6A
Wednesday, October 16, 1996
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANS.AN
Pre-Physical Therapy Club Meeting Thursday, October 17,1996 7:30 p.m. (International Room in the Union) New members Welcome!
DA candidates address issues
By Liz Musser
Kansan staff writer
When it comes to domestic violence and sexual assault, the district attorney plays a vital role in who goes free and who goes to jail.
"The district attorney is in the front line for combating sexual assault," said Joyce Grover, president of the Women's Transitional Care Services advisory board.
As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the three candidates for Douglas County district attorney participated in a forum at Lawrence Memorial Hospital with about 70 people last night. The forum addressed the issues of sexual assault and domestic violence.
One of the main issues candidates discussed was whether victims of domestic violence should be able to request that the district attorney's office drop their cases.
Martin Miller, who is running as an independent, was the only one of the three candidates who said victims should have this option.
"I will not deprive any woman of the right to have what she feels to be in her best interest," he said.
Dan Owen, Jefferson County attorney and the Democratic candidate, said that a no-drop policy should be the top priority of the district attorney's office. He said that domestic violence followed a cyclic pattern and that dropping a case meant the violence was likely to happen again.
"It does not serve the victim when you drop a domestic violence case," he said.
Incumbent Christine Tonkovich
STANCES
District attorney candidates' stances on domestic violence issues:
on domestic violence issues:
Christine Tonkovich (R):
does not support dropping cases at the request of victims; diversions acceptable in some cases
Dan Owen (D):
does not support dropping cases at the request of victims; wants to eliminate diversions
Martin Miller (I):
supports dropping cases at request of victims; wants to expand definition of domestic violence to include domestic anger
also supports a no-drop policy.
Owen pointed out that Tonkovich's office had adopted this policy only a few weeks ago. He said he thought the policy's institution was only in response to his campaign.
Tonkovich said, "That policy was in the works long before the ads came out. It is not a me-too response."
Owen also said he wanted to eliminate diversions, such as counseling, from the prosecuting policy for domestic violence cases. Tonkovich said that diversions sometimes were appropriate for first-time offenders.
Miller said he wanted to see the definition of domestic violence expanded to include domestic anger, which would make it possible to punish people for domestic abuse even when there was no physical contact.
The event was sponsored by Women's Transitional Care Services, Rape Victim Survivor Services and KU Women in Law.
Dan Owen, Democratic candidate for Douglas County district attorney, gives his closing remarks at a panel discussion. All three candidates discussed their position on domestic violence issues last night at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
Geoff Krieger / KANSAN
KU Environs leads Operation McBoycott
By Dave Breitenstein
Kansan staff writer
Lawrence fast food restaurants may not see as many students today. It's not because they're broke. It may be because today is Worldwide Anti-McDonald's Day.
For several years, environmentalists have called for a boycott of fast food on Oct. 16 to make people aware of fast food restaurants' problems. Excessive packaging, food waste, animal rights and littering are the main reasons for the boycott.
"While the boycott is directed at McDonald's, a lot of other fast food places are doing the same things," said Philip Rhodes, Manchester, England, junior and KU Environs member. "We're against fast food in general, but McDonald's is the epitome of it all."
KU Environs plans to picket McDonald's this weekend to make students aware of problems caused by fast-food restaurants. Rhodes said he hoped to increase awareness of fast-food issues.
"I'd like more people to think
about it when they are eating," he said. "There's a lot more to it than just eating a hamburger."
To make McDonald's change, Rhodes said, people had to change their eating habits.
"If people stop eating fast food, then fast food restaurants will be forced to change their menu," he said. "They won't change anything unless there is a dollar sign involved."
Mike Goodwill, manager of McDonald's, 901 W.23rd St., said he had not heard of a protest either
nationally or locally.
"If it's been going on for a couple of years, I've never heard about it," he said. "I don't think anything will happen on that day."
Goodwill said it was unfair to criticize McDonald's because the chain had attempted to reduce waste.
"From what I've heard, we're the largest user of recycled paper in the world," he said. "We've decreased the size of our paper wrapping, and we no longer use Styrofoam containers. But there's no way around using packaging."
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