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Thursday, October 6, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Loan-collection plan makes innocents pay others' debts
Most would agree that it is a mistake to make innocent people pay for mistakes others have made.
But a proposal on hold in the House of Representatives would do just that. The plan is designed to help curb the huge student loan default rate by ending federal financial aid to universities with a default rate of 25 percent or more. This measure already has been approved by the Senate, and probably will be taken up again by the House after the elections.
Obviously, something should be done about student defaults. The federal government pays $1.6 billion a year to cover neglected student loans. This proposal takes aim at the overpayment of student loans on the loans their students take out. But this approach won't work.
The plan would further cripple students who need already scarce financial help. Universities and needy students shouldn't be penalized for the irresponsibility of others. The problem is the defaulters, not current borrowers.
The proposed bill does nothing to discourage or prevent defaults. Students who don't repay their loans will be out of school and unaffected when the government cuts off aid for students in need. The bill would have a free education at the expense of other students.
Julie McMahon for the editorial board
In many cases, defaulters never pay their debts because the government doesn't pursue every case. This must change if the default rate is to be reduced. Instead of wasting time, effort and money, lawmakers should go after defaulters and make them pay.
Brawley charade finally ends
What was once thought to be a national symbol of the stand against racism in the legal system has shattered.
Forget it tawana Brawley. you have lost all credibility.
Finally, the three-ring circus that derived from a seemingly tragic event in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., appears destined to end with a screechy halt.
The New York Times reported that a seven-month federal grand jury investigation compiled evidence that Brawley fabricated her story of abduction and rape by a gang of six racist white men in November 1987.
The case centered on Brawley, her mother, Glenda and three ill-minded family advisers: C. Vernon Mason, Aladdin Maddox Jr, and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Their questionable tactics and actions led to a trial in which deterred justice and dared racial passions in New York.
But now the charade has ended and the fantasy has been exposed.
"I am not a liar and I am not crazy. I just want justice and I then want to be left alone," said the its-year-old Browley in a speech at the University of Texas in Austin on Saturday.
Even if we forget the fact that both Glenda and Tawana both refused to testify, before the grand jury ...
Or forget the fact that Glenda is running from a warrant or her arrest for detaining a subpoena from the federal court.
Or forget the fact that Sharpton is being investigated by the New York state attorney general's office. the New York state attorney general's office
Or forget the fact that Sharpton accused the New York attorney general, Robert Abrams, of being sexually excited by a girl.
Or forget the fact that Sharpton, Mason and Addox have insulted former companions who have spoken out against
Or forget the fact that not one piece of substantiated evidence has been presented by the Brawley trio . . .
Or forget the fact that Sharpton accused New York Governor Mario Cuomo of adhering to the whims of the Mafia, the Irish Republican Army and the Ku Klux Klan, we cannot ignore the possibility that so much attention was devoted to the Brawley circus that it might be used as a preceded for dealing with honest attempts at justice.
And in those terms, the Brawley charade has done more damage to the battle against racism than they could possibly imagine. It was just a matter of time before all the absurdity would be stifed.
Tony Balandran for the editorial board
News staff
Todd Cohen ... Editor
Michael Horak ... Managing editor
Jaleah Anderson ... Associate editor
Stephen Wade ... News editor
Michael Morschel ... Editorial editor
Noel Gerden ... Campus editor
Craig Anderson ... Sports editor
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Dave Eames ... Graphics editor
Julie Hearst ... Arts/Features editor
Tom Eben ... General manager, news advisor
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KLiNe
Column-writing taken personally
Because of the sudden realization that I am three weeks behind in turning in class assignments, I won't be submitting my regular column this week. Instead, I've asked the editor to use the space usually assigned to my column to run some of the assignments on a day in your Personal section on the classified ads page.
Hunks in sky blue Fireenza! Loved cruising 23rd
with you, you wear night. Let's do it again soon.
In RX-
A real beer after a real hard day. Frothy Draft Beer.
SWM, handsome in an unobtrusive way, 20-shim appearance if seen in a dimly lit room, moderately wealthy if you count scholarship checks as total income, seeking woman to date. Age, height, appearance doesn't matter. I can't afford to get too old and picture to box 32B. Doctored photo is fine.
To all adventurers with a taste for danger: Initiation meeting for the KU Mushroom Hunting Club is this Monday evening. $25 fee includes brochure on toadfrogs and reusable snacks. Need new members to replace those whose snake stocks last fall. For more info, call Pete at 355-MUSH
Dudes in hot pink T-Bird: Had a burnin' time at
Bill Kempin
Staff columnist
The wendy's parking lot Wednesday evening. Can't wait 'til next night. Redhead in RX-7.
