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Monday, October 18, 1993
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Anti-abortion protests should not slow RU-486
Drug companies are allowing themselves to be scared by anti-abortion groups. These groups are threatening to boycott any drug company that manufactures RU-486 in the United States.
RU-486, the French abortion pill, is not available to U.S. women after six months of negotiations to find a U.S. manufacturer. The French company that manufactures RU-486, Roussel-Uclaf, and U.S. drug companies have balked at putting the pill on the U.S market. In addition to being an abortion-inducing drug, RU-486 has other possible medical benefits that deserve research. It could be useful in the treatment of endometriosis, fibroid tumors, breast cancer and benign brain tumors.
The pharmaceutical industry should take a closer look at the statistics and quit being influenced by the sensationalism caused by anti-abortion groups. U.S. women and their physicians should have this option available to them.
The drug industry is afraid of boycotts of their products. However, the majority of Americans believe in a woman's right to choose. The question is how much would these companies actually stand to lose. In all likelihood, the amount would be minimal, if any. If a group is vocal, it does not necessarily mean that it is powerful. The drug companies would do well to realize this, and a U.S. drug company should take the chance to manufacture RU-486.
MICHELLE SMITH FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Curfew helps minors accept responsibilities
A curfew ordinance that places responsibility on minors rather than on parents would curb loitering, cruising and other petty crimes committed in the hours of the early morning. Cities and towns that experience these problems should consider enacting ordinances that curb delinquent behavior by minors.
One city did strengthen its curfew ordinance. On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council decided that mandatory fines should be imposed on parents who permit their children to break curfew. Parents will be assessed a minimum $50 fine for a child's first offense.
However, city representatives took a wrong step with the form of this ordinance. Penalties should be imposed on minors who violate the ordinance, or parents of minors who break the curfew should be required to pick up their children from the police station.
The ordinance also could be improved if violations were reported in juvenile records. Without documentation of citations, a minor could get away with a slap on the wrist rather than a stricter punishment, which is deserved by continual disobedience.
The key to any law that concerns behavior is strong enforcement by the police. Without a concerted effort by law enforcement personnel, a stricter ordinance will not curb unlawful behaviors of teen-agers.
TOM GRELINGER FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: DAVID BURGETT, J.R. CLAIRBORNE, CHRISTINA CORNISH, CARSON ELROD, TOM GRELINGER, MANNY LOPEZ, COLLEEN McCAIN, TERRILYN MCCORMICK, MUNEERA NASEER, KIRK REDMOND, CHRIS REEDY, RANDALL REITZ, MIKE SILVERMAN, MARK SLAMIN, MICHELLE SMITH, EISHA TIERNEY, KC TRAUER, DAVID WAN EK
KANSAN STAFF
KC TRAUER, Editor
JOE HARDER, CHRISTINE LAUE Managing editors
TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser
BILL SKEET, Systems coordinator
Editors
Assistant to the editor ... J.R. Clairborne
News ... Stacy Friedman
Editorial ... Terrilyn McCormick
Campus ... Ben Greve
Sports ... Khristopher
Photo ... Klip Chilin, Renée Knoober
Features ... Erna Wale
Graphics ... John Paul Fogel
AMY CASEY
Business manager
AMY STUMBO
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
Business Staff
Campus sales mgr .. Ed Schager
Regional sales mgr .. Jennifer Perrier
National sales mgr .. Jennifer Evenson
Co-op sales mgr .. Blythe Focht
Production mgr .. Jennifer Blowey
Kate Burgees
Marketing director .. Shelly McConnell
Financial director .. Sarah Jones
ClearMed mgr .. Jonadaws
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The Kanan reserves the right to edit or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kanan newspaper, 111 Suffolk Fink Hall.
Clothing guide brings essential fashion to you
WOMAN: Michael? I want to see them.
You men will be relieved to learn that fashion designer Donna Karan has come out with a list of menswear items that you must have. This is a big load off my mind. I hate making my own menswear decisions. I hate everything about buying menswear.
Especially pants. I never can get pants in my size, which is 33-31 (these numbers refer to what are technically known as the "waist" and the "instep"). I would call this an average size, but for some reason, the pant industry makes only about two pairs of 33-31 pants per year, and they are always gone by the time I get to the department store, leaving me to paw through the Mutt and Jeff Designer Clothing Collection.
In an effort to find something at least close to my size, I end up trying on a lot of pants in those changing boots with the postcard-sized swinging doors that offer you the same level of privacy as you would get if you tried on pants while standing on a counter in ladies' cosmetics. (Actually, you would get more privacy in ladies' cosmetics because the customers have all been temporarily blinded by complimentary fragrance samples.) Privacy is a problem because there are always women lurking around the changing area making sure their husbands buy pants that fit. They know that their husbands hate trying on pants and will, if left alone, purchase the first pair they put on, even if it does not have the correct number of legs.
WOMAN: Michael? How do they fit?
MAN: They fit fine.
So the women stand just outside of the changing area, peering in, trying to get Pant News Updates:
COLUMNIST
WOMAN (harging into the changing area, causing guys in there to scurry,
MAN: I said they fit fine.
rat-like, around their booths, attempting to cover themselves with shopping bags): Let me see them.
I personally consider this kind of behavior to be degrading to the husband; I never shop for pants with my wife. This is why I personally own several dozen pairs of pants that do not fit.
I would like to buy just one set of clothes, the right clothes, and never have to buy any again. That's why I'm so pleased about the new Donna Karan Fashion Essentials catalog of "must-have menswear items." This catalog, according to an accompanying press release, is being distributed "to select consumers."
