4A
Thursday, April 6,1995
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
THE ISSUE: KANSAS STALKING LAW
Stalking law poorly legislated
What constitutes stalking in Kansas is suddenly up in the air because of poor legislation.
Douglas County District Judge Jack Murphy dismissed a stalking case against a Lawrence man last week, saying that the Kansas stalking statute is unconstitutional. Murphy said that the law was too vague and that it was therefore unconstitutional.
The law states: "Stalking is an intentional and malicious following or course of conduct directed at a specific person when such following or course of conduct seriously alarms, annoys or harasses the person and which serves no legitimate purpose."
This ruling applies only to the specific case presented to Judge Murphy, but because Murphy ruled the law unconstitutional, the district attorney was unable to press charges. The Douglas County District Attorney is considering appealing the decision to the Kansas Supreme Court.
The vagueness of the
The Kansas stalking law, which is under scrutiny after a judge recently ruled it unconstitutional, was poorly legislated. vague and full of loopholes.
stalking law brings two issues to the surface.
The first issue deals with the stalking law directly. The stalking law is a broadly defined law that must be rewritten to ensure better protection of stalking victims.
There are states with well-defined stalking laws that work, and among them is California. The Kansas legislature needs to pattern one of these laws and not remain with the current law, which is full of loopholes.
Secondly, the stalking law reminds us that laws that are vague and undefined often are passed. The result is that laws sometimes help the criminal and harm the victim because the legislature does not always take enough time to pass comprehensive laws.
SPENCER DUNCAN FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD.
THE ISSUE: EDUCATION BUDGET CUTS
Clinton criticism is hypocrisy
Recent attacks by President Clinton on the Republicans as education-cutting politicians are hypocritical.
In his weekly radio address on Saturday, the president continued to accuse Republican lawmakers of gutting programs, including education.
The percentage cuts for the five major departments are:
A quick review of the budget that Clinton proposes shows that these comments are contradictory. In his budget, education by far takes the biggest percentage cut. In fact, the president proposes to cut education twice as much as any other major department.
- Defense - 3.1 percent
- Agriculture - 0 percent
- Transportation - 0.8 percent
Defense-3.1percent
Education - 6.7 percent
Housing and Urban Development - 2.2 percent.
Such a budget does not seem characteristic of a politician who claims to be a defender of education.
Clinton attacks the right for proposing cuts in education, but his own budget takes from the department.
The sad part is that no matter who is proposing to cut education, and no matter who is proposing to cut it less, taking money from the education department is plainly wrong. This country spends 23 times more money nationally on welfare and other entitlement programs and 8 times more-money on'defense than it does on education.
Any money that the Department of Education receives should be viewed as an investment. It doesn't take a college graduate to know that the more you invest in something, the more you get out of it.
A budget that satisfies everyone is an impossibility. However, a budget that sacrifices education, proposed by individuals who themselves might be on welfare if it were not for education, is worse.
It's hypocrisy.
TIM MUIR FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
KANSAN STAFF
STEPHEN MARTINO
Editor
DENISE NEIL
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
CATHERINE ELLSWORTH
Technology coordinator
Jeff MacNellv/ CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Editors
JENNIFER PERRIER
Business manager
MARK MASTRO
Retail sales manager
JAY STEINER
Sales and marketing adviser
This is the most difficult decision I have made as editor of the University Daily Kansan.
Moore story reflects paper's commitment to the truth
News...Carlo Tejada
Planning...Mark Martin
Editorial...Matt Gowen
Associate Editonal...Heather Lawrenc
Campus...David Wilson
...Colleen McCain
Sports...Gerry Fey
Associate Sports...Ashley Miller
Jamie Lance
Associate Photo...Paul Kozz
Features...Nathan Olson
Design...Brian James
Freelance...Susan White
Today, the Kansan ran a story about Eric Moore, the former director of LesBiGay Services of Kansas and former Student Senate senator candidate, that delves into issues that I and everyone involved in the news-decision process at the Kansan agonized about.
Business Staff
Campus mgr ...Beth Pole
Regional mgr ...Chris Branaman
National mgr ...Shelly Falevits
Coop mgr ...Kelly Connelya
Special Sectiona mgr ..Brigg Bloomquist
Production mgr ..J.J Cook
...Kim Hyman
Marketing director ...Mindy Blum
Promotions director ..Justin Frosolone
Creative director ..Dian Gler
Classified mgr ...Liesa Kuiseth
knowledge of Moore's conviction,
the wheels were set into motion
that led to Moore's resignations.
It has been argued by many that the story that ran today had no news angle because Moore was no longer a candidate or a campus leader. Those same people have argued that Kansan need only mention the health-related concerns as his reason for resigning from his LesBiGay position and as a candidate.
But to my way of thinking, omitting the truth is the same thing as lying. And even if we commit many errors at the Kansan, we always seek the truth.
While conducting routine background checks of all Student Senate candidates at the Douglas County Courthouse, the Kansan discovered that Moore had been convicted of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child under the age of 12. The Kansan also discovered the criminal records of two more Student Senate candidates. A separate story about those candidates appears in the Kansan today as well.
The truth is that Moore would not have resigned from either, as he told Tejada, had information not been leaked that we were working on the story about Moore's criminal conviction. Had the Kansan not reported the full story as it knew it, it would be accused of a cover-up, and its credibility would be destroyed.
