OPINION
The University Daily KANSAN
January 18, 1984 Page 4
The University Daily KANSAN
Published since 1889 by students of the University of Kansas
The University Daily Kansan (USPS 605 640) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Stauffer-Finn Hall, Lawrence, Kan. 605 640 daily during the regular school year and Monday and Thursday during the summer session, including Saturday, Sunday, holidays, and final periods. Second class pennage paid at Lawrence, Kan. 605 640 for students attending the public school. Student subscriptions are at $4 a semester paid through the student activity fee *POSTMASTER*. Address changes to
DOUG CUNNINGHAM
DON KNOX
Managing Editor
SARA KEMPIN
Editorial Editor
JEFF TAYLOR ANDREW HARTLEY Campus Editor News Editor
DAVE WANAMAKER
Business Manager
CORT GORMAN JILL MICHTECHI
CERTial Sales Manager National Sales Manager
JANCE PHILIPS     DUNCAN CALHOUH
Campus Sales Manager    Classified Manager
PAUL JESS
General Manager and News Adviser
JOHN OBERZAN Sales and Marketing Adviser
Better relations
President Reagan's special foreign policy address to the nation Monday indicates that administration officials now see the importance of reassuring the American people that hope for a peaceful world is not lost.
Americans, as well as people of other nations, have become increasingly fearful of a surprise military confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The president's address proved he realizes the importance of reassuring the world that there is room for U.S.-Soviet cooperation.
But the welcome change in Soviet-American relations, however slight, surely has a political basis. Although he has not yet announced his intention to seek re-election, Reagan most certainly will run.
The president clearly sees that if the American people perceive him
to be a rigid and accusatory man — as he often is now — they will be less likely to vote for him. His foreign policy address was a political ploy to help him win favor with voters.
But whatever his reason, Reagan has pledged to make his series of "confidence building measures," such as notification of military maneuvers, and to make further talks successful.
It remains to be seen how the Soviet Union will react to the new policy. The absence of Soviet President Yuri Andropov — whose cold seems to be hanging on for a terribly long time — also complicates the situation.
Reagan's new policy is not a substitute for talks that would help reduce tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, but it indicates that the East-West chill is thawing.
Straddling the fence
Topeka lawmakers are straddling the fence. Trying to appease "dry" voters without offending equally powerful "wet" constituents, they again sidestep efforts to control alcohol abuse.
Legislation was introduced into the House last week that would prohibit the sale of an unlimited quantity of cereal malt beverages for a set price.
Granted, Topeka lawmakers' motives were pure: to stifle temptations to drink excessively. But "drink-and-drown" specials are only one type of temptation. The root of the problem are the people who abuse alcohol.
State Rep. Vic Miller, D-Topea and one of the bill's sponsors, said, "In my opinion, there's nothing socially redeeming about the practice of drinking yourself into a drunken stupor."
So why stop with "drink-and-
rown specials? Why not do away with other gimmicks that encourage drinking? Why not prohibit happy hours at private clubs? Why not ban open bars at receptions and parties?
No conclusive proof can be found to show that "drink-and-drown" specials offer any greater enticement to a "drunken stupor" than a sale on 20-year-old scotch.
Laws should punish only those who abuse alcohol, and not those who use it responsibly.
The only sure way to prevent excessive drinking is to ban alcohol altogether. But since Prohibition ended, America has had to learn to live with alcohol.
Drunk driving is society's greatest threat from someone who abuses alcohol. Recent changes in Kansas' drunk driving laws have helped, but stricter enforcement of those laws will save more lives than a ban on "drink-and-drown" specials.
Reaching for the stars
Ever since the first human being looked toward the horizon and wondered determinedly what lay beyond, man has been a willing slave to exploration.
The biggest challenge for mankind has been the venture into uncharted wilderness, be it personal firsts and lessons learned in daily living, or a discovery of international importance.
America in particular has taken advantage of the past few decades to challenge new horizons. Sometimes our discoveries have been met with less than universal celebration. Such is the penalty for finding out how to split atoms.
However, it cannot be ignored that during relatively the same period of the Earth's life, the United States conquered its own atmosphere by leaving our threatened planet and placing a human being on another celestial body.
We grew up with the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs and have increased our enthusiasm as spectators with each evolving program and goal that NASA has set. Now the space agency tells us we each soon may have a shot at space travel, an opportunity that only yesterday was little more than a pipe dream of extraordinary proportion.
Any support NASA receives for future exploration shall certainly be welcome. We hope that military use of the space shuttle will be kept to a minimum and that the private sector will eventually become an integral part of space travel and exploration.
In the meantime, it's hail to Columbia and Challenger and the spirit of adventure and exploration they evoke in us all.
LETTERS POLICY
The University Daily Kansan welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and should not exceed 300 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 faculty or staff position. The Kansan will receive individual support 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.
