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UniversityDailyKansan/Friday,August30,1991
OPINION
Soviet breakup
Gorbachevcan'taffordtodelayrecognition
The transformations taking place in the Soviet Union are some of the quickest, most far-reaching political changes in history. The fall of the Roman Empire and the recoil of the British overseas expansion took years.
This revolution, coming on the heels of a thousand years of autocratic rule, is new every day. It is now time to recognize the independence of the Baltic states- Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
The danger of this is that it will lead to
further instability by accelerating demands for independence in Georgia, Moldavia and, most importantly, the Ukraine. To delay any longer, however, is to compromise our stand on freedom and democracy and jeopardize future relations with these countries-to-be.
Gorbachev himself should recognize Baltic independence, thus giving him the credibility he needs as an honest negotiator to hammer out a treaty with republics not interested in leaving the union.
Gorbachev, too, is at a crossroads. He is the Dr. Naismith of Russian democracy. He invented the game, but because of his more traditional background, he is now being outplayed by the younger, stronger and faster. He will go down in history as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, but perhaps it's time he gave the ball to someone else, take a seat on the sideline and marvel at what he has done.
Michael Dick for the editorial board
Disabled parking
Handicapped deputies curb illegal parking
Although parking spaces at the University of Kansas are always at a premium, a certain group of students and staff face more of a problem than just parking farther away from campus.
Disabled people at KU are granted a limited number of spaces on or near campus. And since the elevator behind Hoch Auditorium in a June 15 fire, people in wheelchairs must drive or take a van provided by the University to get to
Jayhawk Boulevard from buildings on Sunnside Avenue.
It is important that reserved spaces remain open strictly for the disabled, yet stiff fines for parking in these spaces without a permit do not always prevent people from doing so.
The University should follow the example of cities like Boulder, Colo., in dealing with this problem.
In Boulder, citizens with handicapped
parking permits are deputized and allowed to issue one type of ticket; aticket for illegally parking in a space reserved for the disabled. This allows those directly affected by such violations to help police combat them.
Allowing people who are disabled to issue such tickets at KU would be a practical and cost-efficient way to help ensure that the designated spaces remain available for intended users.
Julie Wasson for the editorial board*
December grads
Two graduation ceremonies are better than one
Last year, more than 1,600 students completed their degrees in the fall of 1990. Approximately one-third of those who attended May graduation actually finished in December.
Those who graduate in December must attend festivities the preceding or following May. With an increasing number of students finishing in December, it makes sense to have two ceremonies. With the ever-present shortage of funds,
however, a second ceremony certainly is not on top of the list of priorities, nor should it be. But the amount of money and effort required for a simple reception or similar fare would not have to be colossal. If necessary, tickets could be sold to defray the costs. Other large universities hold more than one ceremony, often limiting the number of tickets available to each graduate.
There are definite advantages to having two ceremonies. It would make graduation time more manageable for the community because hotels and restaurants would not experience the once-a-year graduation overcrowding. It would also generate business.
The number of students graduating in December is increasing yearly; it is a trend that will continue. Perhaps now is the time to look into alternatives to just one ceremony.
Ellen Kowana for the editorial board
Fulcher still sincere about women's issues
A group of more than 75 African-American students met Wednesday night to discuss the recent developments concerning Darren Fulcher. As a collective body, we do not condone Fulcher's actions. Yet we are concerned that the Karnataka once again beaten by another student pawn to discredit Fulcher, the first African-American student body president.
Fulcher's year as president started off great. His convocation speech was considered by many as the best that any president has ever presented. In addition, Fulcher received an overwhelming standing ovation by the audience on Traditions Night. At the conclusion of that speech, Fulcher made very heartfelt and sincere statements regarding many issues he felt very strongly about, including women'sissues.
As a whole, we do not question Fulcher's sincerity on women's issues. However, we do question the Kansan's handling of the entire situation. For example, why not print the story as it developed? According to one of the three articles published in Wednesday's edition, the summer editor of the Kansan, Mike Brassfield, chose not to run the story because there was no current news angle then. What is the news angle now, seven months after the fact, especially considering that neither party involved in the incident conveyed any interest in publicizing this matter?
