4
Wednesday, March 30, 1977
University Dally Kansan
Comment
Opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Kansas or the School of Journalism
Putting war behind
The announcement that the United States will begin new talks in its effort to reestablish relations with Vietnam signals beaten by a relationship that should have been long ago.
Many of us were too young in the 1960s to understand what the war in Vietnam was all about. What had started as a civil war after a 1954 Geneva conference divided Vietnam into two opposing coalitions and an international conflict in which the United States was an important participant.
The casualties of the war have often been cited and will often be repeated. The united States lost more than 50,000 servicemen and civilians in the conflict, South Vietnam more than 400,000 and the North Vietnamese about 900,000.
ALTHOUGH U.S. involvement had begun at an earlier time, it was in August 1964 that it became more than mere involvement; it was then that the U.S. Senate passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution at the urging of former President Lyndon Johnson.
Bombing raids on North Vietnam began in 1965. By 1966, there were 190,000 U.S. troops in South Vietnam and more than 550,000 by the end of 1969.
With the election of Richard Nixon in 1968, there were repeated promises for gradual troop withdrawal. A withdrawal did begin with the passage of time but heavy bombings on North Vietnam continued, as well as in other Asian countries such as Cambodia.
IN JANUARY 1973, NIXON and then presidential adviser Henry Kissinger proudly proclaimed a peace settlement. Within two years, North Vietnam had conquered its southern neighbor. Many South Vietnamese sought refuge when rule from the north became inevitable; but a majority of them, many who had supported the rule of the northern government from the beginning, chose to stay.
Perhaps we were too young to understand our involvement in Vietnam, but we needn't feel bad. Many of our older brothers and sisters didn't understand either... and there were casualties at both ends, both physically and physically, as well as those abroad.
FOR ALTHOUGH we may have been too young to understand, there are instances we will likely not forget, such as Joan Baez singing songs of peace to hundreds of thousands of people gathered for a demonstration rally in front of Washington Monument November 1970. Washington Monument William Krause, Sandra Schreiber, William Schneider and Jeff Miller*
These were the four Kent State University students who were shot and killed on May 4, 1970, by the bullets of Ohio National Guard-aged soldiers protecting the protests of the U.S. bombing of Cambodia.
Sure, it's doubtful that we'll forget instances such as these.
IT'S ALSO doubtful what we can forget that more than 2,500 Americans still are not accounted for in Vietnam. Even though the bodies of 11 Americans were returned to the United States through the efforts of President Carter's Commission on Missing In Action, it is likely that many Americans never will be accounted for because of Vietnam's terrain, climate and the passing of time.
But it also is unlikely that Vietnam can forget what has happened to its country, where thousands work daily to rebuild what was once a vacation land for foreign visitors.
Perhaps with the announcement that the United States is ready to begin moving toward normal relations with Vietnam—a country that has long wanted here or abroad—we and the Vietnamese can leave our misunderstandings behind with a war that has ended.
History books will say that Jimmy Carter's downfall started in Clinton, Mass., following a town meeting. The townpeople asked Carter a few questions and then asked him to join them at a private reception at the McCoy's house.
When Carter returned to Washington, the first thing he saw with his a rose-colored glasses was his a federal employee working. He then proposed that the federal government increase the number of federal job programs.
The McCoys were one of Clinton's leading families. They owned a firm that manufactured and sold rose-colored glasses, the reception, and was convinced that both pair, and he wore them during the last three years of his presidency.
THE SECOND thing Carter saw after his trip to Coinwon was a politician who didn't care whether he was relected. He believed the government finance all political campaigns at all levels.
The third thing Carter saw with his new glasses was an honest used-car salesman. Then he sold the Presidential limousine and bought a '58 Edsel.
The fourth thing Carter saw was a balanced budget. So he pursued his efforts to increase military space to avoid the impending fiasco.
The fifth thing Carter saw was a proposal to eliminate virtually all voter registration efforts in the state, much imended that Congress adopt the proposal, a move that historians now say was his Waterloo.
THE PROPOSAL, which was called universal registration, seemed innocent enough at first. It would be the system of voting that required a citizen, on election day, to show an identification card giving the
Grocery games addictive
One could easily get the impression after a visit to a local supermarket that Lawrence has, in recent months, become the gambling mini-capital of the Midwest.
Banner signs greet customers with advertisements towing "Instant Money," "Gammarama," "Casino Cash" and the like, giving one an impression of a little Las Vegas right in the buckle of the Bible Belt.
The rules are primarily based on bingo or card games. The customer wins big money if he or she collects the proper cards.
Of course, the real reason for the presence of such scandallous activity is sales. But we are also slack grocery gimmick. And clever, too.
