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Monday, January 29, 1990 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Repairing Student Senate Election process needs independent supervision
Nothing was done last fall to reform Student Senate elections. Nothing will be done in time for this year's election to correct the problems of a year ago.
On Jan. 22, the Senate raised the campaign spending limit from $400 to $700 for presidential and vice presidential candidates and from $35 to $70 for senators. Granted, raising the spending limit was a beginning, but it was not enough. The Student Senate administration had more than ample time to correct the discrepancies of last spring's election. It failed.
In the words of one senator, the decision to raise spending limits for student body president and vice president as well as individual senate candidates is no more than a stopgap measure. However, it appears it will be a sufficient substitute for a solution to rectify the actions of B. Jake White and Jeff Morris.
White and Morris were to create new rules after their election spurred controversy during and after the Spring 1989 election. After a post-election audit, White, Morris and their Common Cause coalition were found to have overspent during the campaign. A ruling
required the newly-elected White and Morris to rewrite election rules and pay a fine.
However, the rules have not been rewritten and the fine and community service duty have been suspended by David Ambler, vice chancellor for student affairs. Time and again the task of rewriting the election rules was put on the back burner or just plain ignored. Deadlines were overlooked and extended with no primitive action taken.
Increasing candidates' spending limits is not a proper solution to the situation. It is a stopgap, but will only lead to limits that go bigger every year.
The idea of an independent election commission is a better solution and should be implemented before the 1990 elections. Unfortunately, it will take another year to hash out the rules and implement the commission.
This spring's winning candidates can rest assured that if they violate election rules, avoid political red tape and use good dodging techniques they will be effective in avoiding threats and fines by the University.
John P. Milburn for the editorial board
Members of the editorial board are Richard Brack, Daniel Niemi, Christopher R. Ralston, John P. Milburn, Liz Hueban, Cory S. Anderson, Mercedes Ares, Angela Baughman, Andres Caveller, Chris Evans, Tiffany Harness, Stephen Kline, Camille Krehbiel, Melanie Matthes, Jennifer Mcitt and Scott Patty.
Briefly stated
- Thursday's announcement that additional blue phones would be installed in campus buildings indicates a step in the right direction in improving campus security. Students can feel safer walking the campus at night knowing police protection is that much closer at hand.
The next step in improving safety should be to add more KU police officers to ensure that all areas of campus are adequately patrolled.
That Japan has now set its sights on the moon should surprise no one. But that development should give pause to those who thought the United States could continue to dominate in space while cutting back financing for its space program. Further, it points up the probability of continued loss of U.S. dominance not only in world markets but in out-of-this-world markets.
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Lim suggestions
As a student interested in English and theater, I am fascinated by Professor Paul Lim and his involvement with John William (Jan. 18, Kansan). It's an intriguing true story — one of a "gregarious" murderer (William) who was neglected as a child; a 9-year-old boy (Richard Settlemy) who was abducted, sodimized and mutilated by the misunderstood William; and a sensitive intellectual (Lim) who took William under his wing when William was callously shrunken by his fair-weather friends. It is truly a story of great human kindness. I have these suggestions (albeit unprofessional) to help your story be well-received by the people of Lawrence, Settlemy's home-town.
Marla Rose
Wilmette, Ill., senior
Finally, perhaps you should eliminate the entire character of William and retell the whole story through the eyes of Richard Settlemyre as he was abducted, sodomized and murdered. You may want to interview rape survivors at the Rape Victim Support Services or Women's Transitional Care Services so you can get a firsthand account of what happens in court. Never mind, I guess the Settlemyre character isn't very important in your representation of his murder.
Instead of the protagonist being a homeless person, he could be a doctor, executive or even a college professor. Well, I guess you're right again, Professor Lim; educated people do not rape, assault or murder, only homeless people do.
Instead of using a character exactly like William as the protagonist, why not use creative license and make the character one who had been victimized in his childhood but chose to seek counseling or some other way of resolving his past in a non-violent fashion? Oh, I guess you're right—no dramatic tension or people being exiled. Nix that one.
