4
Monday, November 2, 1992
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Supporters of Ross Perot point out the positives
If you still find yourself pondering over the three major presidential candidates, take a look at this simple, three-step procedure drawn up by two regular KU students like yourself.
After all, Election Day is tomorrow!
Askyourself,"Who serves myvalues,principles and ideas?"
First, determine for yourself what you want from a presidential candidate. This determination should come straight from you — no outside sources!
Second, research each of the candidates' programs. Filter biased sources and information that is not of importance. This includes bashing between candidates and media sources that are not reporting the news objectively. Remember, voting is your right and becoming informed is worth your time.
Finally, after becoming informed of the candidates through the researching procedures suggested, make a comparison of the candidates to your values, principles, ideas or whatever you want from a presidential candidate. The candidate for you is the one which compares most favorably.
We found ourselves going through this procedure about a month ago. After researching through newspapers, listening to the news and reading the platforms, we concluded that Ross Perot compared most favorably. He stands for real change in many
needed areas. Most importantly, Ross spells J-O-B-S for college students!
After becoming official volunteers for the Perot campaign, we took the opportunity to meet him at the St. Louis debate. Immediately following the debate at Washington University, he introduced his family and spoke to a group assembled in the ballroom of The Frontenac Breckenridge Hotel where we later met him. Needless to say, it was an intense experience; a "moment of a lifetime" for us.
If you have not learned about Perot's program, drop in and see us!
We returned to the University and founded United We Stand At KU. This organization has provided an information table for anyone inquiring about Perot's program. We have received 2000 pieces of information in 6 days.
One quick fun fact if we may; Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson dropped out of campaigns and came back to win!
We hope you will seek information, become informed and make an educated vote.
Richard Hean
Belleville,Ill., sophomore, President of United We Stand At KU.
Saul Musquiz
Goodland freshman, Vice President of United We Stand At KU.
Complaints about Kelley columns miss the point
I was surprised to see the recent letter complaining about Kate Kelley's column because I had been thinking of writing Kelley to say how much I enjoy her work. Kelley's essays are some of the most sophisticated I've seen in a student paper and are heading toward the
quality of an Anna Quindlen or a John McPhee. Finding the interesting in the ordinary is no easy task. Maybe it's an acquired taste, but I like the stuff.
Philin Schrodt
Phip Schroat
Professor of political science
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"If you want to go with the crowd and follow headlines you can follow the two major candidates all the way to something resembling hell."
—LYNDON LAROUCHÉ, THIRD-PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO IS SERVING A 15-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR OBSTRUCTING THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AND MAIL FOLLOWING
"Knowledge is the only thing that will pull us out of the dark."
PROGRAM AND OUTLAWING FLAG BURNIN
JAMES WRIGHT, THIRD-PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHOSE PLATFORM INCLUDES INITIATING A SCHOOL-BASED GUN TRAINING
"Well, I guess they won't be living there. Maybe across the street, but not there."
KANSAS' SCHOOL COLORS COMPLETE WITH JATHAWKS
—RAYMOND POLK ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEBRASKA CORN-HUSKER FAN MOVING INTO HIS RENTAL HOUSE THAT IS DECORATED IN KANSAS! SCHOOL COLORS COMPLETE WITH JAYHAWS
"As of 5 p.m. Saturday, there was one upright unaccounted for. The last time it was seen, it was on Naismith headed south."
—LT. JOHN MULENLS, KU POLICE REPRESENTATIVE, ON THE ATTEMPT TO RECOVER THE GOAL POSTS that WERE TORN DOWN AFTER THE KANSAS FOOTBALL TEAM DEFLATED OKLAHOMA FOR THE NATION FOR 1984.
FIRST TIME SINCE 1984
COMPILED FROM KANSAN STAFF REPORTS THE WEEK OF 10-26-92.
KANSAN STAFF
SCOTT HANNA Business manage
ERIC NELSON
Editor
GREG FARMER
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator
BILL LEIBENGOOD Retail sales manager
Asst. Managing...Aimee Brainard
News...Alexander Bloomhof
Editorial...Stephen Martino
Campus...Gavie Ostergård
Sports...Shelly Solon
Photo...Justin Knapp
Features...Cody Holl
Graphics...Sean Teeds
JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser
Business Staff
Business Staff
Campus sales mgrs - Annie Clevenger
Regional sales mgrs - Tamera Terkil
National sales mgrs - Brian Wilkes
Co-op sales mgrs - Amy Stumbo
Production mgrs - Brad Broon
Kim Claxton
Marketing director - Alasdair
Creative director - Valerie Spicher
Classified mgrs - Judith Standley
**Letters** should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. Written affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. Letters should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be photocopied.
The Kansas reserves the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansas newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall
Editor's note: Today and tomorrow, the Kansas will be running editorial cartons that were done as an assignment for fourth grade students at Quail Run Elementary School to teach them the importance of voting.
Cartoon by Jessica Larrabe
Voters expect too much from executive branch
Tomorrow, it will finally be over.
After more than a year of campaigning, the presidential race will reach its dramatic conclusion. It has been one of the most interesting in recent history. It has been a roller coaster, a mystery and sometimes even a comedy.
Eighteen months ago it was believed that Bush could not lose. His approval rating was more than 80 percent, and the Democrats didn't seem to have anyone with the credibility to take away this type of lead. In fact, the Democrats were in a virtual panic. In July 1991 the Los Angeles Times ran a series of articles asking various political gurus what it would take for the Democrats to compete. Many suggestions were offered, but the most obvious one was missed — do nothing and hope the recession is bad enough to turn voters against Bush.
