4A
Friday, April 26, 1996
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Same-sex marriage ban reinforces homophobia
Once upon a time, the United States was ignorant. The unequal distribution of human rights advocated discrimination. But as the decades passed, brave people fought for change and the nation began to gain wisdom.
Many people believed these changes would have altered their traditional way of life. They did not realize that the United States has been composed of many different identities, each of which needed respect.
Laws continually are amended to suit the needs of a changing society, but some laws that need alteration are being ignored. And as such changes are ignored, the civil rights of many people are disregarded as well.
Sexual orientation should have no bearing on the amount or nature of a person's civil rights. People of any orientation are human beings and deserve equal rights.
What is 'legal' marriage?
Courts in Hawaii have considered changes in a law that prohibits same-sex marriages. According to the Constitution, a marriage recognized in one state of the union should be accepted in all.
Without a moment of consideration or debate within the community, Kansas state legislators responded by amending a bill to prohibit recognition of same-sex marriages that occur in other states.
Mike Matson, press secretary for Gov. Bill Graves, said the bill was not proposed to ban same-sex marriages but to uphold the present public policy of the state of Kansas — a policy which prohibits same-sex marriages from occurring.
It sounds as if the legislators are using this explanation as an excuse to justify their discriminatory actions. Whether they choose to use the words ban or prohibit, the fact remains the same.
Attempts were made to contact state Senate members for comment on the necessity of this bill, why it was rushed through the legal process, and the overwhelming 39 to 1 outcome of the vote. Few of the messages were answered. Perhaps these legislators do not think this is an important issue.
THE ISSUE:
Same sex marriage
Amendment to state law 'prohibiting' recognition of same-sex marriages upholds an antiquated definition of marriage.
State Sen. Marge Petty, who was the only senator who voted against the bill, said that she thought it was bad judgement to pass the bill so quickly. She said the bill was not even debated on the Senate floor.
State Sen. Mike Harris told the University Daily Kansan that it was just plain silly to recognize same-sex marriages. This is a perfect example of why these laws are so slow to change, because the prejudices and religious beliefs these legislators hold are affecting the way they create and change the law.
Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?
The law should govern and protect all people equally.
Joe Cuevas, LesBiGayS OK co-director, said the bill would reinforce prejudice. He said he was upset that the bill was rushed through the legislature and kept hidden from debate.
Chris Hampton, LesBiGayS OK member, said the issue eventually will have to be resolved within the courts because the religious right is controlling the legislature. She said that the state already restricts same-sex marriages and this bill had no purpose but to advocate homophobia.
A new definition
Mike Matson said that Gov. Graves signed the bill to uphold an 1867 law that defines marriage as a unification of two people of the opposite sex.
After more than a century of change, maybe it is time to redefine the law. Maybe it is time for marriage to be defined in a way that does not discriminate against anyone. Maybe it simply should be defined as the union of two people who love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together.
ERIN KRIST FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Jeff MacNelly / CHICAGO TRIBUN
Cherry trees in Capitol hold deep meaning for visitors
I might as well tell you, I never bought the story about Dolly Madison saving White House treasures when the British burned the Executive Mansion during the War of 1812. It is a nice piece of folklore and certainly Dolly deserves her position as a footnote to history; but if Mrs. Madison did anything, my guess is she sent in the butlers.
I also don't take much stock in the Boston Tea Party or the Alamo, and history proves that Samuel Adams ran his father's brewery into the ground.
You'll note my disgruntled nature towards all things political and historical. The present political world has its foot hopscotching on the campaign clutch while polls grouse about what gear to put the national party wagon into. The whole sordid mess put a sour taste in my mouth.
And with that brand of cynicism, there was only one place to go. I caught the next flight to National Airport.
I thought seeing the cherry blossoms might do me good. Perhaps I could combine biology and Zen and somehow osmotically reabsorb the virtues of the American way by walking in the shadow of the Washington Monument.
I saw my first cherry tree the next morning on my way to the National Archives. It was the more ornate version of the two types of cherry trees that exist in Washington, with the three-inch blossom petals and
GUEST
COLUMNIST
gnarled branches. The other type of cherry tree is much larger. These are the trees with dimesized blossoms that line the Tidal Basin.
tapes, I journeyed to the Tidal Basin. The sun was on the last leg of its journey downward, and in two hours it would be dark. Warm light fell on the city, bathing the marble in a soothing coat of golden sunlight.
After leaving the Archives, where former Kansas Gov. John Carlin announced the release of Nixon's White House
I stopped to stare at the trees on the basin for several long minutes. The trees moved in the wind and their blossoms fell to the ground like snowflakes.
It was then that I began to wonder to which political party these trees might belong.
It struck me then that there are two types of trees, and each well could represent a political party.
As I walked through the city the next few days, I pondered this theory, and I came to a conclusion.
The smaller, more ornate cherry trees in the gardens around D.C. are Republicans. It is obvious. First, you
can guess that they are Republicans because they are overdressed. They also are old and gnarled and far from the grasp of the average citizen. And underpaid manual laborers take care of them.
And the larger trees that line the basin? Democrats, of course. The comparisons are frightfully obvious. For one, there are too many of them in one area. Also, they don't do anything, and people pay attention to them only when they are blooming. Like Democrats when a strong wind happens along, they fall to pieces.
The trees represent nicely the politicians in the city, and this realization did little to make me happy. I thought the trees represented some antique ideals found today only in campaign speeches and high school government class.
