OPINION
October 11,1984 Page4
The University Daily KANSAN
The University Daily KANSAN
Published since 1889 by students of the University of Kansas
The University Dayton, Kaukee UPNS 696400 is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Stuart Fitt Hall Failtland, Kanze, K6004; daily during the regular school year and Wednesday and Friday during the summer session, excluding Saturday, Sunday, holidays and final periods. Second class postage paid at Lawrence, K6004. Subscriptions by mail are $15 for six months or $2 per year in Douglas County and $18 for six months or $2 a year outside the county. Student information can be obtained by calling (714) 238-7121 or adding address changes to t
DON KNOX
Editor
PAUL SEVART VINCE HESS Managing Editor Editorial Editor
DAVE WANAMAKER Business Manager
DOUG CUNNINGHAM Campus Editor
LYNNE STARK MARY BERNICA
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SUSANNE SHAW
General Manager and News Adviser
JILL GOLDBLATT Campus Sales Manager
JOHN OBERZAN Sales and Marketing Adviser
Faith in HOPE
Only a few ballots for the HOPE award were overlooked when the votes were tallied.
But the 25 that had not been collected from two of the schools, when finally counted, were enough to add another name to the list of semifinalists.
The solution to the problem in this case was an easy one, and the president of the Board of Class Officers was right to waste no time in rectifying the oversight.
Adding one more semifinalist to the list takes away nothing from an award respected by professors and students.
Several other changes that BOCO has made in this year's contest should also be beneficial in making the award one that truly honors the most outstanding progressive educator
The change that allowed students to cast their ballots in the deans' offices resulted in more students voting and more teachers being nominated.
The next step with a committee of students interviewing the semifinalists and then selecting six finalists was also an improvement over the old system.
improvement over the business. Having penned in a note to double-check the ballot collection in next year's contest, the president of BOCO should select the other members of the committee, let the public know the criteria for screening the finalists and get on with the job at hand.
A marvelous show
Sen. Russell Long, D. La., is fond of quoting his Uncle Earl. Back in the days when Long was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, his hearings were a delight.
"Well, as my Uncle Earl used to say, there's more ways to kill a cat than stuff him with butter."
One day, he uttered these memorable words:
A whole generation of reporters and lobbyists still wonder what he meant.
In looking back over more than a decade of congressional coverage, Long's hearings may be the highlight.
For most folks, the name Wilbur Mills conjures up a jump into the Tidal Basin with a stripper.
The low point is easy — the decline and fall of one of the most intelligent men ever to serve in Congress, Wilbur Mills.
For those who covered him in his glory days, his name conjures up
DON PHILLIPS United Press International
an excitement that can come only from watching a skilled man manipulate the tax code to accomplish social purposes. Few things are more heady than watching billions of dollars exchange hands on a single close committee vote, knowing that the fate of perhaps an entire industry was just decided.
The entire Capitol seemed dark the morning Mills returned from appearing on stage in Boston with Fanny Fox.
one by one, reporters ventured down to the ornate Ways and Means committee room to sit with Mills and have coffee, served in funeral-like silence by a faithful ade
Apparently Mills didn't remember that he'd been to Boston. It was a shock, and it was obvious to everyone that a man once considered No. 2 in power only to the president would have to go.
It is easy today for everyone to criticize Congress. The House and
Senate make wonderful whipping boys, as they always have.
And it is popular these days to say that Congress is no longer fun, that it has lost its sense of humor and its sense of compromise, that it is a bitterly partisan body tied in knots.
But what would Henry Clay, Joe Cannon, Richard Russell and Sam Rayburn say about that if they pay a visit to Congress today?
Probably they'd laugh. Congress always has been partisan, often divided by philosophy as well as party. Rayburn, for example, could spin some good yarn about his battles with the chairman of the House Rules Committee, "Judge" Howard Smith of Virginia, the man who sat on civil rights legislation for many years.
President Reagan and Congress have a terrible relationship today. So did Harry Truman and the Congress of 1948.
In a decade, significant changes have occurred in Congress. There is less humor and less of the gentlemanly sport of keeping one's word. In a decade, emphasis has turned from dealing directly with substantive issues to fighting partisan battles over philosophy.
In Rayburn's day, and in the years immediately following, Congress certainly had its share of detractors who said it was inefficient, tied in knots and partisan. Yet, today it is remembered as the Congress that fought the great civil rights battles.
But keep in mind that even bitterly partisan battles have a purpose.
