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University Daily Kansan
Opinion
Friday, April 18, 1986
It is a fitting tribute to Del Brinkman that the University's professors and administrators singled him out to serve as vice chancellor for academic affairs, but the vacancy he's leaving behind will prove difficult to fill.
Fond farewell
Brinkman has served as dean of journalism since 1975, and the dedication to excellence he has inspired within the school is recognized across the country.
A visiting editor from the Milwaukee Journal last week ranked Brinkman in an elite class of journalism deans.
"He really cares. He came here, stayed here and has shown a dedication that is hard to find these days in any field," said George Lockwood, a managing editor of the paper
Journalism faculty members and students understandably are saddened that Brinkman will leave the school July 1. But nobody was surprised.
He is eminently qualified to fill the post that Deanell Tacha left when she became a judge for the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
In his years at the journalism school, he has shown a remarkable ability to recruit and solidify a strong faculty. The reputation of the school has been bolstered because of this ability.
The office of academic affairs will benefit from those same qualities, and the school of journalism will miss the leadership, dedication and talent Brinkman brought to Stauffer-Flint Hall.
A pleasant surprise
Most of the campus was surprised last week to discover that the Kansas University Endowment Association had been following a policy of "selective divestment" in companies that do business in South Africa.
More surprising than the announcement was a statement by Todd Seymour. Endowment Association president, that the new policy had been developing for a long time. He said the Endowment Association had assumed everyone knew about the decision.
By selective diversion, the Endowment Association means that it will no longer purchase stock in companies that have not established fair and equal opportunity employment practices in South Africa.
Certainly the group of campers who had spent more than three weeks outside the Endowment Association's window hadn't heard of the policy. They called off their protest, packed their tents and went home the day after Seymour officially announced the policy.
policy. Seymour said he thought the protesters had wanted the Endowment Association to completely divest from companies in South Africa. He thought no one was interested in a policy of selective divestment, he said.
KU has been lucky to avoid the violence that has plagued other schools embroiled in the divestment controversy. But considering the potential for violence, the Endowment Association acted irresponsibly by not announcing earlier that divestment, however selective, was already its goal.
Since last fall, when the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System approved a similar policy, selective divestment has been proposed as an acceptable compromise to the association's opposition to total divestment.
No one from the Endowment Association acknowledged this suggestion, just as it had ignored resolutions on South Africa from every University governance body.
The new policy is commendable, but the association's apparent unwillingness to discuss its decisions with the University has been the biggest problem all along.
Clean air act
Many Kansas City residents are going to breathe easier in the future.
Under the law, which will go into effect in July, the previous assumption that a person could smoke if an area wasn't otherwise marked is reversed. Now, if a sign doesn't say smoking is allowed, it isn't.
Even in the workplace.
The Kansas City Council recently approved a bold law that restricts smoking in public places, including banks, museums, office buildings, retail stores and concert halls. In fact, the only exceptions to the law are private residences and offices, bars and tobacco shops.
Passing the law was a courageous move by the city council that finally recognizes the dangers of inhaling smoke from others' cigarettes. It acknowledges that the right of people to protect their health is stronger than the right of people to smoke.
employers must now designate smoking and no-smoking areas. Arguments and frustrations will no doubt occur, but compromises can be found.
Eight other metropolitan cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Minneapolis, have passed nosmoking laws.
The Kansas City Health Department, which is responsible for enforcing the ordinance, seems to have taken the experiences of other cities to heart and has already developed a task force to address questions and problems. It plans to follow other cities' examples of enforcement through education rather than punishment.
Kansas City has shown a courageous spirit in passing the highly controversial nosmoking law, and it has backed up that courage with foresight and solid planning. When will Lawrence follow suit?
News staff
News staff
Michael Totty ... Editor
Worcester Milliken ... Managing editor
Chris Barber ... Editorial editor
Cindy McCurry ... Campus editor
David Giles ... Sports editor
Wilfred Lee ... Photo editor
Susan Shaw ... General manager, news adviser
Business staff
Brett McCabe ... Business manager
David Nixon ... Retail sales manager
tim Williamson ... Campus manager
Lori Eckart ... Classified manager
Caroline Innes ... Production manager
Allen Lee ... National manager
John Ozerzan ... Sales and marketing adviser
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Navajo, Hopi may lose land to government
Arizona Indians hearing same old story
Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it Mistakes are commonly made, and making them twice is human nature. Ask the United States government.
carry in U.S. history, when we set up our government, we said to the American Indians, "Hey guys! We're setting up this brand new government, and from now on you are subjects of this government. You know all that rich farmland you're sitting on? Well, it's now sure. See that nasty land over there? That's yours now. Happy hunting, pal."
