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Friday, October 2.1992
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
IN OUR OPINION
Magic's status lets him get away with telling lies
Earvin "Magic" Johnson's recent announcement of his return to the National Basketball Association has brought to light the amount of credibility society attaches to celebrities and their special interests. It has been 11 months since Johnson retired from the Los Angeles Lakers because of his contraction of the HIV virus, which leads to AIDS.
At the time of his retirement, Johnson's health was the primary concern which motivated his decision. He swore that he would lead a crusade of informing all people, but especially African-American youths who seem to be a high risk group. It was because of Johnson's willingness to promote AIDS education that he accepted an appointment from President George Bush to the National AIDS Council. However, days before he announced he was returning to basketball, Johnson resigned from the council citing frustration with the Bush administration on AIDS funding and support. Johnson's reason for resignation is based on little more than his own political views and his less-than-expert knowledge on AIDS.
Johnson represents the kind of popularly appointed knowledge the public hands out. Johnson has the HIV virus, but this does not confer upon him expert status on this disease. His comments cannot be supported by the facts, no matter what political views he holds.
Funding and emphasis on AIDS is greater than ever before and surely will increase in the future. Everyone desperately wants a cure for this plague, but lack of medical progress does not automatically mean lack of support.
Johnson, by his resignation, signaled to millions of U.S. citizens a lack of effort on the part of Bush and many others. His celebrity status has condemned the good efforts of many in search of a cure for AIDS.
If Johnson seeks the accolades of millions, then he has the responsibility to speak the truth and not his opinions.
STEPHEN MARTINO FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Israeli newspaper calls for reforms in Germany
The German newspapers call the hooligans plotting against those seeking refuge "neo-Nazis." The authorities prefer to describe them as "extreme right." The Jews living in Germany are beginning to fear lest the wave of violence will harm them also.
among the hooligans imposing fright on the foreign refugees.
The fire set in the memorial barrack at the Sachsenhausen (World War II concentration) camp proves this fear is founded. Those running amok against all foreigners — whatever the pretext — are setting the foundation for violence against Jews also; and it is logical that groups of real neo-Nazis are
Chancellor Helmut Kohl promised the German Jews for the Jewish New Year that those setting fire to homes and planting hatred of foreigners will be dealt with under the full power of the law, and Germany "will remain the friend of foreigners." Not only the Jews of Germany, but Israeli Jews and those living in all the nations of the Diaspora wait for the chancelor and the Bonn government to act, to prove the credibility of the promise.
Haartez. Tel Aviv
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Leave the fallen leaves alone
Autumn gently touches, not rudely stirs, scholars to pristine thought and scholarship in a melancholic way, that is, a happy-sacking backbone, or the unintentional the vendor's sweet-sour sauce.
A major element of this beckoning is the fallen leaves endlessly swirling in the winds, strewn in nooks, hedges, grassy lawns and sidewalks, ankle-level or knee-deep through which child and adult love to tumble and stroll.
However, this Wordsworthian beauty and effect at KU are sys-
tentatically raped every year by Facilities Operations who rake and bundle up in large plastic bags or bring their wind machines that, with huge gullet-like pipes, suck and ingest them.
Will all the faculty, students and administrators conscious of this Wordworthian joy and beauty on campus persuade Facilities Operations to leave the leaves as they are and in the bargain save a lot of money and labor.
T. S. David
Lawrence graduate student
KANSAN STAFF
ERIC NELSON
Editor
GREG FARMER Managing editor
TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser
BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator ...
Editors
TOM EBLEN
Assist. Managing Aimee Brainard
News Alexander Bloomhof
Editorial Stephen Martino
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Sports Shelly Solly
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Features Cody Holt
Graphics Sean Tewls
SCOTT HANNA
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BILL LEIBENGOOD
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JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing advise
Business Staff
Campus sales mgr .. Angela Cleverman
Regional Sales mgr .. Mellea Tilapat
National sales mgr .. Brian Wilkes
Co-op sales mgr .. Amy Stumbo
Production mgrs .. Brad Bron
Kim Claxton
Marketing director .. Ashley Langford
Sales manager .. Cassidy Jallad
Assisted mgr .. Judith Standley
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George Bush is no Marvin Gaye, so let's get on with it already
Catch phrases come and go in our culture. One of the first signs that they have overstayed their welcome is when advertisers and politicians begin using them in their rhetoric.
Perhaps the most pathetic example was when pseudo-tough guy Ronald Reagan did a poor Clint Eastwood movie. He worked someone, "Go ahead. Make my day."
While most Reagan Republicans loved the use of the Eastwood expression, politicians usually end up looking stupid when they try to look cool. Politicians are chronically out of touch. Quoting pop-culture jargon just gives them the opportunity to prove it. This week, soon-to-be-former President Bush did just that while challenging Bill Clinton to debate.
