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Monday, February 25, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Truth in warfare
Censorship, propaganda clutter news channels at time when people need access to information
G en. Norman Schwartzkopf, commander of U.S. forces in the Persian gulf, led military officials yesterday in painting a picture of success during the first day-and-a-half of the U.S.-led ground attack against Iraqi forces.
But details of the invasion were sketchy, casting doubts on the credibility of military and media reports of the action.
Fewer than a dozen U.S. soldiers had been killed and more than 10,000 Iraqi soldiers had surrendered during that period, according to military reports.
Defense Secretary Dick Cheney argued Saturday that secrecy about the offensive was necessary to protect the lives of allied troops. U.S. citizens find that argument compelling, but it's unlikely Cheney told the truth.
Iraqi frontline forces are incompetent — many were grocers or barbers or bankers last week. The element of surprise appears less than crucial, especially when coalition strategy is so obvious: surround and gain control of Kuwait, and meanwhile encourage the Iraqis to overthrow leader Saddam Hussein.
Our military would not be harmed by reports detailing what already has taken place in the Persian Gulf War. The U.S. public should be told about troop locations and battle results. Iraqi military officials know those things as soon as they happen anyway. Specific strategies, meanwhile, should remain secret.
Cheney's initial silence reflected concern
that the U.S. public be given only the positive news. The reported weekend successes ensure that the military now will be more forthcoming with information.
Still, the latest hush was only one incident in a full-scale war of propaganda. As long as reporters are prevented by allied and Iraqi officials from moving about to obtain information, information from the front is suspect.
More media freedom would reduce the possibility of U.S. forces acting in ways unacceptable to even the staunchest supporters. Secrecy and outright lying during the Vietnam conflict, for example, allowed U.S. forces to bomb Cambodia surreptitiously.
During this war, both sides have filled the airwaves and newspapers with propaganda. Saddam and Soviet negotiators knew that their various peace plans would be unacceptable to President Bush. Their gestures had no diplomatic value, serving only to shift the world's eyes from the mess in the Baltics and from Saddam's refusal to leave Kuwait.
Saddam and Bush have played word games throughout the war. Did U.S. forces bomb a milk factory or a chemical weapons plant? Were the Iraqi civilians bombed in a civilian bunker or an Iraqi communications base?
Bush and other leaders want to protect war information to ensure support by the U.S. public. The public should demand information in return for support of the war.
Rich Cornell for the editorial board
Drug research
United States should study drug in abortion pill
A drug developed in France may halt the growth of some types of breast-cancer tumors, but that possibility is not being tested actively in the United States.
Other studies suggest that the same drug may help relieve endometriosis, a painful condition in which tissue lining the uterus starts growing elsewhere in the pelvis.
That possible benefit also is not being explored in the United States.
The drug. RU-486, is not available in the United States partially because government policy introduced by the Reagan administration blocks federal support for research of it.
method of expediting a legal medical procedure.
The United States is blocking what other nations have found to be a safe, effective
The drug, used early in pregnancy, causes a fertilized egg to be expelled before it can be implanted on the wall of the uterus.
The federal government has taken a stance against the drug because it is most commonly used in an abortion pill.
RU-486 is used for about 25 percent of all abortions in France. A study of 10,000 of the 60,000 women who have used the drug for abortions in France found a success rate of 96 percent with very few side effects.
While the U.S. government is blocking a drug that could provide a safer abortion alternative for women, it also is hindering the research of its other benefits.
To limit scientific development is wrong.
To limit it in spite of results as promising as those achieved with RU-486 borders on criminal stupidity.
Chris Siron for the editorial board
91 missing books provoke curiosity
Recently he been the site of a vicious crime. According to the University Police Report, an individual has failed to return 91 books. The resulting line is a staggering $3,195.
