OPINION
The University Daily KANSAN October 5, 1983 Page 4
The University Daily KANSAN
Published since 1889 by students of the University of Kansas
The University Daily Kansas (USDN 60640) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Staircase-Finn Hall, Lawrence, KA 60045, daily during the regular school year and at Monday and Thursday during the school week. Subscriptions are $15 for six months or $27 a month in Degrisca County and $14 for six months or $3 for any outside the county. Student subscriptions are $13 per semester that you pay at Degrisca County and $19 for Masters/Post-Master. Send your proof of payment to Lawrence, KA 60045, Lawrence Hall, Lawrence, KA.
MARK ZIEMAN
Editor
DOUG CUNNINGHAM STEVE CUSICK
Managing Editor Editorial Author
MICHAEL ROBINSON Campus Editor
ANN HORNBERGER Business Manager
LYNNE STARK
Campus Sales Manager
JOIN OBERIZAN
Advertising Advisor
PAUL JESS
General Manager and News Adviser
DAVE WANAMAKER
Retail Sales
Manager
MARK MEARS
National Sales
Manager
Nobody's talking
Something seems amiss in the Douglas County district attorney's office, but nobody will say what it is.
Three assistant district attorneys resigned this week, one of them saying that the three resigning at one time "speaks for itself."
That's not much to go on. District Attorney Jerry Harper said that the resignations were a jolt but that such resignations were not uncommon among prosecutors.
The resignations remain a mystery.
"We may never decide to give you any specific reasons," said Harry Warren, one of those who resigned. "None of us want to make Jerry out to be a bad person."
However, Harper said that he had met with the three Monday and that they had discussed disagreements
over office policies and procedures But he wouldn't be more specific.
The three who quit Monday aren't the first to resign under Harper — all together, seven assistant district attorneys have quit since he became prosecuting attorney a little more than a year ago. That only reinforces the suspicion that all is not rosy in the district attorney's office.
The latest resignations come shortly after a highly publicized feud between Harper and Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan over the state's method of destroying marijuana crops. The exchange appeared to be little more than political wrangling.
Yes, something seems amiss. But whether there is a problem and whether it is of a political or a personal nature, nobody is saying.
A fateful decision?
"Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home. She dreamt to-night she saw my statue, Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it."
Just as the speaker of the above eloquent statement is well known, so too was his fate - Julius Caesar chose to disregard his wife's premonition, and was killed on the steps of the Senate House.
This famous tragedy is not without its parallels in history. Scholars report that a week before his assassination, Abraham Lincoln dreamed that he was walking through the silent White House, following the sound of sobbing. When he came to the East Room, he saw a catafale draped in black. "Who is dead?" he asked. A guard replied: "The President."
Other similar incidents are recorded by historians from all ages, and concern kings, prophets and politicians. There are authors who maintain that John Kennedy ignored a premonition of death when he traveled to Dallas in 1963.
A ghoulish topic, this. But interesting, nevertheless. For several weeks, President Reagan has refused to cancel his trip to the Philippines, despite increased pressure from aides that the trip would be far too dangerous because of the growing political unrest faced by Ferdinand Marcos.
But the greatest pressure to drop the Manila stopover came from Nancy Reagan, who, in a rare case of publicly disagreeing with her husband, said she feared his life would be in danger. A recent news report quoted the first lady as admitting she has lost a great deal of weight during the last few months because of such worries, dropping from a dress size of 6 to one of 2.
Was Mrs. Reagan's concern sparked by a dream, or from the assassination attempt on her husband? Most likely we'll never know. But we do know that Reagan has canceled his trip, and in at least this instance, a leader has put aside his pride and determination for the sake of safety and the concerns of his family.
One dim light bulb
24
He looks like a light bulb. But when you turn him on nothing bright happens.
James Watt, this country's Interior Secretary, has been making a buffoon of the position since his 1980 appointment.
He's an Earl Butz without hair.
