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Tuesday, September 7,1976
University Dally Kansan
Comment
Opinions on this page reflect the view of only the writer.
Debates to test foes
I've already reserved 90 minutes of
Sept. 23 on my calendar to watch the
first presidential campaign debates
that took on Richard
Nixon 16 years ago.
Arrangements were made last week for Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter to face off on the verbal playing field three times this fall. All three debates, the first on economic and domestic policies, will be televised.
THE DEBATES should be a welcome addition to the normal television lineup of game shows, murder mysteries and thrillers. It also adds a little entertainment now and then.
But while my set is warming, I won't gather any of my customary comrades of diet soda, needlepoint, unfinished homework or crossword puzzles. These debates are serious business, and I don't want to be distracted.
They're serious business because thousands of voters don't have the faintest idea of whom they want to be president. Both Ford and Carter need to convince—not woo—the thousands of remaining uncommitted.
BUT PEOPLE are tiring of having to wade through garbled news stories and public relations whitewash to find out just who the men behind the dark suits and polished grins really are. During these debates, I hope people without their coaches or trainers, and lay their philosophies on the line.
These debates are serious business because many people think Ford can't think lying down, let alone standing on it. The truth is that Carter will fall off the fence if he
straddles it too long. The debates should end the speculations.
BUT MOST important, these debates will give me a clue as to what kind of mentality the candidates think I have. After all I am a potential constituent.
If the candidates give me a good show—what the ancient Greeks intended a debate to be—they'll use logic, facts and understandable language. A poor show—heavily perfumed with irrelevant adages, evasion of the issues or unnecessary charm—would be offensive.
I'll be offended because both Ford and Carter will have slammed me. They will have said, in essence, that I am too dumb to comprehend or challenge what they've said. And if either man will do it at the lectern, when his ascent to office is at stake, he will do it again when the office is his.
THESE debates shouldn't be regarded as some side show, some replacements for the Laugh-Ins or Hullabalooes of television's past. Rather they should influence our future decisions.
I'm tired of hearing that people voted for the lesser of two evils. I'm tired of people saying onlyools aspire to the presidency. And I'm tired of people saying one person's vote never really matters.
After they were nominated, both Ford and Carter wished each other a good fight this fall. That good fight should be seen live from ringside television seats. I hope the contest isn't a draw, and I hope the American people are the victors.
By Mary Ann Daugherty
Contributing Writer
--stickers because of the adhesive and the location. What I would like to know is why the old registration has to be removed if there is a current one displayed.
Panhellenic secrecy damaging
Sometimes someone gets burned by a newspaper. Either someone has done something wrong, or someone faithfully reports it, or the
Security bothers reader
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter to bring to light what I think are few problems with the Traffic and Security department here having these problems brought out, they can be corrected.
This seems to me to be an indication of the officer's lack of knowledge about the rules he is supposed to enforce.
My second complaint deals with the removal of the old registration which (as Ive
The first two problems deal with the traffic section. First, after buying a parking permit and attaching it to my front windshield per instruction, I woke the next day to find a ticket on my car for parking in front of a permit. Since the officer didn't see the permit displayed in the rear window, he assumed I had none. He didn't even bother to check the front.
The third point is the one 1
unfortunately found out) is a ticketable offense.
It isn't altogether easy—as a matter of fact it can be rather difficult—to remove these
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houses are rushing while others can't, do the girls being asked to join houses know not all houses can ask them?
think is the most important, because there is the possibility of people getting hurt.
If T and S is going to be our protectors and keep us safe from danger and crime, it had better get back to thinking about basic safety and acting accordingly.
On Aug. 28, a car caught fire on Naismith Drive. When I reached the scene, smoke was pouring out from under the hood and a fire was visible under the car. As of that time, the gas tank had exploded, so the people exited. When T and S arrived on the scene, they proceeded to direct traffic past the burning car. There were about 15 people near the car.
My main complaint about the situation is that T and S failed to recognize the danger and react accordingly. If the tank had exploded, many people would have been unnecessarily hurt. I fail to understand why the failed to protect the welfare of the students.
elaborate attempts to prove otherwise.
