Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Kansan
Published daily since 1912
Spencer Duncan, Editor
Lindsey Henry, Managing editor
Andrea Albright, Managing editor
Tom Eblen, General manager, news adviser
Sarah Scherwinki, Business manager Brian Pagel, Retail sales manager Dan Simon, Sales and marketing adviser Justin Knupp, Technology coordinator
4A
Tuesday, September 2, 1997
Walt Handelsman  THE TIMS'S- PICAOUNE
Ranting
Undercover cops in liquor shops make for wasted time
I had the pleasure of kicking off my school year with a little low-key harassment. It's really no big deal. It just gets annoying when you look at the way police try to enforce the laws against under-age drinking.
I've heard in years past that undercover police officers have pretended to work in liquor stores. I thought it sounded silly and dismissed it as rumor.
Okay, sure, under-age drinking is illegal. But we all
know it's a bad law, especially in a college town. I can name maybe three acquaintances in my entire life that didn't have a drink until they were 21. This leaves a solid two-year window of illegal drinking for the average college student. It just doesn't make sense to harass this group of young people who drive a huge portion of this town's economy.
Like it or not, most people are drinkers by the time they get out of high school. Odds are most University of Kansas underclassman are going to drink a little beer this year.
Chris Bulgren
opinion@kansan.com
This will happen regardless of the law and those who enforce it. Many feel it's their right to drink.
There's the classic argument: "I can go to jail, and I can die for my country, why can't I have a beer?" Regardless of your reasons for hating this law, it is a piece of heavy-handed self righteousness gone awry. The law simply has no pertinence or affect on the youth of this country. People are not deterred unless they're arrested. This deterrent gives new college students a criminal record and fines to pay. Welcome to Lawrence, kids.
There is another factor that must be taken into consideration. This town is absurdly over-policed. How can the police put so much emphasis on this particular law? Aren't there more pressing crimes being committed in Lawrence? I assumed there were real laws being broken. My apartment was broken into last summer, and I had to catch the burglar myself and report him to the police. They should have given me a badge.
Granted, I got my property back, but there w.s basically no investigative work done by the police. It was obvious who ripped me off. It probably happened while the Lawrence Police Department was cracking down on jaywalking.
So we've set the stage. We have a medicre law and scores of police with plenty of time who are ready, willing and able to enforce it.
Last Saturday night, my buddy, Dan, and I were purchasing a 12 pack of beer at a liquor store near campus. As we bought the liquor, Dan mentioned the undercover cops that have been camping out at liquor stores.
When that subject was touched, I did notice everyone in the store seemed a little uneasy and way too quiet. As we left I kept asking Dan jokingly, "Are you a cop?" Dan handed me the beer and got his keys out as an undercover cop walked toward us flashing a badge, and asking for ID.
You should have seen this guy. One of these cops who thinks his white and teal striped shirt makes him look like some local yokel stopping off at the liquor store before the barbecue. A fairly half-assed bit of police work to enforce an equally half-assed law.
It's not bad enough that these cops have the time to harass a 25-year old buying beer. As I searched my wallet for my driver's license, this Kojak wanna-be started looking through my wallet over my shoulder. I told him to back off and asked what he wanted. He then intrusively (and I'm not sure legally) pointed to cards in my wallet that he wanted to see. He left us alone only after seeing my expired license. I was as confused as I was angry. Why even bother?
So here's the point: These guys have too much free time, and they are spending it trying to bust you, the college student. Be smart. There are safe and intelligent ways to skirt these laws, which I don't really want to include here. Just think about it.
I didn't write this column just to encourage lawlessness and ridicule the police, although it's been fun. We all know it would be borderline impossible to lower the drinking age in Lawrence. Both police and students need to examine the situation a bit more closely. Police might realize that they are enforcing an antiquated law that thousands of people are breaking daily.
Hard-line enforcement of this law only increases the pre-existing hatred and suspicion of police, and forces people to act in a subversive fashion. Learning to run from police who invade bars, house parties and liquor stores shouldn't be one of the first lessons freshmen learn at the University.
Bulgen is an angry Lawrence graduate student in journalism.
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Broaden your mind: Today's quote
"They would not find me changed from him they knew— Only more sure of all I thought was true."
Robert Frost
How to submit letters and guest columns
Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and home-town if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
Guest columns Should be double-
spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
All letter and guest columns should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Staufer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Bradley Brooks (brooks@kansan.com) or Jason Strait (jstrait@kansan.com) at 864-4810. If you have generic questions or comments, e-mail the staff stuff (opinion@kansan.com) or call 864-4810.
