UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN editorials
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Kansan editorial staff. Signed columns represent the views of
November 13, 1979
Prepare now to vote
Although we are one year away from the next congressional and presidential election, America's youth ought to consider the role they have to play in our nation's representative process.
In fact, now is a good time to reflect on the 1978 congressional elections and to look ahead to how to avoid the same dismal result in 1980.
Consider, for example, the fact that only 15 percent of new residents aged 18 to 24 voted in those elections a year ago. Because most college students find absentee voting such a chore and find it inconvenient to register in their schools, the cry from America is youth troops sounds more like a whimper.
WHEN THE 26th Amendment was ratified in June 1971, it added more than 11.5 million young voters to the voting ranks. But given the chance in 1972 to have a direct say in the election of national leaders for the first time in the nation's history, America's youth did little to show they cared.
Voter turnout results in 1972, a year marked by some of the strongest
student activism of the century, was much more disappointing than the turnout by their elders, which was weak itself.
The problem seems to lie in the misconception held by many students that our government is most responsive to marches down campus and banner-waving. Yet, representative government is based on the assumption that all citizens will have a say in the electoral process.
UNIVERSITIES typically set themselves up as citails where students and academicians can sit and pontificate about how the world and the government should be. But pontificating about lack of leadership means nothing if we are not even make the direct action to select those leaders.
With the national elections now one year away, speculation and ponification may seem to be in order.
But it shouldn't be that way. Instead, now is the time to start formulating some rational opinions about who we will elect to be our national leaders. Ranting and raving about them accomplishes nothing.
mussouri resident, whose spouse died recently, has been denied the spouse's Social Security benefits because no dependency upon the benefits could be.
Ignorant critics of the feminist movement might find this good joke material and say that because women harp so much about themselves, then they should get the benefits anyway.
Men also hurt by sex discrimination
Well, as it happens, the Missouri resident question here is a man. And his case is because of an investigation in which it has attracted the interest and support of many feminist lawyers across the country. The case has been called *Allan Bakke or Brian Weber*. A decision is expected before the Court's term ends in April.
THE CASE is interesting because if it is an indication that men, too, can be involved in the court, then the And fact that the Court is considering it is an indication that it merits a conclusion.
The idea that men can be discriminated against because of their gender is not new, but the notion that women are awarded of child custody to mothers in divorce proceedings. The notion that women must have custody of their children regarding the rights and responsibilities of divorced fathers, is, thankfully, beginning.
"I heist, however, to label this discrimination "reverse." Taking that term in its purest concept would mean that in an unfortunate circumstance someone gone overboard and kept unfair to males.
THAT WOULD be an unfortunate mistake to explain to someone lately if she would be concerned because society is concentrating more on women's rights, it isn't ignoring men's rights.
For example, for every dollar earned in the United States, by men, 59 cents is earned by women. And if you subscribe to the
Fine arts demand public support to meet growing cultural interest
More and more people across the country have started going to plays, symphony orchestras or art museums. But many of the art groups and foundations that sponsor these events are not able to keep up with the changing trend by an increasingly culturally aware society.
This problem isn't because there aren't enough plays or music written to perform or art work to display. Rather, the problem is that the characters, or more specifically, lack of funds.
BECAUSE OF insufficient funds, many art groups and foundations either have been forced to fold or curtail their activities.
An increase in demand brings about an increase in the need for more money, large staffs and more buildings. But many art groups have not been able to offset these costs, through公益 donations alone, which make up a great deal of their support.
John
COLUMNIST fischer
The arts have struggled in the United States for centuries. Only recently have they received the attention and pronouncement in our society that they warrant. But despite this recognition, they continue to suffer financially. And not many people seem to care about the fact.
THE TOTAL amount of donations has remained relatively constant during the past few years. This is in sharp contrast to public attendance at cultural events.
Public attendance has markedly increased during the past several years. For those who watched ballet and modern dance performances than those who attended National Football League games. Also in people visited museums across the nation.
The possibility of more art groups and foundations folding because of financial burdens and, thus, potentially limiting any individual's ability to access success is an inadmissible threat to our society.
