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Tuesday, March 1, 1977
University Daily Kansan
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Sorry, no checks
The marquee outside the fast-food steakhouse says, "Welcome students." A sign on the cash register inside the restaurant says, "Sorry! We do not accept checks." Such is the paradox that pardues Lawrence's commercial business. Built for students, they certainly want KU students' money, but they don't want to bother with KU students' checks.
It wasn't too long ago that a KU student patronizing a Lawrence business, particularly a restaurant, could be fairly assured that he could write a check for his purchase. But during the past couple years, and especially during the past few months, the list of local bank branches, Lawrence banks or out-town banks, has gotten shorter. The reason: Those businesses have experienced an increase in the number of hot checks.
THE CAUTION EXHIBITED by those businesses in accepting checks is understandable. As the enrollment at KU has increased, so has the incidence of bounced checks. Tracking down all hot-check writers is expensive and time-consuming. And that necessarily means passing on the added cost to the consumer.
Those same businesses, however, don't seem to understand that check writing is a way of life for the typical KU student. His finances come in a big lump sum, either from financial aid at the beginning of the semester, or from a benevolent parent at the beginning of the month. He didn't trade in the materials and ones to be stored under a mattress; he deposits it in a checking account where it is safe and, until now, as spendable as cash.
A STUDENT CAN, until mid-evening.
write a check for cash at any of several local supermarkets. But one饼机 recently reduced the amount of money for which a check can be written—from $10 to $5. If that is a sign of things to come, it is conceivable that grocers, too, might not accept it at all. That would leave the four banks and the U.S. Treasury to handle check cashing for 22,000 students.
There are possible solutions to keep that situation from coming about.
One solution would be to boycott those establishments that don't accept checks. If nothing else, a boycott would demonstrate the economic impact of the University on the city of Lawrence. But such a solution is impractical; a hungry stomach will convince even the most dedicated to break the boycott. More importantly, a boycott wouldn't help much to maintain warm feelings between campus and community.
A MORE PRACTICAL solution, on the part of local businesses, would be to keep a card file of those patrons who write checks, as some restaurants and grocers do. By asking the customer to file a card, the business can run a credit check on that customer before allowing him to write checks.
The best solution would involve the conscientious efforts of KU students themselves. The effort would be simple: Keep your checkbook balanced; know at all times how much money you've got in your account. If you haven't the money to purchase, don't write the check. Thanks to some of you, most businesses trust none of us.
And for those businesses that still trust us, thanks for understanding.
On the list of international political issues, human rights have traditionally hovered near the center of attention they appeared on the list at all.
That, of course, has all changed in the past three weeks, thanks to the efforts of a coalition of a Soviet physicist, a chemist, a reporter and an American president. Suddenly, human rights are quite in vogue in discussions of international issues, and some might right up in the Kremlin as a result.
THEN LAST WEEK Vance announced that aid was being sliced from three countries deemed to be violating human rights. The announcement was obviously meant to show that human rights actions wouldn't affect countries, and it bluntly said that the United States wouldn't reduce its aid to countries such as South Korea simply because of their strategic value.
Human rights a legitimate vogue
one trend blossomed last late week when Secretary of State John Kerry committed that the Carter administration had decided to cut foreign aid to Argentina, use it for war against the forces of human rights violations.
Anyone who is surprised at this whole scenario either didn't listen very closely to Jimmy Carter during the campaign or didn't believe what they heard. And anyone who thinks the news about Donald Trump which such covert actions doesn't have a very good memory,
IT WAS LESS than half a century ago that Adolf Hitler began his march across Europe from Germany underfoot in his own country.
American Nazism alive
Two unrelated incidents in the past month should effectively blot out any second thoughts anyone may have had about the unrelenting search for Nazi war criminals.
Guest Writer
The first was a little publicized protest in Chicago against a book written by a professor at Northwestern University. The book, "The Hoax of the Threatened Chinese Argues," argues Hitler's extermination campaign against the Jews in World War II never existed and that it is a myth concocted to promote the Zionist movement. Its author, Arthur Butz, who is—of all things—an associate professor at Northwestern statements by Hitler's leading benchem to support his claims.
THE SECOND INCIDENT was the much-sensationalized siege two weeks ago by an ardent admirer of Hitler in New York who shot himself and five other persons during the daylong siege, reportedly had tattooed his body with Nazi symbols, occasionally walked around in a room, and hated Jews and blacks.
By DIANE WOLKOW
one could summarily dismiss both incidents as isolated cases: Cowan was a nut, and no sane one. But let's believe Butt's book anyway.
United States, Western Europe and South America, who are inclined to think like Cowan and Butz. In West Germany alone, 120,000 of the regular occupants of two decades has been "proving" that Dachau, Auschwitz and all the other concentration camps were built after the war by German forces, under American orders, for propaganda poses.
Even in the United States the American Nazi Party exists. It doesn't publicize itself; statistics are hard to find on the website, although the FBI has been bugging it for years.