James A. Forsythe Kansas City, Kan.. junior
James A. Forsythe
Carter doubted To the Editor:
Kansas City, Kan., junior
Pat Allen
Harper's magazine published an article this March by Steven Emanuel, who learned significant things about cause us to challenge Carter's belief in "equal treatment for all Americans." I particularly question what competition we were before he prepared weeks after the Kent State deaths, to preserve order on college campuses "even before disorder erups," by sending students equipped with real ammunition.
The title of Brill's article, "Jimmy Carter's Pathetic Lie," does suggest a negative shift in Mr. Carter's press secretary feel he had to issue a Z2-page rebultation of the article! Did Brill tear some heartstrings from compassion? Disparaging words are proved true by
I would like to respond to Chuck Alexander's editorial comments that Jimmy Carter is "a man of compassion" and a "man who believes in equal treatment for all Americans."
If last Monday night's two
crowds of troops in Space
Airport are anything to
go by, KU must have a
remarkable number of
numbers of
I was iked Aug. 27 by the Kansan's movie resume, which summarized "2001" as a movie that showed more imagination than the one who brought the film back to this campus again. In the first place, that was hardly an informative resume. In the second place, it was a cheap memoir argument usually are.
Of course, this may all be rumor. Nothing fishy will be going on at current Panhellenic club. "Don't be not to be" "dirty rumpes" policies.
Film review panned To the Editoe:
newspaper makes a mistake. Either wav. it is unfortunate.
I believe it was three or four years ago that SUA last brought her to the clinic, and had been only one year ago, there certainly are many film buffs who would be willing to see it again and again. Monday morning, the clinic
The ad hominem comment in the Kansas's resume smacked of the sophomoric cynicism that so many young journalists and activists had to deal with. Alas, it was only half that. Do try to do better next time.
Something much worse, however, is when the people get burned. This almost always happens. The fire is made help build closed doors.
IN MOST cases, the
University of Kansas is open.
Students often surprises on students, and most student organizations are glad to have a reporter or anyone else interested attend their
But when an organization does close its doors, the results are usually bad. A case in point is the Panhellenic Association, which governs almost all KU securities.
Douglas W. Smith
Instructor of English
p.s. Although "2001" is
usually unobtainable,
science fiction films ever made,
it is not the "dean of science
fiction films." People are
deams; films are not.
Hundreds of girls live in sororites, and hundreds more who want in can't get in. The public should know Panhellenic decisions and how the decisions are made. At the very least, sororites report and those seeking admission to sororites should know.
But they don't, because Panhellenic often meets behind closed doors.
LAST SPRING the question of allowing another sorority at KU came up. Most of the talk came
from fellows tired of there being a significantly larger number of fraternities than sororites. The Panhellenic officers' consideration of the matter was quite hush-hush.
Traditionally, this open rush has been right after formal dressing. But our senior secretiors have been told to wait several weeks before asking any girls to join. Why the delay? And where is the hide of the Panebellen council.
Although hundreds of girls each year are turned away during rush, Panhellenic
THIS HAS caused suspicion in some full houses that they are being held back while houses that aren't filled are given first shot at those girls who weren't pledged during formal rush.
Greg Hack Contributing Writer
FOLLOWING formal rush, during which interested girls visit all sorority houses and go through an elaborate matching process, there is a period of open rush. During open rush, girls who didn't join houses asked to join houses that didn't fill up or houses that will have vacancies spring semester.
THE PROBLEM is no one knows. Answers to the above questions, or a flat denial by Panhellenic of any charges, is utterly worthless because their meetings are often secret.
advised by bureaucrats' bureaucrats, still meets behind closed doors.
Secrecy in almost all cases cloaks an undesirable decision—one that is filled with prejudice, hastily made, or obviously indefensible when rationally considered. As if it were a choice, what are the decision why are the decision makers afraid to open their doors?
doesn't seem interested in a new sorority. If it hadn't been for pressure from the Interfraternity Council, this valid question probably would have been dropped.