THE ARTS are important to a society, because they aid in the development of the people, their thoughts and culture. The teachers, as part of the core of the times, as well as a social comment.
Most of the support for the art foundations
today comes from wealthy private donors, large corporations and the government. But they lack the necessary skills to successfully run the programs, and it has crippled them, whose "dons" control the response to the pandemic.
For instance, many corporations are not willing to donate money for avant-garde projects out of fear of what the public will hate, in order of work art, and, in turn, the company.
BUT THE building of a magnificent collection of works of art, or pitting them an ancient and powerful challenge to money—money thbt must come from outside sources because gite and private donors can't finance it.
The government and business sector already have poured millions of dollars into various arts programs, and not much more aid can be expected from them.
This growing problem demands the attention of the public.
But the public, who are the primary beneficiaries of these arts programs, should be willing to contribute time and money. The public will not be only right that the public support them.
But it isn't and the Missouri state officials saw fit to perpetuate cobwebly notions about males' independence and females' dependence.
Another more subtle issue at stake here is the idea that in a two-income family, one partner's work carries the same importance as the other's, regardless of the dollar amount.
If the Supreme Court awards the decision to the man seeking recovery, it will also be symbolically affirming the importance that a woman work should, regardless of gender.
melissa
thompson
The ERA A is only three states shy from becoming a constitutional assurance of education for all students, a deadline for its ratification, once extended already, is June 10, 1982. Fifty-five states
COLUMNIST thompson
theory that people should be paid equally for equivalent work, then somebody is missing 41 cents. The problem with just raising the woman's portion is that men will feel more pressured to pay, so "I'll were going to treat everyone fairly here, where didn't we get a raise, too?"
The Missouri benefits case would be easily answered if that constitutional assurance were already valid and working.
So, labeling this Missouri benefits case "reverse discrimination" would be giving it a misname. Instead, it is a good promotion of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Green not energy efficient
To the Editor:
Universities must certainly be the last institution to have been able to two months row, I have been walking by the new law building and have been very perverted by it. It is a contraption to what they are doing now.
Six years ago I would have considered the law building in an acceptably pleasing form, with its horizontal hand emphasis and degree planning (in vogue recently), and strong spatial characteristics. However, as a graduate student in energy-related concepts, I was encouraged to be versatile, usable. As a professional architect, I knew that I could not foirst such a behemoth upon any private clients. Clients today are much more aware than they were six years ago.
The new wave of office buildings—within the last two years—is following new rules of construction in order to be energy efficient. These regulations impose massive materials, minimum perimeter wall area, minimum volume, low window heights, and restricted exposure to the north, increased insulation standards and a reassessment of mechanical-electrical systems in order to comply.
Green Hall is reticent to almost all of these points. This example can no longer be the case. All of our buildings must be more environmentally efficient, and the University of Kansas must respond to that request in its approval of future capital construction.
R. B. Guthrie
Lawrence graduate student
Sorority could bring diversity to Lewis
To the Editor:
But how many times have we heard Panellemic being ripped apart because security risk is so great that it can lose up the system by adding a new house, a chance to make the "numbers game" a little more exciting, already a flight without giving it a fair try.
Okay, Lewis residents have a valid belief about losing an entire floor the ADP's plan. The other residents are private group—a Greek group—is absorbing non-Greek floor space when there’s a house.
Patricia Diadura's complaint that AOP's members were going to run the character and cohesiveness of Lewis floors is selfish. She's assuming that the AOP's Greekness—their identity as a group—will override any individual qualities the girls possess, so she won't see that the AOPs might add some diversity to the hall, making it a stronger unit.
WE FEEL that the women of AOPI will add a diverse dimension to the hall. However, why have a group of people living in a dormitory at a university? We must mire the women of AOPI, women who are stepping out to broaden KUG Creek system and who, as students at the University, have never had an experience with women.
What right does any individual or the University have keeping AOPs members from living together if they so choose? They may not live in a residence but anyone else does.
Our question is "Do Lewis 'members' always welcome a new resident with contempt—because they haven't cultivated their membership to the dorm clique? How ironic that seems.
