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Thursday, November 11, 1993
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
U.N. Population Fund deserves U.S. support
President Clinton should proceed with plans to restore U.S. aid to the U.N. Population Fund. Controlling population growth, especially in underdeveloped countries, demands careful attention as we move into the 21st century.
Financial support for the U.N. Population Fund was withdrawn under the Reagan administration. This fund dispersed aid to less developed countries for voluntary family planning services, which provided birth control, education, women's basic health services and pre and postnatal care.
The damaging effects of uncontrolled population growth include strain on the environment and natural resources, significant economic barriers to further developing the Third World and mass migrations when resources are depleted. If nothing is done to stabilize population growth, the world's population could reach an estimated 15 billion people by the end of the next century, tripling the current level.
Even more frightening is the fact that as many as 300 million couples worldwide have the desire to control their family size but do not have access to family planning services. Poverty is perpetuated by the lack of concern for the far-reaching effects of population growth.
The United States must signal its support for controlling this threat to world stability. It should restore financing to help provide these services universally. One of the repercussions of population growth, the flow of immigrants from poverty-stricken Haiti and Central America, affects us already.
It is time to look beyond our own narrow lifestyles and reach out to those in need in other areas of the world. We currently contribute to "peacekeeping" forces, medical relief, food aid, etc. Family planning goes to the crux of one of the causes of poverty and offers a solution that is cheaper and more lasting than armed forces.
We should encourage our legislators to restore U.S. financial contributions to the U.N.Population Fund. These family planning services should be voluntary, accompanied by education and focused on helping those most in need. These efforts can make an enormous impact in controlling population growth and moving underdeveloped countries to self-sufficiency.
EISHA TIERNEY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Americans' political discontent revealed in Republican victories
Rejection. This was the feeling of most Democrats when Republicans swept key races on election night. Republicans were elected governors in Virginia and New Jersey and won the mayor's office in New York. The fact that Republicans won these positions, which had been dominated by liberal politicians, is a testament to the growing animosity most Americans have with their ineffective political representatives. And because the Democratic Party is in control in both the White House and Congress, the American voters will continue to take their failed expectations to the voting booth and displace Democrat ideology with Republican leaders.
A closer look at the New York and New Jersey political races reveals both the ineptitude of incumbent Democrats' ideology and the potential ramifications the Clinton administration could face in 1996 if it continues to defend passing-the-buck attitudes, high tax rates and big-government policies. Some or all were espoused by David Dinkins and James Florio and defended by Clinton.
In New York, voters elected Republican candidate Rudolph Giuliani, replacing the Democratic incumbent, Dinkins. Dinkins used his African-American heritage in an attempt to pin discrimination on white voters who supported his white opponent, Giuliani. However, this shifting-the blame strategy didn't work for Dinkins, who obviously forgot about New York's $3 billion budget gap; his lethargic reaction to the African-American uprisings against Jews in 1991; the bureaucratic mess of his city's public schools; the ineffectiveness of the tough gun control policy; exorbitant tax rates; and crime levels that are high in comparison to national levels. I wonder if the white voters in New York, unlike the mayor, remembered those factors on election night.
With no help from Clinton, Christine Todd Whitman was elected New Jersey's first woman governor, defeating Clinton-backed Democrat Florio, a white male. I guess that Clinton thinks that people should vote for people who are different from them only if they are registered voters in New York.
Clinton only added to Dinkins' racial overtones when he said that we should vote for people who are different from us. I wonder why Clinton, a white male, didn't say that during last year's presidential elections or, more importantly, to the New Jersey voters who elected a female governor.
Whitman's election to the governorship in New Jersey signifies upcoming troubles for Clinton if he seeks reelection in 1996. Clinton, the first lady and Clinton's campaign strategist, James Carville, campaigned heavily for Florio, thereby defending the Democrats' ineffective big government and high tax rates. To Clinton's
chagrin, those same inept policies make up the bulk of his domestic agenda. If Clinton doesn't learn from the obvious policy mistakes of his fellow Democrats, then Clinton's future as the leader of the free undoubtedly will end in 1997.
The defeats of Dinkins and Florio follow a distinct pattern of big Democratic losses in key political races this year. Republicans also have won the mayor's office in Los Angeles, special Senate elections in Georgia and Texas, and the lieutenant governorship in Arkansas.
There is no question that some of these votes are anti-incumbent and not necessarily anti-Democrat. But the rejection of Democratic leaders in historically liberal states proves that Americans' discontent with liberal ideology can't be underestimated. If Clinton doesn't figure this out before the 1996 presidential campaign, his party will be removed from the White House — just like it was after the Carter administration.
Lance Hamby is a Wichita junior majoring in political science and Journalism.
NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Ambassador is taking right approach in Cuba
In choosing the Cuban-American National Foundation as the forum for his first major statement on Cuba, Assistant Secretary of State Alexander Watson showed the diplomatic skills to be expected of a veteran career foreign service officer.
Watson won over the foundation, the most powerful and most conservative of the Miami-based exile groups, and its leader, Jorge Mans Canosa, by stressing that the Clinton administration intends to maintain policy toward Fidel Castro.
The State Department's top policy-maker on Latin American affairs thus gave President Clinton's support to the tough anti-Castro line pursued by the foundation and its president, whom many exiles see as a future president of Cuba. It also was an official rebuff to recent efforts by the Castro regime to improve relations with Washington.
sador Watson to do. What was difficult was to secure the support of Mas Canosa and his powerful lobby, which has traditionally supported the Republican Party, for the subtle change that the Clinton administration has introduced in dealing with Cuba.