It has been argued that by publishing the story today about Moore's conviction, we have destroyed his life. The Kansan is not in the business of destroying lives; it is the business of reporting the truth.
Many campus leaders discussed with me the potential damage that would be caused by running the story about Moore. Every one of those campus leaders also questioned why the Kansan was running the story in the first place.
The unanimous feeling among the leaders who approached me was that Moore had paid his debt to society and that running the story would only serve to damage him more and would serve no purpose to the University community.
The truth is on page 1A.
Obviously, I disagree, and this is the explanation.
Stephen Martino is an Oaite senior in Journalism and political science.
At 5 p.m. yesterday, a statement was released to the press saying that Moore was resigning from Les-
KANSAN EDITOR
BiGayS OK and from the Student Senate coalition. His name will not be on the ballot. The statement said that he was leaving both groups because of health-related concerns. Three weeks ago, Moore tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Critic should do her homework first
could have reported that health-related concerns were the only reasons for his stepping aside, but the Kansan knew that to be false.
However, on Tuesday when a Kansan reporter told David Stevens, presidential candidate for the REAL coalition, of the Kansan's
On Monday, Moore was interviewed by Carlos Tejada, the Kansan's news editor and staff columnist, for a story declaring that Moore was HIV positive. This was a story that Moore had requested and that we agreed was worthy of running. During that interview, Moore told Tejada that he was committed to continuing with the Student Senate coalition.
I'm writing in regards to an article about the Student Senate meeting Feb. 22. In your article, Chairwoman Stephanie Guerin made the comment that Senate was doing a "half-assed" job. Before accusing Senate of doing poor work, I'd say Guerin should look at the less-than-quality job she has done leading the Finance Committee through the budget process.
This year's budget process has been characterized by a complete lack of organization and efficiency. Because a fee increase requires a change in rules and regulations and it directly determines the amount of money the committee is to apportion, the committee should have presented it to Senate first. After Senate set the activity fee, the committee could then have proceeded to divide that money between the five Senate accounts, which could be codified by the Bill
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
of Apportionment. Once the Bill of Apportionment passed through Senate, the committee could then deliberate about how to divide that money between student organizations. The final result would then be presented to Senate in the form of the budget.
What I've described above is the logical order that the process should have been handled. What actually took place was quite another story. Since the committee's original Bill of Apportionment did not pass last semester, partially because it included a fee increase, which, as stated above, actually belonged in a separate bill, the committee proceeded to set an activity fee, divide that activity fee into five accounts and then divide the block allocation money up between block allocation status groups. All of this was done without knowing for sure what the activity fee would be and thus how much money they would have in the budget! Without that information, the committee's work certainly seemed a colossal waste of time for all those involved — an objection I voiced before all this took place.
Guerin then proceeded to try to ramrod it all through Senate in one night. Since Senate accepted a different activity fee, Finance Committee must now redo all the work it had done that was based on their proposed activity fee. Simultaneously, they must begin working on the line item allocations for the budget. As a member of this committee, I resent the extra work we will be forced to do as a result of Guerin's negligence and disregard for proper procedure.
Iencourage any and all students, faculty and staff to come to the Finance Committee meetings. Guerin keeps bringing up the issue of accountability during Senate meetings. Perhaps she could focus on accountability during the budget process as well.
Paul Melton vice chairman, Finance Committee
Pope needn't worry about latest dent in cultural image
The pope says this country's culture is going to hell in a head basket
A London condom manufacturer (surprise), London International, says condoms have created a cultural niche here in the states.
And now I don't know who to believe. But let's start at the beginning
Two things.
One, there are way too many surveys in this country. Not news.
Two, our culture has an obsessive preoccupation with sex. Again, not news.
But the two have become one: That there are too many surveys in this country about our obsessive preoccupation with sex would lead me to side with that wild and crazy John Paul II. Johnny would no doubt say that such things are reprehensible on a grandiose scale and that making light of condoms is promoting promiscuity, sin, debauchery, the designated hitter and other atrocities.
But then you have the commonsensers who say that it does no good to ignore the prevalence of out-of-wedlock sex. Education is prevention, they say. John Blutenthal, one of the survey's marketers for London International, says "The public is suffering from fear fatigue," when it comes to condoms and the subject of sex.
What's in the survey, you ask? Oh, such useful tidbits as the types of noises made while having sex (3 percent said singing, by the way), most popular condom slang "part hat" came in fourth) and where condoms are most prevalently stored.
I guess I was most alarmed, however, that almost 40 percent of the people surveyed keep their condoms in a wallet, which, scientifically speaking, is a surefire way to melt holes in them. And a condom with holes is about as effective as a pet cage without holes.
Before the pope checks the fax, though, I think he should know that only 250 people were surveyed.
While I myself chuckled at the concept of the survey, I was startled (not really) to discover that the lengthy fax had circulated the newsroom before the ink cooled.
So, before the Vatican Big Man frets any more about American decadence, he should stay focused on more pressing issues facing the Church, such as his next book deal.
Matt Gowen Is a Lawrence senior in Journalism.
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.
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 letters 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 out-right reject all submissions. For any questions, call Matt Gowen, editorial page editor, or Heather Lawrenz, associate editorial page editor, at 864-4810.
MIXED MEDIA
By Jack Ohman