Forever hypocrites
No one likes war either, but that doesn't seem to stop wars from continually being allowed to begin unchallenged.
No one likes right-wing death squads.
unpopular wars start anyway, and pretty soon the right-wing death squads become bit players in a lager with a reputation as a raped but necessary evil.
Stronger nations have higher moral expectations of their own citizenry and they provide support to governments unwilling to control their right-wing death squads. They stall the issue in their own moral Congresses until they decide they can justify sending their own moral youth to apply control and die on foreign soil.
The only other option for the moral power is to exercise its morality and withdraw all support
merely directly telling the government that can't control its death squads that murder of old women and children will not be tolerated for any cause. Tell them, basically, to fight their own dirty war.
GARY
SMITH
Staff Columnist
El Salvador, of course, will be no exception to the model I've just suggested. The war in El Salvador will not be real to Americans until our fathers, sons, brothers and friends begin dying in jungle combat in support of a government that won't control its own death squads.
But, nevertheless, war in F1
Determined, and not properly deterred, our powerful moral president, who has also said he does not like right-wing death squads, has slowly committed us to the conflict for two years.
Salvador has firmly begun. I would say, in fact, that we have forever stopped across the line dividing Central America in Central America from support.
He has proven by his inaction that the right-wing vigilantes operating in the Salvadoran nights are a necessary evil and are not in themselves enough to force a discontinuance of our friendship and of El Salvadorian government that can, but won't control the mavem.
On April 29, 1981, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved an amendment to the 1981 foreign aid bill which placed restrictions on U.S. military sales and assistance to El Salvador. "... contingent upon a certification by President Reagan that El Salvador is making progress in implementing reforms, is achieving substantial control over official violence, is committed to free elections ... and demonstrates a willingness to negotiate with the opposition."
Every six months since the spring 1981 Salvadoran elections, Reagan has lied to Congress and the American people. Each time certification has come up, he has said that the violent abuses in El Salvador have abated and that the government elected by the Salvadoran people has made great efforts to stop the murders.
But now he refuses to give Congress even the comfort of a lie and has vacinated on his stance concerning the human rights position of the Kissinger Commission Report.
The report said that any further aid, a proposed $185 million this year, should be tied to verifiable improvements in human rights in El Salvador. Reagan, however, has indicated that he does not see the importance of hinging the issues.
The death-squand death list from El Salvador is a phenomenal document, and no better barometer exists to gauge the tolerance of abuses in the Central American country by the Salvadoran government and the United States.
An estimated 20,000-25,000 people have died at the hands of representatives of the Salvadoran right wing. Many have been mutilated and thrown off cliffs. Not one of the murderers has been convicted and only a few have ever been implicated.
None of us will admit that war in El Salvador is good, but we support a war in El Salvador. No one will admit that death squads are a positive force. However, through our own inaction we have allowed our leader to ignore 20,000 deaths in the name of U.S. policy.
Only through taking an immediate stand urging our leaders to project our morality, shall we keep our integrity. If we refuse to tell our leaders to follow our moral rules, will in the end be equally responsible for the next 20,000 bodies found mutilated in the Salvadoran jungle.
Policy will once again become a synonym for morality, and in the eyes and hearts and minds of those who witness our policy, we shall forever be hypocrites
Loan program goes beyond the call of duty
The house next door to mine would probably have to be torn down to make room for the clubhouse.
It's optional, but we might need to make space for parking to avoid traffic congestion.
The street in front would have to be closed, or I'd have people driving through the tennis courts.
You see, I'm expecting some money. Lawrence has about $200,000 left over from the budgets of some area social programs, and I'm determined to get my share - for the benefit of the community, of course.
About half of the surplus money came from a
MICHAEL BECK
Staff Columnist
federal loan program, where homeowners could borrow at low interest rates. The city originally received about $200,000 for the program, and because only half of the money was loaned, the city decided to end the program and use the
The program was less than successful, as it didn't get the needed response from homeowners. And officials have said the chances of another such program are slim.
The rest of the surplus money came from home-maintenance programs for the poverty stricken. Bids for work on pipelines and home
weatherization were lower than authorities expected, resulting in surplus money.
The money from both areas was provided by the federal government in the form of Community Development Block Grants, given to cities to fight poverty and urban blight.
The Community Development Block Grant Advisory Board recommended that about $65,000 of the money be used to resurface East 15th Street.
The board also recommended that the rest of the money be given to the poor as loans.
in the loan program, low-income home owners can take up to $18,000 and use it for home repairs. If they continue to live in that home for seven years, they don't have to pay the loan back.
Authorities estimate that the surplus money for the loan program will be spent in about five months, with about 10 impoverished families benefiting.
The CD board's recommendations for the left-over money are not final, however. The city must first conduct a public hearing and then vote on the uses. The federal government has no say in
The use of the funds to resurface East 15th Street can be justified. Although the street is not in terrible shape, nearly every street in town needs resurfacing.
