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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1951
Thought for the Day
Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it. -Thomas Jefferson.
The Editorial Page-
Storm In Legislature Over Sexy Bees And Snake Books
We see in the Topeka Daily Capital that the upper chamber of the Kansas senate approved, by unanimous vote, a resolution calling for a legislative council study of state publications. The resolution was introduced by Sen. Will Beck of Holton who expressed the belief that quite a little of the printing could be eliminated without harm. The Daily Capital reported Senator Beck's remarks as follows:
"Our desks during his session are mute evidence of many unnecessary pulifications," the Holton newspaper publisher said, pointing to stacks of booklets and pamphlets. 'Sex Life of Honey Bee'
"This goes on during the interim between sessions, too. I recently received a copy of Kansas Snakes and Reptiles,' a booklet about an inch thick. I realized its need since repeat, but I still thought the state could have done without it. I also received a pamphlet on 'The Sex Life of the Honey Bee,' which interested me very much but was of doubtful value."
Unfortunately, we could not find a copy of "Sex Life of the Honey Bee," but we did find a copy of "Snakes and Reptiles of Kansas," which is a K.U. publication compiled by the Museum of Natural History. Except for the fact that the book's correct title is "Amphibians and Reptiles of Kansas" we are forced to agree with Senator Beck's statement concerning its value.
We suspect the good legislator changed the word "Amphibians' fo "Snakes" so that he might have a little joke about prohibition. No self-respecting herpetologist would be caught dead using such redundancy
However, the senator missed a good bet by ignoring the section of the book which describes the preservation of snakes. To preserve a snake, you immerse it in a solution 75 per cent alcohol. At this strength, any lively, imaginative snake must begin to see human beings.
Aside from showing the peculiarly repulsive qualities of snakes, the book points out some interesting facts. For instance, did you know that any snake "more than 16 inches long may be capable of giving a painful bite, and therefore some precaution against them may be desired?" May we suggest that first you make darn sure your ruler is correct.
Also: "horned lizards are reluctant to bite, although they do have a peculiar protective device of squirting blood from their eyes upon occasion when alarmed." This is roughly analogous to the specie homo sapiens' ability to discourage a conversation by opening a bleary eye on the morning after.
A complicated mixture of food to feed frogs is carefully documented. Then with true reptilian humor the book says, "This mixture tempts few frogs to jump for it, but there are exceptions, mainly bullfrogs." The implication here, as we see it, is that these bullfrogs are of the hungry, jumping variety.
The matter of the "Sex Life of the Honey Bee" must be approached in a more restrained manner. Any Kinsey report that must be made with the aid of a magnifying-glass suggest certain puns. And puns we don't do.
If the state legislature decides to cut the appropriation for the publication of these scientific studies, we hope they will hold off until we get our eagerly-awaited copy of the "Mating habits of the Duck-billed Platypus." E.J.C.
As a matter of F.A.C.T.S., it looks like we'll have to send the Greeks more aid.
Upstream In Question
Dear Editor:
It is revealing that the magazine Upstream, whose purpose "is to present some of the best writing coming from workshop groups and the K.U. student body at large . . . ," should contain in its February Brotherhood Month issue two stories that have nothing but insults directed against the Negro people.
One of these stories, Black Fisher, is a section from a novel by Alex Moodie. Not only does the author use a derogatory term for the Negro people throughout the story, but his descriptions are full of vicious and slanderous phrases. The following are typical: "The n----r sat hunched as dormant as a vulgar old buzzard . . ;;" "It wasn't a n-----r's face, just because it was dark brown, like an old catalpa-tree leaf; for its features weren't thick and squatted."
The other offensive story, The Handkerchief, is by John Nesselhof. Here the story does not center about a Negro but we find such false stereotypes as a Negro who "shuffles" and an adult Negro, a "boy" who wears "Bright cheap clothes . . . ."
The press and radio this week have been lavish with words about democracy and brotherhood, and exhorting us to stop spreading prejudicial ideas and bigotry. I am sure the editors of Upstream do not understand the meaning of these words.
George Rendina Graduate Student.
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RISK'S 613 Vermont
Yesteryears
Reds Start Drive
(From UDK. Jan. 21. 1920)
[From UDK, Jan. 21, 1920.
A terrific spring offensive by the Bolshevski against the Poles is expected by the military experts.
They believe this drive will be calculated to annihilate Poland as the "buffer state" between Red Russia and the non-soviet nations of Europe permitting Trotsky's hordes to advance into them.
Simultaneous with the offensive military experts expect the Bolshevki to stage a major demonstration against India which will force the British to direct their troops to that area, and prevent them from intervening in Europe.
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