Instant registration not so rosy
THE LURE OF easy money is enough to bait all of us, but I. But I am sure that the coffin, avoided such pleasant pastimes, I was immune to all this baloney. Besides, I realized my chances of winning were very low.
NOW, I TOO, grab up the little buggers and rip them open as soon as I can—unless some idiot sacker has dumped the
enured my supermarket. I waited in line, no purchase in hand, ready to pounce on the checkout girl with a resounding
I became curious. I accepted one of the tiny "Cinoa Cash" cards. I punched out the perforated card. I became hooked.
I did, however, watch adducts of the games. I couldn't help but notice their trembling fingers not to bend away from their sprang from their faces as they punched out their cards—in this case, "Casino Cash" and the resignation that followed when the spades of spades didn't appear.
Bill Sniffen
Editorial Writer
card in the bottom of my grocery sack. Then I'm forced to rush home, rip open the sack—to hell with the stuff inside—to find my precious card. And lose.
And try again. And lose.
I kept on leaping until I realized that losing is precisely what this game is about. I immediately suspected some sinister connection between retailer and underworld figures. Or worse, an insidious plot to get me on the harder stuff—such as bingo.
I BEGAN TO wonder whether this sort of thing was legal in Kansas.
It is, provided that no one is required to buy anything to get the cards. If that were the case, the games would be lotteries, my lawyer friends tell me, and lotteries in Kansas are a no-oo.
Screwing up my courage, I
Superlseur had at last cracked the case. (Actually, he had merely taken the time to read the rules of the game, then in participating stores—"No purchase required.")
"Give me my 'Casino Cash' card."
THE LINE GREW shorter. Ahead of me, middle-aged women were greedily eyeing the drawer holding the precious cards, seemingly paying little or no attention to the inflated prices they were being charged for such trifles as food.
I was next. My palms were sweating; my heart beating a synocraped rhythm along with the cash register's merry ring.
I FELT ASHAMED. I felt guilty, I felt like scum. I had blown the chance to show off my legal knowledge or at least the chance to get something for nothing.
The checkout girl cheerfully obliged.
"And could I have a card?"
"A pack of Marlboros, please."
I went home disgusted.
And I realized you can't get anything for nothing.
Suppose I had had a confrontation with the checkout girl or the store manager. Suppose I had won. The guilt would have
killed me. And, more important, it would have prevented me from trying any such thing again.
Maybe tomorrow.
AND MAYBE, somewhere out there, there is one brave enough to boldly go where no other can. The champion of champions, brave enough to demand his "Casino Cash" card without having made a purchase—and perhaps the supermarket at its own game.
As for me, well, would anybody care to swap the three of spades for the six of clubs?
Although some people elected to leave the driving to visit our city of traveling done was on our nation's highways, by car
lived there at least 10 days. The voter was asked whether he had lived in the precinct at 10 days, and if he answered "yes" and had an ID card "no" and not information (name, address and favorite flavor of ice cream), he was allowed to vote.
citizens' name, address and favorite flavor of ice cream.
Universal registration, which was abandoned shortly after the 1980 election, gave nearly 50 million people who had never voted the chance to vote. None of those 50 million had bothered
LEADING DEMOCRATS during that time said that President Carter originally proposed universal registration because he thought no one would ever abuse their right to vote. No one exactly abused that right. It's just that several
Johnson and Pendergast,
the Republicans won the White
House in 2008, and the
governorships in every state
accept Massachusetts.
THE REASON THE Republicans were so strong in state races was that Carter had been running for president states that adopted a universal registration proposal similar to the one used in federal elections. Since the federal government couldn't legally elect a governor, he required registration, it the next best thing: it blackmailed them.
ANOTHER REASON Carter wanted universal registration was that he thought it would be more democratic. Party, more people, Carter once said, the Democrats will win more elections.
Shortly after the 1980 election, Congress rescinded its adoption of Carter's universal regulations that mistake and hoping that a similar one never happened again.
Brent Anderson
Editorial Writer
What Carter didn't consider was the Republican Party's ability to learn from the other parties' elections. Using techniques perfected by such famous names as Daley, Meany,
people decided to vote several times.
to register before, a requirement during the first 200 years of our nation's existence. Almost half of those 50 million voted, and Kansas Sen. Robert Dole became President.
Saccharin ban criticized
In all these travels, totaling thousands of miles, probably the least of their problems or accidents is the condition of their modes of travel, that is, how they got where they were going.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Howard (letter of March 24) thinks it is a personal attack on his family whenever the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is criticized. However, that isn't at issue. What is at issue is whether the FDA should take saccharin off the market.
