4
Monday, October 11, 1971
University Daily Kansan
KANSAN comment
Editorials, columns and letters published on this page reflect only the opinions of the writers.
Genocide in Pakistan
The statistics of the tragedy of East Pakistan are overwhelming and most frightening.
Officials predict that by the end of the year over 12 million East Pakistani will have fled their homes to the northern provinces of India. That is roughly six times the population of the state of Kansas.
Twelve million people without homes, often separated from their families and without any visible support. India has assumed the burden, bbut cannot be expected to do so much longer, as she has serious agricultural and social problems of her own.
Each day 41,000 refugees cross the border to India. The effect would be similar if every resident of Lawrence were told he must leave town tomorrow and take only what he could carry on his back.
Estimates put the number of deaths from cholera alone at about 6,000. As conditions worsen,
mounting deaths from disease and malnutrition can be expected.
The refugees, mostly Hindus, are fleeing their homeland from the troops of General Yahya Khan. The East Pakistan guerrillas, known as known desperate battles with government troops and taking heavy losses.
The United States' official position is, in light of the moral consideration, one of sad indefensibility. The United States refuses to halt economic aid to the Khan government, thinking that while we still have the economic ties we have the leverage. If that leverage does in fact exist, the Nixon administration has apparently shied from using it.
Continued assistance to the Khan government can only be considered condensation and contribution to the development of a secure side of the people of East Pakistan.
Tom Slaughter
More Reader Response
Stouffer Story Vilified
To the Editor:
Do not ask me to take another interview, because I will never submit to it. I am angry, and I don't want to be pressured concerning the article about the managership of Stouffer which ran in the UDK on Friday, Oct. 17.
The fact that the entire article wanders far from what Mr. Downing and I actually said does not disturb me too greatly as the
general tone of the article is correct, but what infuriates me is the sentence which reads, "It's important to catch people with their pets."
I commented to Mr. Bick that telling people they must get rid of their pets is the hardest and most distasteful part of the job. I dread doing this and don't find it. "In addition to catch people" in the least.
Mr. Downing and I work hard
Reader Response
This article is an example of irresponsible and damaging journalism.
Rosemarie Downing
Resident Manager
26-8 Stouffer Place
Activity Fees
To the Editor:
Having been entertained by the UDK a multitude of times during his career, he called upon to offer entertainment in return, in the form of
Gay Lib Debate Rages On
Student senators are swayed by similar personal prejudices and constituency demands, as are our U.S. Congressmen. Should the senate vote for a minority struggle against sexual discrimination, when the expressed opinions of students who are opposed to such support? Or should the senators (those in attendance, at least) follow the dictates of their own consciences on this burning issue, or money to an unpopular cause?
Considering that student activity fees amount to nearly half a million dollars, I am appalled at the cavalier manner displayed in their public statements. Student senate is even less representative of the student body than the U.S. Congress is of course. The senators were elected by a majority vote of a pitiful small minority. Every student is forced to attend a University, but no one is required to contribute any further participation. In the same way, the American people pay taxes and work for President of these United States. GROUPS WHICH request senate funding are certainly a minority, and represent an active minority, in comparison to the apathetic majority. In five or ten years these apathetic students will be the "silent-middle-America-major." Some of these students were stirred out of school by a Nile river fund or not to fund "the Gay Liberation Front. The 'hardials' of the nation became voiceless and physically "dogenerates destroying America." The parallel reactions are pitiful, yet the frustrations even more so, when those actions are even more so.
Congressmen have been faced with similar decisions. The answer, in varying forms, is popular opinion (or non-opinion). In some cases an active minority has obtained civil rights and protections for "big business" (money talks) companies who exploit millions of consumers from their profits.
DOES THE GAY Liberation办公室 "deserves" students' money or the theatre, or films, or any of the myriad student organizations and activities (including the UDK theater) managed by some students and participated in by some students, and enjoyed only by some
At the risk of sedum, I can also question uses of taxpayers' money by the federal government, deserves citizen's money? Do subsidized farmers or welfare mothers, or defense systems, or the United Nations, or oligans, or receiving foreign aid, or Congress?
The list is endless—both in length and conflict—but by now it is visually to the point of absurdity.
The University of Kansas is not wholly the ivory tower it's cracked into; but to be it does not give shelter to unworthy, secluded scholars who are insulated from reality. It is, instead, a very real representation of the economic, social and political processes to which we seem doomed participants. The university represents the economic, social and political processes to which we seem doomed participants. The university represents the economic, social and political processes to which we seem doomed participants. Yet, as much as I am tempted to agree with Mr. Hay Kansan, Oct. 5), that the system is unfair. I cannot do so. True, our system of federal-state-local taxation and our political processes are facts of life; we can understand the realm of possibility that the
student activity fee can be eliminated.
