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Wednesday, August 26, 1987 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friendly skies
A string of near misses and rising panic over busy airports and crowded skies have brought the industry under fire and to the attention of U.S. Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole.
Turbulent times are back for the airline industry.
Dole recently announced a plan to improve airport safety by restricting airspace around airports and requiring anti-collision devices to be installed in airplanes.
The FAA, airport officials and the airlines themselves should constantly evaluate their operations and develop improved safety techniques. The number of near-collisions reported by pilots has increased, tainting the industry's reputation and possibly scaring travelers.
devices to be installed in airplanes Airlines are getting a double dose of corrective medicine because the Federal Aviation Administration has plans to impose its own rules for air traffic safety.
The FAA's proposal to require commercial aircraft to install a traffic alert and collision avoidance system could help curb air disasters. In addition, airports are making the effort to control and restrict their airspace.
roots cannot afford to stray off course, fly within 100 feet of each other or fail to report near-collisions. They must share the skies at a comfortable distance, so that travelers don't lose faith in them.
There are some mighty proud folks in the U.S. Department of Education these days.
Although near collisions in the clouds may be increasing, the amount of air traffic has increased also. Flying should not be written off as unsafe.
A record 1 million U.S. college students will receive a bachelor's degree in May, they boast. In all, the country's public colleges will enroll 9.5 million students and spend $81.3 billion on them.
A hefty price tag
in schools and colleges. But price tags don't always reflect the quality of the product.
The statistics are impressive, especially when one considers that the country spends 6.7 percent of its gross national product on schools and colleges.
But price tags don't always reflect President Reagan and Secretary of Education William Bennett often cite impressive figures to justify cuts in educational programs and freezes in teachers' salaries.
pil or see if there is a need. Additional financing is fine. But a true commitment extends beyond dollar signs. The Education Department should now concentrate on restoring programs that fell to Reagan's ax.
For one week, 1,200 women rushed to sorority houses all over campus, hoping that their personalities, lifestyles or looks would prompt an invitation to return.
To the disappointed
concentrate on resourcing programs And strict educational requirements should see that those billions of dollars pay off and that all high school graduates are able to read and write.
The small talk, the punch and the cookies masked the seriousness of the quest. The women sought to make their homes at KU with those most like themselves. Thus, 1,200 women spent a stressful week.
Congratulations to the 800 women who pledged one of 14 sororites. Organized living quarters often provide support, social activities and longtime friends that might not be easily attained in off-campus housing.
For the 400 or so women who dropped out of rush or were not asked to pledge a house, that's OK, too.
The myriad of tables outside the Kansas Union during enrollment serves as a testament to the number of alternatives still available.
Often, life's disappointments lead to greater opportunities. The next move would be to consider other campus organizations and pursue them with the same vigor demonstrated last week.
Because involvement — regardless of the organization — lends depth to one's college education.
Editorials in this column are the opinions of the editorial board.
News staff
Jennifer Banjamin .Editor
Julill Warren .Managing editor
John Benner .News editor
Beth Copeland .Editorial editor
Sally Streff .Campaign editor
Brian Kablerline .Sports editor
Dun Ruettlimann .Photo editor
Bill Sket. Graphics editor
Tom Ebn .General manager, news adviser
Business staff
Bonnie J. Hardy ... Business manager
Robert Hughes ... Advertising manager
Kelly Scherer ... Retail sales manager
Kurt Messmersith ... Campus sales manager
Greg Knipp ... Product sales manager
David Derfelt ... National sales manager
Angela Clarke ... Classified manager
Ron Weems ... Director of marketing
Jennie Hines ... Sales and marketing adviser
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Madmen kill courteous drivers
There's something very strange about the outbreak of shootings on California's freeways.
If you read the accounts of the shootings, you probably notice that just about all of the victims say essentially the same thing about their own behavior.
They were just cruising along, minding their own business, not bothering anyone and scrupulously observing the rules of the road.
Then suddenly, almost out of nowhere, some madman in another car began shooting at them.
I suppose it's possible that people who carry guns in their cars have suddenly developed a mass hatred of courteous, inoffensive drivers.
But I would find it all a bit more realistic if some of those whose cars were punctured said something like this:
"I'm driving home from work, see. Hate my job, the boss picks on me, nobody there gives me any respect. When I get home, me and the wife will have another argument, and she will like she always does. That's why I like being in my car. Nobody meets with me in my car.
"Anyway, I see this guy coming down the ramp to get on the freeway. He's speeding up to merge in my lane. He's going to try to pull in ahead of me. Hey, nobody gets ahead of me. I don't have to take that kind of abuse. So, I speed up. He speeds up. But I ain't letting this turkey get one up on me.
"So I stomp the pedal. Now he's running out of room. Hah, I almost run the sucker right up on the grass. But at the last second he chickens out
and slams on his brakes. I showed him a thing or two.