During the past two weeks of our recently completed and now long-limited spring break, we will teach students at other universities nationwide, dispersed to parts familiar and not, exotic and mundane, only to return last week, continue the academic grind.
Letters
The high cost of crashing
Howard says that the massive doses do nothing but speed up the results. I agree, but it has been shown that even at a lifelong rate of consumption a person would have to drink about 800 bottles of diet soft drinks a day or consume more
react the same way human bodies do.
It has been shown that saccharin, when administered to rats in massive doses, produced a significant 10 per cent of the rats developed bladder cancer. Granted, rats have many biological components; also have some dissimilarities and their bodies don't always
than one third of a pound of saccharin a day for the rest of his life to equal the proportion of sugar in the rats. I dare say nobody consumes that much saccharin, and if he did, he probably would die from kidney malfunction, because he had never developed cancer.
THE CONFLICT over the
GRADEFULLY, FOR KU students at least, these trips were free of any major ac- tivity involving injury or loss of life.
In a country where the automobile is such a necessary
need for such inspections and recalls. Recently, recall orders went out for some Chevrolet which had seats that could possibly loosen from their moldings.
Paul Jefferson
Editorial Writer
A solution isn't so simple for the growing problem of recalls of American-made cars that contain various stains and meet medical malformations. Some familiar with "Usuce at Speed" by Ralph Nader, on the perils of the ill-fated Corvair, can understand the
part of every living and is so revered, government regulations on auto use and refinement of equipment and equipment are essential to make it as safe as possible for the consumer.
THE 55-MILE PER hour speed limit on highways nationwide has proven itself a boon to overall safety traffic in the United States. This good idea turned into law will mark its third anniversary in the country this April.
Another governmental edict which, although it doesn't always seem to be a good idea at the time, does save the consumer repair costs on his car (and may be life as well).
One could wonder why the government would so interfere with the lives of their citizens in its quest to make autos safer. The answer is a common one: money.
installation of air bags in all cars is yet to be resolved. The bags, used instead of seat belts, could supposedly save even more than seat belts; they don't have to be buckled to be effective.
Traffic accidents cost Americans nearly $38 billion a year in terms of deaths, injuries, lost income and property
Letters Policy
Letters to the editor are welcomed but should be typewritten, double-spaced and no longer than 400 words. All letters are edited and may be condensed according to space limitations and the editor's judgment. If a student signs, KU students must provide their academic standing and hometown; faculty must provide their position; others must provide their address.
ACCIDENTS COST everyone, through federal, state and municipal expenses. Considering the lives saved by the lower speed limit and fewer car trips, an increase in economic necessity for every one to adhere to safe driving habits.
damage. That figure, from the Traffic Safety Administration, is the result of medical, legal, insurance, accident investigation and funeral expenses. Individually each burden bears the administrative price tag of $287,175, not including the value of lost life, which is incalculable.
As the vacation season approaches, drive carefully. The lives, and the money you save, may be your own.
We live in a world of chemicals and every one of them can be dangerous when they are swallowed or when used excessively can lead to high blood pressure. The air we breath becomes a deadly poison when breathed by a diver at 297 feet under the water. It is best to ban salt, air and all other chemicals for that matter.
Or maybe they should do something about the substances that have been proved to be dangerous and or destructive in normal usage, like alcohol and cigarettes.
Or better yet, what if the FDA just warned us of the possibilities of certain substances being dangerous when used incorrectly, and let us use our own judgment as to whether we should be careful already all the time paranoid of Big Brother, we don't need another government agency telling us what we can and can't do.
Brian Shepard
Lawrence sophomore
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Published at the University of Kansas daily August 3, 2016. Subscriptions are valid from June and July except Saturday, Sunday and Halloween. Subscription by mail is a $15 fee or $18 for a year outside the country. Student subscriptions are a year outside the country. Student subscriptions are a year outside the country.
Editor
Jim Rates
Managing Editor
Greg Hack
Campus Editor Alison Gwinn
Associate Campus Editor  Lynsdy Smith  Jerry Sewb  Assistant Campus Editor  Jerry Sewb  Barbara Karp  Copy Chiefs  Jin Cobb  Sport Editor  Bernish Junkeh  Gary Vee  Sports Editors  Geoffrey Edwards  Coalition Manager  George Thompson  Photo Editor  John Campbell  Photographers  John Koehler  Makeup Editors  Susan Abbeybright  Sussex Myers  Jack Bynis  Wire Editors  Jack Bynis
Business Manages Janice Clements
Advertising Manager
Timon M. Ebner
Jim Baldwin
ClassifiedMark Manager
Randy Hagee
Brandon Bates
Promotional Manager
Danny O'Connor
National Advertising Manager
Robin Guntered
Robert Robinson