The largest number of books I remember checking out at once is around eight, and I had a terrible time carrying them home. It is logical to assume that the accused checked out the books over a period of weeks, but I hauled Haul. But I'd like to think that the protective librarians would have been slightly uncomfortable letting 91 of their babies go at once.
It's easy for most of us to forget about the one or two (or 91) books that we accidentally kicked under our beds, but according to correct library etiquette, we being mature and not relying on our own time. We can't expect a call whenever we have an overdue book, but it's hard to believe that the
Wendy
Guerrera
Guest
columnist
I am curious to know why so many books were checked out in the first place. As those of us who have roamed the stacks are aware, the books aren't exactly besteller types, so it's hard to imagine that someone checked out 91 of them strictly for pleasure.
fines-person didn't consider the accused a special case after overdue slip number 50.
If they were used for a project, then it seems obvious that any individual needt 91 books doesn't know too much about the main topic, and maybe a new topic would be in his or her best interest.
What kept the books from being returned to Wotson? The most logical reason that I can think of, beyond pure laziness, is fear. (Students only read beyond this point!) The fear develops when the research information goes through a tiny transformation between the book and our project. I'm not saying that we alter the way we think about that there is a possibility that maybe some information is omitted and only the relevant stuff is included. Think of it as, in the words of William Goldman, a "good parts version."
If this were the case with the accused, then I understand his or her plight. May this individual had the professor who really did check the references. If so, please warn me as to who it is . . .
Wendy Guerrera is a Rochester,
N.Y., senior majoring in creative writ-
ing.
NEW ELY Chicago Future
HARDENED BUNKER MENTALITY
The secrets of those fantastic guys with bleaches and dyes
must admit, I was a little unsure what my question was to be about this week. At first I thought I wanted to write something really controversial. But I didn't think it would be wise to say that a basketball coach should notation who attend basketball games "have the brain capacity of a tea."
My thoughts then moved to a subject I take very seriously. What ever happened to the first, and best, Darren on "Bewitched?"
Unable to base a whole column on that idea, I looked up from my brainstorming to gaze upon a large, unruly blond afro on a woman passing by. How sad, I thought; there is nothing worse than a bad perm.
Bad perm! Column idea! Yes, the age-old question of what exactly goes on in beauty shops must be answered.
Since most guys opt for the more manly barber shops, the two sexes have little knowledge of that area of each other's worlds. That is where I come in. I have infiltrated both a beauty shop and a barber shop virtuosely. This report should aid in further understanding the opposite sex.
I sneak in the Curl Up and Dye Beauty Shop and hide behind a botted plant. The first thing I come across is the horrid scent of perm juice. I strongly believe that the terrible smell of that stuff is what actually curls the hair. The plants in beauty shops are always fake because no creature of nature could live amidst those noxious fumes.
Matt
Walsh
Staff columnist
On the coffee table, alongside books of various hairstyles (circa 1973), is a magazine with a cover story titled "What Men Really Want." Oddly enough, I notice all the women skimming past that article and reading, with the utmost interest, a story detailing Dolly Parton's "20 Pounds in Two Weeks Barley Diet."
The door opens and a little bell rings. All heads turn to see if the new arrival had attempted to cut her own hair. The beautician knows this is the worst customer to get. The woman, who has just chopped away half of her hair with pruning shears, will point to a picture of Julia Roberts and proclaim, 'I want to look like that!'
I notice women with pink and blue hair exchanging meatleaf recipes while sitting under dryirrers. It is times like these that I wonder what strangers to our culture would think if they could see this sight.
Meatloaf is not the only item discussed, however. Yes, guys, they talk about you. The topic is never how many questions you guessed right the other day during Jeopardy, though. It's more like a "Guess what Barney couldn't do again last night." With that, all the pink-haired women raise
their eyebrows and give each other knowing looks.
Across the street at Ed's Barber Shop and Sports Den, the atmosphere is a tad different. A football game is always on TV and a basketball game is always on the radio. The barber is constantly sweeping hair into a pan. Where does all this hair go? My theory is that they sell it all to Robin Williams and he glues it onto his back.
