4 --- Tuesday, April 26, 1988 / University Daily Kansan THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Commissioners help no one by riding fence on mall issue WANTED - Middle-sized Kansas city seeks leadership. Residents drowning under never-ending, decade-old discussions seeking an elusive consensus on proposed downtown redevelopment. Tonight, like many nights before in the past 10 years, the Lawrence City Commission once again will discuss downtown redevelopment. On the agenda, for the third time, is a financing proposal for a $44.5 million development project put forth by the Downtown Improvement Committee. The proposal would make downtown property owners pay about $9 million of the bill. the bill. If the commissioners approve the proposal, they could finally start the ball rolling on a project they already have spent $70,000 researching. Still in the offing is a search for a developer and federal financing, and a public vote. developer and related management. All that is needed is a decision. Unfortunately, there is some doubt that will happen. Faced with vocal opposition from some downtown business owners, the commissioners have twice sent the proposal back to the DIC for revision. And thrice, the DIC has sent it back to the commissioners. It was as if the commissioners were hoping the DIC members could stir the cauldron and create a proposal that angered no one and no one had to pay for. No one seems willing to take charge of the issue and lead. The commissioners seem to prefer to stand back, comment on various arguments and pray that a consensus develops. But it won't. won t. Last year, a three-year downtown mall plan was defeated by voters after a campaign in which only one of three commissioners seeking election was willing to publicly support it. The commissioners were suddenly neutral, unwilling to take a position. position. Residents can only hope that the commissioners learned a lesson from last year's vote. Lawrence will never see progress if commissioners sit neutrally on the fence. The time to lead is now. Todd Cohen for the editorial board Vandals must learn tolerance It was just a little spray paint. But the message it carried was one of intolerance and hatred. When vandals last week defaced a campus display about Israel's 40th anniversary as a state and wrote "Jew boy go home" on a professor's door, it was a sad reminder of how much our society and this world needs to learn. much on society and law. Daily, newspapers report about wars and murders and coups and gangs. Nothing new. Nothing surprising. The human race has exhibited competition and intolerance since its beginning. But somehow, when traits such as these find their way into the University, it is particularly tragic. Idealistically, the university is a sanctuary — a place for learning, expression and understanding. The incident last week was a visible example, however, that the ideal doesn't always hold true. The students of this University have the potential to impact the future. But if they are going to change the course this world is taking, attitudes first must change on this campus. Following a path of tolerance, understanding and compassion would be a good start. Alison Young for the editorial board Editorials in this column are the opinions of the editorial board Other Voices Homosexuals show pride at Penn State Gay and Lesbian Pride Week sent an important message not only to members of the gay population at Penn State, but to all members of the Penn State community. The message is: It's OK to be gay. The activities sponsored by the Lesbian and Gay Student Alliance last week were informative and well-organized. If the concept of a Gay Pride Week disturbed you, maybe you need to examine your own attitude about homosexuality. To disapprove of that lifestyle is one thing; to discriminate against gay persons is another. LGSA achieved its highest objectives if Gay and Lesbian Pride Week triggered the following reaction in one or more students: "I guess I am homophobic . . . and that's not OK." The Daily Collegian Pennsylvania State University News staff Alison Young...Editor Todd Cohen...Managing editor Rob Knapp...News editor Atian Player...Editorial editor Joseph Rebello...Campus editor Jennifer Rowland...Planning editor Anne Luscombe...Sports editor Stephen Wade...Photo editor Richard Stewart...Graphics editor Tom Eben...General manager, news adviser Business staff Kelly Scherer...Business manager Clark Massard...Retail sales manager Brad Lenhart...Campus sales manager Robert Hughes...Marketing manager Kurt Messersmith...Production manager Greg Knipn...National manager Kria Scherrino...Traffic manager Kimberly Coleman...Classified manager Jeanne Hines...Sales and marketing adviser Letters should be typed, double-spaced and less than 200 words and must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University of Kansas, please include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and less than 700 words. The writer will be photographed. The Kansan reserves the right to reject or edit letters and guest columns. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansan newroom, 111 Staffer-Flint Halt. Opinion Letters, guest columns and columns are the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University Daily Kansan. Editorials are the opinion of the Kansan editorial board. The University Daily Kansas (UPSR, 650-840) is published at the University of Kansas, 118 Strauffer-Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan. K6044, daily during the regular school year, excluding Saturday, Sunday, holidays and finals periods, and Wednesday during the summer session. Second-class postage is paid in Lawrence, Kan. 66044. Annual subscriptions by mail are $50. Student subscriptions are $3 and are paid through the student activity fee. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the University Daily Kansan, 118 Stauffer Fint Hall, Lawrence, Kane 66045. Three 'R's don't include religion Public schools should teach mainstream values but leave the Bible out Recently, a number of disturbed people have addressed their views on fundamentalism in the Kansas. The specific issue that seems to get so many people up in the air or not religion shakes up in the public discourse is what Steve Gantz contends, a majority of fundamentalists want religion covered in the schools, and most other Americans want religion kept out of the schools. I'm sorry, Steve, but I would have to consider laws authorizing state-sponsored prayer in public schools as efforts to bring religion into the schools. By the way, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1985 that such laws in Alabama were unconstitutional. unconstitutional. Concerning the issue of a moment of silence for students to do as they wished, I would have to agree with Robert Maddox, clergyman and executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, when he said that the moment of silence "... is a ruse to get prayer 'back' into the school." Let us just assume that a majority of fundamentalists want religion in the schools. One might ask, "What's wrong with that?" I have plenty to say in that regard. The main reason that religion is not covered and, in fact, is neglected in the public schools by other subjects and as a separate subject is that scholars, religious leaders, publishers, educators and school boards can't agree on what should be taught about religion. Simply teaching Christianity would result in two major problems, aside from being unconstitutional. First of all, Christianity is an enormous tool and there are many ways it can be greatly watered down in order to be taught in the schools. If Christianity wasn't tremendously watered down, students would have to spend half of their school day learning about Christianity and its influence on past and present events in order to get *an* Wayne Pickerell Guest Columnist adequate overall picture. The other problem of just teaching Christianity would be the neglect of other religions. other renaissance. For example, if we taught creationism alongside evolution in the schools, as Louisiana did until recently, wouldn't we also have to teach how the other major religions explain the presence of life as it exists today? Or would we be so ethnocentric to think that creationism is the only alternative to evolution that should be taught in the schools? Another reason to keep religion out of the schools is that, in some passages, the Bible fosters out-of-date ideas and values that carry a much stronger judgmental tone than those of today. Don't misunderstand me: The Bible can be a wonderful source of ideas and values, provided that the appropriate passages are selected pointed out in his earlier passages that promote values such as "racism, sexism, elitism and fear" have no place in the schools. I would much rather have taught in the schools such ideas and values as feminism, pacifism, self-reliance, tolerance of diverse views and logical decision-making — all of which were objected to by fundamentalists in Tennessee and Alabama. can put their children in private schools. Otherwise, I would hate to think that a teacher would have to give an alternative assignment every time a parent thought the original assignment conflicted with his or her religion. The inevitable result of such a system would be the almost total control that parents could exercise over what their children learned and did not learn. Such a system might work out further into the Middle Ages, but it has no place in our modern century — our world needs them to allow our children to be taught by anybody but competent professionals in the education field. I think it is safe to write that most parents want the above ideas and values taught in the public schools. If people don't want their children to learn such mainstream values and ideas, they So what if the previously mentioned ideas and values promote secular humanism? Let's face it in There is one thing that I can’t figure out. If, as Steve says, “... most fundamentalists do not condone the money-grabbing techniques of so many of the televangelists...” where do televangelists get all of those millions from? Are groups such as the Atheist Club here at KU financial supporters or does Steve mean by statement that most fundamentalists still give money but that they just don’t approve of how the televangelists go about getting it? Wayne Pickerell is a Wichita junior majoring in social welfare. Professor Shawl's theories raise the point that students should be rewarded for hard work. If you've been scoring 89s down the line and don't ever plan to return to the 91s, you might not want to sign our petition concerning grade point averages, even if the rewards could be greater. Why should you care if just a little more work could get you an "A" instead of an "A-?" After all, these are just records that will follow us for the rest of our lives. Hear opinions on GPAs And who would be proud if we raised the overall GPA of our college, even if we are compared to other universities in this respect? Are we saying that we could never be number one in this too? Nah. Let's chop off the top of our GPAs with grade compression. But maybe students' opinions on these matters aren't important anyway. Why should we mind waiting until the Committee on Undergraduate Studies and Advising meeting in September to find out what the grading system's policy will be? 'We're the ones who are paying more and more every day to be here, and I'll promise that nobody will add/drop to try to get teachers who do or don't choose to use plus/minus, even if the teachers can't tell us how they will be grading at the beginning of the semester unless they continue to use our former grading method. Why would we care that this is the kind of thing that could make add/drop more of a mess? There isn't a chance that any of us could be in for a nasty surprise. What are the resolution's proponents' feelings about the fact that this issue cold have been put to a referendum as easily as AIDS testing during our recent Senate elections? Did they forget? Were they in a hurry? Where was the fire? Professor Shawl, you'll never know how students in our College of Liberal Arts and Sciences feel until you ask. You didn't, but we will. Students who have opinions on this subject will find the Kansan's advertising interesting today. William Bayne Lawrence sophomore Skin color is irrelevant In response to Richard Felton's April 5 column on racism: I'm a 28-year-old, white female. I passed Felton's pop quiz without missing a single question. Honestly! And, yes, I consistently interact with persons of various backgrounds and races. However, personal experience has shown me that I may be a minority of the white race in this aspect. Among an all-white crowd, I've heard racial jokes, stereotypical references to blacks and derogatory comments. I'm not a bigist! I do not appreciate persons making that assumption. And, because my boyfriend is black, for several years I have felt racism. My name is Kelly, not the board of ruthless names I have been called. And, dating someone black certainly brings the true friends to the forefront. The other “friends” disappeared by friend and I are often talked to. I was not chosen for National Honor Society my senior year even though I was valedictorian of my class and active in a variety of organizations. It has been hard not to be filled with hatred and bitterness toward those who place an emphasis on skin color. But I can only offer them sympathy. After all, skin color is as irrelevant as shoe size. Or do some people only associate with size 9? Self-teach Kelly Leach Bonner Springs junior BLOOM COUNTY by Berke Breathed