KANSAN
UNIVERSITY DAILY
Jaymie Forbes Stanley senior Jodie Burns Shawnee senior
To the Editor:
Review should judge 'Apocalypse' for itself
Any movie reviewer should be careful to avoid unrealistic expectations generated by pre-release type. These expectations, if not met, could result in disappointment and frustration—not over the movie one has seen, but perversely, over the film itself. When you read the reader (and the reviewer she/her) Mary Jo Howard showed this confusion in her review of "Apocalypse Now" in the Nov. 2.
She lamentes the fact that "Apocalypse Now" is not, as she expected, 'another world' in Vietnam. "We've been Vietnam. We've neither of these." (Unfortunately I've seen neither of them.) But it is merely Copola's adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' to a darker setting by the realization that the movie's Vietnam setting "is merely incidental by the film's end." Once again, she says, "In Vietnam we were terrorists. That 'Heart of Darkness' is in Africa incidental." That "Apocalypse Now" says so much, so well, about the Vietnamese war, that it's one of the indications of Copola's genius.
HOWARD CAN admit the excellence of the first half of the movie, but "the second half" can be a bit more obscene "ineffective and obscure." "Ineffective hints at a purpose; 'obscure' she shows she couldn't discern that purpose. She says she can't decide what to do in bollism, which fails to make a clear point. 'I am not sure that is possible. She calls the movie 'innocent.' It appears to be barring a Taranian film. "Apparently she's not able to see the jungle on the trees. Eventually she reveals what is clouding her eyes."
"The character of Kurtz should be a sympathetic portrait of a man driven crazy by the frustrations of war." And I should own a Cadillac—equally irrelevant.
If Howard had listened to Brando-Kurtz, instead of laughing at him, she may have said, "He's a terrible movie; the film of the movie: Howler Kurtz ended up father and God to a large, effective group of fans."
AS I SEE it, the theme of the movie is something like: War is hell. and war does perfectly is personality. And the war the wrong way, but he doesn't become a renegade guerrilla leader until he realizes that the Viet Cong are fighting him. It is not the superior officers that he is "insecure" came after this realization. If Kurt ever did become insane, it was when he saw through the war with his perfect Hell of his creation. His insanity
might have come only from his inability to continue in his role as the Devil. ultimately too civilized to fight war perfectly, he insane? (2) saw death as his only escape.
So, in conclusion, there is a reason why 'Kurt's mystical kingdom had no relation to . . . Vietnam.' It is because Kurt isn't in the room. And indeed, Coppula does not "give a clear sense of what the movie is all about!" But that should not be taken as a failure on his part. The re-viewer must do some research on the movie or art. If you are able to predict a movie and then get what you expected, you might as well stay home and save your money. And if you are a reviewer and don't get what you want, you need to review the movie the director did not make.
George L. Parker Mission Hills special student
To the Editor:
The kidnapping by the Iranian students of 60 Americans is an outrage to the religion of Islam, to all codes of morality and to all humanity.
Iranian actions defy Mohammed's ideals
I am an American Moslem well-versed in the Arabic language, and such an action is absolutely forbidden, and such an action the Koran nor Mohammed would ever have condoned terrifying innocent women and children.
I pray that the Western world will distinguish blood-thirsty people who have up vengeance as their god from the teachings that they proclaim. Just as we cannot judge Christianity by Al Cappo, so we cannot judge Khomnii or Khoumnii students.
If they have faith in God, then let Him punish in everlasting purgatory a man already dying of cancer.
Shaafia Abdul-Wali Lawrence senior
Libertarian Alliance to hold draft debate To the Editio
To the Editor:
The issue regarding the possible reintroduction of the military draft has recently found its way onto several Kansan article, which raised concerns about the overwhelming importance and relevance of this issue for college students, the KU Libertarian Alliance would like to inform the Senate about student group and individuals to participate in a debate-forum on the draft issue.
The debate-form will be November 15, and is part of the Alliance's "Abishive Selective Service Day" activities. Students or faculty committed to a continuation of the selective service system are invited to attend a conference so that a balance of views may be heard.
Brett Steenbarger
Lawrence graduate student
KU Libertarian Alliance