OPINION
The University Daily KANSAN
April 25,1984 Page 4
The University Daily KANSAN
Published since 1889 by students of the University of Kansas
The University Daily Kannan (USPS 626440) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Stauffer Fint Hall, Lawrence, KS 60038, daily during the regular school year and Monday and Thursday during the summer session, excluding holidays. Students may register by mail or by email are $15 for six months or $27 in Douglas County and $18 for six months or $35 for a year outside the county. Underwriter fees are a $14晕 payment through the student activity费 *POSTMASTER*. Send address changes to USPS, PO Box 12262, Kansas City, KS 67210.
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A solution to the prison overcrowding problem in Kansas is overdue. The state Legislature is to reconvene at 10 a.m. tomorrow for a wrap-up session, and the prison problem will be among the items discussed.
Prison problems
But exactly how to solve those woes remains a point of contention.
The legislators, if they fail to address the problem, face the prospect of federal court intervention.
Certainly, the state will be better off if legislators, rather than the federal courts, deal with the state's prison woes.
A combination of the possible solutions seems to be best. The state cannot afford to spend massive amounts of public money to incarcerate more and more people.
see that conditions in its prisons are humane.
Renovation of existing buildings clearly is one of the best courses of action. Renovation will save the expense of new construction, and also, in some cases, will increase capacity.
Secondly, if Kansas is to avoid court intervention, a program for the early release of some prisoners must be developed. This program probably will be the most politically difficult of any prison discussions. No one wants to appear soft on crime.
But two other areas of investigation remain. First, the sentencing structure used by judges should be examined. Violent crime must be dealt with effectively, but crimes that are not of a serious nature do not deserve long sentences.
Surely, however, a reasonable middle ground can be reached.
Diplomacy failed test
Diplomacy was on trial this weekend. For the most part, it failed the test.
Because of one man's barbarity, a woman was killed, two nations shuddered with anxiety and the world looked on, helpless.
At least for now, the tragedy involving Briton-shooting Libyans is over. The wounds of the savagery, however, are still fresh.
The pain is the failure of diplomacy.
America knows firsthand the frustration of such failures. The mere mention of Iran continues to make many bristle with anger.
Some Americans can sympathize with Britain as she firmly ends the turmoil of the past few days.
And although the circumstances were different this weekend, much was similar to America's crisis. Libya, like Iran, is ruled essentially by one man, who either agreed with or gave the order that resulted
in murder and isolation.
The order to retaliate against anti-khadafy demonstrators illustrates a refusal to negotiate in a civilized manner, and the subsequent encompassing of the British embassy in Libya represents even further brutality.
Britain has rightly severed ties with Libya. The African nation has demonstrated that it had no intention of abiding by international law.
And now, the murders will go free, it seems. Libya has agreed to try the killers as a show of good faith. Such action, though, is much too late.
Britain will bear its scar for all the world to see. Let the world be wary, they will say. Diplomacy has failed again; be on guard, nations of the world.
Yes, diplomacy failed this week end. The world must realize this. But it must also take care that it does not happen again.
Irony of trip to China
While the China trip is a political plus for the president and Americans, it appears even more so for the Chinese. The irony of a friendly call by an old cold warrior won't be lost upon Deng Xiaoping and his comrades.
More important to China's economically pragmatic rulers, the Reagan visit means a chance to improve U.S. trade in the high technology and nuclear reactor sectors, which are keys to Sino modernization efforts.
That may be the expense of some conservative U.S. support. For example, Sen, Jesse Helms, R-N.C., opposes high-tech aid, especially when Chinese textiles compete with those produced in the South.
However, many U.S. businessmen
believe that trade can be made more of a two-way street if the president succeeds in signing an investment treaty that provides a means for settling disputes, protects U.S. property from expropriation and allows U.S. competition with state-owned Chinese industry.
Without more support in the international arena from China, better diplomatic and trade relations with this important Third World nation should not come at the expense of such longtime U.S. allies and more important trading partners as Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.
So long as everyone understands this in advance, the president's China odyssey should be a success.
The Sacramento (Calif.) Union
The University Daily Kansan welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten on one sheet of paper, double-spaced and should not exceed 200 words. They should include the writer's name, address and phone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University, the letter should include his class and home town or institution. The Kansan also includes individuals and groups to submit guest columns. Columns and letters can be mailed or brought to the Kansan office, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit or reject letters and columns.
Salvadoran election farce
Regardless of the outcome of voting, the most fundamental elements in the Salvadoran equation will remain unchanged.