However, there are plenty of other nuts running around in the
Almost more frightening than the existence of a Nazi party in the United States is the lack of awareness here about Nazism.
MOREOVE, LAST August,
a series of bombs were set off in
synagogues and Jewish shops in
Buenos Aires. The bombings
coincided with a proliferation of
anti-Semitic and pre-Nazi
threats, which included
Spanish translations of Hider's
"Mein Kampf."
FOR EXAMPLE, last year when a Milwaukee judge was looking for a nonpartisan jury in a case involving the local Nazi party who had ambushed a local Jewish leader, none of the prospective jurors knew the crime. Was one juries equated it with communism. The judge concluded that "other than the term Nazi, they didn't know anything about it."
AS RECENTLY AS 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on measures to be taken against Nazism and other totalitarian ideologies and practices. The resolution called for increased public awareness of the danger posed by intolerance and racial intolerance, especially among young people.
An aware public would be more prone to recognize trends towards racial intolerance bordering on genocide, while realizing that Nazism or neo-Nazism isn't directed against the Middle East. At least million Slavs, gypsies, and Roman Catholicics were also liquidated by Hitler and his men.
COWAN, THE LITTLE guy who loved Hitler and hated Jews and blacks, is dead. We can only learn about his ideology and then learn to abhor it.
Here is a different suggestion: why not grant Butz's sabbatical leave dedicated to a crash course in culture and music with films and literature about Nazi concentration camps.
As for Butz, the American Federation of Jewish Fighters, Camp Inmates and Nazi Victims has called on the president of Northwestern University to review his tenure.
Then, if Butz does well, he could study abroad, interviewing some of the survivors who did that repulsive stuff first hand.
THE FLAP STARTED when the Soviet Union threw some political troublemakers into the slammer in hopes of keeping the home front clean, tidy and quiet. A Russian scientist named Andrel Sakharov, a dissident in his own right, had
Diane Wolkow is a junior majoring in journalism.
Those keepers of international decorum are aghast at the whole affair. They are particularly shocked at the
The United States—and the rest of the world—kept remarkably quiet, and Hitler was free to begin a drive that resulted in elimination of six million Jews' right to live.
anywhere, the situation is delightful and refreshing.
IN MORE RECENT times, Indira Ghandi, virtually eliminated all political pressures in two years and established a virtual dictatorship. The rest of the world sat on its hands, and, as a small handful of innocent people had insulted inail for 18 months.
Human rights are a legitimate subject for international action. Of course Russia, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia don't like to have their countries done in public. No country does.
sight of an American president stomping across such previously taboo ground, and they must wonder what makes this brash new leader play with fire in this way.
Had Sakharov been expandable—as was author Alexandr Solzhenitny a few years ago; he might have found the solution. But Sakharov knows to Siberia. But Sakharov knows a secret. He knows how
telling Sakharov's story to the world.
But to those of us who think the United States, and any other country, has the right to cry foul when it sees persecution
This was too much for the Kremlin, which sprung into action by saying that anyone who supports the dissidents is an enemy of detente—which we thought had passed away anyway. They then expelled him. He was reported named George Krimsky. Ostensibly, Krimsky was booted for fooling around with Russian currency; in fact, of course, he was kicked out for
Carter, in turn, took the unprecedented step of writing his book to help beheaded beheaded to help Sakharov and friends in any possible.
the gall to tell the rest of the world about what the Soviet government had done.
But if wristes need slapping, the United States has the right and duty to do the slapping. If such countries can be kept in line on human rights issues, the chances of them causing even more trouble can be greatly reduced.
Jerry Seib
SO SAKHAROV got not more than a stern lecture from the Kremlin on how famous Russians should act. He was not to be silenced, however. He took the unprecedented step of writing a letter to President Jimmy Carter asking for help.
to make an atom bomb. That makes him very unexpendable.
My INQUIRING COMPANY? WHY DO YOU ASK?
Man is part of society, and as only a part is worth less than all of society together. When a criminal kills someone, he harms all society. For this reason, society has a right to
The death penalty can be considered a charity, proving it both legitimate and good, accusing the person who assaults the Aquinas asserts that the whole is greater than the part and that the part should serve the whole. If the part is harmful to the whole, and would even destroy it then it is necessary to eliminate the part to save the whole.
To the editor:
A subject of much debate in today's newspapers is the question of the legitimacy of the police should there be or shouldn't be?
Death penalty called charitable
As devout Catholics, we say there should be. As Americans, we want to see justice, the only foundation for true peace, restored in our society and world.
"YES I HEARD ABOUT THE LETTER TO SAKHAROV. IM THE POSTMAN WHO DELINERED IT!"
eliminate him to save the whole of society.
Another basic argument is that every punishment should be theprivation of some good. The maximumpunishment must take away the greatestmaterial good, which is life.
