4 University Daily Kansan / Friday, September 6, 1991 OPINION Credibility lost Senate ineffective until Fulcher resigns It is time for Darren Fulcher to resign. This was clearly the judgment of Student Senate early Thursday morning when it passed a resolution asking him to step down. By the 41-20-1 vote, Senate displayed its apprehension about allowing Fulcher to continue in office. The vote indicates that even those who supported Fulcher last spring have been forced to withdraw their endorsements. At Wednesday night's emergency meeting, called by Fulcher, hemade his first public comment regarding a February battery charge. His statement, however, fell short of regaining any of the credibility he has lost. With his statement, Fulcher attempted to convince Senate and the University community that the repercussions of the incident would not hamper his ability to serve the University. Obviously Senate did not believe him. We, as an editorial board, do not believe him either. There is no way that Senate will be able to fulfill its responsibilities to the student body until this is resolved. The longer Fulcher disregards Senate's wishes, the more it will impede Senate's ability to concentrate on important campus issues. Fulcher's blatant disregard of the resolution indicates that he no longer has the best interests of the University and students in mind. His insistence to stay can only be seen as selfish. The Kansan editorial board will not tolerate a student body president who puts his interests before those of the campus he promises to represent. Neither should the students. It is time for Darren Fulcher to resign The editorial board Rootfor the 'Hawks Mason has upped football team's ranking During the past few years, the University of Kansas football team has been the butt of many jokes. It seems though no matter how much the players and coaching staff tried, their efforts weren't quite enough to win a game. But then Coach Glen Mason came along. And this year, he and the Jayhawks are ranked fourth in preseason Big Eight polls. Before Mason came to KU in 1987, the team had lost 14 consecutive Big Eight Conference games. In fact, the team only had 50 scholarship student-athletes. Now, the 'Hawks have 91 scholarship athletes, four less than the limit. And last year's team showed a lot of improvement. Its fourth-place finish in the Big Eight marked the team's highest finish since 1984. Mason and his coaching staff have shown a high level of confidence in the team's ability to win. In fact, even many of Kansas' loyal followers are saying the team might have a record worthy of being invited to a bowl game. That might be too much pressure to place on the team, but one thing is for Editorials reflect the opinions of the University Daily Kansan editorial board. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the board. sure: it has improved dramatically during Mason's tenure. As students and members of the campus community, we owe it to the KU football players to come out and support them. So wish the team good luck against the Toledo Rockets. They need our support. And when Sept. 14 rolls around, come down to Memorial Stadium to support the 'Hawks. Opinions expressed in guest and staff columns and cartoons are solely those of the author or artist. Views expressed in columns and cartoons are not necessarily shared by the Kansan. Guest columns and letters are welcomed by the editorial staff. Editorial board members are: Benjamin Allen, Kevin Bartles, James Baucom, Michael Dick, Amy Francis, Clarissa Jackson, Ellen Kuwana, Holly Lawton, Holly Neuman, Karen Park, Jennifer Reynolds, Jose Vasquez, Julie Wasson, Pat Warren and Frank Williams. Karen Park for the editorial board Guest columns and letters are welcomed by the editorial staff. LETTERS to the EDITOR Abortion is a private choice In response to an anti-abortion letter seen in the Sept. 3 edition of the Kansan, I am submitting this prochoice point of view from three different perspectives. The rational perspective: Since 1970, women have legally been able to obtain an abortion. Twenty years of choice. Before 1970 women had abortions. Women were not naive to the procedure, but it was usually performed in a dirty room, without properly sanitized surgical implements, by someone who probably was not qualified. Someone just looking for a quick buck. Can anyone honestly believe, if abortion were to be outlawed, this disconcerting yet extremely real situation would not be repeated? My friends, it would be worse. Twenty years of choice cannot be taken away from anyone without some sort of upheaval. The emotional perspective. Imagine being in the shees of a woman who has been violently raped only to find out that she is now pregnant. Now anyone who can, tell her abortions should be made illegal. It is not just the irresponsible who become pregnant. The moral perspective: Morality is based on individualism. A person's morality is as diverse as that particular individual. If everyone had the same morality it would be like every one belonging to the same religion. Let a woman, as an individual, based on her own mortality, under the circumstances only she knows about, decide if abortion is right or wrong. Jessica Duffin Leavenworth junior Battery must be made public Violence against women, whether sexual harassment, rape, battery and assault and others, are crimes of hate. Such crimes of hate continue to happen because men have had the power to treat women as objects, property and children "who need to be taught a lesson." It's just a slap here, a punch there, a warning not to wear anything "provocative" or not to walk alone on a cool, dark evening. Women's lives are controlled by our efforts to protect ourselves against becoming victims of such crimes. But