Still, I must insist on (the theory that we are being taught in school) the places in society): Keep the student activity fee. Keep the student senate, too. And while the president preides, every inequality, every precious, time-honored method of discrimination, pseudoromance, reprieve and exploitation, every cherished system of injustice and inequality which democracy has ever imposed on us is equitated in the people.
Do you feel victimized? You should. But, should you not? You should. So this quote is excellent practice for the real world, and experience in real life.
**Q:** what is this excellent practice for the real world, and experience in real life?
Dee Sutton Goodland senior Victim
Sen. Lowe
To the Editor:
As a Student Senator I should like to say that I have enjoyed reading the criticism which certain memoirs had off at the Student Senate concerning the Gay Lib bill. Their points have been well made and, I think, well taken by a large number of Student
However, Senator Lowe's statements to the editor (Kanas Oct. 5) spark the following debate. A bill encompassed two entirely separate issues; one, Gay Lib's contention that gay citizens are civil rights violated, and two, the Student Senate's contention that students have the right to organize into a student union, that they should deem necessary—so long as that purpose is not in violation of the
Concerning the second point—it must be remembered that independent student government is student. Senate struggles everyday with both its own and with faculty denials of the students' right to participate in University policy-making deci-
CONCERNING the first issue—the civil rights of Gay Lib—I'm sure no Student Senator considers it the jurisdiction of the police or judges as to whether those rights have indeed been violated, by but the same token, neither do we recognize the right of the Gay Liberals to Regents to pass judgment—only the federal courts have that responsibility. The Student Senate acted rather romantically, but nonetheless honestly supported this whole matter to federal law.
The Student Senate has three times reiterated the right of students to organize an assembly—three times Chancellor Halmers has denied this right. In passing the Gay Lab Sack, she simply putting its money where its mouth was—or rather shall I say 'putting the student body's money into their pocket' was. I don't believe any Student Senate really thought that one penny of student funds would go to Chancellor Halpers or Chancellor stood right in front of us and said, "If you do it'll undo it." If you do it! The Student Senate's stubborn headness of a frustrated group of students—believing they were right, but not understanding the power to do about it.
BACK TO Senator Lowe's statements; every Student Senator is aware of the Student Senate's problem on representation. The student can do is to offer himself as a candidate and to encourage students to go vote. Representation is the type of candidates who run and the number of voters who turn out. For this reason, the Student Senate has always represented body's right of referendum.
The Student Senate is also not unfeeling of student body criticism—witness the Athletic Admissions hassle of last spring. Students are not happy with Gay Lib bill and now is having its hands slapped by various members of the faculty and student body alike—and the students are still attempting to go on with that much more experience in their belt. But for Student Senator himself not to be able to understand the forces which are generated from the Student Senate itself is most unfortunate.
John House Raytown, Mo., senior
★ ★
To the Editor:
Re. the letter from the senator from Texas (Kansan, Oct 5).
Many of us were indeed raised to believe that homosexuality is abnormal and to abhor it. This is why the Gay Gap is important that the Gay Gap be recognized and supported by the University. Homosexuality needs to be seen as a perfectly normal form of personal expression.
Mr. Lowe's objection to student funds being used to support the Gay Front was that their intended use of money would not be about "attempting" derstanding of gay liberation among the student body. The money is to be used to bring William Kunsterl to represent the students at the university to grant the organization its rights guaranteed by the law.
The attention this act will focus on the question of homosexuality - great needs - is in itself beneficial. Questioning whether securing lawful rights for homosexuals helps understand seems absurd.
Bill Nelson Wichita junior
Finally, Mr. Lowe overlooks a central point. The Gay Front has been working to spend its money in this “ofensive” manner had the University recognized it—just as the office of Mr. Lows' sample wished.
Kunstler
To the Editor:
in response to Mr. Page' comments (Kansan, Oct. 7 concerning my parallel between the two theories (which wan't a parallel at all); simply that where Mr Kunstler is concerned, I am not. In other words, Mr. Kunstler's ideas on justice and judgment are the same. And in serious question the motives behind his decision to defend the Gay Lib Front because of his questionable conduct at Attica
I am grateful to Mr. Page for helping me to clarify my position in this matter.