He's an Earl Butz without hair. He thinks the way to be a big hit is to hit on people. Butz felt the same way. He was soon sent home. Watt should follow suit.
making statements that embarrass his administration. The president, whether you agree or disagree with his policy, is nonetheless fully involved with the Middle East, Central America, the economy, unemployment, his standing with women, Hispanics and every Democrat in America. His time should not be spent pulling the covers over his head because one of his department heads can't open his mouth without putting in his foot.
Reagan should not have to worry about members of his cabinet
—Claremont (N.H.) Eagle Times
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 also invites individuals to submit great columns. Columns and letters can be mailed or brought to the Kanason office, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kanason reserves the right to edit or reject letters and columns.
LETTERS POLICY
THE DETROIT FREE PRESS
©1983 BY THE TRIBUNE COMPANY
Come to the fair
From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in the Ballroom of the Kansas Union, the University of Kansas will have an Academic Fair — and I'd like to invite all KU students to attend.
Traditionally, a fair was a gathering held regularly in a central location to provide an opportunity for residents of a village, town or county to see what goods were available to them throughout the community. And the Academic Fair has a similarly serious purpose. It will be a gathering of representatives from KU departments, undergraduate programs and professional schools in a central location to provide an opportunity for students to see what courses, programs, majors and degrees are available throughout the academic community.
RANDA
DUBNICK
Guest Columnist
The Academic Fair is designed, in general, to help students take a more active and informed role in advising and, in particular, to help students prepare for advising so they can make the most of their early-enrollment advising sessions, which will begin at the end of October.
discipline.
Obviously, the Academic Fair would benefit students who have not decided on a major. It would also benefit students who have selected a major but want to get ideas about courses to fill basic requirements
If you are an undergraduate at KU, come to the Academic Fair. Come to talk to representatives from more than 70 academic disciplines.
GUEST COLUMN
Choosing well means making an informed choice. The villagers who attended the early fairs knew the wisdom of seeing a wide range of possibilities before choosing. Making the right selections has a lasting effect on a student's mind and life and warrants consideration. I believe that the greatest danger to a student's education is the tendency to choose to learn only what is already familiar and safe, a tendency that can lead to too narrow a view of the world, to a constricted intellectual life.
KU offers many choices, and choosing well is very important.
I hope that you will come to the fair and see for yourself the range of possibilities available at KU. I hope that you will come to the Academic Fair to explore — if you already have selected a major.
Randa Dahnick is coordinator for academic counseling in the office of academic affairs.
Take a chance. Come to the fair.
Capital slows to a halt on Friday afternoons
WASHINGTON — In most ways the U.S. Senate is a unique body, but it shares a share few characteristics with less prominent groups, including the TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) syndrome.
Like office workers, store clerks,
construction workers, doctors and
business executives, senators are
prove to view Friday afternoon as a
chance to make an impact on laborers
and, if at all possible, make an
early departure for home.
Senate Republican leader Howard Baker was reminded of that fact one
ROBERT SHEPARD
United Press International
recent Friday afternoon when the Senate was stumbling its way through consideration of the State Department authorization bill.
As is usual when he is off the floor attending to other business, Baker was keeping one ear tuned to a small speaker in his office where he is able to follow the floor door movements and catch problems that might require his attention.
At the time, Sen. James McClure, R-Ildaho, was speaking for an amendment concerning the Soviet Union's compliance with arms control agreements. During a pause, Senate Democratic leader Robert Byrd rose to offer an amendment that would put the Senate on record as early as the closing of Interior James Watt, thereby threatening to open a new debate when several senators had already left for the day.
a few moments later, Baker
arrived on the floor, saying it "suddenly dawned" on him that the Senate was no longer talking about the State Department bill.
"I think what is going on is Friday afternoon, and I think that what I have said so many times has proven once more true ... there is not a mate to work with." A man told the Senate do something it does not want to do. Baker said
Baker then proceeded to undo the tangle that began to develop when Byrd offered his amendment to McClure's amendment. In short order he was able to clear the way for the Senate to drop consideration of the State Department authorization bill until the following week and enable all senators to begin their weekend.
The House, it should be noted, has a similar aversion to working Friday after noons.
Weekends clearly are important to members of Congress, and one of the most chilling threats Baker or House Speaker Thomas O'Neill can make to their respective chambers is of a business session on Saturday.