In reality, the elections in El Salvador are more for the American public and Congress than for the Salvadoran people.
The death squads will continue their dirty work unobstructed by the "legal" authorities. And the war in Afghanistan. The Marti Front of National Liberation, a popular leftist guerrilla movement, will be pursued relentlessly.
Reagan hopes that these elections will win congressional and national support not only for more military aid, but for greater intervention in El Salvador and the rest of Central America.
Because the FMLN, with growing popular support, is gaining the upper hand against the Salvadoran separatists, its desperately needs more U.S. military.
The outcome of El Salvador's 1984 presidential election soon will be determined. The elections remind us of the 1982 Constituent Assembly and the 1976 conventions and attempts to build an image of democracy in El Salvador.
Two years have passed since the 1982 elections. Neither the root causes of the conflict nor the outcome have been determined; they were conducted have changed.
In San Salvador, with a population of more than 500,000, there were only 13 polling stations open. In Lawrence, a city of about 60,000, there are 31 polling stations open during elections.
number of polling places to create the impression of massive voter turnout.
You may remember seeing pictures of long lines at the polling stations. But the pictures did not show the voters deliberate decision to limit the
The main reason people turned out to vote in El Salvador was fear; it is
Guest Columnist
against the law there to refrain from voting. Jeeps full of soldiers patrolled the streets with loudspeakers warning people to vote.
BRANDAN KENNEDY
People were required to carry identification cards that were stamped after voting. To the military, an unstamped card meant support for a special plastic ballot boxes were used, making a mockery of the secret ballot.
The Democratic Revolutionary Front and its sister group, the FMLN, are not opposed to elections; in fact, they have proposed a three-point policy, including elections, that could lead to peace.
This proposal consists of national dialogue, including all parts of Salvadoran society, that would lead
to an interim government which would then have free elections.
This FDR-FMLN proposal for a political solution has never been addressed because the United States is so reliant on governments insists on a military solution
The FDR-FMLN position can be summarized from their press release titled "FDR-FMLN position on March 25 elections:"
LETTERS POLICY
1) The 1984 elections are another instrument in the strategy of the U.S. government as it pushes its war against insurgency against our people.
2) Our Fronts will not participate in the elections nor will we give recognition to the resulting government. We politically oppose the elections, but we do not consider the main process as a military target.
3) A viable alternative to the crisis is the creation of a Provisional Government of Broad Participation, through a process of dialogue-negotiation that will call and democratic general elections.
To all the Salvadoran people our message is: "The struggle continues for the popular victory and a moment of Broad Participation."
4) On election day the FDR-FMLM will not call upon the people to vote for any particular candidate, because of them are a popular alternative.
Brandon Kennedy is a Topkapi sophomore Members of Latin American Solidarity helped gather information for the column.
Big families face extinction
I often think of my brothers and sisters early in the morning as I groggy search through my clothes, or for a pair of socks without any holes.
Somewhere, one of my siblings is probably feeling good about putting on a pair of new socks, one that I lost over the Christmas holidays.
Having clean laundry red-stributed to less-than-rightful owners is one of the things I resigned to be bound to happen in a large family.
The size of the typical American family continues to decrease. With the decline of large families go to smaller ones, but not be duplicated in small families.
Lively discussion around the dinner table with brothers and sisters who draw upon a wide range of readings, experiences and information often proves more challenging than hours spent talking with friends.
Unlike the people we choose to associate with based upon mutual interests or attitudes, families come to us without our having much input into the selection process.
But how ever much my brothers' and sisters' opinions differ from mine, they often give me pause to think. They read books, attend
One brother passes along interesting articles that he comes across in his reading, a sister keeps me up-to-date on what is happening in my hometown, another brother explains scientific research to me and others offer reviews of books they have read.
They pursue different vocations, meet other people and have interests in a variety of areas. I reap the benefits of their endeavors.
lectures and take classes that I do not.
Perhaps that is fortunate. On several occasions a brother or sister, offering constructive criticism that I did not appreciate at the time, would have been written off had they been friends.
Their lives intertwine with mine, adding new dimensions and ideas.
Time and distance take us away from each other for a while, but family are those people with whom we always stay in touch.
Staff Columnist
MARGARET
SAFRANEK
Like an old pair of shoes that have been broken in, families can be put on without worrying about how they will fit. They can be set aside, taken for granted or put through all kinds ofrying conditions, and they're still comfortable.