Time went by, and we invented all kinds of neat little inventions like cars and nuclear weapons and a fun and cheerful invention called strip mining. That nasty land we gave the Indians turned out to be. By fact, 80 percent of the uranium in the United States is on Indian land.
speaking for the government has fabricated a tale of "tribal disputes" between the Navajo and Hopi as an excuse for its intervention, why the Hopi say there is no dispute. Both tribes have issued
so, they're at it again, trying to move 14,000 Navajo and 100 Hopi off their land in Big Mountain, Ariz. To the Navajos, this is looked upon as a military invasion. The word from the White House is, "Eviction of the Navajos could be enforced by U.S. marshals and the U.S. military." This comes from Richard Norris, speaking for the president.
By no means is the government in on this alone. The key greed puppet in this disgusting mess is Peabody Coal. With the help of the government they fabricated the "tribal dispute" between the Hopi and Navajo nations so the land would be split between the two, which would allow the land to be opened to the energy company.
Guest columnist
company. Between 1973 and 1974 'range wars' were staged between the two tribes that were set up by Evans and Associates, a Salt Lake City public relations firm. Because of this, the government passed legislation that split the land in half, reduced the
statements from their traditional elders vowing to work together to solve any problems they might have.
It is not a simple question of moving, as one would put it in white terms. Indians think of themselves as of the land, not just on it. To remove them from their lands is certain death for their tribes and culture. As tribal elites have to be whispered to their fourth traditional tongue there is no word for relocation. To move away means to disappear and never be seen again."
ivestock which they Indians feed off of by 90 percent and established a relocation commission to remove all Indians living there.
The traditional Hopi people say there is no dispute. They feel that it is their responsibility to protect the earth, the use of all people, not for profit.
If the government tried this on a small town of about the same population, do you think they would get away with it? No way. But the Indians are a different story. We've been stealing from them for 300 years. What's a few more acres here and there?
The government is relying on public perception of the Indians and a low profile to pull this off and the so-called "iliberal" media that the conservatives love to scream about has been conspicuously quiet about it.
Whether intended or not by the government this is simply one more step in the systematic genocide and ethnocide of the American Indian. Time is long past since they could break treaties with the Indians without condemnation, so they have resorted to backroom deals and politics that reek of greed and manipulation.
mahapalam.
These actions are backed by the real attitudes of our government, a government of the people and by the people. I could condemn their actions forever and nothing would change. Change lies in the hands of the people.
ple. I write this to educate
pie" <w> when American Indian is just that
American. More American than apple pie,
basketball and Ronald Reagan
(although he might drape himself in the flag and disagree.) The Indians are divided among themselves in the same way whites are divided from blacks in our society.
The tribes all have different cultures and ideas and are, in effect, different races. The tribal council to represent them in our government were set up by the government and they control the money that goes to them. Consequently, they are as malleable as clay. Traditional Indians see the tribal councils as simply a tool set up by the United States as a more convenient way of manipulating the Indians.
Before the tribal councils, the government had to get three-fourths of the people of any Indian nation to agree before any deal. Now, when it wants something, it needs much simpler. Without organized leadership they are subject to the will of the government.
The government has expressed its military intention. Roberta Blackgoat said, "No matter what they are going to do, we are going to stay."
They will. In our land of opportunity we have given the Indian none.
Mailbox
Just a dream
Victor G., my main fascist! A world full of right-wing reactionary fanatics has been left wanting because you can't think of a subject.
What?! No dirty, ugly, nasty,
godless commies to condemn? What
are you becoming? A commune or
traveler? A sensitive human being?
But your latest column does bring up some interesting questions. If ever dollar of the federal debt were end to end, would they span the gap between the left and right sides of Victor's brain? Would we be able to find Victor's brain to find the answer?
Perish the thought.
answer.
Would we want to find Victor's brains?
And if we did want to find it
and if we could find it, would it be in
tellectually (or physically) possible
to open it? Perhaps we could insert
such foreign concepts as free
thought, self-determination or even
the devastating realization that communism is an economic system, not a character trait.