The threat alone usually is enough to whip the recalcitrant members into line and allow business to be completed before the weekend.
Perhaps more than average citizens, members of Congress value their weekends because they often must fly back to their home states or districts to deal with matters there or to campaign for re-election.
That is a fact that Senate and House leaders, such as Baker, must live with.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
China Dav unrelated to Taiwan's independence
To the Editor
This letter is in response to several misleading and inaccurate statements concerning the China Day celebration sponsored by the Chinese Students Association. Particularly, the reporter said that China Day commemorates "Taiwan's independence from the Ching Dynasty." Actually, this celebration commemorates the establishment of the Republic of China in mainland China by the founding father of modern China, Sun Yat-Sen.
Sun formed the Nationalist Party, the leadership of which was assumed by Chang Kai-Shek upon Sun's death. Ching was forced to withdraw from the party after an unsuccessful civil war against the Communist Chinese.
The original government of China, under the original flag of Sun's Republic of China, currently exists as a government in exile on the Chinese mainland to do with China. Day has nothing to do with the "independence of Taiwan."
The significance of the modern celebration of China Day is twofold. First, it is a celebration of independence from the Manchurian Ching Dynasty and the "eight power foreign alliance," which dominated mainland China in the latter half of the 19th century.
Secondly, and more importantly, it is a celebration and reaffirmation of the continuing freedom of the Chinese people of the Republic of
China, in spite of the near threat of communism. On this day the people of free China remember that they represent the last hope of freedom to their countrymen on the mainland.
It should be clear that Chinese students from the Republic of China (Taiwan) are Chinese, not "Taiwanese," and it is inaccurate and insensitive to continually refer to them as "Taiwanese."
David W. McClure Lawrence law student
Ad was offensive To the Editor:
large advertisement for Coors beer.
The ad featured a woman in a bathing suit with the words "The Best of the Rockies Is Yours" printed below the picture. We fail to see any connection between the presence of the woman and the product. What is this ad trying to say?
In Thursday's Kansan there was a
We find this ad offensive, degrading and indirectly supportive of attitudes that can lead to violence against women. We hope the Kansan will use more discretion and taste in bringing its advertisements in the future.
Directly above the ad was the continuation of a front-page story concerning a recent rape that occurred on campus. With more and more of this violence happening all around us, one would hope that the Kansan could find better ads than those that exploit women by ignoring them as persons and presenting them only as physical bodies to be leared at.
M. Mazur
Secretaries, department of chemistry
Peace park is appropriate
Foghorn Leghorn
Perhaps, it would be more appropriate to establish a peace memorial or a peace park. Such a park could have gardens and a fountain where people could sit and reflect upon the continuing problem of war and on how to resolve conflicts peacefully.
To the Editor:
To the EIGHT:
The proposed KU Vietnam war memorial is an interesting idea that should be expanded. It must be remembered that more than 2 million men, women and children were killed in that horrible war. These people should be remembered along with those KU students who served in Vietnam.
reserve battlefield to contain a plaque listing the names of those KU students who seized in Vietnam and a plaque memorializing the 2 million who were killed, Hiroshima, Japan, established a peace memorial park after World War II in memory of the 200,000 people killed by the atomic blast of 1945.
C. Henry Coan 643 Tennessee St.
A similar peace park in Lawrence would remind people that lasting peace is possible. After all, until people start thinking about working for peace, KU students will continue to die in wars and be remembered in memorial after memorial.
To the Editor:
I don't know where the steroid-fed chicken that you call the weatherbird came from, but I wish it would return immediately. Granted, the old Jayhawk did not always match the weather, but at least it looked as if it came from the University of Kansas, and not a research lab at that vo-tech school up the river.
If you are worried about the money that you wasted to get this new version of our mascot, I have a suggestion: Try selling it to the Kansas State Collegian. I'm sure you'll be very great fun with "Chickenhawk."
Finally, don't worry about impressing all the "Foghorn Leghorn" fans of this campus, let them watch the cartoon in sound and color every day.
Scott Long Cunningham senior