No matter what style you ask for at Ed's, the barber will whip out his electric shears, proceed to mow the back and sides of your hair and which side you part your hair on. This is followed by the vacuum, which sucks the hair from your neck. I've often wondered if barbers don't sometimes place the nozzle on their own necks for five minutes or so and then boast to their friends about their 'hot date' last night.
Nobody reads magazines in barber shops, probably because they are generally National Geographics dating back to Paleolithic times. But an article on what men really want is quickly circulating the shop (since guys have never and will never truly know).
So now the secret is out. I hope your questions about the opposite sexes' coiffeur shops are fewer and a large number of them are not difficult to mind. I need I need to lie down for awhile. After finding out what men really want and inhaling all that permit toxin, I feel a little quesoys. Matt Walish is an Emporia freshman
Matt Walsh is an Emporia freshman planning to major in journalism.
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Grease those wheels
I had an exam in one of my required classes Friday. No, that's not the complaint. Although . . . oh, never mind that. As I was saying, this exam I had was not on paper. Instead, taking a rather novel approach to test administering, my professor gave it on the wall. What kind of preparation does have the money to run off a few hundred copies of this test. So with a bit of squinting, I was able to read the transparencies that were put on, then removed from the overhead and then replaced with the next.
I'm afraid I have a hackeyed complaint to make. This grievance probably has been voiced by numerous others. But, if anything, that is to my (our) advantage. After all, the wheel gets the grease, right?
Not a bad system for a professor who just isn't getting the funds he needs.
But my, and many others', point is that this is no way to educate. Has KU become one of those infamous "factories" of an institution? A little eye strain never hurt anyone (with no eyes), I know. But I am also to understand that our peerless Western Civilization program is run on next to nothing. Almost 90 percent of all non-honors Western Civilization classes are taught by graduate teaching assistants.
My tuition should not be going to the Midwest Transparency and Other See-Through Products Co., nor should it be allotted to neophytes who, sadly enough, are often simply not fit to instruct a class.
So either give me (us) that greases (we) have been squeaking for, or I need to make an appointment with an optometrist.
Dan Dillon Glencoe, Ill., junior
War is not just a game
Dan Rather, looking rather comical, informed me that the ground war had started. Go team. My heartills with patriotism. I eat up glorious images of the techno-war and vomit red, white and blue. Iraq is dug in on their own 20 after penalized 10 yards for holding. Quarterback Gen. Trey McCarthy and Schwartzneennegre calls the signals and fades back to pass. There is little or no rush. He releases the football. In mid-air the football is transformed into a Tomahawk cruise missile. The Iraqi队 teams dive behind its touch bench as the missile crashes into the Gatorade jacket and explodes the team and a few innocent women and children in the stands. But, you know, what is that the Iraqis get for putting the team down? Wait a minute! This is live or is Memorex? If this war turns out to be too bloody, can we get our quarter back and play. "save the environment," or "balance the budget?"
KANSAN STAFF
John Horne Lawrence senior
CHRISE SIRON
Editor
RICH CORNELL
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
by Tom Michaud
Business staff
Editors Business staff
News. Melanie Matthes Campus sales mgr. Sophie Wohbe
Editorial. Tiffany Harness Regional sales mgr. Carmen Dresch
Planning. Holly M. Neuman National sales mgr. Jennifer Claxton
Campus. Jennifer Reynolds. Co-op sales mgr. Christine Musser
Pam Soliner Production mgrs. Rich Harsbarger.
Sports. Ann Sommermath Kate Stader
Photography. Keith Thorpe Marketing director. Gail Einbinder
Graphics. Melissa Unterberg Creative director. Chris Hays
Features. Jill Harrington Classified manager. Kim Crowder
AUDRA LANGFORD
Business manager
MINDI LUND
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
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