Some day, the Congress of Tip O'Neill and Howard Baker likely will be remembered as the Congress that fought the great battles of social philosophy and foreign policy
And those you today scoff at Congress as an inefficient body of dunes, who concentrate on the inability to pass spending bills without a government shutdown, may discover some day that they couldn't see the forest for the trees and missed a marvelous show.
LETTERS POLICY
The University daily Kansan welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten and double-spaced and should not exceed 300 words. They should include the writer's name, address and phone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University, the letter should include his class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. The Kansan also invites individuals and groups to submit guest columns. Columns and letters can be mailed or brought to the Kansan office, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit or reject letters and columns.
'Billy Bob' is hot over funding issue
Billy Bob was mad.
He was mad as hell, and he wasn't going to take it anymore.
"Just look at them," he said disgusted as he took in the scene in front of Wescoe Hall. "They're everywhere."
"Who are?" queried Billy Bob's buddy, Jimmy Joe.
"The fornicators, the drunkards,
the covetous," Billy Bob said.
"They're everywhere."
"So it makes me sick!" Billy Bob's voice was shaking now. "I know what they do! I've seen them! They sleep with their boyfriends and girlfriends — and they're not even married!" They go to bars and drink till they can't be straight! They desire things that other people have.
"OK, calm down, calm down." Jimmy Joe said. But Billy Bob was hot.
so right there in the Bible, don't you?
First Corinthians, chapter 6, verse
"You know they won't make it into heaven, don't you? You know it says
"Why do you care so much about the way they live their lives?" Jimmy Joe was curious.
"I don't, really. But it does make
JOHN SIMONSON Staff Columnist
me sick. What really gets me, though, is that I have to spend my hard earned money to help finance campus groups that are made up of fornicators, drunkards and covetous people! Why should I have to pay for something I don't agree with or want to have anything to do with?"
'Hmmm You've got a point
there." Jimmy Joe was interested.
"You're darn right I have a point there! Take the Kanan, for instance. That paper is always getting facts wrong, and I ever always suspected the truth. Our journals were questionable at best. And you know, journalists drink.
"You're probably right."
"And how about all those other groups I don't belong to that I pay for? They could support themselves. They could bake sale or garage sales or something to raise money. Why should I have to pay for them?"
Jimmy Joe nodded in approval "Hey, you know, that's a great idea! Why should we pay for things we don't want or use, or even like? You know, we could even take this idea further — beyond KU. We could take this concept to the American people!"
knows that the schools are full of immoral teachers who preach liberalism. And what about those salaries for congressmen? They're notorious for immoral behavior! Why should the people have to pay their salaries?
"Now you're cooking! Like, why should people without kids have to pay for public schools?" Everyone
"And don't forget those lazy slobs on welfare." Jimmy Joe said. "Every one of them fornicates and drinks. And you know how much they covet things that other people have."
Billy Bob beamed. "I think we're really on to a bold new concept here!"
"The American people should be able to pick and choose the groups they would like to support financially," Jimmy Joe said, solemnly. "That's more democratic."
Billy Bob agreed. "I agree. We could choose to fund only those groups without sin. Like...Like. uh.."
Like who
"Like us!"
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Student calls for moral support of profs
To the editor:
The lawsuit against the anthropology professors is really upsetting to me. These people are extremely knowledgeable and do incredible research. We as a school are very lucky to have them, I think it is time for the students and faculty, to give the moral support they deserve.
I'd like to start this trend and ask all who can to follow:
Dr. Frayer, I have total respect for you as a professional and as a human being
Cathy Moore Overland Park senior
Cathy Moore
An ironic bill
To the editor:
At the Oct. 3 meeting of the Student Senate Finance Committee, the majority of members fell victim to a carefully publicized bill discriminating against the Republic of South Africa. This bill, 1984-639, "prohibit (s) the expenditure of investment of funds by the Student Senate or any organization funded by the Student Senate with any corporation or financial institution doing business in the Republic of South Africa."
Nearly 30 outside supporters of the bill attended the meeting. Unfortunately, no outside protesters attended the meeting Perhaps there are none, but with the strong opposition the bill received from some members, surely many KU students feel similarly.
Apparently, this bill is designed to punish South Africa for its violations of basic human rights.
Consequently, it seems that the supporters of the bill received news of the Finance Committee's agenda through its co-sponsor, "Bou" Highberger. He failed, however, to inform the general student body of the agenda. The lopsided publicity is enough to cast doubt on the bill.
oversees hundreds of these slave camps. Also, Cuba, Poland, Iran and many other nations practice some form of discrimination.