But George rambled on and on like some bad column that had no point. About the time I was thinking, "God,
I watched George's never-ending speech. After being called Chicken George for avoiding confrontations with Clinton, Bush was forced to propose the debates. I was glad to see that the candidates were finally going to talk about the issues face to face. This mud-slinging excuse for a campaign has dragged on long enough.
DAVID MITCHELL
let's get on with it," George triumphantly declared, "Let's get it on"
Let's get it on? I couldn't believe it.
This is not a campaign slogan. This is not a call to battle. This is a 1970's Motown mating call.
An African-American friend I was watching the news with said it best: "George said something with a little soul. He better go home and brush his teeth."
Let's get it on? Exactly what kind of family values is George trying to promote anyway? I don't know what meant to say, but that what's be said
"Let's Get it On" was a classic
Motown hit by Marvin Gaye in the early '70s. God only knows where George heard it. I can barely stomach it when screeching Michael Bolton mangles classic Motown tunes. When someone as white as George manipulates them into a speech, things get ugly. And there is no one whiter than George.
I only wish George had used an entire verse of the song in his speech. I think it might have gone something like this: "And so I propose that we debate every Sunday from now until the election on Nov. 3. And I say to Bill Clinton, 'If the spirit moves ya, let me groove ya. Let your love come down!' If you believe in love, let's get it on!" Let's get it on?
Gave one explained his method of song writing this way: "If I'm sad, I write sad music. If I'm being divorced, I write divorce albums. If I'm sexy or if I'm feeling hot or horny, I'll write a horny album."
However, he never said, "If I'm in campaign, I write campaign slogans. If George wanted to quote the song he could have at least been clever enough to use the line about beating around the bush.
winner "Sexual Healing" were definitely horny songs. George, what kind of mood are you in?
Whatever it may be, take your foot out of your mouth, and let's get on
It's ironic that Gaye made more profound statement's about our society in his music than Bush has made in the last 12 years.
"Let's Get it On" and the Grammy
"I think it was around 1970 when I stopped thinking so much about my erotic fantasies and I started to think about the war in Vietnam," Gaye said. "It caused me to take a hard look at society. I felt the strong urge to write what could touch the souls of men. In that way I thought perhaps I could help."
Gave's song like "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)." what "What's Going On," "Inner City Blues" and "Save the Children" were wonderful attempts to raise awareness of injustice in our society. The next time Bush wants to quote Gave, I suggest he answer this question from "Save the Children."
Who really cares? Who is willing to try to save world that is destined to die.
Associate editorial editor David Mitchell is a DeoSto major majoring in Journalism.
Parents must endure kid's learning experiences
We have a drummer at our house. It is a new experience and one to which we are all trying to adjust.
It began with my 10 year old bringing home a note about joining the school band. Great. I thought, we have a perfectly good trombone sitting around collecting dust. It could be put to good use.
We bought the trombone for the older son. He played it for two years and lost interest, as kids do. I tried to get him excited about it. I even took him to a Chicago concert to watch Jimmy Pankow play. That guy not only plays wonderfully, but dances great, too. And he does both at the same time! But my son was not as impressed with Mr. Pankow's playing as I was. He also was not as impressed when Mr. Pankow took off his shirt as I was.
Not everyone appreciates good art. So, the trombone has been sitting, unused, for a few years. But the
KATE KELLEY
younger son did not want to play the trombone. He said his arms were not long enough. Besides, he wanted to play the drums.
Now many parents would have insisted that if you own a trombone, your kid should play it. But I had a friend who taught the issue. I had to play the clarinet.
I did not want to play the clarinet. I wanted to play a trumpet. But we had a clarinet, my sister's. It was a bony
clarinet, too. The only noise it produced well was a squeak. Now lest you think it was the player and not the instrument, my suspicions about the latter were confirmed when I tried to sell it a few years ago. The music store apprasier told me, "This clarinet is a piece of s—". Now even with a good instrument, I may have never become a female Benny Goodman, but I did not really have a fair chance, did I?
So with that piece of childhood trauma in mind, I went downtown and rented-to-own a snare drum kit. It is a very handy little ensemble: a drum, a stand, a rubber practice pad and two sticks — all kept inside a big black case roughly half the size and weight of my 10 year old.
This means that I have to drive it to and from school. I could make my son drag it back and forth every week, but then his arms would be long enough to play the trombone!
He is very enthusiastic about playing. The Saturday morning after his first lesson, he could hardly wait until 8 a.m. to begin practicing.' Now he has found a more reasonable time. He waits until after school, when we are all doing homework.
I keep reminding myself that every famous drummer probably started out as a little kid standing in the middle of his living room, counting out loud, "one-two-three-four," to the ticking of a metronome and beating on a rubber practice pad,
I am very proud of him, really. He is improving daily and continues to be enthusiastic about practicing. That is good, right?
I just keep telling myself that behind almost every successful drummer is a patient and encouraging parent with a heavy-duty set of ear plugs.
Kate Kolley is a Fort Leavenworth junior majoring in English.
Loco Locals
By Tom Michaud