4 Wednesday, August 22, 1990 / University Daily Kansan Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Mideast showdown Iraqi gunslinger Saddam Hussein is an embarrassment to imperialists everywhere. Saddam's actions threaten KU students, faculty He started out on the right track. Nearly three weeks ago, Saddam ordered his nation's armed forces to invade their Middle Eastern neighbor, Kuwait. Saddam said he would "remove the eveballs" of those who objected. It seems imperialism is out of style. But he didn't think the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan and many of his closest Arab neighbors would condemn his actions. He wagered that his threats and the 1 million members of his armed forces would allow Iraq to overrun Kuwait without opposition. it seems imperialism is out of control. Saddam gambled that increased gasoline prices resulting from a takeover of Kuwait's oil fields would unsettle President Bush's efforts to rally domestic support for U.S. involvement. But Bush showed long-term commitment to the Kuwait crisis by sending U.S. reserve and National Guard troops to another Iraqi neighbor, Saudi Arabia. And recent polls have revealed soaring support for the response. Saddam also gambled that Bush and other world leaders would accept the Kuwait invasion, hedging his bet by detaining 21,000 Westerners in Iraq and Kuwait. Yesterday, his foreign minister, Tariq Aziz, said, "This will be a bloody conflict, and America will lose and be humiliated." But he also called those 21,000 Westerners "guests." And speaking on behalf of Saddam, he said iraq was ready to negotiate a settlement to the crisis. This international opposition to Iraq's actions should ensure Saddam's defeat, Kuwait's freedom and cheap oil for all. But at what cost? Not very impressive for an imperialist. Iraq's negotiation offer and insistence that the hostages are "guests" apparently has strengthened other nations' resolve in Iraq, Italy, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands will join US. Troops in the Persian Gulf area. Saddam's downfall may come after the deaths of soldiers on both sides, as well as the deaths of the Western hostages now being shuttled to possible U.S. targets throughout Iraq Lengthy occupations of Saudi Arabia, Iraq or Kuwait may result. And who might be among the soldiers there? The answer strikes much closer to home than most returning to the University of Kansas from summer break realize. Many KU students and faculty members, as well as Chancellor Gene A. Budig, now await potential calls to join regular and reserve troops already in Saudi Arabia. The actions of a single man have affected the entire world, reaching home to the University Let us appreciate and support those who have agreed to stop him. Rich Cornell and Mary Neubauer for the editorial board Kansan projects a new personality Newspapers have personalities. The New York Times swaggers as it fills its pages with meticulous pomp. USA Today smiles while pepping its readers with a visual barrage built around news snipets. The Lawrence Journal-World flashes a toothy 'tow shocks' grim while putting a colossal spin on news through this community. The personality of the Kanans is tougher to pin down. Its character changes each semester when a new staff takes the reins. And its look, content and role in the University community vary, reflecting the new crop of students sacrificing studies and social lives to publish this paper. But the Kansan's goal, to report news affecting the University community to our more than 16,000 readers, remains constant. This semester, like every semester, our news are presented in a personalities, features about research and stories about the University budget. Derek Schmidt Editor As editor, I will receive phone calls from people annoyed that an item was omitted from the campus calendar and from people angry that some fact was printed in a news story. Several times during the semester, people will storm into the newsroom demanding to know why we covered That does not mean we print everything. As journalist, one of our tasks is to choose from an infinite amount of information to fill a finite number of pages. That selectivity invariably upsets some people. Editor an event in a particular way or complaining that we were insensitive in some manner. Often they will have valid concerns. A former managing editor of the Kansan used to emerge from his office each day after handling complaints, grimace and say, "This newspaper is falling apart. I don't need this." But the paper always survived and so did he. And so will we. The Fall 1990 Kansan will seek to represent more members of the University in its pages than in semesters past. Our editorial board, which hammer out the positions the Kansan takes on issues and then writes editorials, includes more non-tenured faculty in the semester than in the recent past. We will try to purge our pages of phrases degrading sex, race or lifestyle. We make mistakes, but our pen does not equalize, nor to moralize. We also have an eclectic group of columnists and cartoonists, local and national, to let varied points of view clash on our opinion pages. In pursuit of that, the Kansan will refer to black and white people in lowercase. One year ago, the Kansan editor decided that capitalizing black would demonstrate sensitivity to racial diversity. But I believe that the purpose of this newspaper should be to destroy artificial differences among people, not to create them. I hope the University community will judge the fall Kansan by its substance, not its symbols. The Kansas also will report about student, local and state government. The state elections in November make for a challenging nega for those interested in politics. Of course, not everybody likes politics, so the Kansas will publish a smorgasbord of stories. In addition to our daily articles, we will print special reports about outdoor recreation in the area, Jayhawk football and basketball issues such as hunger. We will publish advertising supplements about fashion, careers and entertainment. Each Friday we will create a features page that addresses a single topic in depth. And our Excursions entertainment section, published weekly, contains secure features and a calendar in a section to pull out and keep for weeklong reference. We have high expectations for the Kansan this semester, and we have many new ideas to try. All of the more than 100 people on staff will work to publish one of the country's best college newspapers. We expect you, our readers, to let us know how we're doing. Derek Schmidt is an Independence senior majoring in history. Editorial editor welcomes readers