Biased journalism was used to correct rumors that were circulated and consequently presented some fallacies and opinions with no substance. To quote the Editor's Note in Wednesday '日版', "The Kansan staff members think that three stories are necessary to cover every aspect of this issue
Frank
Williams
Guest
column
as fairly and completely as possible." How can this be true when the parties involved in the incident never gave their accounts?
It seems as though history is repeating itself. Great leaders of the past have exhibited personal and human weaknesses, yet it did not affect their abilities to lead. Just as in the cases of John Kennedy and the honorable Martin Luther King, their personal flaws did not overpower their leadership abilities or the leadership abilities. The recent events concerning Fulcher, although controversial, should not blemish his contributions to the University community.
Fulcher was one of the founding members of Black Men of Today, a group that spearheaded this campus efforts toward human rights and cultural diversity. The African-American student's valiant stand on human rights has spawned other oppressed groups to venture down the same path toward equality, including the Women's Student Union. (Remember the Strong Hall takeover when WSU was virtually unheard of?) Is this the work of someone totally oblivious to women's issues?
LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN
CAST THE FIRST STONE.
Franklin Williams, J.R. Clairborne, James Baucom, James Jackson, Christy Stewart and other concerned students.
Battery charge political not just personal,matter
Darren Fulcher was arrested for battering another student in February.
It is important that this battery be put in the context of domestic violence. Domestic violence is political. It happens because people in this society with power, men, are allowed to batter womyn who they claim are attackers, but with just a neat little diversion and a fine that covers the woman's dental repair bills.
Those who insist that this violence is simply an unfortunate and personal matter demonstrate a tremendous lack of understanding of how battery and domestic violence contribute to the oppression of women and to manifestation of sexism. And, in case you have not heard, sexism kills.
If you nurse because Darren's potential is being jeopardized by the infection, a sterile bag is necessary.
Students Against Violence Against Womyn Guest column
Student Senate does not have the mechanism to intervene if the student body president has had a brush with the law. When is it the responsibility of Senate to act on behalf of students who have survived battery - womyn who have had a "brush" with another student's fist?
You see, it is a myth that all batters are monsters. Usually they are normal men. Men who can smile and pat your hand and become very, very apologetic. Normal men who never had the opportunity or discipline to learn that you just can't beat a woman.
When will "our representative" defend survivors rather than try to minimize the reality of the violence perpetrated against them.
Womyn who are battered and those who support survivors of battery are terrorized in their sleep by flashbacks and drained of money and energy trying to recover from physical injuries. We live with our batters jogging by our home, sitting behind us in class or representing us in public office.
About half the students at this University grew up in a home with domestic violence.
Batterers, whether they lawyers or professors or cops, are so valuable to this society that their position in it can be the best. That's something so trivial as a beaten woman.
Society and Student Senate want us to accept that just a little battery, a little violence is tolerable in a student body president.
After all, the police report states that she was grabbed by the throat and struck in the face.
Darren Pulcher battered a woman. Despite this fact, every effort has been made to encourage Darren to behave pro-actively. It is not for the womyn of this University to do the leg work. It is not for us to tolerate the blatant lies that won his campaign. It is not for us to defend why battery offends us.
The responsibility is Darren's.
That a man in our community would feel so comfortable with his act of violence that he runs for student body president on a "pro-women" platform is terrifying. What is even more alarming is that the voices and experiences of womyn who protest this might be ignored.
Darren Fulcher does not have to bater again. Darren can work through this. But it is up to the womyn of this University to decide if he will work through its own time, with our money serving as our president.
Students Against Violence Against Womyn
KANSANSTAFF
HOLLY LAWTON Editor
JENNIFERREYNOLDS Managing editor
TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser
Editors
Editors
News ... Erik Schutz
Editorial ... Karen Park
Planning ... Eric Davis
Campus ... Eric Goraki
Sports ... Mike Andrews
Photo ... Brian Schooni
Features ... Tiffany Harness
Graphics ... Melissa Unterberk
KATIESTADER Business manager
RICH HARSHBARGER Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser
Business SUM
Campus sales mgr
Bryant Bryant
Regional sales mgr
Jeffrey Clarston
National sales mgr
David McMallaine
Co-op sales mgr
Lake Keeler
Production mgrs
Jay Steiner,
Wenny Sterte
Marketing director
Creative director
David Habiger
Classified mgr
Jennifer Jacquoin
Business Staff
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