If, on the other hand, this bill included all the other countries practicing some form of discrimination against the majority of their population, it might be worth supporting, Ironically, as bill 1984-030 reads now, it is discrimination against South Africa.
More importantly, however, the bill doesn't take into consideration the fact that many other countries violate basic human rights. Of equal importance is the Soviet Union's policy of discrimination. This in particular restricts the own people who live in slave labor camps scattered throughout the Soviet Union. Likewise, the government of Communist China
To punish only a capitalist country and exempt the socialist countries is unfair.
Mark Gilman Kansas City, Kan., freshman Finance Committee member
Mark Gillem
A clarification
To the editor:
to the counsel.
The responses printed in the oct. 4. Karsan indicate that a recent letter of mine to the paper has been misunderstood (Sept. 27, "Bearish on Cubs").
While I do not claim responsibility for the misleading headline the Kansan chose to use, I do realize my error in not recognizing that my previous letters of opinion would not be as readily recalled by others as by me. I subjectively viewed my letter as plainly sarcastic and mistakenly thought it would appear as such to others.
Therefore, allow me to clarify my position. I enjoy watching athletes celebrate their triumphs and see nothing wrong with incorporating champagne into the festivities. Neither would I object, though, to some of these same athletes celebrating by getting high or tripping on acid later on in the privacy that should be on your knees off the field. The law has no moral right to harass individuals who find pleasure in drug experiences; our judicial system's prosecution in such cases is nothing less than persecution.
My reference to "innocent, properly bred youth," (priced products of parentally instilled prejudice and conformism.) was founded in my dislike of the arguments that athletes should avoid using illicit drugs because children's, (and little adults'), hero images would be destroyed, possibly damaging their future outcomes on life.
An athlete has no obligation or duty to fulfill public expectations once he or she is outside the arena. If children could somehow be brought up without parents' ignorance-based biases concerning drugs, (as well as other personal choice matters) then, upon the revelation that these sports idols exercise the right to control their own bodies, the potential for disillusionment would be minimized
The ultimate result of the elimination of unreasonable fears is that maybe someday people will admit to themselves the impractical, futile, hypocritical and unjust nature of our drug laws. Then we can repeal prohibition for real.
Doug Humphreys Great Bend senior
Intramural games
The intramural football program here at KU is pathetic. Who ever heard of having a continuous running clock? It's ridiculous. The referees should at least stop the clock in the final two minutes of the game or, if nothing else, stop the clock on penalties.
To the editor:
It's incredible that a delay of game penalty can be marked off, discussed and repeated again with the clock still running. I'm sure this has happened with many teams, but of course, it hasn't occurred with a specific incident with my team.
What tops it off is the fact that the referees made a mistake on a rule violation, which was protested, and weren't honest enough and didn't have enough integrity to admit their mistake.
I was involved in a game where the referees actually instructed and discussed how the other team could run out of the clock while the clock was still running. This type of referencing, called "conveying," must understman-like conduct of the other team, is a lot of "horse hockey," in Colonel Potter's words.
I don't know if it was apathy or just plain laziness. Thank God there are still people in this world who have enough moral scruples to adhere to the rules of life, some of that off in the intramural office If that can't be done, at least the
David Lang Olathe senior
players should call for a change of rules.
To the editor:
Christian trend
The current trend in today's society is leading us back to the Christian values and beliefs upon which this country was established. This shift is evidenced by increasing church attendance and increasing involvement in various Christian organizations on campus, and to a lesser extent, increasing interest in other forms of ministry which deny the duty of Christ (i.e., Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, i.e., Wail, Uriqin Church).
In the twentieth century, humanism began to grow here, and with it naive optimism in the ability of mankind to control the problems we've created. This wide-eyed attitude blossomed on our part. We believed we had the answers. The next decade was to prove us wrong.
Now the eighties are here, and many of the idealisms of the sixties were shown to be ineffective or detrimental to our society. Thus emerges the new pessimism. We've never had such an answer to have all the answers. In fact, we found very few answers. This state leaves two realistic choices.
One is the hopeless acceptance of our condition and hedonism. The other is the end of our self-worshiping self-sufficiency, thus turning to a power greater than ourselves. Both are contributing to the upbeat mood of late. The latter gives us a feeling that the world can truly change, not through administering laws on some faceless “society” (not including ourselves, of course) but through the change in each individual, including you and me.
Such change is manifested through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the stance of the new radical on campus. Not that his motivation is merely to change, (the calling is far greater than that,) but with the redemption and subsequent renunciation of an individual, through Christ's blood, we may find that there are indeed answers.
Phil Bahorich Leawood senio