KANSAN COMMENT
Larger Meaning In Regents' Code
"8. Persons having a formal association with any of our state educational institutions shall not use profane and vulgar language, nor conduct himself in a rude and challenging behavior in or upon any of the institutional properties, including residence halls and fraternity and sorority residences."
—Kansas Board of Regents Code of Conduct
At a cursory glance, this edict from the thorn in the side of Strong Hall, seems to be just another picayune threat to keep the Governor and Henry Bubb satiated. But, as is usually true, a larger meaning lies veiled under a blanket of political placebos.
This resolution seems to give the regents power to suspend any student, faculty member or employee of the university who writes or says anything, that is in the Regents thinking "vulgar or profane." In fact, the Regents have reportedly already exercised this resolution of dubious legality.
The Oread Daily, a single-page sheet that expresses everything but regents dogma, is currently under pressure from the Regents for sprinkling its pages with what polite people call "four letter words."
The status of the daily pends a decision by the regents. One student connected with the paper says that he wishes to test the legality of the regents resolution in court, but that the staff does not want to lose publication time to an injunction before a court test.
Drawing the resolution to its wildest conclusions, scores of painfully ridiculous situations materialize from the miasma of this inept stab at policing/coercing the wayward students of a campus that, Governor Docking has vowed, will never close again to the demands of a vocal minority.
Picture a football coach cowering under the resolution, telling his team at half time, "Okay you guys, I don't give a gosh-darn what you do, but you'd better win this dagnabbed game." What would a Hoffman/Krassner speaking on campus do if he was forced to sling slogans about the war such as, "Fudge the War" or "Off the nasty pigs?"
What is most disturbing about this resolution is that, in a time when the University most needs a rational, perceptive, intelligent ear and ally in Topeka, it is handed threats and counter-threats from a politician who has vowed to rock some political boats if the campus is not placid, as a campus should be in a political year, and who has just the followers to do the rooking.
A precedent has been set. Any campus publication that feels it must quote obscenities verbatim for authenticity must now weigh its freedom to print and to speak as guaranteed in the Bill of Rights against the regents' threat of expulsion for non-compliance.
The resolution obviously can not be enforced to the letter, and in every situation in which the law is transgressed, so one can expect selective enforcement. The regents have given themselves the power to arbitrarily censure with no basis in other than their own edict.
A passage from Joseph Heller's brutal book, "Catch-22" is cut from the same cloth as the frustrating resolution. In this passage, the pilot screams to the bombardier, Yossarian, "Help him! Help him!" Yossarian asks, "who?" The pilot says "Help the bombardier!" Yossarian screams back that he is the bombardier and he is fine. The pilot screams "Then help him!" The university has been screaming it is fine, and the Regents just keep shouting, more insistantly, "Help him! Help him! . . ."
—Tom Slaughter
Here's Full Code of Conduct...
Adopted July 10,1970
WHEREAS, the State Board of Regents has heretofore adopted certain resolutions pertaining to the participation by students, faculty members and employees in activities at our state educational institutions designed to and which do disrupt the normal and ordinary process of education and training offered by each of our state educational institutions; and
WHEREAS, the State Board of Regents now deems it desirable and expedient to supplement such resolutions by adopting certain regulations relating to and governing the conduct and actions of students, faculty members and employees at our educational institutions.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the state Board of Regents, that the following supplemental regulations be adopted and approved relating to and governing the activities of students, faculty members and employees at the state educational institutions of our state. to-wit:
1. While we again reaffirm our position that our institutions should be committed to protection of free speech, freedom of assembly, and the right of lawful protest, we are equally committed to the task of maintaining the peace and safety of the campuses, with full knowledge that the rights of our students and institutions are in jeopardy when violence and civil disorder prevail over law and reason, and therefore a person having any association with any of our state educational institutions may participate in or have any association with any demonstration at any of the institutions under the control of the Board of Regents only when such activities do not exceed the bounds of free assembly and lawful advocacy.