WHAT PANHLELENIC decided last spring still is unknown. Was their promise to "study the matter" sincerely, or did it follow discussion in which dilemma resolved to delay and eventually answer the question? No one knows—except the Panhlenic members.
This can foster only more distrust, and sure enough, another rumor is circulating.
Is this indeed what is happening? Is an advantage being given to some houses in open spaces, or to others, exists, unfair? And if some
This is a question worth asking, whether the agency is a powerful arm of the federal or a student group at KU.
WKDC/ Corry and Westphal
MRS. FITZWIMMONS, THERE HAVE BEEN
REPORTS OF GROWING FRACTION BETWEEN
TEAMMAT OFFICIALS AND THE MAN ON THE
AIRTREE.
DID THAT GROWING UNREST INFLUENCE
YOUR DECISION TO CANCEL YOUR SPEAKING
TOUR AT UNION LOCALS?
Registration bill pro-Democratic
Bear with me, if you will, while I flog a dead horse. The postcard registration bill, which passed the House on August 9, has stumbled in way through the Senate. Majority Leader Obama says he won't even try to get it passed. On to the glue factory.
The bill might be intermed without benefit of comment, but for one thing: It provides a useful and timely example of what the presidential campaign, domestically speaking, is all about. It's all about the Big Federal Brother.
VIRTUALLY no one, perhaps, would object to the ostensible purpose of the postcard bill. The idea was to use a visual representation to register and hence to vote. Such an idea, as an abstract proposition, ranks with safe driving, Law Day and the rule of thumb, that idea that editorial writers write about when their well run dry.
The actual purpose was not quite so lofty. The actual purpose was to register droves of prospective Democrats, alive or dead. It was not a prospect that had great Republican appeal.
James J. Kilpatrick (c) 1976 Washington Star Syndicate, Inc.
Let us put the invidious motivation to one side.
Of greater concern are the attitudes, pro and con, with which the bill was approached. A careful examination of several proponents went this way.
THE LEVEL of voter participation in America is deplorable. This November will see 150 million people eligible to vote; it is probable that only 57 per cent of them—about 48 million—will be eligible to polls. This situation results from the failure of the states and localities to make registration quick and easy.
Because the states have failed, the liberals reasoned, the federal government must step in. We will create within the Federal Election Commission a new bureaucracy to be known as the Voter Registration Administration. We will direct it to court and registration forms to every household in the land.
The conservatives in opposition thought this way:
We will reimburse the states for handling these forms; we will specially reward states that adopt this plan for their own non federal elections. And if this civic-minded venture costs $50 for $300 million, the taxpayers money will be well spent.
THE MACHINERY of voting historically has belonged to the states. Congress has power to elect a nomination reason of race or other tax or the age of 18; Congress has a reserved power, rarely exercised, to make regulations governing the time, places and manner of choosing senators and representatives. Otherwise, an insurance firmuch law is a state responsibility. The states should keep it.
1
Further, in a free society it is debatable whether any particular level of voting participation is 'deplorable.' There is no demonstrable difference in percentages and good government. The charge that the states have "failed" is a phony charge. Here and there, especially in thinly populated regions, registration opportunities may be the record on the whole is good. STILL further, 17 states already are experimenting with postcard plans. The experiments have indicated a pooration of benefit to the Inex. The postcard registration flowed.
In the nation as a whole, 70
per cent of the eligibles already are registered. At heavy cost, the scheme might attract a few million more—but the probabilities of fraud are self-evident.
ON THOSE conflicting views, the two sides went at it. Conservatives succeeded in knocking out the mailing of individual postcards, but they also other amendment they offered.
The vote on passage was 239-147 for the bill. Of the 122 Republicans who voted, only 110 voted in the record, only 36 voted "may." Would-be President Carter strongly favored the bill. President Ford opposed it; he supported the bill if it had passed.
Now time is running out on Capitol Hill. The bill is dead in this Congress, but the bill will be born again next year. Its fate will depend on what happens on Election Day.