Naw, it was just a dream some of us had. Peace, brotherhood, empathy . . . you know, Victor, commite stuff like that. Go back to the simplistic reactionary ramblings, Victor, where good and bad don't require those painful debates within your head.
Kirk Roberts Garrett Wichita junior
Libya given message
It's a strange world when a nation that has been responsible for the deaths of many innocent people over the past 17 years can gain the sympathy of virtually all the world for suffering a few casualties in its self-dearled war against the West.
Sure, it's a shame that civilians died and suffered injuries in the U.S.
attack, but that's what happens when you firl with war. Maybe now that Khadady is faced with the consequences of his actions (terrorism, if not in direct participation, then with support and aid to terrorism), he will see that there are other ways to achieve his goals.
ABC News estimates that half of all Libyans are under 16 years of age. All of these people have grown up hearing strong anti-America rhetoric, so it's funny that they wear the U.S. model any conditions.
Martin Pittier Lawrence senior
Those Libyans who lost family members in the U.S. attack may never forgive us, but again, it's doubtful that they would have had respect for the U.S. if the attack had not occurred.
Over time, however, Libya and all the terrorist nations might learn that terrorism is no longer worth the price they will have to pay.
As for the aftermath of the U.S. retaliation, who knows what will happen? Our pal Moammar is calling on all of the Arab nations to retaliate against us. Ooh, what a surprise.
Better uses for money
As a graduating senior, I would be here neither to pay for the Kansas Union renovation nor to benefit from it. However, in the interest of future students of the University of Kansas, I would like to express my disapproval of this short-sighted use of monetary resources, of which we all know there is not enough to go around.
If one assumes that 25,000 students would each pay $5 to renovate the union, that comes to $125,000. There are many areas of this University that could use some improvement, and these are far too numerous to go into detail here. However, I will mention three of the significant areas.
I realize that cosmetic improvements are sometimes necessary, but I hate to think that these concerns are seen as more important than the reason we are all here (education, right?).
Cindy Huffman Derby senior
Petitions with which to express your opinions on the matter will be available today in the Strong Hall lobby and the fourth floor of the Kansas Union.
I am sure that we can all think of more uses for $125,000.
Vast improvement could be made in our teaching resources. More faculty could be hired. Further, we could pay our present faculty more in order to keep the students of Karlin Campbell would certainly agree.
Myths examined
April 19
Taiwan emotionally says that Israeli bombs here and there, killing innocents to "punish terrorists." There is not a single account in Israel's history of a premeditated attack upon civilians.
We would like to constructively examine the myths and accusations in Loumane Tidjani's letter (Kansan, April 9).
talk up against. Arab terrorism dates back many years and its most notable atrocities are against innocent people. In 1972, 11 Israeli sportmen in the Munich Olympics were gunned down, and 26 people were gunned down at Lod airport in Tel Aviv.
Tidjani also says that Israel wants
AVENUE. In 1974, three terrorists attacked and occupied a school in Ma'a'al, Israel, where 24 people were killed. More recently, there have been attacks upon Americans including the Achille Lauro and the shootings at the Rome and Vienna airports. The list goes on.
everything Yasser Arafat said in 1979. "Our people will continue to fuel the torch of the revolution with rivers of blood until the whole occupied homeland is liberated . . . not just part of it."
Both the Peel Commission of 1938 and the United Nations partition plan of 1947 were accepted by the Jews but rejected by the Arabs.
part of it.
Clearly what the PLO wants is no part of Israel but all of it.
repeated. Tulajani says that he is a victim of Islam, says that 1962, almost a million Jews were forced out of the land they lived and loved in for centuries. This was stopped only when the Arab countries realized the Jewish refugees were taken in by Israel and integrated into Israeli society.
In Tidjani's own country of Algeria, the Jewish population dropped from 140,000 in 1948 to 500 in 1974. The Algerian Supreme Court declared in 1963 that Jews are no longer protected under the law
longer protected from
In most Arab countries today,
persecution of the Jews continues.
So next time Tidjani wants to discuss
victims, he should look out his own
front door.
Michael Medved
Lawrence senior
Nancy Michaelson
St. Louis freshman
Statement questioned
We would like to make just one statement in response to the General Union of Palestinian Students' claim in the April 12th letter to the editor that "the PLO is not, nor has ever been, a terrorist organization."
Your claim deserves equal time in the National Enquirer. After all, inquiring minds want to know .
WASHED
Debbie Mallin
Leawood sophomore
Kelly Mallin
Leawood senior