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Tuesday, November 2, 1993
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Breast cancer research funds need an increase
Federal funding for breast cancer research is sadly lacking and needs to be increased. On Wednesday, the President's Special Commission on Breast Cancer revealed its findings after 15 months of research and hearings. The Commission found that federal agencies need to spend at least another $500 million a year if substantial progress is to be made in the fight against breast cancer. The suggested increase in funding would more than double the present level of spending by The National Institute of Health and would allow researchers to use new advances in genetics and molecular biology in their research. Additionally, the increase would enact even more basic research that could help in the diagnosis and treatment in the very near future.
The importance of breast cancer research is underscored by the increasing incidence of the disease and resulting deaths in the United States. Two million American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1990's, and of those, almost half a million are expected to die from the disease. These numbers represent a 53 percent increase in the incidence of breast cancer since 1950. While there are many types of medical and cancer research that are underfunded today, breast cancer is one of the most blatantly neglected. It is among the fastest growing killer disease in the nation and affects women in the prime of their lives. Congress and the President need to heed the recommendations of the Commission when assembling the budget for next year, and voters must remind them of their obligation to alleviate the inequities in the funding of women's health research.
The Senate Ethics Committee should continue its subpoena for Oregon Senator Bob Packwood's personal diaries regarding accusations that he
CHRIS REEDY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Packwood's diaries should be subpoenaed
1 personal diaries regarding accusations that he sexually harassed more than two dozen of his aides and then used his staffers to quiet them. Although he publicly apologized for the commotion, he refuses to comply with the committee's request for the release of his diary entries from Jan. 1, 1989 to the present. Two questions have been brought to the fore concerning this situation. Is this an invasion of Senator Packwood's right to privacy? And what type of precedent would be set if the ethics committee's subpoena is honored by the Supreme Court and the Senate?
In response to the first question, Senator Packwood's willingness to partially comply by offering only certain sections of his diary, suggests foul play; he's not going to incriminate himself. There is a high-level of probability that what has caused Packwood to say there are many references to other senators' sexual affairs is the hope of dissuading any further panel proceedings. This irrelevant warning only seems to make his actions more questionable. More to the point, evidence, outside and in the diary prior to Jan. 1, 1989, seems to suggest that Packwood committed some form of sexual harassment, and the fact that he details his actions in his personal diaries make them crucial pieces of evidence in this case.
The second question deals with the emotional side of the issue. Many people feel threatened knowing that authorities may be able to claim personal items. However, the precedent that would be established would suggest that if one's motives and thoughts are not questionable and do not have illegal intentions then there is nothing to worry about.
NATHAN NASSIF FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
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The right to religious freedom put to the test by recent issues
I'm beginning to wonder if the phrase "religious freedom" isn't an oxymoron.
Last week, Congress debated the merits of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Act originated from an execusable Supreme Court decision in 1990 that held that smoking peyote as part of a religious ceremony was not protected under the freedom of religion. According to the act, the court must find a compelling reason for restricting religious ceremonies. Liberals and conservatives alike support this bill. I think it's safe to say that it's one of the few issues upon which Pat Robertson and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws agree.
Contrasting that, I attended a lecture Thursday presented by the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. The featured speaker, Pastor William Vogler, talked about Christianity and homosexuality. His raised two major points. The first was that to be a Christian, at least in the fundamentalist sense, you must accept Jesus as your savior and the Bible as your moral code. The second was that once you become a Christian, you must live by
God's preferences, not by man's.
Both examples can be defended. In the1980s, we were taught how evil drugs were and how doing them was not only illegal, it was just wrong. Similarly, the tenets of fundamental Christianity forbid homosexual activ-
itv.
The talk had little to do with homosexuality *per se*; instead, homosexuality was generally listed with various types of heterosexual "immorality." Pastor Vogler did, however, point out specific Bible passages condemning homosexuality, and he did mention that, for men who have homosexual preferences (his word), "The only way to please God is to be celibate." If you choose to be a Christian, then, you cannot "choose" to be a homosexual.
But both examples frighten me. Smoking peyote because of one's religion hurts no one. It is a singular act effecting only the smoker. Yes, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act could lead to some kooky "religions." Some senators are attempting to exempt prisoners from the act. But that's a minor point. Surely a court can make a reasonable distinction between two American Indians, whose religion compels them to smoke peyote, and two convicts, whose "religion" compels them to eat only lamb and sherry, without further trampling on prisoners' rights.
Creating an exclusive group is as oppressive as not allowing certain people to practice their religion properly. By establishing fundamental Christianity as a singular entity with singular rules, Pastor Vogler and the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship reject all the people who believe in Christianity but not in every tenet of the Bible. Of course, part of the beauty of the talk was its self-containment. According to them, Christianity involves a literal reading of the Bible, so homosexuality is sinful. But it
seems to me that in this day and age of multiculturalism the last thing we should do is reject others.
Even more disturbing was Pastor Vogler's insistence on calling homosexual a "preference." Though all of the information isn't in yet, current research suggests that homosexuality has a genetic component, which is why homosexuals consider homosexuality an orientation. This possible genetic link must be difficult for fundamentalists. My guess is that they will dismiss it as my friend's father dismisses evidence of dinosaurs: the fossils were merely planted by Satan to confuse man.