"The next thing I know, he pulls up next to me, and he's yelling something. I just give him the finger like I wish I could do to my boss. Then — I can't believe it — this guy whips out a gun and puts a bullet through my window. He tries to kill me! I'll tell you, there are some crazy people out there."
Or maybe this:
"So I'm hauling this big load from Portland down to San Diego, and I've been on the road all day. I'm mad because when I went to shake a couple of uppers out of the bottle they spilled all over the floor, and I don't have time to stop. In my business, time is money.
"Anyway, I'm moving good when I hit this mess of traffic. Cars. Little cars. I hate them.
Sometimes I have dreams where they're all over me, crawling up my legs, biting me. And I have fantasies where I'm doing 90 in a giant steamroller and I flatten them like bugs.
"Like I say, I hit this traffic and there's this little car in front me, one of those expensive
sports jobs. And if I could get by him, I could save maybe 15 seconds on my run. But he's in my way. What's he doing out there anyway? I mean, I'm making a living. He's just getting in my way. Guys like that ain't fit to live. Fancy car. Lots of money. And nothing better to do than make me miserable.
so. I figure I'll teach him a lesson. I get closer. I get right on his tail and stay there. Then I drop back a little and come barreling up and stay on his butt. The rich little twit. His father probably bought him the car.
"Then you know what he does? He taps his brakes, like he's going to warn me. Oh, the punk. So I get even closer. I got him boxed in. He can't go nowhere. I just put up just enough. He can't burn him into a blob.
"I'll stay there for two, three miles. Finally there's an opening in the next lane, and the dirty little coward swerves to get out of my way. So I barrel past him and the next thing I know. I hear pop, pop, pop. The nut is shooting holes in my door.
"I'll tell you, officer, it ain't safe out here for professional drivers anymore."
Now I'm not saying that those who are being menaced may sometimes bring it on themselves. It's entirely possible that there's something about courteous, sensible drivers that brings out the homicidal beast in some people.
If so, how can the guys with the guns find such a tiny minority?
Reagan counters Ayatollah's tactics
Criticism. It is easy to throw around but many times, as in the case of President Reagan's decision to reflag 11 Kuwaiti oil tankers, the criticism is noticeably lacking in realistic alternatives.
In late May, the Reagan administration announced its plans to provide naval escorts for the designated Kuwaiti oil tankers as they passed through the dangerous Persian Gulf region.
The policy met with predictable opposition, but the fact is, Reagan's decision to go ahead with the reflagging was, simply, the choice that had to be made. But even with the policy now in motion, some still say the United States should abandon the plan instantaneously.
The calls to withdraw from the Gulf are both dangerous and naive, for this situation calls for strength and persistence.
Many view the action by the administration as a direct provocation, but does it even compare with the empty Iranian sabre-rattling that we desperately sick of hearing?
A point that must be considered is that the Ayatollah Khomeini and his counterparts combine their insanity with an eerie sense of pragmatism, which makes them even more dangerous. The decisions made in Teheran are well conceived, no matter how deranged they appear, and the U.S. must face these manipulative Iranians with a tactful combination of diplomacy and force. Reagan's directives thus far have contained a sufficient dose of the former with a much needed tilt toward the latter.
As many know, however, talk is cheap with Iran. Within Iran, the strategy is one of self-proclaimed "martyrdom." That is, choosing to die for one's belief or faith, which in this case literally is dictated by Khomeini.
Christopher Wilson Staff Columnist
But as seen in the case of the Iranian-incited riots at the holiest of Moslem shrines in Mecca, Iran's fanaticism holds no boundaries, and Khomeini's "us against the world" philosophy has been marked with an exclamation point.
It is obvious that the threat Iran poses to Gulf shipping is tremendous; witness the nearly 30 attacks on Kuwaiti oil tankers in the past year and the recent patrol boat attack on a Liberian-registered tanker. We must not only assure the free flow of oil to the West but also in the process uphold the basic international principle of freedom of navigation.
By reflagging the Kuwaiti tankers, the Reagan administration also has countered a building Soviet influence in the region and has helped stop the Soviets from gaining ground in the Gulf, where they have sought a warm-water port for decades.
Another important point that supports the reffagging is the need to regain Arab confidence, which has been tarnished by the Iranian arms deal. Seen John Glenn, D-Ohio, said, "The nations of the Gulf are looking at reffagging as a litmus test (test) of American staying power."
A spreading of Iran's war with Iraq must be allowed. The reflagging decision is a logical and practical means of containment and an important part of the administration's policy.
The Avatollah Khomeini
U. S. Rep. Les Aspin, D-Wis., an initial opponent of the policy, conceded, "By refusing to act boldly, we look indecisive and insecure to everyone" and "we send a message of unreliability." Christopher Wilson is an Olathe junior double majoring in political science and personnel administration.
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed