OPINION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PUBLISHED DAILY SINCE 1912
TARA TRENARY, *Editor* HEATHER VALLER, *Business manager*
LINDSEY HENRY, *Managing editor* MARIA CREST, *Retail sales manager*
PAUL EAKINS, *Editorial editor* JUSTIN KNUPP, *Technology coordinator*
TOM EBLEN, *General advisor*, news adviser DAN SIMON, *Sales and marketing adviser*
Wednesday, July 23, 1997
Adam Harris / KANSAN
Editorials
American government doesn't care about human rights, liberty in China
For those looking for some tough U.S. measures on China's human rights record, the latest official line on how best to deal with China definitely would not be reassuring.
Robert Rubin, U.S. Treasury Secretary, recently advocated a "constructive economic engagement" with China, calling its domestic policies its own affairs.
And he wasn't alone. Gen. Colin Powell, who was in Hong Kong recently, reiterated this opinion.
Of course, Powell has no official position. But, as one of the most respected public figures in government, when Powell talks, a decent governmental figure talks.
For the cynics of American foreign policy, years of hypocrisy and doubletalk slowly were being unwound as the
Chinese interests will stay American interests as long as money keeps flowing in
real official position on China finally was being broadcast: Beating up students is bad, but let's hope it does not happen again.
The last thing a prosperous trade relationship needs is remembrance of dead students and blood on the streets.
And as long as Americans don't see the atrocities on television, why should they care? After all, they are the biggest beneficiaries of cheap Chinese labor.
and ammunition in their kitty. It only goes to prove the Chinese are good learners — the inspiration drawn upon has been so exquisitely American.
Never mind that China is helping all rogue governments stockpile arms
Never mind the Chinese were trying in their small way to invade the White House.
Politics is all about money, and the Chinese will be more discreet next time. They still are learning, after all.
As long as the dollars keep trickling in and the Germans are kept at bay from lucrative economic deals, Chinese interests will be American interests.
That is the way it is, and as long as China maintains its power, that is the way it will always be.
Viva America.
PALLAVI AGARWAL FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Trafficway decision was correct
When the decision in the South Lawrence Trafficway case was handed down last Thursday, requiring a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement before further work could be done, many opponents of the road must have been jumping for joy.
It would not be surprising if a few Douglas County commissioners had to suppress sobs or wipe back tears. Once again, the trafficway had been held up. Once again, the commission's pipe dream of a glorious route around Lawrence, diverting all excess traffic, freeing the city of crime and curing cancer had to be put on hold.
Damn the fates!
First conceived 12 years ago, the road has encountered a gaudlet of problems and obstacles. Now, the number of obstacles are increasing, as is the cost
There are issues more important at stake than the flow of traffic in Lawrence
of the trafficway. The latest projected costs for the trafficway, before any increases caused by litigation delays: $80 to $85 million.
Perhaps the County should consider other routes. Oh yes, we know they have found that 31st Street is the ONLY viable route, but they could at least PRETEND to examine the route south of the Wakarusa River. So far, they have not studied it at all.
damage an important environmental resource, the Baker Wetlands, and infringes on the religious rights of individual citizens, Native Americans, alienating them from the community, then it's a problem.
The County Commission needs to open its eyes to the needs of all of its citizens, not just the majority. Sure, the road may be a great thing for the community, but when it potentially may
The court decision was the correct one, and hopefully the people of Douglas County, the commission, the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration will understand this.
The students, faculty and alumni of Haskell Indian Nations University are Native Americans who have been historically oppressed and historically have had their rights trampled upon.
Let's not precipitate Native American distrust of government, nor continue to blatantly disregard their needs and wishes.
JEN SMITH ... Copy
ANDREA ALBRIGHT ... Campus
ASHLEIGH ROBERTS ... Photo
BRYAN VOLK ... Design
CORY CORONA ... Assistant Design
PAUL EAKINS FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
NEWS EDITORS
ADVERTISING MANAGERS
KATHRYN JENSEN ... Classified
RACHEL RUBIN ... Creative/Special Sections
STEPHANIE DECKER ... Regional/Campus
How to submit letters and guest columns
Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
Quotable
**Guest columns:** Should be double-spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
All letter and guest columns should be submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Paul Eakins at 864-4810 (opinion@kansan.com).
“[Black Hawk] has done nothing for which an Indian ought to be ashamed. He has fought for his countrymen, the squaws and papooses, against white men, who came year after year, to cheat them and take away their lands. You know the cause of our making war. It is known to all white men. They ought to be ashamed of it.”
Black Hawk, speech upon surrender, Prairie du Chien, Wis. (August 27, 1832).
Columns
Voters: Run from Ryun if he runs for governor
The word around the political campfire is that Jim Ryun may be considering a run for governor. I have one word to describe that idea. Please
There are a few qualities that members of Congress should have, but above all they need strength of leadership and strong ideas if they are going
Have one word to describe them.
kyun has about as much business running for governor as, well, as he has being a congressman. A bad representative doesn't hurt the good people of Kansas much. But a governor who can't handle the job — and these people have won before — can screw things up.
Ryun's personal life provides ample evidence he is not the best choice for Congress. The way he raised his children is the most telling example: Instead of sending their kids to public school, Ryun and his wife decided to home school their children. Rather than confront and correct whatever evils the children were exposed to at school, Ryun thought it better to shield them from such influence altogether. Normally that's admirable. But if Ryun couldn't trust himself to teach his kids how to deal with bad ideas, then how can voters trust him to deal with bad ideas in Congress?
The rational-maximizer approach makes me feel better about Ryun as a congressman, if not as a parent. A member of congress gets about a $650,000 office budget and represents one person for every dollar. Who wouldn't pay a dollar to keep Ryun in Washington? Heck, make the creatin an ambassador and ship him across the drink. Let me be the first to offer a one-way ticket.
to make a difference. Ryun has neither, but he always is going to vote the party line. If he simply keeps his mouth shut and his nose clean, conservative Kansans will re-elect him as long as he runs. No pun intended.
While Kansas can afford a weak congressman, we cannot afford a weak governor. The business end of running Kansas, something Graves has mastered, takes a high level of skill in financial management and policy development.
Being a good governor takes a lot more than mere name recognition. Bill Graves worked his way up through the secretary of state's office, which is not nearly as exciting or glamorous as being in Congress. In the last four years, he has proven to be an effective governor. And Graves makes Kansas look good, especially after Joan Finney's tenure. At the governor's convention, I want other governors to come to Graves and ask for advice on running the state, not come to Ryun for advice on running.
Judging from his actions, Ryun must have thought his parental teachings couldn't stand up to an eight-year-old urging a young Ryun child to use bad language or worship Satan. If Ryun's values are so paltry and his teachings so transparent, then how could he ever fight for them against
I know that all parents want the best for their children, but public schools were just fine for Ryun. God may have given you ability, Congressman Ryun, but it was Wichita East High School and KU Athletics that got you to the Olympics.
I submit that with all of its secular notions, public school is a nicer place than Congress, even if you can't pray.
It is also a job that requires one to have broad-based knowledge of complex issues, not just the New Testament, although that helps.
his congressional colleagues?
Ryun is a light-weight legislator. But he is only one vote in our congressional delegation and can't do much harm. Keep him there. While there are more qualified people for Kansans to send to Congress, there are few more qualified to send to Cedar Crest. "Run with Ryun" was his campaign slogan for his seat in congress; 'Run from Ryun' is the only response to a gubernatorial bid.
Andy Obermuelter Is a Liberal, Kan., senior In Journalism.
End of college career brings new possibilities
The end is not the end, but the beginning, or so I've been told. But wrapping up the only life I've known for 18 years, I'm a bit apprehensive about the end of my college career.
Preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, college — school is all I know how to do.
My academic life began down south. Growing up with a mom who is a teacher, my school day didn't end at 3 p.m. In fact, it never ended, and still hasn't. "It's Ashley and I went, not Ashley and me went!" she'd say. Needless to say, I know my grammar.
But being good at grammar and writing papers didn't get me into journalism. Naivete and luck did.
When I came to the University of Kansas after transferring from Auburn University, I had no intention of going into journalism, much less spending three years of my life working at the student newspaper. I wanted to be a psychologist. I can't believe it either.
But after A's in both freshman English courses, Psych. 104 and luck from a higher power (I didn't make the best grades at Auburn), I was accepted into the School of Journalism.
Thus, my journalism career began — at least my student journalism career.
I joined the summer Kansan three years ago.
I joined the summer Kansan three years ago.
As a reporter, I was a basket case. As a copy editor, I didn't quite get it. As a designer, I had some learning to do.
But one day it just kind of clicked. I understood why journalists are the way they are. And I kind of considered myself one of them — a rare breed.
But the academic career and the journalism career I have built here at the University have been short-lived. And now they are finished.
And that's not the end of it. Not only does college and the Kansan become a memory for me, but so does Lawrence.
I've grown to love this town. It's become a place I can call home, or at least a home away from home. There's always something to do: Do you want to go to a movie or a bar? Really, though, Lawrence is a nice, safe town to live in, and I'm going to miss it.
And while I'm missing college and my favorite college town, I'll be holding a memorial service for my freedom.
I don't think many of us college students appreciate what we have when we have it. The freedom of college compares to no other freedom, but so does the stress of college — and I have the stomach to prove it.
But back to ends and beginnings. The end of my college career, "Some of the best times of your life," my brother would say, and the beginning of my real career. This may not be a bad thing. Yes, college has its moments. But leaving it doesn't have to be the end. I look at it this way. Leaving college provides the opportunity for a new freedom — money. No more wondering whether I will be able to pay my rent. No more wishing I had the money to fly off on a weekend trip to the Bahamas. All of that will be possible, with the huge salary I'll be making as a journalist.
But the stress is not what is remembered. It's the freedom. It's weekends when you swear all you will do is stay in and catch up on the reading you've put off all semester, but instead you go out both nights and sleep both days and wake up Sunday wondering what happened to the weekend.
And with this new freedom comes responsibility, which I would love to avoid. But most of all, with this new freedom comes the satisfaction that I got myself to this point, and that I did it all on my own.
Tara Trenary is a Birmingham, Ala., senior in journalism.
This is what I'm going to miss most.
Letters
Kansan editorial did not consider illegal immigrants in the United States
As a foreign student in the United States, I feel that most people have little or no understanding about immigration issues. An editorial published by the Kansan June 10 talked about how lowering the amount of immigrants allowed into the United States would hurt its economy.
Although the article had many good points, the figures it presents do not take into consideration certain facts, such as that illegal immigrants are obviously not taken into account because there is no exact statistic of them. They entered the country illegally. About this
matter, I have noticed that whenever there is a discussion about immigrants or foreigners, a distinction between illegal and legal immigrants is never made. Usually, foreigners are regarded as a single group of people, and in general there is a bad image of them.
However, legal immigrants have been admitted into the country because there is a job waiting for them, because they are educated and possess the skills necessary to fill a particular job vacancy, or because they are going to contribute to the American economy. On the other hand, illegal immigrants
can be anyone, people who have nothing to lose when migrating and most likely have little or no education at all.
There should be a lot more concern about illegal immigration. Legal immigrants are people whose only interest in migrating is to have a better life and in return contribute to the well-being of their host country. Although this means in most, if not all cases that they will have to leave behind their home country, their culture and their loved ones.
Anadeo Martinez
San José, Costa Rica
freshman