I if were still in grade school, this time of year would mean writing a back-to-school, what I did-for-the-summer naarraaph. I dreaded those few sentences. Who, even then, could remember what they'd done for three whole months? This year, I'm faced with a similar problem: writing a "Hi," this is the Kansan editorial page" column. And yes, I've been dreaded it. The whole purpose of this page is to promote ideas and opinions about issues in the world around us. This should facilitate a less volatile, more open community for us to live, study and work in. What can I say that will welcome everyone in the University community to this page? The "we" I referred to is the editorial staff of the Kansan. This consists of an editorial board, staff columnists and staff cartoons. All of these people are students, just like the Kansan news and advertising We like that. After much deliberation, here's what I've come up with: Hi. Welcome to the University of Kansas and/or, welcome back. Glad to see you are reading the Kansan, especially this one, which means you like ideas and opinions. Mary Neubauer Editorial editor staffs. Some people may think that because all Kansan staff members are students, camaraderie develops among them that influences or somehow twists the news in the paper. The we are all in this together. But the editorial staff is completely separate from the news staff and has nothing to do with Kansan news gathering. So, I've told you what editoria; staff members do not do. Let's talk about what they do. Members of the editorial board will, naturally, write editorials for this page throughout the coming semester. The board meets twice a week to discuss ideas for editors. A vote is taken at each meeting to decide which ideas will become editorials and what stand on the disputed issue the board will support. Board members must agree on both of these, which can be a long, laborious process. Staff cartoonists draw both editorial cartoons for the top of this page and cartoon strips for the bottom. This semester, I'm happy to say that the Kansan will offer its readers two cartoon strips. Through these strips, we can teach KU and world events and hopefully will bring smile to Mount Oread. Columnists, of course, will write columns. They can write about anything they want and can choose any opinion they want, within reason. And that brings me to a ver, important point in Introduction to the Kanss Editorial Page 101. Are you angry at the world because your television, car and toaster all blew on the same day? Jot down those feelings in a column and submit it to us. Agny at the editorial board, a staff columnist and/or a cartoonist because you think they were just a little too wooled on out Jolt Cola that they sat down to create their literary campaign. (Or do you agree with them?) Submit a letter to the editor and let us know. After all, your ideas and opinions are included in those we like. ▶ Mary Neubauer is a Chapman senior major in journalism Other Voices How much will the rates set by bureaucrats and politicians vary from those set by buyers and sellers acting voluntarily? Now, official rates are 0.58 rubles to the dollar for buyers and 3.8 to the dollar for tourists. The Soviet Union has announced plans to allow certain state-run enterprises to freely exchange rubs for foreign currencies. This would be a first step in making the Soviet currency more portable on international exchanges. The new exchanges will be open only to designated organizations, not to individuals. From the Kansas City Star large reserves of increasingly worthy rubles. It should be interesting to see whether even pre-selected enterprises are eager to escape the Soviet currency for that of other countries. Soviet enterprises have piled up Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer met a tough summer. Legislators in that state have sent him a series of bills that seem to have been put together by the most stubborn reactionaries in the country. One would have required warning labels on recordings that deal with potentially offensive material and prohibited their sale to anyone under 17. Another was the most extreme antiabortion law enacted anywhere in the United States since Roe vs. Wade. The labeling bill was opposed not only by the music industry but by national groups The abortion bill fatty prohibited abortion except in cases involving rape, incest or the life of the mother, and even those exceptions were severely limited. In rape cases, for example, the victim would have had to report the crime and seek medical treatment within seven days. Roemer's decision to turn down the proposals was right and courageous. ■ From the Washington Post. Three Imaginary Girls By Tom Avery Home Remedies By Tom Michaud MICHAEL P = per person DATA WORKER KANSAN STAFF DEREK SCHMIDT Editor KJERSTIN GABRIELSON MUSIC EDITOR TOM EBLEN TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser MARGARET TOWNSEND Business manager Editors MINDY MORRIS Retail sales manage JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser Business staff Editors News ... Julie Mettonburg Editorial ... Mary Neubauer Planning ... Palm Soliner Campus ... Holly Lawson Sports ... Brent Maycock Photo ... Andrew Morrison Features ... Stacy Smith Campus sales mgr ... Church Dish Regional sales mgr ... Jack Schmalzman National sales mgr ... David Price Co-op sales mgr ... Deborah Salzle Production mgr ... Missy Miller Production assistant ... Julia Axlen Marketing director ... Audra Langford Creative director ... Gail Enbinder Summer News Staff Liz Hueben Editor Kate Lee Managing editor Dave Wakefield Planning/Campus editor Chris Siron Associate campus/Sports editor Tomas Stargardter Photo editor Emily Eberle General Manager manage Summer Business Staff Michael Lehman Business manager Audra Langford Director of client services Suzanne Castor Director of Special projects David Price Production manager Leigh Taykor Classified Manager Jeanne Hines Sales and marketing advisor Letters should be typed, double-spaced and over 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name address and telephone number. Written affiliated with the University of Kansas mild include tars and thickness, or difficulty of road, pedestrian. Great columns should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 700 words. The winter will be The Kansan reserves the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be maligned or brought to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Sauffer-Flint Hall. Letters, columns and cartoons are the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kansan. Editorials are the opinion of the Kansan editorial board.