BL - You'll never know how much I care for you. You'll never realize how much I want your dreams to become reality or how much your happiness means to me. You'll never know any of this stuff unless you quit staring at that blonde in Math 101.
It's that time of the month again. The rent's due, so you save like never before. My Yamaha stereo system, my Honda Spree, my Smith-Corona system, my Honda Snoopy, my phone to mention my bedroom furniture, silverware, and collection of Bill James Baseball Abstract books. Open house Saturday, 8:30p. Ousdahl, Apt. 4.
Ok, so it doesn't taste as if it just came out of a keg. Froth Regular Beer.
AS A MATTER OF FACT,! SLEEP VERY
WELL, THANK YOU I EVEN UP A STORM ON OCCUSION. THANK YOU FOR ASKING
Unable to study because I have lent all my textbooks to beautiful women in my classes in desperate attempts to get a date. Can't afford to buy new books, so if you don't plan to go out with me, will all you ladies please return my texts prono?
You Greg Louganis lookalikes in the black camp. You can pull into my lane of traffic any day, but not as fast as you were.
Randall, my daring classmate in Experimental Research Methods of Communication Studies: Let's get together to explore principles of analysis and communication. Let me introduce the multivariate responses. Love, P.F.
The doctor says lose some weight or else, so this will have to do. Frothy Light Beer.
To the greedy-looking kid who sits in front of me she said, "We want to eat you!" Heard that there's a test come up on me. I test it. Notes I was home with an upset stomach and fever last period. Give me a call right away!
Bill Kempin is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism.
Socialist writing that Republicans love
As a newborn Republican, I recently attended my first meeting at the local chapter of the Bush-Quayle, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, Motherhood and God Society.
The meeting began with our chairman, my conservative friend Grump, asking everyone to stay quiet.
I remained seated with my arms folded across my chest.
"Didn't you hear me?" Grump asked.
Loud and clear.
"Then why aren't you standing so we can begin?"
Because I am not, never have been, and never will be a socialist.
"What are you talking about," Grump said. "We are local Republicans, not Socialists."
Then you do why to recite words written by an avowed statistician, a man who urged the downfall of Hitler.
"You're insane!" Grump shouted.
No, I have done some research. So let me ask you this: Who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance?
His brow furrowing, Grump said: "Georgeer Washington!"
wrong again.
"Ub. Lincoln?"
wrong.
"Jefferson?"
Even not close it. It was written in 1892 by a young French socialist and considered capitalism an evil system.
"I don't believe it," Grump said. "You are trying to spread liberal, prokampa propaganda."
Wait, there is more. He was a member of an
socialist and considered capitalism an evil system.
"I don't believe it," Grump said. "You are
Syndicated columnist
Mike Royko
organization that wanted the federal government to nationalize our entire economy so you like it more than we do by burrowing.
"Lies!" Grump shouted, his eyes bulging.
"And there's even more. This Bellamy was as
practical. And do you want to know what he used to
do?"
Igneus is not bliss, so I'll enlighten you. One of his passions was called "Jesus the Socialist."
"Careful," Grump said, "or you'll be struck by lightning."
But it's true. He considered Jesus a socialist.
And when you think about it, Jesus wasn't all that
bad. He was one of the great saints.
"I refuse to believe that our sacred Pledge of Allegiance could have such unworthy roots."
Well, that's history for you. Full of surprises.
And do you know how the socialist happened to
"He must have reformed, mended his ways,
be a decent Republican."
Not at all. See, there was this family magazine. And in those days, magazines didn't depend on advertising to make money. One of the things they did was pedicle products, like today's mail-order
"Free enterprise. Good show."
Right. Anyway, this magazine came up with the idea of selling flags to schools. In those days, most schools didn't have flags. So when Bellamy was booted out of his church for his socialist ideas, the president of the university printed in its magazine as a gimmick to help them sell their flags. And the flag business boomed. They sold thousands. And that's when the tradition started of having flags in classroom and school.
"Are you done with your vile story so we can get on our meeting?"
Wait. There's one more interesting tibbit. The guy who came up with the idea of selling all those flags. I hate to break the news, but he was a liberal.
No, it's true. Even worse, he was from Boston.
Not like that little liberal Greek.
"I refuse to listen to any more of this subversive presence."
OK, but I have to wonder why George Bush is going around telling everybody that they should recite a pledge by an anti- capitalist group. See me in the liberal public. Seems much mistakenly to me.
"Enough, I say. Now, everyone rise and reeche the vledge."
BLOOM COUNTY
I got up and旦 At the first phone booth, I phoned in a tip to the FBI. my friend Group, a socialist mouthpiece. Who would have believed it? I asked the columnist who writes for the Chicago Tribune.
by Berke Breathed
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