2. Persons participating in a demonstration shall not engage in any unlawful acts which cause or imminently threaten injury to persons or property, or which in anyway obstructs or interferes with the normal and necessary activities of an institution.
3. Persons having a formal association with any of our state educational institutions shall not engage in conduct that unreasonably obstructs teaching, research and learning.
4. Persons having a formal association with any of our state educational institutions shall not unreasonably obstruct free access to members or guests of any of the institutions or to any of the institutional buildings.
5. Persons having a formal association with any of our state educational institutions shall not damage institutional property or injure members or guests of the institution.
6. Persons having a formal association with any of our state educational institutions shall not disobey the general rules of conduct of the university or of the regulations promulgated by the State Board of Regents.
7. Persons having a formal association with any of our state educational institutions shall not cause any disturbance or breach of the peace or in anywhere violate any of the rules and regulations of residence halls or other places or in any building in which students or faculty members assemble.
8. Persons having a formal association with any of our state educational institutions shall not use profane and vulgar language, nor conduct himself in a rude and challenging behavior in or upon any of the institutional properties, including residence halls and fraternity and sorority residences.
The Board reaffirms its position heretofore taken in that the chief administrative officer of each of our state educational institutions shall be expected to take such action as is necessary to carry out the purport of the rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Regents or any employees of the respective institutions by suspension or other disciplinary action as appropriate, such to be in accordance with procedures established within each institution for the government of students, faculty members and other employees.
9. The term "formal association" as used in these regulations shall mean enrolled students, faculty members and other employees.
In order to insure due process any student, faculty member or other employee suspended, or who might receive other disciplinary action on the grounds of violating any of the premises of this resolution, as well as all other rules and regulations established by the Board of Regents, and also those established by the institutions, shall have at his or her discretion the right of the review of the action by the governing board constituted at each institution to handle disciplinary matters.
Congress Stumped By Its Own Deeds
By DANIEL RAPOPORT UPI Writer
WASHINGTON—Pornography and nerve gas should have taught Congress a lesson—but they probably haven't.
Both subjects illustrate how Congress can become agitated over its own action or inaction.
For years, the House and Senate paid virtually no attention to the Pentagon's Chemical and Biological Warfare (CBW) program. It was one of those activities that rested on a standing authorization. At appropriations time each year, Congress had a chance to look at it, but little came out publicly.
Appropriations subcommittees in the House and Senate took testimony, usually in secret, from CBW officials along with scores of other defense witnesses.
The subject rarely was given more than a few pages in volumes of testimony. Little was said about CBW on the floor and virtually never did anyone offer amendments affecting the cost of the program or the storage, transportation, and use of CBW weapons.
In spring 1969, Rep. Richard D. McCarthy, D.-N.Y., learned of and publicized army plans to transport tons of obsolete poison gas—including nerve gas—across the country for burial at sea.
A storm of protest arose from communities along the planned route as well as from conservationists and others. Scores of congressmen normally friendly to the military joined in loud complaints and excoriated the Army.
Under that kind of pressure the Army cancelled the operation and found other means to dispose of most of the gas.
Recently the Army dumped into the sea that portion of the nerve gas that could, it contended, not be detoxified at its southern sites. The burial took place despite protests and criticism—this time from many Dixie congressmen who consider themselves pro-military.
Pornography is not as clear an example of congressional neglect's turning into congressional ire, but it is working its way up.
Three years ago, Congress approved legislation establishing a presidential commission to study virtually all aspects of pornography, with orders to report what it found and to recommend what to do about the flood of smut.
The commission has been working busily and next month is expected to announce its findings. A draft of the report has been prepared and makes it clear that a majority of the commission feels that ill effects of pornography have been overrated. The draft suggests that the best solution lies in abolishing laws that deny such materials to adults who want them.
It proposes enacting or retaining laws keeping pornography from adults who do not want it thrust upon them and from children whose parents do no want them exposed to it.
Early congressional reaction to the report ranges from mild outrage to apoplexy. Lawmakers have been roasting the commission. As they do so, one cannot help but observe that the commission's principal crime has been doing only what the Congress asked it to do—study pornography.
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