many women do not accept this oppression anymore. We are fighting for our right to safety and our right to well-being. These crimes of hate are hardly a private matter. It is through this sort of thinking that violence against women has continued for centuries. Those in power need violence against women to be a private affair, otherwise the alternative is exposure, responsibility and consequences for such violence and hate. Darren Fulcher's action as a batter has been exposed. It is my responsibility as a woman, as a student, to protect myself against having this person represent me as student body president. The consequences of a hate crime are loss of credibility, loss of position and loss of power. The action of integrity left to you, Darren Fulcher, is your resignation as the student body president. Sky Westerlund Social Welfare graduate student Column's point was flawed Daniel Janousek's column, Aug. 26, is one of the most flawed pieces of writing Thave seen recently. To start with, in his first sentence he says the recent coup in Moscow "attempted... to overthrow democracy." Either he has a unique definition of "democracy" or the fact that the Soviet Union is not now, and was not two weeks ago, a democracy was an inconvenient detail that had to be fixed so he could proceed with his thesis, whatever it was. In his second paragraph, Janousek implied that we need more government programs to deal with our domestic problems. In the fourth paragraph he said the people stopped the recent coup in its tracks with "their conviction for freedom with less government regulation." I'm confused. Which is it he was espousing, more or less government regulation? Further, I'm sure most readers caught the irony of the editor's decision to run Janousek's column below a cartoon that pointed up our government's attempts to curtail our rights at the same time the Soviet citizenry demands for rights are ripping apart the dictatorial regime which had ruled the Soviet Union. Additionally, Mr. Janousek apparently is not well versed on how much of the free world used the "strategy of containment" articulated in the mid 1940s by George Kennan, to enable the "will of the people" to bring down the Berlin Wall and stop the more recent cop attack. For 45 years we have been attempting to isolate the Soviet Union, especially in economic and political realms, and create internal pressure on the Soviet leadership by raising the expectations of the Soviet people. Presidents such as Bush, Republican and Democrat, have been working for a long time to create a situation such that the will of the Soviet people could finally be exerted. In the final analysis, Mr. Janousek is right, the will of the people. But let's not forget our contribution of long years spent chipping away at the monolithic Soviet structure. A campaign most commonly referred to as the Cold War. A final point: If Bush is doing as badly as Janushek has detailed, how come there is, count'em, one person currently running against him for the 1992 election? I suggest Mr. Janousek get a pole and a tackie box and go seek out the "George" he apparently knows so well and go fishing with him. He might just catch a clue. Allen Tiffany English graduate student Abortion issue lacks reason There are just some things that are virtually guaranteed to work some people into frenzy, the abortion issue being one of them. It's a very complex issue, with many moral and ethical considerations, that is not going to be solved by people on both sides marching in the streets calling each other names in the media and otherwise making complete fools of themselves in front of a very large crowd. Nothing is going to be solved that way. It may be an impossible dream to think that people on two very different sides of an issue can calmly and rationally work out what would be an acceptable solution to what many regard as a major problem in our society. But, stranger things have happened, and maybe the chance for a meaningful dialogue exists in the great unknown that is life. I do have a bit of advice for both sides though. For the pro-choice people, remember that everyone can express their opinion regardless of what you think about it. And for the pro-lifers, especially those with strong religious convictions, not everyone shares your beliefs. It is my hope that no one take offense at these words, but it's high time rationality was brought back into the equation. Greg Hays Dallas senior KANSAN STAFF HOLLY LAWTON Editor JENNIFER REYNOLDS Managing editor TOMEBLEN General manager, newsadviser News ... Erik Schutz Editorial ... Karen Park Planning ... Sarah Davis Campus ... Eric Goraki Sports ... Mike Andrews Photo ... Brian Scheeni Features ... Tiffany Harness Graphics ... Melissa Unterberg KATIESTADER Business manager RICHHARSHBARGER Retail sales manager Campus sales mgr Leanne Bryant Regional sales mgr Jennifer Claxton National sales mgr David McWilaine Co-op sales mgr Laie Keeler Production mgrs Jay Steiner, Wenny Stertz Marketing director Wenny Stertz Creative director David Habiger Classified mgr Jennifer Jacquoin JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser Letters should be typed, double spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. Writers affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and homework, or faculty or staff position. Great columns should be typed, double spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be pho The Kansan reserves the right to request or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansan newroom, 111 Stuffer-Fint Hall. by Mike Romane Last Hurrahs ALLRIGHT! THE CHUG-A-LUG CONTEST! 30 MINUTES OF NON-STOP DRINKING! WHAT'S WITH THE EXTRA BAGGY PANTS? HE'S WEARING DEPEND UNDER GARDENS... SAVES TRIPS TO THE JOHN.