How about introducing an antagonist, Ms. Settlemire, the unforgiving parent who refused to talk to you. To further reinforce the staring liberal social norms, have yourself donate the $500 you originally gave William to Rape Victim Support Services?
Give due credit
The Salvation Army safe house story was missing one very important element. The top floor of the house was cleaned and several rooms were repaired by a volunteer group from Adia Personnel Services. I believe our efforts allowed the house to be opened to homeless families sooner than expected. It was a lot of hard work, but I encourage all people to volunteer for a worthy cause.
Pam Conard Lawrence resident
FacEx decision
Two points need to be made about the Faculty Senate Executive Committee's discussion about how to handle the forthcoming decision on the Willner dismissal bearing;
- FacEx does not intend to second-guess the hearing committee's decision or to hear an appeal. Our job is to oversee implementation of the decision. Appeals, if there are to be any, are a separate matter.
- FacEx is not trying to suppress the report. We operate under the open meetings law, and I don't see a basis for closing a meeting about the report in this case.
William O. Scott
Chairman, FacEx Committee
News staff
Richard Breck ... Editor
Daniel Niemi ... Managing editor
Christopher R. Releton ... News editor
Daniel McKee ... Marketing editor
John Milburn ... Editorial editor
Candy Nieman ... Campus editor
Mike Corrigan ... Media editor
E. Joseph Zurgu ... Photo editor
Stephen Kline ... Graphica editor
Kris Barguelt ... ArralFeatures editor
Tim Hall ... General features editor
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Nate Stamos...Production manager
Mark Linden..Assistant production manager
Carrie Stamila...Marketing director
James Giesenapp...Creative director
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Sharon Mir...Sales and marketing adviser
Letters should be typed, double-spaced and less than 300 words and must include the writer's signature, name, address and telephone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University of Kansas, please include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and less than 700 words. The writer will
be photographed with the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Karsan newsroom, 111 Stuifter-Hall Halt, Letters, columns and cartoons are the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University Dalkan Karsan. Editorialists are the opinion of the Karsan editorial board.
Although the Bush administration can, at least temporarily, stop worrying about Manuel Noriage, its problems in Central America are far from solved. Nowhere are the consequences of the misguided Reagan Doctrine more apparent than in El Salvador.
U.S. aid clashes with Salvadoran rights
The United States pumps $1.5 million each day into El Salvador to keep the government, led by President Alfredo Cristiani, afloat. A large portion of that money is allotted to the Salvadoran military, which is entrenched in a war with leftist guerrillas.
The Salvadoran Armed Forces have long been feared by that country's citizens. Military factions, or death squads, have a long history of terrorizing political dissenters. Countless murders and disappearances are thought to be the political victims of the USSR's anti-immigrants against anyone courageous enough to voice opposition to the government or the military."
Among the victims of this state-sponsored terrorism was Archbishop Romero, who was assassinated for his outspoken stance against poverty, famine and violence. His views
Dan Grossman
Guest columnist
on land reform and human rights qualified him as a subversive, and he thus met the same fate as thousands of his fellow countrymen, many of whose bodies have never been found.
President Cristiani can no more control his country's maraudable military than his predecessor, Jose Duarte, who was known for looking the other way while his death squads terrorized the population. Renegade officers command troops to implement policy without the hindrances of the democratic process and the rule of law.
This fact was tragically evidenced by the horrible murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter.
On the night of Nov. 16, 1989, in the midst of an intense rebel offensive, the eight innocents were dragged from their beds at the University of
Central America in San Salvador and shot to death.
The Salvadoran government blamed the rebels and vowed revenge. George Bush reaffirmed his trust in President Cristiani and the matter slipped from the front page. El Salvador's U.S. aid seemed to have survived the atrocity.
But Jan. 10, Col. Carlos Armando Aviles came forward with the names of the murderers. He named four army officers, including Col. Gullermo Alfredo Benavides Moreno, a member of the small group of officers that ran the military, and five others, particularly Aviles. Aviles had had enough of the priests questioning the human rights record of the military.
But many Salvadoran and U.S. officials find it hard to believe Benavides ordered the killings without knowledge and approval of his superiors. Just how high in the echelons of the Salvadoran military this hideous plan originated is, for the moment, unclear.
