4 Monday, November 25, 1996 OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN VIEWPOINT Texaco incident proves racism still is a problem Contrary to the naivete of many Americans, racism still is alive and thriving in our society. It is unsettling that prejudices continue to linger in the conscious minds of people in the '90s. Many of us have been discriminated against for one reason or another. Many of us have been involved in conversations with people who have made racially biased comments. We are aware that racism exists. However, it's not until we hear of corporate bigwigs demonstrating racism that the longstanding issue resurfaces. Allegations that Texaco mistreated its minority employees brought racism back to the surface. The tape of a Texaco board meeting proved to be the incriminating evidence, leading to a nationwide boycott of the company. Texaco agreed to a settlement of $176.1 million, which is the largest settlement of a suit involving racial discrimination. Torrez Dawson, chairman of the Big Eight Counsel of the Black Student Government, agreed. He said that the Big Eight Counsel complies with the boycott against Texaco. "It's a shame that we are still dealing with racism in the '90s," he said. Dawson also said he believed that corporate America needed to improve racial relations. Texaco's board of directors needs to understand that there is no room for racism or hostility in America, corporate or otherwise. And although the picking may have halted because of the settlement, the boycott still continues. SARAH PRESTON FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD U.S. Supreme Court to hear 1994 sex offender law case Kansas will argue the eighth case in its history before the Supreme Court of the United States on Dec.10. The issue: a popular sex offender law passed in the wake of the violent murder of Pittsburg State University student Stephanie Schmidt in July 1993. She was killed by a paroled sex offender, Donald Ray Gideon. The 1994 law allows the state to confine violent sex criminals indefinitely. While many civil libertarians decry the law as an infringement of criminals' rights, it is the opinion of virtually everyone engaged in the debate that those who commit such offenses should be off the streets. So why gripe about their fate? If, as the Kansas law recommends, they are placed in state custody after they have served their prison sentence, should it really matter? Let's be plain: This is war. It is a just war that society has undertaken to defend people from predators. This a war about what will be and won't be accepted by average people. Cloaked in a rhetoric of rights and political philosophy, the ACLU and others who argue for the protection of criminals consistently show how much evil can be done by good people. This issue is not academic: It is a plain difference between right and wrong. Attorney General Carla Stovall must argue the case in legal terms, not in moral rage. Those who will argue against her will use similar legalees. Amendments, codes and subsections often can bury the truth. TOM MOORE FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD KANSAN STAFF AMANDA TRAUGHBER Editor CRAIG LANG Managing editor MATT HOOD Associate managing editor for design KIMBERLY CRABTREE CHARITY JEFFRIES News editors DARCI L. McLAIN SARA ROSE Public relations directors Editors Campus Suzanna Lafk Jason Stratt Amy McVey Editorial John Collar Nicole Kennedy Features Adam Ward Bill Petula Associate sports Carlin Foster Online editor David L. Teaska Photo Rich Devlinw Graphics Noah Musser Andy Ritchie Special sections Amy McVey Wire Debbie Staline KAREN GERSCH Business manager HEALY SMART Retail sales manager TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser JAY STEINER Sales and marketing adviser JUSTIN KNUPP Technology coordinator Business Stalf Campus mgr ... Mark Odkmek Regional mgr ... Donnie Haupt Asaslant Retail mgr ... Dana Contento National mgr ... Katie Nye International mgr ... Neal Wheeler Production mgr ... Den Kopec Lisa Quebbeman Marketing director ... Eric Johnson Creative director ... Denise Software developer ... Shelly Wachter Mass Impact mgr ... Dena Pielotte Internet mgr ... Steve Senger Jeff MacNelly/ CHICAGO TRIBUNE A flood of protest roars, but purposes are shallow Are you politically frustrated? Oppressed? Persecuted? Join the newest activism group on campus — the Society to Prevent the Expansion and Sustainment of Acronyms (SPESA). SPESA is planning several protest activities this school year. Among them: At least once a week, a MASP (March Against Student Protests). We will carry signs saying "Don't listen to me" and "I don't want to change anything!" Our goal will be to end other student protests so that only our protest marches will get attention. Every