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Thursday, February 4, 1993
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
IN OUR OPINION
African-American history needs more than a month
After more than 13 years of formal schooling, most college students believe they know the essential facts of American history. But many students have had little exposure to an integral part of American heritage — African-American history.
The month of February is recognized as African-American history month. It provides students with the opportunity to learn more about prominent African Americans and their impact on society. Throughout the month, campus groups will present speakers, movies and other activities to increase students' knowledge of African-American history.
Although African-American history should be recognized throughout the year, February is a month when students can celebrate the achievements of African Americans. African Americans have distinguished themselves in virtually every profession, but their accomplishments have been overlooked for decades Now, though, Americans must realize that African Americans' achievements have an impact upon everyone, regardless of race.
Admittedly, recognizing African-American history month today cannot possibly compensate for years of overt discrimination and prejudice. Although today's students are unable to change others' past mistakes, they can take responsibility for their own actions and seek to learn more about this facet of American culture.
Many people have a very limited knowledge of African-American history. Students should view February as a chance to learn more about an important part of our country's history. Students should take the initiative and participate in the activities offered throughout the month.
COLLEEN McCAIN FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Southern states should lower the Stars and Bars
Recently, in an address before the Georgia Legislature, Gov. Zell Miller called for the removal of the traditional Confederate symbol from the state flag. This revives an emotional debate that has become increasingly pressing in Southern states.
Originally designed as the battle flag of the Confederacy during the Civil War, the Stars and Bars has evolved into an emotionally charged symbol. To many white Southerners, the symbol serves as a source of Southern pride, a unifying reminder of the Old South and its place in American history.
Yet historically, the symbol has been used in a more divisive way than its defenders would argue. It was under this flag that millions rallied to protect the institution that oppressed an entire race of people. It was during staunch resistance to desegregation in the 1950s that Georgia incorporated the Stars and Bars on its flag. In 1963, at the height of racial tensions in Alabama, Gov. George Wallace defiantly flew the same flag over the state capitol in response to federal pressure to desegregate. And it is the same symbol, along with the swastika of Hitler's Third Reich, that groups such as the Ku Klux Klan adopted as their unifying banner of white supremacy.
To these groups, this symbol does not stir the same glorious visions of the Old South that its defenders claim it evokes. It serves as a grim reminder of the hate and oppression that people were forced to endure.
The individual right to free speech to display and voice such opinions, hateful as they may be, must not be denied. But state recognition of symbols that were at one time seditionist and that have today grown into symbols of hate and division is simply wrong.
SIMON NALDOZA FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Tinkering in the lives of others can cross the line of helpfulness
There's an old comedy routine wherein a persistent Boy Scout drags a little old lady, kicking and screaming, through a busy intersection. When he finally listens to her protests, he learns that she's just come from that direction. She bangs him with her purse and shuffles back across the street.
STAFF COLUMNIST
In real life, would the kid try again with the next old lady and risk another thumping? Or would he just think, you're on your own, grandma. Good luck. (Maybe he'd learn to pay closer attention to what someone's saying.)
Good intentions gone awry. It happens all the time. You bring someone a drink and end up dumping it in their lap. You offer to give someone a lift, then blow a tire. Fix up a buddy with a gorgeous woman, and she turns out to be a snob or a slob.
Look at it in a positive way: These people will never again ask you for a pop, a ride or a date.
But there's a difference between trying to do something for someone and meddling. The line between gets
I had an editing professor who referred to it as "tinkering." The line, he said, was between trying to help and unnecessary interference. He admonished us not to tinker with someone else's copy. That is, don't change it just to be changing it, even if your intentions are to "make it better."
fuzzy sometimes. It's hard to tell where one leaves off and the other begins.
Hey, if you leave it alone, and it turns out bad, it doesn't have your name on it. On the other hand, if you tinker and it turns out bad, it doesn't have your
name on it.
Variations on this theme abound.
Jack isn't good for Jill. You know it;
she knows it. She really should dump
the bum. (NOTE: This script also
reads in reverse gender.)
A word of advice on giving advice: When in doubt, don't. It saves you later from having to resist the urge to say, "I told you so."
Some of us who have seen these lessons learned the hard way. I once had a roommate whose problem I never did figure out, mainly because I thought that if I asked questions she would interpret it as prying.
So, as a good friend, do you tell her all the rotten stuff he has done? Do you try to offer an objective perspective? Would you be a true friend if you did not say something?
Chances are that if you speak up, not only will your advice be ignored, you'll lose your friend to boot.
Privacy and quetude are nice — I appreciate them myself — but secrecy and total silence are downright spooky. This woman didn't even do a
"hello/goodybe" and went. She just came and went in tight-tipped, grim determination. In eight months, she had no visitors, very little mail, and only an occasional phone conversation behind her closed bedroom door.
