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Wednesday, September 2. 1992
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OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
IN OUR OPINION
First Amendment rights must be extended to all
When Nadine Strossen, the first woman president of the American Civil Liberties Union, visits the campus of the University of Kansas tonight, she brings with her an All-American message: protect the bill of rights at all costs. Strossen and the ACLU protect one of the most important documents in our nation's history, the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Her belief is that all people should be able to express themselves no matter what they may stand for. Education is the key to stopping racism and hate crimes.
What Strossen says should be the law. It seems when people are allowed to freely give hate speeches it tends to backfire. When members of the Ku Klux Klan were allowed to speak at KU in 1988, this fact was proven. Students who heard the KKK speak saw how ignorant they were. It was easily seen how slanted and untrue most of their information was.
However, when people try to stop opposition groups from speaking it snowballs. Sentiment usually goes to the persecuted group and First Amendment rights.
If education of a multicultural nature was executed much of the hate speech and racism could be averted. By teaching people that there is little or no difference between race and gender and that all people deserve equal rights, hate crimes could be quelled. At the same time, giving equal rights to all people means not curbing the speech of anyone.
If speech is curbed to one person, a dangerous precedent is set. Equality is an all or nothing freedom. If one person is not allowed to freely express him or her self then no one should be able to. If a group such as the KKK can be silenced what will stop anti-KKK protesters from being silenced as well? Let all be heard and protect the rights this country was founded upon.
JEFF SHAW FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Casino gambling won't be cure to Wichita's ills
Wichita is facing a very difficult confrontation between pragmatism and principle. In the face of a downtown that is suffering econom-
n fact of doing what is suffering economically, city government and business leaders are entertaining the possibility of bringing a big-stakes casino to the city through the Indian Gaming Act of 1988. They claim jobs, conventions, tourism and most importantly, money, will come to Wichita.
Wichita mayor Bob Knight and Sen. Nancy Kassebaum are both vehemently opposed to this, as they should be. This is a perfect example of the short-sightedness that is plaguing our society today. When the economy takes a turn for the worse, we forget all the negatives we've admitted to and throw our principles to the wind.
Former attorney general of New Jersey, John Degnan, now admits to having made the same mistake. He was integral in bringing casino gambling to Atlantic City. In retrospect, he said he realized the idea that the newly increased tax base would generate money for programs to help the poor and elderly never worked. It was counteracted by the tremendous control the casinos seized over the local land values, economy and government. In the end, the problems that were to be helped actually got worse.
Wichita is a city that markets itself as a place to raise a family with steadfast values of hard work and community. Residents must challenge their leaders to find new, creative ways to remain economically competitive. They shouldn't be fooled by repackaged, bad ideas, based on principles they don't believe in.
JEFF REYNOLDS FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
VOTE FOR ONE
If God sides with the GOP, then is Jesus a Democrat?
"You think that maybe God is a
Republican of State." Good job.
Republican?" Slats Grobnik asked.
I don't know. My guess is that he's
non-partisan. Why do you ask?
"Well, listening to some of the Republicans, they talk like God is an honorary chairman of their party. Even President Bush slammed the Democrats for not mentioning God in their party platform. You think God in a party platform that hardly anybody heard anyway?"
"From what I can tell, most party platforms are a lot of balcony. So figured God would probably say 'Hey, if you're going to make a lot of phony promises, don't do it in my name, OK?"
I've never heard a theologian express that view.
I'm not sure he'd phrase it that way but that could be his sentiment.
COLUMNIST
What about him?
What about him?
"How do I Jewish gi
MIKEROYKO
"And he was kind of liberal, right?" In some ways, I suppose.
He was jewish, right? On his mother's side, yes.
"Well, he said the poor are blessed. And so are the merciful. And that the meek are going to inherit the Earth. You didn't hear nobody at the Republican Convention putting in good words for the poor or the merciful or the meek. Pat Buchanan sounded like he'd like to hang 'em from a tree. And what about the rich Republican fat cats?"
What about them?
"Didn't God's son put the whammy on the rich? He said something like woe to them. And that a rich guy has about as much chance of getting to heaven as a camel is in getting through the eye of a needle. Boy, put that in the Republican platform and see what happens to contributions."
Yes, he frequently made harsh statements about the rich. Especially
"See? If that ain't a liberal, I believe what is. And I think he was in faction."
those who were tightwads. He was in favor of giving their richeys away.
"When some guys came to him and tried to con him into bum-rapping the taxes, he pointed at the coin that had Caesar's mug on it and said that they should give Caesar what he has coming. Which meant not beefing about paying taxes. You don't find that in the Republican platform, either. And what about the thief?"
"Remember, the one on the other cross. I mean, the guy was a criminal, which is why he nailed him up there. But he gets an ironclad promise that he's going to the kingdom. Hah, all the fat cats are still trying to get through the eye of a needle, and some crook walks right through the pearly gates. Hey, if he showed up today, you think he could get into one of those fancy private country clubs a lot of the Republicans belong to?"
