4 Monday, March 25, 1991 / University Daily Kansan Opinion THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Jayhawk spirit KU and Lawrence communities unite to fulfill tradition of honorable collegiate basketball Congratulations, Jayhawks! Final Four once again! Kansas overcame the odds, the experts and the No. 2 and 3 teams in the country and returned to the promised land of college basketball for the first time since the 1988 championship season. The Jayhawks combined hard work with a lot of guts and fought their way back into the national limelight. But most importantly, they did it with a tremendous amount of class. No trash-talking opponents. No bragging about what they had accomplished. Just good, solid, hard-nosed basketball, all the while displaying the attitude of champions. And regardless of the outcome of this weekend's Final Four, that is exactly what this team is in the minds of Jayhawk fans everywhere — champions. The support has been evident throughout the year, but the frenzied celebration that followed Saturday's victory against Arkansas was incredible. Thousands of Jayhawk fans crowded Jayhawk Boulevard in front of Wescoe Hall, voicing their appreciation. Between 5,000 and 6,000 fans showed up at Forbes Field to welcome the victorious 'Hawks home. And once the 'Hawks arrived in Lawrence, they were met by a capacity crowd at Allen Field House. Surprisingly, there was little damage and very few incidents, making the celebration a fairly safe one. One of the most important factors adding to the campus safety was KU police. They did not have an easy job trying to control the crowd. However, instead of being omnipresent and domineering, as one might expect under those circumstances, they merely provided balance between madness and safety, and they allowed the fans to enjoy the moment without letting things get completely out of hand. Appreciation also goes out to the members of KU facilities operations who had to clean up the boulevard after celebration. Although it was a weekend, the mess was cleaned up quickly and campus was back to normal in a short period of time. It was a great weekend to be in Lawrence and a great weekend to be a Jayhawk. Brent Maycock for the editorial board Polish economy Western nations help relieve Poland's huge debt T the decision by Western creditor nations to relieve Poland of $17 billion in debts will do more than simply boost the Polish economy. Poland, Eastern Europe's most indebted nation, owes other nations $33.3 billion and has been calling for debt relief for more than a year. The alleviation of the debt will help Poland move from a centralized economy to a market economy. The change strengthens democracy in an Eastern bloc country that had been dominated by communism. The Paris Club, an informal group of creditor nations led by the United States, offered to reduce Poland's debt. The annual payments to Paris Club nations now will be only $600 million rather than $3 billion. The debt reduction would help speed the dismantling of Poland's former economic system. This reduction is a much needed relief for the impoverished Polish government. The open market economy also will encourage foreign investment. Last week, President Lech Walesa announced that U.S. citizens no longer would need visas to enter the country beginning April 15. Easing the restrictions should encourage U.S. tourism in Poland, thus boosting the economy. Although U.S. citizens may not flood Poland any time in the near future, it is a valuable opportunity for the United States. Allowing U.S. corporations to settle in Poland would benefit both sides economically. Additionally, the United States stands to gain a new position in the formerly Soviet-controlled region. Juli Watkins for the editorial board Police chief to blame The videotape shows something terribly wrong in Los Angeles. A pack of police officers beat senseless an African-American man who failed to yield the right of way. The men who beat Rodney G. King are savages, not officers of the law. Their job is to serve and protect the citizens of Los Angeles — all the citizens, regardless of race. Instead, they justified everyone's worst fears of police power. Other Voices Obviously they were not properly trained, and their superior officers must be held accountable for that. They are being training with Police Chief Daryl Gates. Firing Gates won't be easy. He isn't accounted to the mayor. His job is protected by Civil Service, one of the reforms that stemmed from the widespread corruption that riddled the Los Angeles police department 60 years ago. The chief is defiant in the face of citi-ness, and he has the backing of the Fraternal Order of Police. But let's replay the videotape again in slow motion. Police officers hit King more than 50 times. They stomped him, too. His right hand was smashed. He has fractures at the base of his skull. And now the department has released records of the computer traffic between the cops at the scene and cops elsewhere. Getting Gates won't solve this problem. But Gates must go, not just to send a message to the department but to police officers throughout the United States, in the Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail Speech is guaranteed More than 100 white students at a high school in Duncan, S.C., have been suspended for wearing the Confederate flag or protesting the principal's decision to ban the flag at the school. If there was ever any doubt that a flag could be a potent, even inflammatory, symbol, consider the following: A professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls burned a small U.S. flag in class to illustrate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that flag-burning was a protected form of speech. A few days later, about 250 students waved flags and sang the national anthem outside the professor's classroom. Could there be two more graphic lessons in the meaning of the First Amendment, and why attempts to tighten its limits are so often futile? In the South Carolina school, which is 23 percent Black, the principal doubtless thought he was doing the right thing by enforcing the school's dress code, which prohibits, among other things, "racially intended or provocative" garments. The wearing of the Stars and Bars was, at best, insensitive. To many Blacks, and to many whites as well, the Confederate flag represents slavery and bigotry. Even so, the Supreme Court has ruled that it is constitutional to wear a civilisation, is constitutionally protected. Ditto, the River Falls flag-burning. But the First Amendment wouldn't mean much if it protected only those opinions with which everyone agreed. The best antidote to disagreeable speech is more speech. Gerson's critics made that point well by waving their own flags. We suspect that was the lesson he intended to teach in the first place. From the Milwaukee Journal FLAXMARY UniversityDaily Kansan Mary Elizabeth Debicki Director, office of study abroad KU's sister university in Japan — another KU: Kanagawa University — is sponsoring a fabulous 5½-week program this summer. It will feature an opportunity to understand how Japan does business and to learn from the study of the language, from beginning to advanced levels. The Art and Design program you thought was canceled? Not at all. A meeting will be conducted at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, in room 315 of the Art and Design Building (the building of artists, conducted in English, will take place in France and Italy and will offer KU credit. Study abroad urged Contrary to previous reports, all of our summer and academic year programs are still going on, although recruiting for some of them has been slow. The world is such an exciting place now, don't let an opportunity to go abroad while you are still a student. I think we need an idea how many KU grads I meet who tell me they regret not having taken advantage of the opportunity. When David Gergen, editor-argee of U.S. News and World Report, spoke at KU last week, he ended by urging students to take time during college to study in a foreign country and learn the English language. KU's office of study abroad has existed for more than 20 years to facilitate this process. 