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Tuesday, August 27, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
OPINION
Black rights
Anti-Black is equivalent to anti-American
Is it against the law to be Black?
In the case of William Ralls, the answer is a resounding, Yes! On the evening of March 4, Ralls was struck in the back of the head with a baseball bat as he left a Kansas City liquor store.
He died two months later.
He tried two bullets after
The man who allegedly struck Rails, the owner of
the liquor store, Joseph Spino, was White. What's
disturbing about this case is that Spino was recently
acquired of murder by an all-White jury, with the
exception of one Hispanic.
Realize that this incident did not occur in Overland Park or Johnson County, it happened in the heart of the Black community in Jackson County. Therefore, the jury, as stated by law, should have comprised a cross-section of the community in
which the incident took place.
Do we have a system of black robes but white jacket? It is well-known that the United States has never fully lived up to the ideals and values on which the foundations of this country was built.
So it comes to no surprise that our justice system has again proven ineffective, biased and unfair in this situation as we have seen many times before. In the cases of Emmitt Till and Mcdaragus Evers, both cases resulted in all-Wait juries acquitting the accused of murder.
Spino's attorneys got their wish by striking all qualified Black jurors from the jury pool. Prosecuting attorneys Joe Bednar and Mike Hunt asked twice that there be a more diversified jury, but Judge William Peters overruled both requests.
The Black National Congress and other community organizations have called for a boycott of the AKJ Liquor Store and Deli, and the Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime has requested an investigation into this case by the Federal Government.
As citizens of this country we need to demand that our institutions live up to the ideals of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. This means that we should demand that our justice system make every attempt to be as fair and unbiased as possible in every case when choosing a jury.
This current plethora of favoritism is anti-Black therefore anti-American.
James Baucom for the editorial boar
Timetable errors
Problems in timetable create many hassles
Between now and last spring, approximately 39,000 timetables have gone into circulation with errors that were not discovered until last week.
The errors involved the omission of the University's academic misconduct policy and the misprinting of final examination dates. The timetable is one source of information that KU students turn to several times a semester for correct information on final schedules, add/drop dates and unfortunately, for some, consequences of cheating.
It seems that something that serves so many students and is of such importance should be treated.
with more caution than has been received in the past.
Aliaving the problem is not as easy as some may think. Printing the misconduct policy and corrections of the finals schedule would be an expensive venture that the University cannot afford. Circulating the information to students would not be an easy task.
However, the KU registrar, who is responsible for the timetable, has distributed corrected versions of the finals schedule to faculty members, and there is a correct copy outside of the enrollment
center.
Even though the mistake was made, it is fortunate that the error was found before school began and students can be alerted before making travel plans that would have to be changed.
If one lesson can be learned from these mistakes, it should be that future editions of the timetable should be produced with more caution and attention to detail.
Katie Chipman for the editorial board.
Kansan editorial board wants opinions from outside
When I was chosen as this semester's editorial page editor, I really had no idea how to approach the page as far as layout and production.
But one thing I did know was that i wanted to diversify the editorial board and the page. In case you don't know, the editorial board decides the stance the Kansan should take on issues concerning the University of Kansas, the nation and the world.
In the past, the board and the Kansan have been criticized for not seeking input from people other than
Karen Park
Editorial
Editor
former Kansan staff members. That criticism shouldn't be applied to this semester'sboard.
As you will see throughout the semester, the board comprises a wide
variety of people. And this diversity, I hope, will not stop at the editorial board level.
I encourage all of you to read the page and respond to editorials, columns and letters with your own guest columns and letters. This interaction will make the page more enjoyable to read, and it also enables you, the students, to let your opinion be heard.
To ensure a diversity of opinion, a feature called Voices on the Hill will appear every Thursday. You, as members of the University community, will be interviewed each week about issues concerning the area. Your pictures and responses will appear on the page.
The kansas publishes about 16,000 copies every day. It is one of the largest forums on campus for students and members of the community to express their concerns.
I urge you to take advantage of this forum and let the editorial board and the community know what you think about the issues that affect you.
■ Karen Park is a Trumbull, Conn., senior editor in journalism.
Actions, not gender or race, should be judged
I was at a bar this weekend where a funk band was playing. The bass player was wearing a shirt that had "Shut up, blitch," printed on it.
You couldn't see it while he played, because his bass covered it up. At the end of the first set, however, he came off the stage, and it was very visible. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who saw it, because he soon took it off. Either that, or he just got too warm.
The band continued to win the crowd over with some really good music. The leader of the band established a good rapport with the crowd, and I was ready to just forget about the T-shirt, when in the second set, the band broke into a song about lifting your voice against oppression.
The bass player really got into the song. This was not a big shock, seeing as the original intent of the song was to speak out against racist oppression. We often fail to see that things we do are not always logical and that we contradict ourselves with our logic.
Based on the the bass player's sincerity when he sang, I gather he certainly wouldn't wear a shirt with a racist epithet. So why would he wear that particular shirt?
The argument is one we've all heard before. Some people say that there are women who are women, and there are women who are the other word. The same can be heard of all oppressed groups of people. When a person of color is not liked by others, there are all kinds of racist slurs to call that person.
The same thing doesn't apply to Whiteguys. When we weartiled, people just call us jerks, or whatever. Basically, weget judged by the way we act, or the things we say. Others don't enjoy the private privilege.
The argument that says it's okay to
Michael Christie Staff columnist
Here's an idea. Let's judge people for their actions, and not for their gender, race or any other incidental characteristics. If someone acts a jerk, or is overbearing, or acts stupid, figure out what it is that person does wrong. We shouldn't have to resort to prejudice to explain why we don't like someone.
But it's important for us to apply the same codes of behavior to everyone. We shouldn't allow men to do things that we aren't willing to accept from women, and the like goes for other groups that aren't in the powered majority.
use racist or sexist slurs because Blacks or women use them is ludicrous. Being Black or a women does not make someone open-minded, just as being a White male does not make someone automatically close-minded.
For example, if I don't mind it when a male friend of mine has sex with all kinds of women. I can't try to expect a woman friend to be a virgin until she is married. If someone wrongs me. I should act the same way, regardless of the person's race, sexual orientation or gender. I should react to the fact that I was wronged and nothing else.
Let's justry to be biological. Because if we are, we see that close-minded beliefs aren't logical.
Michael Christie is a Shawnee senior major in journalism.
Goals,concerns for the upcoming year outlined
Welcome all new and returning students to the Fall 1991 semester at the University of Kansas. I am the Student Body President, and as some of you know, this includes many important responsibilities. These responsibilities involve serving on University boards and committees like University Council and the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center to name a few. I am also responsible for making appointments to such university boards and committees as Kansas University Athletic Corporation, Services for Students, Chancellor's Awards Committee and others. These appointments are important because they allow students, graduate and undergraduate, to voice their concerns regarding the University system.
The student voice is very much needed since we as students are the reason administration, faculty and staff are employed by the state of Kansas. It is their job to create an enriching atmosphere for the development of higher education. It is our duty as students to remind them and assist them with that development. I would encourage as many students as possible with time and commitment to fill out the Student Senate Committee form. These forms can be picked and returned to the Student Senate Office at 409 Madison Union. I have taken on myself, as a personal goal. I will involve as many students from many different backgrounds in student government. I desire to have as true representation as possible of students enrolled at KU participating and making decisions for the betterment of the University.
Child care is a very important issue that specifically pertains to non-traditional students whose population is ever increasing on campus. I have
Darren
Fulcher
Guest
columnist
As an advocate for students, I will address campus issues ranging from minority recruitment and retention, women's issues, campus safety, environmental concerns and gay and lesbian student concerns. My voice will be heard in the Student Council of the Statehouse by the Board of Education and I am prepared to express the concerns of all students. I am taking a strong stance on such critical issues as tuition and fees, quality of instruction and qualified admissions.
This will be a demanding year on campus and at the state level. Students and administrators must come together and demand fairness. Individuals do not solve problems. People do not solve problems. The people of the University of Kansas, must be willing and ready to work for the future of this campus.
Darren Fulcher is a Kansas City, Mo., senior majoring in history.
appointed a child care committee which will review and suggest all possible avenues to develop a comprehensive child care plan. I have also created a Lecture Series Fundraising Committee which will raise funds for a permanent Lecture Series. The fundraising drive will be directed toward students with the hope that Alumni and friends of the University will see this as an excellent program to support through contributions. In the months to come, you will be hearing more about this project.
by Tom Michaud
Loco Locals