When she left, she just did. Suddenly, on a Saturday morning, she was gone. No warning, no forwarding address, no phone number. And no help from me with something that was obviously troubling her. I didn't want to meddle, afraid I'd cross the line. Good intentions gone awry.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Should you just take the drunk's car keys when he won't give them up, even if you don't know the guy. Do you "fix" someone's lab procedure so they'll get better results? Are you going to tell that girl she has pizza sauce on her nose?
The whole question can get weird,
become a "damned-if-you-do,
damned-if-you-don't" thing.
Don't ask me. I'm all out of good intentions.
Cecile Julian is a Leawood senior majoring in journalism.
It is ridiculous to think that use of military force for the United States in the post Cold War era is obsolete. Diplomacy did not compel Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait, it required force. When diplomacy is exhausted, military force remains the only option to pursue goals. For example, the International Red Cross and other relief agencies did not have the means to circumvent Somali warlords in order to provide aid to needy Somalia. Only military force could accomplish
the goals of the Red Cross and other relief agencies.
Everyone is a critic these days. Mr. McNett attacks the United States for, "trying to use the military to solve international problems." Once again we have a critic without an answer, and he didn't even spell out the problem. He goes on saying that the military strikes only at the weeds and not the roots of the problem. Well, I wish he would say what those roots are.
Mr. McNett states that UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's feeling was that, "No longer will the Marines simply guard food shipments... this would portray the wrong image... How could fear be instilled on the world if the Marines appeared to be philanthropic?" Mr. McNett states that the secretary-general's sole purpose was to instill fear in a Third World country (Boutros-Ghali is a native of Egypt) rather than aid needy Somalis, this is a misleading and irresponsible suggestion.
Military force necessary when diplomacy fails
Military force among nation states is a fact of life, and that will not change until there is some kind of final arbitrator above all nation states (i.e., a UN and World Court that can mediate and enforce its decisions without having to rely upon the military forces of other states). The solution is UN resolutions that are compelling to follow and are enforced.
Travis Carlisle
Lawrence junior
GTA is relieved that officials will raise pay equally
I was glad to see Howard Mossberg, dean of graduate studies, and Ed Meyen, executive vice chancellor, affirm in the Jan. 21 issue of The University Daily Kansan that graduate teaching assistants will receive a salary increase proportional to the salary increase for regular faculty.
Contrary to the tenor of my quoted remarks in that article, I expected that GTAs would receive the same percentage increase that faculty received. I understand that the administration has worked hard to treat GTAs and faculty equally in that regard. What I found interesting was that given the events of the last year or two, one might have expected an explicit reference to a pay increase for GTAs. Yet, there was no mention of GTAs in KU's budget proposal. Gov. Fennin, in her State of the State address, made explicit reference to "rewarding those in the classroom."
But once again, there was no reference to GTAs. A favorable reading of these events suggests that administrators and the governor take it for granted that GTAs belong roughly to that class of individuals called "faculty" — "those in the classroom," I agree. While GTAs are obviously not faculty in the full sense of the term, they do perhaps belong to that class.
But this runs against the grain of KU's position regarding GTAs' employee status. And that was the source of my concern — that somehow, GTAs might receive a pay increase not equal to that given to regular faculty. After all, if we are not employees, not members of that class of individuals called faculty, then there is no reason to think that we would share equally in the benefits of a faculty pay raise.
In any case, I was happy to read that GTAs will share in any such pay raise. And I thank KU administrators and Gov. Finney for their efforts toward that end. They are appreciated.
KANSAN STAFF
David A Reidy, Jr.
free graduate student
Ast Managing ... Justin Krupp
News ... Monique Guilain
... David Mitchell
Editorial ... Stephen Martino
Campus ... RC Trauer
Sports ... David Mitchell
Military Moves ... Matt Rowsley
Features ... Lynne McAdoe
Graphics ... Dan Schauer
GREG FARMER
Editor
GAYLE OSTERBERG
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator
Business Staff
Business Staff
Campus sales mgr .. Brad Broen
Regional Sales mgr .. Wade Baxter
National sales mgr .. Jennifer Perter
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Production mgrs .. Amy Stumbo
Marketing director .. Ashley Lengardt
Creative director .. Angela Owerger
Creative导师 .. Holly Perry
Classified mgr .. Jill Tomey
Art Director .. Dave Haber
STEVE PERRY
Business manager
MELISSA TERLIP
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
501 Bluez
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by Moses Smith
DUE TO OUR ARTIST HAVING
STrip THROAT, OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT, 501 BLUEZ HAS NO
DIALGUE FOR TODAY'S STRIP.
SO EVERYBODY STAY COOL AND HAVE
A SAFE WEEKEND.