'The core of the issue is to what extent the religious groups follow what they all claim as their standard, the Bible.' Bible most important I was a member of the group for more than two years and left for reasons related to my personal relationship with the doctrine taught in the Bible, not because of the practices of the group. I therefore knew full-well the expectations imposed on members. It is sad to see a highly reputable publication such as the University Daily Kansan used as an instrument of propaganda the way it has been regarding its coverage of the religious group Campus Connection. While some of the findings and statements printed in and supported by the Kansan are dangerous half-truths, many are outright lies used to claim a clown, emotionalized one-ided story of religious corruption. As far as expectations are concerned, the clear message is to follow the Bible to the letter, not picking out nice, comfortable scriptures on which to form a pretty little group that holds chip and Coke movie parties on Friday night. The Bible requires total commitment, and any doctrine that teaches less is watered down The purpose of this letter is in no way to promote Campus Connection, nor does it know that I am writing. It is simply a reaction to the lies perpetrated by the "religious advisers" and printed, unquestioned, by the Kansas. The core of the issue is: To what extent do the religious groups follow what they all claim as their standard, the Bible? After all, if the Bible is true, that is the standard that will matter in the end. Andrew H. Johnson Glenview, Ill., senior Parade was political In some ways, Lawrence's 1991 St. Patrick's Day parade resembled an amateurish, scaled-down version of the U.S.S.R.'s May Day parade. Otherwise, this Lawrence event has 'By placing an armored vehicle and a unit of military soldiers before the official start of the parade, the St. Patrick's Day parade committee lost sight of the original meaning of this holiday.' left at least a few people puzzled with its unclear vision, somehow correlating the U.S. military victory in the Persian Gulf with the ethnic and religious aspects of this Irish holiday. To some other people familiar with the parade committee's regulations, a gross violation has been committed by mixing political ideologies with the festivities. By placing an armored vehicle and a unit of military soldiers before the official start of the parade, the St Patrick's Day parade committee lost sight of the original meaning of this holiday. Instead, the attention of this group was focused toward the recent Pentagon War and its cease-fire hoopla. A more military presence in this event makes this maneuver designed by the parade committee a political action, even though they deny this accusation. The participation of militia in this parade is not a regular occurrence. It appears that the committee has failed to eliminate politically motivated displays. It seems that a message of political nature has been made, because of the short time span between the ceasefire and the military's participation in the parade. Any militaristic appearance in this event conveys the message, perhaps mistakenly, that this parade has become another vehicle to legitimize U.S. military presence in sovereign nations. Meanwhile, the committee could be manipulating the parade's main focus by vague defining the meaning of a political action. Angus T. McWhorter Lawrence resident Parade brings surprise Last Sunday afternoon I went out on my front lawn to relax and watch the St. Patrick's Day parade. I had looked forward to the floats, music and general good cheer. Although the day was cool and overcast, there was a steady stream of children lining the curb looking for the first glimpse of the first float, fire engine or green anything. One of them, a young boy, yelled out, "I see writing!" as light became in the way off distance, barely visible, a brightness flashing that could only mean a parade. But it approached so slowly. The kids were in a frenzy of anticipation. The lawn chairs were positioned and camera poised, but for what we were still unsure. A giant Leprechau, beauty queen or a trio of fiddle players with pointed ears? We stretched and squinted, trying in vain to be the first to identify what would be at the head of parade. Someone said, "it's green!" and we looked around. It was loud, surrounded by and covered with people in coordinated costumes. No. What came down Seventh Street leading the St. Patrick's Day parade had nothing to do with Fredland raincoats, a long black boot skots and camouflaged costumes. They needed no banners to announce who they were. It was clear from the tools—guns —they carried strapped to their backs. And just to make sure we wouldn't confuse them with the Boy Scouts, they brought a tool called a knife and the size of the ones they carried individually, mounted on its front. As it passed, bareley squeezing between the parked cars, a young boy asked his mother, "Mom, why are they in the parade?" David Lowenstein Lawrence graduate student KANSAN STAFF CHRIS SIRON Editor RICH CORNELL Managing editor TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser News...Melanie Matthes Editorial...Tiffany Tammess Planning...Holly M. Neuman Campus...Jennifer Reynolds, Pam Solner Sports...Ann Summers Photography...Keith Thorpe Graphics...Melissa Unterberg Features...Jill Harrington AUDRA LANGFORD Business manager business staff Campus sales mgr...Sophie Wehbe Regional sales mgr...Carmen Dresch National sales mgr...Jennifer Claxton Co-op sales mgr...Christine Musser Production mgr...Rich Hambarger, MINDI LUND Retail sales manager JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser Marketing director Gail Einbinder Creative director Christy Hahs Classified manager Kim Crowder Letters should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number of writers affiliated with the University of Kansas Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be whorescheduled. The Kenyan reserves the right to reject or editi letters, guest columns and cartoons. 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