Feedback
Good political writing should do at least three things:
In response to the Delta Force column
1. Advance some interesting ideas.
2. Provide concrete support ing detail.
3. Generally try to hold down the emotional attacks on persons and their motives.
Here is how Andy Obermuelter's column "Delta Force Cynicism is Uninformed Cynicism" (August 29, 1997) stacks up:
1. Ideas: Andy thinks the campus is mostly just fine the way it is, and Delta force should work with the Student Senate and the Administration. (Pretty thin stuff.)
2. Concrete detail: Delta Force put up posters attacking the Student Senate, KU on Wheels and the Chancellor. (For that I need to read 1000 words?)
3. Personal attacks: Delta Force is a cynical, arrogant, self-selecting elite that recruits students who feel excluded. (How does one recruit the self-selected? Can one really feel both excluded and elite?) Delta Force has no pride or respect; hasn't invested anything; is all take and no give; cannot find one thing it likes. Jason Fizell is a front man; mercifully lost an election; perpetrates a copout; tears things down; needs to iron his pants and cut his hair; is full of anger and devoid of self-esteem; will eventually be forced to swallow some bitter medicine. (If one must wax ad hominem, couldn't one at least provide some supporting evidence?)
Maybe great writing can't be taught, but one can produce passable writing by merely following the rules.
Andv. get an editor.
David Burress research associate Institute for Public Policy and Business Research
Andy Obermueller's columns normally don't merit response due to their utter lack of intelligence or insight. But Obermueller's August 29 ad hominem rant against Jason Fizell demands reply, for now Obermueller seeks to publicly attack those students who don't share his views.
In Obermueller's trite and vacuous formulation, Delta Force is a group that seeks to "tear down" rather "build up." Obermueller, however, fails to cite any examples of Delta Forces' ostensibly destructive behavior, and concedes that Fizell "has built a strong network, and his efforts to build a diverse, grassroots organization have been impressive," Sounds like "building up" to me. Obermueller's contradictions, then, would be laughable if they were not delivered with such vile. Because Obermueller can't find evidence for his own thesis, he retorts to childish character attacks and plainly stupid declarations such as his absurd injunction that Fizell "iron his pants, cut his hair, and get a real job." Obermueller thus apparently objects to anyone who doesn't look like him, wear the same clothes, or, and let's be honest about this, thinks like he does.
Mr. Obermueller is entitled to his ideology, but he should learn to argue with reason and evidence, rather than cast his ideology in ill-informed and vindictive personal attacks.
Kevin Armitage Lawrence graduate student
Professor reacts to elitist parking
The following is a letter I am sending to the KU Parking Service, with a copy to Chancellor Hemenway.
Not being a member of the "elite" that have been offered the opportunity to purchase reserved parking spaces (and not being convinced that, if I were, I would accept that offer), I wish to voice my opposition to that policy. Since the beginning of the semester, I have been obliged five times to park off campus (by the water tower on Sunset) and walk, once arriving late for class, because there were no parking spaces available for this elderly holder of a blue permit. Not only have the reserved parking spaces proliferated beyond reason, but there are now at least
There is little point in telling me to come early. That is not an excuse for over-selling permits, nor for cannibalizing spaces for the elite.
two additional metered spaces (in front of Lippincott).
I hereby request that you return my fee for a parking permit. When you notify me that that has been arranged, I shall gladly return the permit. Walking and/or bicycling is better anyway, and it will help develop a thirst for my Brita, which I enjoy as I walk past those unsightly machines that dispense a liquid that shall remain unnamed.
David Dineen
Professor of French
and Italian
Kill the coverage of Coca-Cola
Are we the only ones that are tired of hearing about Coke and how they are destroying our university? Everyone these days seems concerned about only having Coke on the KU campus. We are all adults here and I'm sure that we all know how to make logical choices. If you have something against Coke then don't drink it. Simple solutions for simple problems. We believe that the main reason most students attend KU is to learn, not to compare soft drinks. We may be wrong, but we doubt enrollment drops this next year since KU signed its contract with Coke. And as for where the money is going, who cares? We're not getting the money anyway. It wouldn't matter if KU signed a contract with Coke, Pepsi, or Shasta the students wouldn't receive any of the proceeds. All we ask is that everyone stop complaining about Coke and start concerning ourselves with what makes KUA great university.