Although the fact that the military was involved in the murders does not come as a shock, it serves as a reminder of the costs of U.S. policy
As long as the Bush administration continues its current policy of supporting non-communists, regardless of their respect, or lack thereof, for democracy and human rights, the stream of innocent blood will continue to flow. The bullets that killed Archibishop Romero and the six Jesi priests were paid for by the U.S. government. Therefore, a large part of the blame for their murders falls on our shoulders.
toward Central America.
In one of his last sermons, Archbishop Romero pleaded with the Salvadoran military and the U.S. government that finances it. He said, "I implore you; I beg you; I command you; Stop the repression!"
Halting U.S. aid to the Salvadoran military monster would go a long way toward putting an end to the senseless brutality and bloodshed that have become the hallmark of Salvadoran politics. The Bush administration should start worrying less about ideology and more about human rights. Central America has seen enough violence. Financing murders will only bring more. Dan Grossman is a Denver senior majoring in political science.
KU Republicans use sex to sell politics
Public sex on Wescoe Beach. The second coming of Christ in Strong Hall. Free money hidden in residence halls.
What do these three things have to do with today's topic? Absolutely nothing. Welcome to the world of College Republicans, where the absurd, sensational and non sequitur publicize campus events.
In two-inch letters, the word "SEX" stretches across the top of the group's most recent publicity flier. Beneath it, in letters nearly too small to be measured, the rest of the quote follows: "and politics are a lot alike. You don't have to be good at them to enjoy them."
Oh, now that's a good one. I'm sure the average seventh grader would burst into hysterical laughter.
The flier attributes the phrase to Sen. Barry Goldwater. (Yes, he is a Republican from Arizona, but still ...) Following Goldwater's quote is the wonderful transition: "You probably never thought about it that way. I don't think you should about the College Republicans. . ." I have, in fact, thought about the
Chris
Evans
Staff columnist
College Republicans. Often I've been impressed. At times, these budding politicians have gone out of their way to shatter negative Republican stereotypes. For instance, they sponsored an environmental forum last semester.
Other times that I have considered the College Republicans, I have been disappointed.
case in point.
If this advertisement is another attempt to break stereotype, then it has been successful, at least for me.
Case in point.
After seeing this ever-so-hip-and-happening advertisement, I find it hard to think of Republicans as stodgy, dignified old men who sit in stuffy rooms smoking pipes and discussing mundane things such as arms control and the federal deficit. Oh no. Now the picture is clear.
Republicans must be young vibrant men who sit in dorm rooms, drink beer and discuss sexual things such as how to pick up women and who is sleeping with whom.
John Birkhead, Overland Park senior and the executive director of the state board of College Republicans, defended his group's advertising methods.
The University of Kansas Republicans got the sex pamphlet at a regional weekend seminar that Birkhead called the Leadership Institute. College Republicans from various universities attended.
"That particular pamphlet is one of many that we have been using throughout the year," he said. "It grabs the attention of the student."
The opening quote by Goldwater made a point, he said. "You don't have to be good at them to enjoy them" means that anyone can take art in politics.
OK, fine. And apparently anyone can take part in these junior high level attention-getting tactics.
In McCollum Hall, a student wrote
"SEX" at the top of a piece of paper, advertising a bicycle. Beneath the word, he wrote that he had written "SEX"; just to get people's attention.
Birkhead said he did not like the technique of writing irrelevant words to get attention.
"What this guy did was just irrelevant," he said.
What this guy did was be honest, about what he was doing. A student selling a bicycle does not have to be taken seriously by the student body. He could dress up in a clown's costume if it would help him sell his bike. It really would not matter.
The College Republicans just as easily could have posted a flier that said "College Republicans" across the top rather than "SEX."
However, the latter technique apparently works better. Group players like LeBron James start sporing the quote on their college Republicans' T-shirts.
It appears that this group has found its own clown costume.
CAMP UHNEELY
> Chris Evans is a Hutchinson senior majoring in Journalism.
BY SCOTT PATTY
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