What thief?
At some clubs, I suppose they would exclude him on that basis.
Jesus in a country club?
"Yeah. If he goes in to apply and says that his mother was Jewish, the old blackball would come out, right?"
"I imagine that, some membership chairman saving. 'Sorry' Jesus, we
believe in you and all that, but right now our membership list seems to be filled up."
Well, he could apply at one of the predominantly Jewish country clubs.
"Yeah, but he couldn't get in there, either. There ain't no way they'd let a carpenter in. No status. And he knew it. He had claws. He dues. Besides, he'd probably want to carry the bag for the caddy, which would embarrass everybody."
Well, this is all mere conjecture. In answer to your original question, we have no way of knowing if God is a Republican, a Democrat, an independent, or if he even takes an interest in such matters.
"Then the Republicans ought to stop acting like he's one's of them. And if they keep doing it, the Democrats ought to say, 'Hey, if God is a Republican, how come his son was a Jewish liberal?'"
Because we don't know that, either. "Come on. What about turning the other cheek when someone whacks you? And loving your enemies. And giving it to the money changers.?" Putney or the money changers in the Republican platform and the Dow Jones would drop 3,000 points."
"Me, either. And I bet God doesn't think so, too. So I wish he'd send down a sign to the Republicans to lay off."
Well, I don't think God should be an issue in the political campaign.
What kind of sign?
"One Republican speechwriter and one bolt of lightning, and that would be the end of it.
"And if Dan Quayle is smart, he'll get off the course when it gets cloudy."
Mike Royko is a syndicated columnist with the Chicago Tribune.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I was appalled to learn that someone in the University community, a professor no less, would attempt to alter KU's policy on non-discrimination based on sexual orientation. I will not debate the need for such
policy; however, I will debate the need for an instructor who carries and, worse still, promotes ignorance in a setting of higher learning. Though I would defend Professor Carl Burkhead's right to hold his beliefs, I must question his actions in front of the Senate Executive Committee. Faulting the policy because "it endorsed behavior that
Professor's thinking is behind the times
spreads disease," is an action stemming from a grossly uninformed notion, inexcusable, and unbecoming of an individual of his status at KU. The only disease here is the disease of ignorance, and if Burkhea's course is allowed to continue this disease will unfortunately continue to spread.
Michael Reid
Senior, Lawrence
Invasion of the bugs is giving me the creeps
When exactly do bugs go on vacation?
JULIE WASSON
Almost every night for the past week, I have been treated to the spectacle of at least two different types of clicking across my living room floor.
I don't understand why they are in my apartment. It's a very neat, clean place — thanks mostly to my roommate. So I asked a friend of mine why bugs would want to hang out in my apartment. And you know what he told me?
"Well, it's getting colder outside, and it's been raining. They want to get out of the weather."
I might buy that, but I thought that they spent the summer in my apartment because it was too hot outside for them.
If my friend is right, these bugs will have to extend their visit through winter, because heaven knows they wouldn't want to catch cold or slip and fall on the ice. Then spring will roll around, and they'll stay. Too much rain, you know. They could drown. And then we'll be back to summer. The cycle starts again.
I've learned a lot as I've waged war on these insipid bugs. For example, if you spray Lysol and lemon fresh Pledge directly at a cricket for 5 to 10 minutes, it will eventually pass out and die. Plus, your apartment will smell like a housekeeper has been by and rendered your home dust and germ free.
An easy way to kill spiders that are on linoleum or wood surfaces is to drop a magazine the size of Cosmopolitan on them. Then you can pretend that you meant to leave the magazine there, and when your roommate picks it up a few days later, she won't even notice the flattened arachnid on the front cover.
Lately I've worked up the courage to smash small, unthreatening looking bugs with ashoe. But I refuse to battle a cricket with anything less than aerosol spray. If you're close enough to smash a cricket with a shoe, you're close enough for that cricket to jump right in your face.
I'm hoping for a mild fall. Maybe the bugs will decide to venture outdoors, and I'll be able to barricade my home. Until then, just call me the Exterminator.
Another friend told me, in an attempt to get me to forget the seasonal theory, that I should just resign myself to living with these creepy crawlers, because I had been stupid enough to rent a ground-floor apartment.
KANSAN STAFF
Julie Wasson is Springfield, Mo. senior major in journalism and political science
Nice try, Oh Compassionate One, but I've commiserated with my upstairs neighbors, and they too are battling these most unwelcomed guests.
Someone else suggested that I read up on household bugs. But I don't want to spend my time learning anything about these wretched insects unless it's how to kill them or make them leave forever. When is the off season in Bug World? When will I be able to trip to the kitchen at 3 a.m. for a glass of water without worrying about stepping on some crunchy pest?
ERIC NELSON
Editor
GREG FARMER
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
STAFF COLUMNIST
BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator
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SCOTTHANNAN
Business manager
BILLLEIBENGOOD
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
Loco Locals
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