You will be pleased to learn that the Fashion Essentials catalog does not include a skirt. This is good news because Donna Karan sometimes does have her male models appear in fashion shows wearing skirts. But for now, at least, you will not be required to purchase one, although this could change; the release states that "Karan will re-evaluate each Essential item to make sure that the product mix remains current."
I was surprised to note that the Essentials catalog also does not include underwear, which most guys I know view as an essential clothing item, both for formal occasions and for mopping up beer spills. What the catalog does include is a 100 percent Scottish cashmere jogging suit ensemble, consisting of a housed zip-
front jogger for $1,960 and a "draw-
string sweat nand" for $1,465.
I know what some of you men are thinking. You are thinking that you are not going to spend $3,425 on a jogging suit unless it comes with a car. I'm sorry, men, but that is exactly the kind of attitude that keeps you off the select consumer list. This jogging suit is essential, and so are all the other items in the Donna Karan Essentials catalog, including the cashmere crew ($650), the biker jacket ($1,200) with cotton mock knit (it does not say cotton mock knit what, but whatever it is, it costs $135), the leather vest ($495), the balmacaan ($860), the silk pajamas ($600) and the cashmere robe ($1,925). Altogether, the catalog includes 25 essential garments, requiring a basic fashion investment of $18,452.50.
(No, I do not know what a "bal-macaan" is). Just shut up and buy it.)
I am certain that all the essential garments in the catalog are very attractive. Unfortunately, I cannot really see them. Most of them are, of course, black, and they have been photographed under dim light against a black background. The catalog is a festival of gloom. In most of the photographs, the model, who like most male fashion models, has a facial expression normally associated with prostate surgery. He is staring into space, as if thinking: "Hey! I'm not wearing any underwear!!"
But that is his concern, men. Your concern is bringing your wardrobe up to minimally acceptable fashion standards. So I want you to sell that extra kidney, go to a store that carries the Donna Karan Menswear line and start purchasing your fashion Essentials. While you are there, pick me up a size 33-31 balmacaan.
---
Dave Barry is a syndicated columnist with the Miami Herald.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
White people ignorant about racial problems
The ignorance of many whites about racial issues never ceases to amaze me. Recently, I've read so many racist letters in the Kansan that I thought I had picked up the "Kansan" by mistake. It's a wonder: The only time that whites care about racism is when they are called racists or when they must give up something.
Many whites hear, then react instead of listen, then think. The blame never seems to be on us, does it? We blame other races with, for example, Anne Bailey's words: "angry minorities." Or, we make up words like "reversed racism." If all else fails, we blame our ancestors. We play "pass the buck" and the "I'm not a racist game."
In regard to representation, as a white male, I don't think that I can accurately represent someone of another race. It's not about equality.
It's about culture, perception and a shared experience. People of different races don't have backgrounds in common.
Whites have a much narrower definition of racism than other races do. Today, racism always isn't blatantly obvious; it's subtle. Sometimes, it is hidden in words like "tradition," "it was just a joke" or "the way things ought to be."
Overland Park graduate student
Chris Bramich
STAFF COLUMNIST
Lefties lack support group for venting frustrations
It seems trendy lately to identify with some oppressed or discriminated group. Whether it's ethnic, cultural or social, we all want something that will excuse every bone-headed mistake, missed opportunity and failure that has happened to us. The best example of this is the people you see on talk shows whining about how their ruined eight birthday party affected their socialization process and caused confusion about their sexuality until they were 45.
I don't think that all you right-handed people realize just how much discrimination we left-orientated people are the victims of -lefties is a degrading term that we no longer accept. When I began thinking of all the examples, there were more than I had realized. If you're reading this in class right now, look at the desk that you're sitting at. How is it shaped? For a right-handed person, I bet. My hand writing is so terrible that even I can't read it sometimes. The reason is that the entire time I was learning to write, my elbow was floating out there in the air with nothing to support it.
To make things worse, the desk is angled the wrong direction so I have to write up hill. You should try it some time. Just sit at one of the left-handed desks that the University has put in some of the classrooms. They will usually be empty because most left-handed people, after using a right-handed desk for 10 or 15 years, can't write at them any easier that you can.
Scissors are another excellent example. Can anyone make left-handed scissors work? I can't. In grade school they always gave me those scissors with the green finger holes that said "lefty" on the side. I could never get them to work right, I'd have to borrow a regular pair. Sports were worse. Coaches explain everything for the right side. I played little league for three years before they figured out I was left-handed. By then it was too late to change back. Although I did become a decent switch hitter, I now realize that it probably cost me a shot at the majors.
You should really learn to play the blame game. It's the new American pastime.
Now some medical experts claim that left-handed people are more absent-minded and accident prone than everyone else. They claim that our brains work differently than those of right-handed people, although I suspect that this is just a plot to raise our insurance rates.
Realizing that nothing is your fault is a very liberating experience. If you haven't found your own "its not my fault because" support group, you should find one soon. There are plenty of them out there. If you create your own, maybe you can get a spot on Geraldo. My own group is Left-Oriented Americans for an ambidextrous Society. We're aiming high. We want a spot on either Donahue or Oprah.
University of Mars
Jim Kimmel is a McLouth junior majoring in history and sociology.
Being a white male, and therefore a member of that evil group that has oppressed the rest of the world, I was having a hard time finding my own "its not my fault because" support group. I just couldn't understand why the world was discriminating against me. The answer, when I finally found it, was so obvious that I was embarrassed that I hadn't thought of it sooner. The reason that my life hasn't been perfect is that I'm left-handed.
by Joel Francke