends and associates have teased me about being the "rape columnist" and made fun of the attention I gave to this issue.
A woman who is concerned about rape or violence against women or children should be aware as paramed, fantasial and whiny. People predictably label me this way.
Unfortunately, people make these assumptions without considering the facts. People about rape and the myth that perpetuate the idea that women enjoy rape.
Someone very close to me was raped by an acquaintance of hers about eight months ago. It took her seven months to tell anyone. She thought about killing herself before she was found dead. Even when she discovered she had caught two sexually transmitted diseases, she chose not to tell anyone.
As she goes through therapy, I see her improving and dealing with her emotions. Her family and friends understand her feelings and support her. Everyone feels sympathy for her.
That poor young woman.
But my concern does not stop there.
I recognize the scope of the problem.
But then I'm a whiny woman who goes around preaching a political agenda.
Do I have to survive rape before anyone values my opinion? Is this when I cease being a paranoid, radical manater and someone a woman with legitimacy?
I understand that by calling me fanatical, others can make it seem like rape is not a problem — the people who talk about it and see it as a problem are the problem. But I can't push it away from me — I hear about it. The incident I describe is only one of many I know.
It's just that this time it's so close to me I cannot push it out of my mind.
I'm tired of feeling guilty and ashamed to speak up. I am made to look like a fool, but I still cannot see a goby in that cloud.
Last week I tried to explain why I was interested in issues of violence against women in one of my classes. I planned on making an elaborate statement about how fear increasingly envelopes my pyche — not the fear of being raped, but the fear of being afraid for my safety, as my sister did for the rest of my life. But all I got out were tears and choked-up statements about how I cannot deal with my anger as a friend and relative of survivors.
I would love to tell you how young, angry and confused this woman is to prove that rape is real and its impact is real. I would love to tell you how strong, talented and smart she is to prove that women are survivors, not victims of rape.
And I would love to tell you how much I admire her. I would love to tell who she is to give a face to the problem. But if I did someone might, by some chance, realize who she is
No matter how difficult my experience may seem to me, I, in no way, carry the stigma that she would.
KANSAN STAFF
GREG FARMER Editor
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