I have no problems with religion. Whatever god someone wants to worship is fine with me. But when a religion can't be practiced because the government cracks down on something as silly as smoking peyote, or when a religion rejects certain people because of what they do in their own homes, I have to wonder what "religious freedom" means. It doesn't sound very positive anymore.
Nathan Olson is a Chicago graduate student in English.
Bus boarding procedures will protect the public's safety, health and sanity
This has gone on long enough. I am tired of dealing with you people and your ignorance as I try to go about the business of living my life — and, I might add, selflessly serving you. There is just going to have to be a change. In pursuit of that goal, I have once again taken a huge chunk of time out of my busy schedule for you, the reader. I have made a set of rules which I hope you will use to guide your actions as you carry out your daily routines. This guide will come to you in three chapters; the first is "Getting on Buses."
Most of the problems people encounter with buses is during the embarking process. If you follow a few simple rules, however, you will be sure to avoid embarrassment. First, you should have your money or bus pass ready when the bus arrives at your stop. Following the first rule will
prevent you from being the object of animosity from the bus driver, who has a schedule to keep, and the bus passengers, who are usually in a hurry.
The second rule deals more with the physical process of embarking: Condense your carry-on luggage as much as possible. What this means is that you should collapse your umbrella before attempting to board. All too often, on a rainy day, people will start
on their journey up the bus steps without having their umbrellas collapsed, and they are intending to collapse it after they are on the bus. They then will feel rushed by the people behind them wanting to get out of the rain and will have to continue on down the aisle with an open umbrella, gouging body parts of people already seated. This, of course, generally leads to litigation and heartache, so do not do it.
Third, keep your backpack behind you at all times as you travel down the aisle searching for a seat. If you do not, you will smack the face of each person you pass. This will once again lead to litigation and heartbreak.
Fourth, if you pass an empty seat and then decide it is the most desirable seat on the bus, you may not reverse yourself to get to it. This rule is in place to protect the public's general health of the public. If you go
backward, all the people behind you get confused and will stampede, causing heartache and litigation.
Last, buses do indeed have a finite volume. If you see that the bus is so full that people are standing on the steps, it is too full to get on. All too often, people will try to push their way on when the bus stops. They are wrong. The bus is not made of latex rubber, and it will not expand to accommodate as many passengers as want to get on.
Try these rules out for the next week, and I think you will like it. You will certainly make everybody else happier. Watch next week for more ways to make your life easier on me!
Ryan McGee is a Worland , Wyo., sophomore.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Civility needs restored to Christianity debates
Over the four years that I have attended KU, I have observed a regrettable trend of misunderstanding and acrimony. This trend seems to be evident in areas of debate, primarily religion and politics. I would like to offer some ideas to restore some civility to these discussions, especially for issues related to religion, but I hope the idea will apply to all discussions from now on.
Since religious issues are so personal and sensitive, it is extremely easy to be obnoxious or offended. Therefore it is important to know where everyone is coming from. I will stick to describing the Christian position since I understand it best. A Christian is a person who has chosen to be redeemed through the atoning act of the Lord Jesus Christ. After becoming a follower of Jesus, a person is required to obey *all* the commandments of God. One is to warn one's neighbor of the need to repent and about the coming judgment.
Therefore, when it comes to debates about religious/secular issues such as homosexuality, drugs, abortion, etc., the following should be kept in mind. First, everyone has the right to say and write what he or she thinks. Second, everyone has the right to agree or disagree with what was said or written. Third, nobody has the right to intimidate anyone else by name-calling, demanding apologies or any other tactic that has the result of creating an atmosphere of fear and/or hatred.
This is where problems can occur. A Christian has the responsibility to share the good news with everyone so that everyone can know the same joy that the Christian experiences and avoid being condemned. Thus, every Christian should warn his or her neighbor. After warning the neighbor, the Christian is freed of any responsibility toward that neighbor, unless he or she wants to learn more. In that case, the Christian should make sure that the neighbor gets the required information. By no means does the Christian have the right to be "pushy."
I hope that this helps make future discussions occur in a free atmosphere instead of one where everybody seems to be the enemy.
Brain Somers
Lawrence senior
—the lack of infant care on campus.
I am also a pregnant graduate student.
Pregnant students need infant care on campus
Your article on pregnant students (October 25) was good but stopped short of the biggest obstacle we face
dent. So far I've had terrific cooperation from both staff and classmates, but the university really falls down when it comes to infant care. The beauty of being a student mother is that we can carry a light class schedule and still be a new mom. But we have very few options for infant care during the short time we may need it. Hilltop is a fabulous day care center but under-funded and under-staffed for infants. The Human Development Department has occasional openings for infants if you can pay a full-time price for probably part-time care. Some area high schools offer infant care for their students; it's too bad a university of this size cannot offer the same. It leaves many student mothers no other option then to drop out for at least a year, losing academic momentum and possibly never returning.
Elaine Adams
Mission graduate student