The change is to encourage humanitarian contacts with the people of Cuba, bypassing as much as possible the government. Instead of isolating the Cuban people, Washington is now encouraging improved communications while maintaining a strict boycott of the government.
We agree with this approach. Both extreme right-wing and extreme left-wing policies have failed to either depose Castro or get him to liberalize one of the last Marxist-Leninist totalitarian regimes in the world. This is a good way to demonstrate to the Cuban people that Castro and his government are their enemies, not Washington and the American people.
THE POST AND COURIER CHARLESTON, S.C
In time, sibling rivalry replaced by brotherly conspiracies, love
I've been bouncing around old sayings in my head trying to think of one that I could philosophize on, and I've stumbled on to a derivative of "Like father like son," this being the very popular "Like brother like brother." This phrase bears special meaning to me because as I've aged, I've realized that my brother, Cary, and I are becoming more and more alike. This should send everyone scurrying out of the country because two like me is two too many—try saying that 20 times.
I never really thought Cary and I would have similar characteristics. We never got along when we were younger, probably because of the six-year age difference, but probably also because I beat the hell out of him when we fought. Also, on a regular basis I blamed him for things he didn't do.
I was 9 years old that year and Cary
and I shared a room. One night we were being "mischievous" and I did something bad, although I honestly can't remember what it was — probably broke a lamp or something. It must have been pretty heinous, because when Mom came into our room, she had "KILL!" in her eyes. Before she could say a word, I yelled, "Cary did it!" He got the spanking of the century, and while this was happening, I was laughing uncontrollably in the corner — OK, so I was a really
BIG jerk. Somehow, Cary managed to peep out, "But I didn't do it. WAAAAMI!" Well, needless to say, my laughing gave me away. Mom didn’t even spank me, which is almost worse than being spanked. She just left the room with an ice gryle. Imagine she didn’t spank me because of the last time she tried. I think you’ll all agree that there comes an age when spanking a kid who has jeans on is more comical than anything else. I took it as such and had a hearty chuckle when she did it. I think she was offended.
Anyway, like I said, recently Cary and I are looking more and more interchangeable — which is genuinely frightening. He's as sarcastic as me, if not more. He's also the coolest guy at his school and has girls on each arm
— OK, the resemblance only runs so deep. We even share the joy of making fun of our sister. This is a pastime that
goes back to the first days that we could communicate with one another, and we've had many thought-provoking exchanges involving the three of us.
One day, Candice was distraught over breaking up with the love of her life. Cary said, "Jeez Candice, that's all you care about — GUYS." After much thought and looking for just the right words, I contributed "Yeah." Boy, that's the kind of brotherly solidarity you just live for. It just makes it all worthwhile.
Anyway, Cary and I have a lot of years to develop even more common interests, along with further expanding our close relationship. Hope we'll own a hugely successful picate sauce company together some day. Well, we all have dreams, right?
KANSAN STAFF
Chris Ronan is an Overland Park appo-
meal majoring in broadcast journalism.
KC TRAUER, Editor
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Student seeks clarity for pregnancy policy
I guess I'd better get ready for class. Let's see. Books, pens, paper, diapers ... wait a minute! Diapers? Yes, diapers. I had my baby on Oct. 2, right in the middle of the semester as most students are thinking about the all-nighter they will have to pull for the mid-term tomorrow.
My mid-term was a 6 lb., 3 oz. boy, Matthew, delivered by Caesarean section after 28 hours of labor. I kept up with my homework and papers while I was recuperating and returned to class, with baby in tow, Oct. 13. I was exhausted. I have missed some of my other classes because I was just too tired or in too much pain, but I'm feeling stronger now and don't plan on missing any more classes this semester. My husband and I will graduate in 1994, and
since we plan to move out of state, we must finish our classes on time.
I was surprised that KU has no policy on pregnant students. In the "real world," job sites have policies governing their pregnant employees including the amount of time that can be taken off, health and pay benefits and their classification as a temporarily-disabled employee. This is the 1990s, and I know this is not the first time KU has encountered a pregnant student.
Since I've been back, most of the people I encounter daily have been supportive and commend me for continuing my education.
As for timing, I tried for 18 years and suffered through four miscarriages to have both of my sons. I don't regret the timing for Matthew one bit.
Marcia Kelley Fredonia senior
Rush wrongly attacked by Kansar columnist
Liberals also must accept responsibility for the use of fear in politics.
it is the liberal construct of hyphenating our nationality that is "Balkanizing" these United States, dividing "ourselves into ever smaller subgroups," and contributing to the breakdown of our national identity.
In his vilification of Rush Limbaugh, Jim Kimmel ("Rush is Wrong", Oct. 29) has managed to demonstrate his gnat-like grasp of conservative opinions. Had his attention span been longer, perhaps he would have seen beyond Rush's delivery and noted his conservative ideals: self-reliance, personal excellence, hard work and sacrifice. Rush provides a much-needed balance in today's liberal-dominated media.
The health-care "Crisis" of today is a classic example. Conservatives do not "ignore" those who do not have adequate health care. Neither are we "unwilling" to reform the present system. What we oppose is a socialized system that projections show will put 600,000 to 3 million out of work, adding up to $300 billion a year to the national debt. This system, without market competition or incentives, will ration care through a huge federal bureaucracy, costing 25 percent of Americans the same, or more, for less coverage.
If you disagree with our opinion — fine. Provide us with thoughtful counter-argument. Do not insult us with your pseudo-intellectual rantings.
David Kaminska
David Kaminska Bronxville, N.Y., graduate student