Like politicians, these trees do a good show once a year with the blossoms but no one ever expects any usable fruit from them. When the petals do fall, they fertilize the ground, just like the speeches made on Capitol Hill, if one would dry and spread them.
A story concerning Lucy Hayes,
President Rutherford B. Hayes' wife,
says she planted the trees herself in
the rain after receiving them as a gift
from the Japanese government. Do I
buy it? Yeah. You've got to hold
something close to your heart.
Andy Obermüller is a Liberal sophomore in Journalism.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Moral views should not be hidden as ads
I was surprised to see the supplement in Monday's Kansan. It was completely inappropriate to include a supplement purporting someone's moral views in the guise of advertising. Advertising in newspapers is for businesses, trying to increase sales.
The supplement in Monday's paper is moralistic propaganda, and if they are advertising, it is for converts to their way of thinking. The appropriate place in the newspaper for moralistic propaganda is the opinion nause.
It is disgraceful for the Kansan to have stooped so low as to have tricked its public into looking at this stuff by making it look like advertising. By distributing this supplement the Kansan has given power and credence to the group that supplied it and to their ideas. Everyone else's moral trip is relegated to a few paragraphs. How did the Human Life Alliance of Minnesota get so privileged? What about other extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan? Does the Kansan have plans to include a supplement from a pro-choice coalition? Would the Kansan distribute 12 pages from Fred Phelps if he paid them?
Donna Kidd
Watson Library Assistant
Trashing supplement took rights from others.
On Monday the Kansan carried a paid advertising insert from Human Life Alliance of Minnesota Education Fund Inc. entitled She's a child not a choice. A few people took issue with the Kansan for running the insert and decided to dump the inserts into the trash and write a vengeful message on the front of the supplement for others to see.
Among the comments were "Isn’t this called one-sided conveyance? Hold your paper accountable! Are you giving equal time UDK?"
In short, yes we are giving equal time. We would never not consider giving equal time (space would be more accurate). The students who made the decision to run the insert knew that it was a controversial topic. However they realized that the decision not to run the insert would be a larger injustice. We were fulfilling our obligation to honor the First Amendment and the right to free speech. By no means did our running the insert say that we do or do not share the views of Human Life Alliance of Minnesota Education Fund Inc. Everyday, Americans see thousands of messages. It is up to the individual to form their own message about the topic. Many were denied this right because of the people who dumped their inserts into the trash.
The Kansan welcomes other points of view. There are two ways to do this. You can call 864-4358 to place an advertisement or submit a letter to the editor just as I have done.
Sales & Marketing Adviser University Daily Kansan
Jav Steiner
Fraternity thefts are explained by pseudo frat guy
I was slightly shocked when I read that five fraternity members had been charged with stealing materials from a construction site.
That is, if they really did.
Reportedly, they were stealing stuff for an upcoming fraternity bash, but they had a budget of $1,000 for the party already. I found this rather confusing and ridiculous. I mean, how much money does it take to throw a party, and why would certain members of a fraternity feel obligated to steal wood or whatever for it?
STAFF COLUMNIST
On my own, I was at a loss for answers, so I spoke with my fraternity expert.
Johnny, who is a senior member of the Alpha Romeo Delta fraternity, gave me the correct information:
"Well, first of all,
the $1,000 party
budget is barely
enough to cover
the total beer
costs. Hell, most of our parties have around 10 kgs at the Romeo house, and that eats up a ton of money, even though its only Bud Light, he said.
"Our last rager, called the Romeo Toga Titan, had 25 kegs. We had to pay more than $300 to a cleaning service just to clean up the vomit. That's no fooling.
"And you can't have a party with just beer; there needs to be decorations. Things like crepe paper, pillars, targets, etcetra. Without decorations, a fraternity party would be completely bogus. Things could even get violent. Distractions are needed at our soirees, because Romeos get rowdy when they wasted. People could start beating the hell out of each other.
"Plus, no one of any importance got busted, anyway. They were freshmen. At the Romeo, we all know that freshmen are expendable. You think that Pepsi gets a good deal paying people in Third-World countries 50 cents an hour? They're getting ripped off.
"We don't even pay freshmen a penny. In fact, they pay us and work as hard as mules.
"Their court fees will be covered, though. No problem. At the Romeo house, we have a fund for 'Emergency Situations,' so that whenever any of the boys get thrown in the slammer, we've got them covered.
"This whole debate is void, though. The fact is, it is their God-given right to steal from the site. They were greeks, for God's sake.
"We're talking about upstanding members of the community here. For all of the good that greeks give to Lawrence and the University, things like this and the constant panty raids that are an obligatory check up on sororities should be overlooked.
Parties are important events. Without them, fraternities wouldn't be able to survive. I know that one thing is for sure: The Rome house would be in shambles.
"If construction sites wouldn't just hand the materials over in the first place, they probably deserved to have them stolen. I know that I would have no qualms about sending a few freshman to rip off some measly construction materials."
"You know, if people would just use a little common sense, all of this would be obvious. Certain privileged members of society need to be exempt from the law."
Thinking about what Johnny said cleared up everything for me. He was right, and I was just a little confused, I guess.
Simple enlightenment can be bliss for those of us who aren't fortunate enough to understand the way things work.
ASHLEY MILLER
Editor
VIRGINIA MARGHEIM
Managing editor
ROBERT ALLEN
News editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
KANSAN STAFF
ian Ritter is a Leawood senior in English, history and Journalism.
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