When our government was created it was done so mostly for protection, order and the settling of disputes. But in the last century it has become the solver of all problems. Furthermore, since it is the solver of problems, if the problems are in existence, government hasn't done its job. Since we all have different problems, it becomes very difficult to find a way to satisfy everyone.
STAFF COLUMNIST
During the next year, this managed to happen.
Therefore, if someone will promise us enough, we'll listen. The roller coaster of the last 18 months shows this clearly.
To the chagrin of both parties, a rather small man with big ears, a bigger bank account and an even bigger ego decided that the people of the United States needed Superman to swoop in and save the country. Regular ol' people across the country jumped on the Perot bandwagon and drove him to the top of the polls.
Then they got Perot.
Outfanned by Perot's clever idea of talking real truth about the status quo, the Republicans and Bush were scrambling. The Democrats were so far behind at this point that they were simply spending all of their time trying to convince the people that Bill Clinton was not a cheat and a liar. However, the time spent working on Clinton's positives paid off.
JEFF REYNOLDS
The single greatest factor in why Clinton is winning is Perot's decision to drop out of the race during the Democratic convention. Clinton had been in third place for several months and within one week he rocketed 15 points ahead of Bush in the national polls.
But less than a month away was the Republican Convention, the time when we all remembered why we voted Republican in five of the past six presidential elections. Unfortunately for Bush, the "family values" trump card that was to be played so deflybackfired.
the present.
That left us with a one-on-one battle between Bill and George, with Bill holding a comfortable lead. But just like Superman (remember"Superman II ?") Ross's duty compelled him to leave his normal life and return to save us once again. This brings us to
Why is it that it has to be this complicated? We're attempting to elect the head of one of our three branches of government, and it resembles an Oliver Stone movie. Maybe it is the system. Maybe it is the candidates. Then again, maybe it is the voters.
It is obvious by the negative ratings of all of the candidates that we don't really like any of them. Doesn't it seem strange that in the largest and most prosperous country in the world we cannot find one man or woman whom most of us like?
Jeff Reynolds is a Hutchinson senior majoring in political science.
I will contend that maybe we are expecting just a bit too much from our presidents. We say to them, "Despite the fact that you are only one in a trio of equal branches of our government, you must solve my problems and make my life better. If you do not, then I will throw you out, or never elect you in the first place."
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Arabs want peace more than Israel.
The Arabs want peace.
And they do not have to give any evidence to prove their sincere desire to reach a peaceful settlement on the basis of return of the territories occupied since 1967.
So far, the Arabs have offered every possible concession on their legitimate rights so as to achieve
peace.
Today the Arabs are accepting the Israeli existence in the heart of the Arab world though it was an illegal presence created by force and by conspiracy with the big powers.
The Israelis do not want peace at all because it means the end of their dream of Greater Israel, without leaders think — [Israel] will not exist.
However, there is no way to stop the frenzied logic of Israel's leaders
unless Washington puts enough pressure on Israel.
this is what the Arabs demand, whether the president in the Oval Office is George Bush or Bill Clinton.
Al-Bayan
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
501 Bluez
COURT SIDE
ESPN has been kind to Kansas this season. After Kansas lost its first nationally televised football game in years, the "Sports Center" anchors focused on the positives. They were genuinely impressed with the strides Kansas football has made under the guidance of Coach Glen Mason.
MB HAOO VVG GGWL 64D
Roy's Boys excited by success of Glen's Men
As Mason himself said, "The times; As chaning."
and they are about to be.
Ladykey Kansas was featured in "Sports Kansas" and the Kansas/Nebraska game will be televised by ESPN. People around the country are beginning to realize what Big Eight Conference fans noticed last year when the Jayhawks recorded their first winning season in a decade.
Obviously, the basketball team doesn't have as far to go, but Coach Roy Williams agreed that basketball was no longer the only game in town.
"I'm very enthused about it," Williams said. "I think we can have successful teams in both sports. Our team is well equipped with a high standard for us to live to."
OK, so with the football team gaining national acclaim, who is the Big Man on Campus these days?
"I still hold the record for being the biggest big guy on the campus," the 7-4 women's volleyball team said.
But if current trends continue, the joke might be on the rest of the Big Eight.
"We're both in the spotlight," Ostertag said. "I hope we can get rich traditions going in both sports."
Oh, but not so fast, Glen. Every nice little sound bite the national media has allotted Kansas has been preceded by a disclaimer about what a great basketball school Kansas has always been. And isn't it NEAT that the football team is doing well too?
Associate editorial editor David Mitchell is a DeSoto major senior in Journalism.
These are the same jackasses that think every story about Kansas is required to have some lame mention of "The Wizard of Oz."
"It's always been a basketball school," said radio analyst Max Falkenstien, now in his 46th year covering Kansas athletics.
But it is true that the battle cry of Kansas fans was once, "Wait until bas-1 ketball season."
In fact, when center Greg Ostertau came to Kansas from Texas he had a different approach.
While the football team stands atop the Big Eight standings, the basketball team is favored to win the conference for the third straight year. The Jayhawk hoopsters are also ranked in the top five nationally. The last time the basketball team made it to the Final Four and the football team played in a bowl game in the same academic year was 1973-74.
"I love it," said senior point guard ADonis Ajdonian. "When we came in as freshmen, they didn't do as well as they would have liked to. It's good to see them go out with a bang. That's what I'm trying to do too."
"We've had some great football teams," he said. "But we haven't been able to sustain it from one regime to the next."
Kansas, 7-1, has locked up its first, bowl bid since 1891. The football team can plan to play well into bushes this one, a sport school have to adjust?
By Moses Smith