But work on low-income housing contradicts sound business practices. It may give some work to a few construction firms, building a health club next to my house would also do that.
And beyond giving work to a few people in construction, the program provides little direct community benefit. People would enjoy my health club more than private housing repair.
The program might, however, be tolerable if those taking funds were asked to pay back loans at reasonable interest rates. The city could then keep the profit and return the grant money to the federal government for use in social programs in other cities.
we go beyond the call of duty with this loan program. Lawrence has given — not loaned — too much to its poor. And although the city cannot be
If we're to waste $200,000, let's waste it properly, for the benefit of the whole.
blamed for trying to get as many federal dollars as it can, it should eliminate such misuse.
But since the city seems bent on giving the money away, it would seem reasonable that the town, or a majority of it, should benefit.
My scheme, then, is more reasonable. Those who need wood for their fires could tear down my house.
Construction crews could erect the club and tennis court with the surplus money, and Lawrence residents could then use the building to improve their bodies, at a small charge, of course.
impraise their bodies. This work must begin. Let's think of the community at large. If we're to waste $200,000 let's waste it properly, for the benefit of the whole
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Don't park there
To the editor:
Everyone, it seems, has their own version of a story that has in it the line, "I was only parked there for a few minutes, but when I came out I had a ticket." If you have any reason to worry about getting a ticket of your own, you may be able to benefit from this bit of advice:
If you don't have a parking sticker for Alumni Place parking lots (behind The Wheel and a few other places), don't park there.
The trouble is that the users of the lot are organizing to get KUDP and Parking Services to ticket and possibly soot cars that do not belong in the lot. A few have even offered to help give the tickets.
Right now there are not many tickets given there—only four that I know in recent history, and those were all on cars in the fire lane. But the people who have paid $2.50 to park in AP lots are getting tired of not being able to find a parking place.
So take this as advice from a friend: For the next few days until things get organized, it may still be safe to park behind the Wheel, but not for long. Probably within a week the tickets will be out in force, and it will be time for people without stickers to stop parking there.
Then where are you supposed to park? I do not know. Ask some of the people with AP stickers where they were helping to fill up their lot. You were helping to fill up their lot.
Donald H. Burke Fayette, Mo., senior
To the editor:
Deciding what to fight for
Since my 18th birthday, I've been a victim of intimidation by the U.S. government. I was told that if I failed to register for military service I would possibly face both $10,000 fine and five years in prison.
To the editor.
For the last five years I've been selling my conscience to pay for my freedom, but I've decided that I can no longer live with this. I believe that free men and women should have the right to decide for themselves what causes they are willing to fight for.
In draft registration I see a sign of future military conscription, and I refuse to be used to enforce the will of the U.S. government. I have lost all confidence in the wisdom and morality of our government. Some reasons for this are:
1) the military overthrow of the Allende government in Chile in 1973, which had possibly initiated by our government.
was able to pass away 2) our support of cruel governments with no respect for human rights, such as (1975) the United Nations, South Africa, etc.
as El Salvador, Guatemala, South Africa, etc.3 the fact that of the 371 treaties the United States negotiated and ratified with the American Indian nations, all 371 have been violated, broken, ignored or otherwise abrogated by the United States.4
In response to Helaine Kaskel's "Down-starers" commentary, University Daily Kansan, Jan 12, I would like to point out that I stare at the ground only to check it for treacherous terrain.
This is not a grievance dug up from the past. The American Indian nations are still suffering today as a result of our shameful actions. 4) the continued and, thanks to the Reagan administration, increasing secrecy which conceals from the people what our government has done or is doing. This includes the virtual gutting of the Freedom of Information Act.
Ed Stamm
These are not rare mistakes, but symptoms of a deep sickness. As a man of peace and a man of conscience, I cannot allow my tacit consent to make these outrages possible. I urge not only my fellow Americans, but also my fellow human beings, especially those in the Soviet Union, to say "no" to their governments and help bring an end to this madness.
Ed Stamm Lawrence graduate
Checking terrain
Stamm said Monday that he had also sent a copy of his letter to the Selective Service.
otherwise, I am continually scanning my surroundings inspecting suspicious-looking pedestrians and drivers, and gathering data for any necessary course changes.
I do, however, sympathize with those individuals who cannot prevent the ground from staring at them. It no longer eyes me constantly for I allowed it once to see a bit deeper into me than it wanted, and now it fears me.
Helaine mentions those "fervenglances that dart away just as one is about to catch a full gaze." I have sat long periods in front of a mirror trying to see why no one looks into my eyes for more than a split second; but my reflection almost imperceptibly defies the physics and imagery in the eyes, therefore, I cannot confirm it, but I believe it is for the same reason the ground dreads to look upon me — my eyes themselves reflect the unholy anger desperately swelling inside me which is soon, very soon I hope, going to escape.
Doug Humphreys Great Bend senior
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