Prairie Village freshman
Sherri Wright
Letters Policy
Letters to the editor should be typewritten, double-spaced and should not exceed 500 words. All letters are subject to editing and condensation, according to space limitations and the editor's judgment. The editor is responsible for school and home town; faculty and staff must provide their name and position; others must provide their name and address.
Gay Lib Front Responds
To the Editor:
The members of the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front wish to thank the members of the Student Senate who have supported us in our attempts to gain recognition, despite the dangers of unpopularity that may have resulted from their votes in our favor.
We should also like to express our appreciation to the Women> Coalition for sponsoring the benefit dance for our legal fund last week. We want to thank everyone who wants to prevent its being held. We also want to thank everyone who understands concern for our cause by attending the dance. The support of all these people means a great deal to us, involved as we are in a battle to end the abuse and oppression under which gay people have suffered for too long.
Peter Felleman
White Palins, N.Y., senior,
for Lawrence Gay Liberation Front
★★
Much of what has been set forth in Judeo-Christian doctrines stem from the basic assumption that its moral and ethical codes express nothing but God's will. This prepositionhip has invariably led to a supremacy over human beings, which consequently fear and hatred. The conviction of supreme righteousness has led people throughout the ages to the noxious temptation of spreading their beliefs and convictions by all means, even with the sworn.
The Inquisition, the importation of free African to the Americas, the burning of witches and heretics, the condemnation of homosexuals, the treatment of women as evil inspires impure lauts, and the destruction of religious institutions penalty as a means of eternal salvation and the support of pagodas, lynchings, gas chambers, electric chairs and other bizarre practices, and the dispatching of missionaries throughout the world and the consequent destruction of peaceful and orderly civilizations, is but a manifestation of the evidences that support the statements mentioned above.
BUT ENOUGH is enough! How much longer will groups of people be oppressed? How much longer will they tolerate being oppressed? And if the oppressors do not attempt to do something about their arrogance and righteousness, if these homoculli do not recognize the oppression they create and if they do not try to alleviate the sufferings of millions from becoming an arid and lifeless moon.
Homosexuality is a fact that existed, that exists and that will exist, and we as human beings should acknowledge it as such. Homosexuality exists in all human beings, should secure for them the rights, the liberties and the freedom (thak any human being on the surface of the earth to do so) and dignities.
This letter comes as a reply to certain vicious and evil-mimicked pubescent letters submitted to the UDK in the past few days. It amazes me that anybody calling him-herself a human being must be tolerant, kind and loving souls) will deny an oppressive minority basic human rights. The fundamental issue in most letters, it seems me, did not concern the allocation of funds to the Lawrence Gay Lab Front (if the front had been recognized some time ago, this problem would have arisen), but rather the right of the existence of the front itself.
IT IS NOT a debatable issue to find out what genes on what chromosomes create people with red hair (who, by the way, were burned during the Middle Ages because they were believed to have been overtaken by malignant tumors), as to whether homosexuality is a curse or a blessing or the result of broken homes or a genetic phenomenon or a learned behavior or the outcome of a special diet or a consequence of the battle between the sexes or an occurrence because of their meteorological factors, seems to me to be totally irrelevant and absurd.
Ronald D. Lewin
South American
graduate student
To the Editor:
I am a student senator representing not only Centennial College students, but also (suppose) another college against the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and humor in the situation as do others who have written to you. I believe that there are a few facts which should be brought to the attention of the senators.
The MIS has a perfectly legal application for recognition as a STUDENT organization. Its charter outlines its reasons for wanting to become a recognized student group. The reasons are mainly for the desire to have students with all the necessary requirements listed in the Student Code.
Griff and the Unicorn
The issue should NOT be money, but RECOGNITION. The money is to sue the University for discrimination against the GLF's right to be recognized. If the GLF were recognized, then any allocation would go to educational material which is legal according to the Code.
The Chancellor will not recognize the group because he does not want them to get any of our money. Well, he is the person who has the veto over any Student Senate decision, he does not have to let them have any money! Hyperexcellent or, not, Chancellor, the group does have
It comes down to the fact that a group of STUDENTS has formed a legal group, gone through legal channels, gained unanimous Student Senate support for recognition three different times, and would be able to receive student fee allocations. Don't forget, they pay fees also.
This group has every right to be recognized and not be discriminated against. Perhaps the editors should publish the book for recognition and for recognition.
Mike McGowan Western Springs, Ill., sophomore
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
America's Pacemaking college newspaper
By Sokoloff
Kansas Telephone Numbers
Newsroom—UN-4 4810
Business Office—UN-4 4258
"Copyright 1971, David Sokoloff.
NEWS STAFF
Del Brakenwood