Eric Barth and Andrew Stiles Wichita sophomores
Wet T-shirt photo not appropriate
The UDK is a great paper, for a campus paper, and I enjoy reading it everyday. But today I think that the UDK has hit an all time low. In section A, page 6, there is an article on a wet T-shirt contest with a photo. I think that the article is somewhat okay, but I find the picture less than acceptable. That sort of picture does not belong in our campus newspaper. I don't care if nothing is shown or not there are kids, not college students, who see this stuff in our college paper and then all of a sudden their opinion of the paper is different than what I think the editor would like the paper to be portrayed as. please consider this next time you wish to shoot pictures for articles such as this.
Nate Kibby Kansas City, Mo., sophomore
Lots shouldn't be reserved for games
Contrary to what the athletics or parking departments believe, many of us are here to educate ourselves. Yet many KU students were late to classes on Thursday afternoon. They all had parking passes, and yes, most were on campus at least 30 minutes before class. Many of us drove through traffic for 20 minutes from lot to lot, searching for one in which our paid-in-full, yellow parking permits were valid. Chancellor, you talk of making financial deals and lucrative enterprises that do not hinder or decrease the supposed high level of academia a this fine institution.
Well, why don't we start at home. Many of us taking night classes work all day and commute to campus before class. We live off campus and pay for parking in order to access our classes. And you would have us towed with a valid permit for attending class! Our classes do not end at 5 pm, nor do we have access to the inner boulevards on campus to find alternate parking before the time. To be greeted by a priority that puts your football revenue above our learning is egregious and irresponsible.
Alice Maureen Bertol
Colorado Springs, Colo.,
graduate student
"Kansan" needs to examine itself
Since resuming publication this fall, the "kansan" editorial staff has criticized Chancellor Hemenway as being money-grubbing, because of the Coke and Nike deals. Before pointing a finger, you should consider your new policy on publicizing campus events. In the past, events hosted on campus by campus organizations were published free, in a section entitled "On Campus." As of this semester, that section is now a part of the classified ads. In the past, 20 or 30 events were publicized every day; today's paper has two.
The University doesn't have an obligation to provide soft drink options to students; the Coke decision didn't significantly affect the mission of the University. However, the "Kansan" is turning its back on its mission to inform students about student activities, for the sake of increasing classified ad revenues.
Jocelyn Martin Lawrence graduate student
"Ruffians" editorial lacking
I am writing in reference to your Thursday 8/28 editorial "Downtown ruffians killing fun." I seems ironic to me that an editorial critical of confrontation and culture clash would itself exhibit such antagonism. Your assertion that "night life in the streets of Lawrence would be a lot more pleasant if the kids in pickup trucks would find something else to do" seems to imply that these kids in pickup trucks are just too rural, poor, less-educated and generally uncool to be within 10 miles of you and your Boulevard beer-drinking, Abercrombie and Fitch-wearing friends — and gosh-darn-it, life just isn't as "pleasant" as you think you deserve.
I agree with the editors in that everyone should be free of harassment and name-calling. Yet, the editorial's references to "juveniles in cowboy hats" and "truck people" are based upon negative, narrow stereotypes. The editorial was rank with an air of superiority and clearly established an us/them mentality. This attitude is as much a form of harassment and name-calling as the behavior of the "ruffians." The difference is that KU students are so privileged as to have a sanctified medium of self-expression. The newspaper lends underserved credibility to your opinion. Because, in the end, the students represented by the editorial board and the Mass Street teenagers both are saying the same thing. You don't like them, and they don't like you.
Different groups of people (socioeconomic classes, cultures) hold different values, possess different social norms, and exhibit different forms of self-expression. The potential for conflict occurs when different cultures (KU students and rural/ small-town teenagers) meet in a common setting (Massachusetts Street). Clearly, both groups of people have the right to be there. Downtown Lawrence is not merely a playground for the rich and privileged. Consequently, KU students share equal responsibility with these "ruffians" to minimize conflict and establish respect. Sadly, the editorial served only to increase the chance of conflict by furthering the idea that the "truck people" don't deserve to be there.
Students: consider your privilege and your attitude. The sooner that KU students try to get along with these "juveniles in cowboy hats," the sooner they'll get along with you.
And, by the way, I have to question part of your premise I think that there are plenty of Lawrence natives (not just Jefferson/Franklin county "truck people") who don't like the KU night life crowd.
Megan Miller Lawrence graduate student
.