CAMPUS AND AREA
University Daily Kansan, October 25, 1983
2
Page 6
30 protesters stage demonstration in front of Union
By GINA K. THORNBURG Staff Reporter
About 30 people participated in a 'die-in' in front of the Kansas Union yesterday to protest the scheduled stationing of Pershing-2 missiles in Europe.
About 30 protesters staged a demonstration yesterday in front of the Kansas Union to show their support for the abortion rights movement, organizers of the demonstration said.
The protesters wore skull masks, carried signs 'and participated in a "die-in" outside the Union to protest the scheduled distribution in December of Pershing 2 missiles in Europe. The rally was also in protest to the stance of the supreme commander of the NATO military forces in Europe, U.S. Army Gen. Bernard W. Rogers, who will speak at 8 tonight in the Union.
"I'd rather die symbolically before I do for real from nuclear weapons," said Richard Seibel, Lawrence senior who participated in the protest.
ABOUT 100 STUDENTS gathered around the rally in front of the Union as the masked protesters organized them to the slow, constant beat of a drum.
Some passers-by in the lunchtime crowd shouted obscenities at the protesters. "Get to class!" a passer-by said.
Other observers of the demonstration were not as outspoken. Members of the KU police department, dressed in suits, took the lead and participated while monitoring the demonstration.
John Courtney, a captain in the KU police department, said that the cameras deterred people from becoming violent because the demonstrators less likely to get out of hand if they take their photographs were being taken.
"a crowd situation, there's a lot of
people who think they're anonymous."
he said, and are more likely to become violent.
INSTEAD OF BECOMING violent,
the protesters yesterday pretended to
demonstrate.
The organizers of the group said they were supporting efforts of peace activists in Europe and were trying to demonstrate that people at KU were concerned about distribution of the Pershing 2 missiles.
Tara Edwards, Lawrence senior, said before the die-in that because Rogers was the supreme commander of the American forces in Europe, he was "compiring to commit acts to plan to destroy the human race."
"I think the primary purpose of this
rally is to stand together in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Europe and with the people all over the world to stop the spread of the threat of nuclear war," she said.
Kai Derr, Dusseldorf, West Germany, sophomore, who has also participated in peace movements in his homeland, said that many of his countrymen were afraid of the instillment of "Euromissiles" on West German soil
"They think, 'I'm either going to get tied by the Americans or fried by the French.'"
HE SAID HE HOPED that the United States and the Soviet Union could reach an agreement.
Reduction Talks in Geneva, Switzerland.
During the protest, Rhonda Neugebauer, Lawrence graduate student, and Charlie Barnes, Oklahoma City senior, run up to the lectern in mock gestures. He is standing and pretended to represent the proponents of nuclear arms buildup.
shouted above the din of the cries of protesters who posed as hecklers.
Neugubauer said she was pretending to be the supreme commander for "Young Americans for Missiles" to represent a position taken by some in support of the deployment of the missiles in Europe.
Barnes, dressed in army green with two small pink pins pinned to his jacket, the other in a black vest.
"I think we can win a limited nuclear war," Barnes shouted. "We got to beat them."
STILL POSING AS Rogers, Barnes pounded on the lectern to emphasize his statement. "We're infallible. We don't make mistakes!"
As he pounded, he accidentally pushed an imaginary nuclear war button designated by a piece of paper with a red circle drawn on it. The crowd of protesters screamed and mowed and then pretended to die.
As the protesters lay on the ground, covered by their signs and their skull masks, Edwards read a passage from the Bible: "And not His Gun" to the hushed protesters.
"We are the living and we will not be destroyed." Edwards said.
AFTER THE RALLY Barnes said. "We're not protesting Rogers so much as his position — what he represents.
"The production of nuclear weapons is taking its toll on this country. Social services are being cut, and the actual impact of nuclear weapons is contaminating the land."
At least one observer of the activists' demonstration thought the activities were unlawful.
"I'm glad they are doing it," said Rich Kaufman of Kansas City. Mo. "I wish there were 500 students instead of 100.
"I watched these kinds of demonstrations during the Vietnam War and they really made a difference. They'll have a U.S. policy if there are enough of them."
But he said he thought that if police continued to photograph demonstrations, people would be discouraged from participating.
Eye doctor's tax oversight earns rebate
By JOHN HANNA Staff Reporter
A Lawrence optometrist is more than $2,000 richer because he found an error in his county taxes.
The Douglas County appraiser's office collected taxes twice on a leased instrument in 1981 and 1982, which required a $2. will receive a rebate of $2.021.60.
The county commission approved the rebate at its meeting yesterday. Don Gordon, county appraiser, said he had returned a large amount such a large amount
Stebbins blamed himself for the error He is leasing the instrument, an automated refractor, from the Warner Leasing Co. of Chicago.
Under the leasing agreement, he was supposed to pay the county taxes that the company would have had to pay. However, he also mistakenly listed the item in his personal business statement
"With a business, there are so many bills coming in and so many checks going out, that sometimes you never tie the two together," he
GORDON SAID THAT the error was not caught by his office because the equipment also was listed in different ways. Borg Warner listed them, and they were under the brand name, and Stebbins listed it as an auto-refractor.
SORORITY RUSH INFORMATION MEETING
Find out about the alternative of sorority life and how to register for the formal membership program
7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 27, 1983 Kansas Union Ballroom
`disregard the time and date mentioned in the SUA calendar`
When you're in a tight spot, good friends will help you out.
When you pulled in two hours ago, you didn't have this problem. And with a party just starting the last thing you wanted to do was wait around another two hours.
Neither did the rest of the guys So when they offered to give you a lift, that's exactly what they did, proving not only that they were in good shape, but that they were good friends.
So show them what appreciation is all about. Tonight, let it be Löwenbrau.
Löwenbräu. Here's to good friends.
© 1983 Beer Brewed in U.S.A by Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, WI