Friends come into our lives only to go back out again. We count on roommates, colleagues, co-workers and other students to give us a ride
to the airport or help us solve a dilemma about our love life.
These people are temporary companions, people with us day after day, but only for a while. As we, or they, move on, we must say good-bye and make adjustments in the friendship.
Families stick with us over the long haul, putting up with months of no letters, keeping tracks of us on our travels and helping us capturing us regardless of our lifestyle.
Families usually fit together only after weathering years of rough spots. Abilities, personalities and weaknesses that emerge in families require the members to bend, adjust and compromise.
A certain amount of coordination is also required just to make sure that the laundry gets done, that people know the deadline for having laundry done, that you use and that someone can locate at least one hairbrush in the morning.
When watching families on television, some people may think that happy families are automatic — put a number of brothers and sisters together and presto — one well-adjusted family.
The true story mixes arguments, shouting matches and disagreements with the good times, moment and love often found in a family.
But those we commit themselves to making a family work usually demean a wealth of richness that cannot be duplicated in any other way.
Revolution's darkest side
The sexual revolution has a dark side. Like a lengthening shadow, you can plot its growth by watching or watching the women or watching the news at 6 p.m.
Stories have surfaced lately about a preschool run by a 76-year-old woman and some members of her family. They were indicted two weeks ago on charges of child molestation.
HARRY
MALLIN
Last week, a 12-year-old boy from Providence, R.I., was arraigned on charges that he
Staff Columnist
sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl on a pool table while other children watched.
Officials say he may have taken the idea from the Big Dan's Tavern rape trial in Massachusetts, which was televised
Christopher Wilder, who was on the FBI's "10 Most Wanted" list, finally ended a cross-country, murder-rape spree in a possibly suicidal confrontation with a trooper.
The stories continue and could easily fill this page. They make us shudder, and we hope that it never happen to someone we love.
But that hope is cold comfort compared to these statistics from last week's Time magazine. In a survey of 930 women in San Francisco, 38 percent of the group said that they had been sexually abused by age 18, and 28 percent by age 14.
It's not just children who are victims of the sexual revolution in today's society, either. Rape and the fear of rape prowl this week among some people indoors and forcing others to alter their schedules.
No number of blue emergency phones will change that. Better lighting would, but for years, that tradition has been ignored.
And yet, I sit and wonder whether these atrocities have been occurring with such frequency all along.
The answer is obvious. Rape, sodomy and other forms of sexual abuse have always been with us. They are, unfortunately, a manifestation of a part of human nature that leads people to kill, to burn and to drop bombs by the planeboard.
The difference between sexual crime in the past and sexual crime today is its coverage by the media.
In the past, people only whispered about a girl who "asked for it," or a gang of boys out "sowing their wild oats." Today, the headlines scream it for everyone to read.
People are, therefore, more aware of the crimes. And that is good. But not always.
In the case of the boy who pleads not guilty of sexually assaulting a girl on a pool table, it appears that the media have only aggravated the problem. Perhaps the media unwittingly planted the seed of violence in a boy's mind.
The possibility of that is horrifying. Imagine a young man watching and reading about Christopher Wilder. Are the media romanticizing his "sexploit" and displaying to him the impressionable mind as some sort of satanic hero? Is America ready for a string of copy-cat Wilders?
It's easy to defend the media by saying they are only presenting the facts. The media's responsibility ends after the facts are known, the facts are fact and tastefully. I hope the facts are swallowed with prejudice.
But in the minds of some disturbed individuals, are those facts being filed away in a case that marked "future possibilities?"
That is something to remember in the clash between the information age and the sexual revolution. Perhaps the most deadly weapons are not a knife and a gun, but rather, a newspaper and a television set used in conjunction with the two.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the powers-that-bee
To the editor:
What was the reasoning behind closing the libraries April 22? Obviously it was because of the Christian Easter holiday. It certainly was not a cause for a day off, since the libraries were open that day.
The University of Kansas is a state-owned and -operated institution. As such, it must strictly
adhere to the laws of both Kansas and the federal government.
One of the cores of these laws is the complete and total separation of church and state. Library functions are a state operation, yet their schedule occasionally altered for purely religious reasons.
My annoyance is directed solely at the state administration and operation of this University. I don't think it will matter.
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non-Christian employees could be found to keep the stacks open.
Is that the case? Surely skeleton crews could have been found to staff Watson and the science library. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation, but it is certainly not apparent.
Chancellor Budig, or anyone else in a position to influence policy, what is your reply?
New Brunswick, N.J., graduate student