Some argue that as God alone is the author of life and death, but not all the men for this reason He said, "Thou shalt not kill," God did say that
68 per cent of all homicides in the United States were committed with handguns, which are five times more likely to cause death than knives, the next most popular murder weapon. Most of these 21,600 killings were in acts involving the violent passion. Without a handgun available, many of these murders would have been turned into nonfatal assaults if
Readers Respond
Even if it didn't eliminate crime, the death penalty is just. But facts do exist to prove that where the death penalty exists, crime does diminish. It's only common sense. It doesn't make sense. More sensitive people will think twice about committing a grave crime.
"thou," the individual, shall not kill That is, that a part of society cannot kill another part. But it must kill others. So over the lives of individuals.
Still others argue that the death penalty doesn't permit rehabilitation. The purpose of punishment, which isn't just rehabilitation, but achieving justice, Vindication, or satisfying the rights of society, is necessary for achieving justice.
We do not feel the death penalty is a question open for discussion and review, but that it is a just, fair and even charitable punishment whose authority comes from God. The death penalty, in fact, is even necessary to restore and maintain law and order in society today.
tonganoxie sophomore president, Catholic Students for Justice
Myth: Guns don't kill people; people kill people. Fact: In 1974,
In response to Douglas Todd's letter (Feb. 22) regarding the defense of the National Rifle Association and his criticism of a Kansan cartoon, I would like to take the following comments.
Guns need control
To the editor:
the attacker were forced to use some less potent weapon, if any at all.
And now for some statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Association of Statistics: Every 13 seconds, a handgun is sold in the United States. The United States is number one in handgun murders and accidents. There are 69 persons shot to death every day, and over 500 have been suicide with guns every year. For every burglar who is stopped by a person with a gun protecting himself, six persons die in gun accidents. In 1974 there were over 524 accidental" firearms used by guns.
Todd stated in his letter that he is disgusted with people who say, "they know nothing about" it. Maybe some people don't, but I have studied the organization and thought enough to substantiate my claims.
This list of horrifying statistics on guns and their growing misuse is endless. We need gun control legislation now. If the NRA, in all consciousness, continues to oppose every piece of legislation that has come before the Congress to pass, we risk being a threat to everyone to get personally involved to pash for the banning of handguns and controlling the sale of other weapons.
Mike Kaberline
Topeka sophomore
As a high school student, a high school editor, a reader of
Thanks to Sniffen To the editor:
the Kansan, and a "straight," I would like to refer to a letter in the Kansan on Feb. 1. and to an editorial which appeared on Jan. 31. The letter, written by Jeff Latz, was a reply to James Kilpatrick's editorial about student editors. Bravo, Mr. Latz! I'm glad someone cares about freedom of the press and those who work for us. Our efforts often go unnoised or mysteriously "get lost" on the trip from the typewriter to the printers.
I would also like to thank Bill Sniften for his editorial entitled "Survey reveals who isn't." Our high school journalism office received a press release from Who's Who Among American High School Students. After laughing for 30 minutes, the student was away as possible. We were glad that Sniften pointed out the discrepancy in the survey results.
As a student with a high grade-point average, I was offended by the image of good students given by the survey. However, I was also offended by Sniffen's comment "They must have been friends, probably bust their pot-smoking friends." As a non-toker, I am not about to bust my pot-smoking friends—for moral reasons, but for self-preservation. If I started busting people, their suppliers might try to lie me, we might feel I would be without friends; they would all be in court or jail.
With that one exception, I was very pleased with Sniffen's skill. He has always they deserve to be hit, and it hit hard. Thank you, Bill Sniffen.
Kate Pound Parsons High School
Pot view disputed To the editor:
In light of Brent Anderson's vast medical knowledge I
hardly find it necessary to respond to his inane article of Feb. 23 concerning testimony of Dr. Harold Voth on the death of his friend. However, it should be pointed out for the enlightenment of the Kanasan audience that Voth, a psychiatrist and psych analyst at the Menninger Foundation, died at the age of 30 years of medical practice.
The Kansas audience should further be made aware of the fact that Voth, whom Anderson makes appear archaic and inarticulate in his testimony, is a special consultant to the Surgeon General of the Navy; has published one book on conspiracy theories and has used techniques and is publishing one dealing with trends in the family and society; is internationally recognized for his research, and has published more than 30 papers on the research; is a nationally recognized author; is a nationally recognized social change activist; has appeared several times on national television to discuss his opinions. This is only a brief list of his accomplishments.
The greatest problem with the marijuana issue is that there is a stigma surrounding the subject. Immediately, sides are drawn on the issue without considering the facts. And what are the facts? As many studies find marijuana harmful as they do harmless. No one has the answer. The situation is analogous to which would take a newly marketed drug that had voluntarily yet contradicting data. They would be fools.
It certainly is unfortunate that such biased and incomplete coverage of an issue as in this case, would have prevented the journalism of journalism. This is why I felt it necessary to discuss the matter a little more fully.
Eric Voth
Topeka senior
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