few weeks, an EVPIDS (Evening Vigil to Protest the Insensitivity of the Descending Sun). We will hold candles and sing songs protesting the sun going down. Darkness infringes on our right to protest. An annual SOSWIGFAE (Stamp Out Sidewalk Writing In General For All Eternity) Week. Our motto: Sidewalk chalk is brothel. Members will traverse campus. Write sidewalk messages on the evils of sidewalk writing, so that other organizations will stop opposing our goals. What are those goals? Well, we will figure all those insignificant details out later. The important thing is to get out on Jayhawk Boulevard and start yelling. We have to start early to get the media attention we deserve from exactly the perspective we want presented. And we will have to be loud and obnoxious so that people will want to oppress and censor our views. Then we can have something else to protest. What do we want? How should I know? We don't really have specific demands in mind. If we did, we might achieve those demands, and thus have nothing left to protest. In fact, if we had goals, and the University or the government took steps to I expect SPESA's membership to grow exponentially as a result of this announcement. I know from watching University events for a meet them, we would have to protest their attempt to co-opt our protest by doing what we ask for. STAFF COLUMNIST year and a half that a large number of students think exactly the way SPESA does. A student isn't aware or sensitive unless he or she belongs to some activist organization and has marched on Strong Hall or held made-for-the-media events like putting inflatable chain saws on Wescoe Beach. ment of racial minorities — isn't enough? "It isn't enough," some protesters have told me. Well, what is? "I don't know. This just isn't enough. They need to do more." Perhaps they are just ashamed that they didn't protest while Texaco still was in litigation. They missed an opportunity for a good picket line. Reality demonstrates that vehement protests rarely create unifying solutions. When vegetarians call meat-eaters "murderers," and when affirmative-action proponents label the opposition "Nazis," harmony and peace clearly are not their goals. Yet at the same time, these groups claim to seek those things. Picket lines build walls, not bridges. True, there is a problem of racism in the company. But a settlement already has been reached, one that apparently was amenable to Texaco and to the plaintiff in the case. But people are still out picketing gas stations. What is it they want? What more can change? $176.1 million and a complete administrative reorganization — including a $55 million task force to monitor treat- You get bonus points if you use the word oppressed or persecuted to describe yourself. If you can be quoted in the newspaper or seen on television saying, "I'm being persecuted for my beliefs," then you're truly in the social elite. Oppression equals applause. It doesn't matter what your goals are, what your demands are, or whether you even believe in anything at all. In fact, many students are out there protesting conditions that no longer exist or are being remedied: like the Texaco scandal. What makes less sense is activists' claim that they don't want to be singled out for their beliefs. An old proverb says, "He who does not want to be stared at should not wear a Day-Glo orange leisure suit." When you set up a booth on Wescoe Beach decrying some perceived social ill, you should expect — and maturely accept — some opposition. Arguing with someone's views is not persecution. And if four or five people get together and decide to have a protest, I'm not insensitive if I don't rush right over and show my support. If you share that line of reasoning — the line that says the volume of your shouting means more than the meaning of your words — feel free to join SPESA. In fact, you might consider running for an office in the organization. The only problem is that club members have a strict policy of protesting our officers as insensitive, censoring tyrants. It's in the charter. Andy Rohrback is an Andover sophomore in journalism. His e-mail address is arohrback@kansan.com/ LETTER TO THE EDITOR Although I have certain reservations on points made by Brewer, I am outraged by Johnson's blatant and unintentionally absurd attack on America. Letter attacks America offends patriotic student I am voicing my humble opinion in response to Graham Johnson's Nov. 18 letter to the editor regarding Stephanie Brewer's Nov. 12 column on the Holocaust. How he correlated the horrors of the Holocaust to America's problems is beyond me. Additionally, he wrote, "Nobody should be proud that he lives in this country." No, I do not wake up every morning and praise God for being allowed to live in America, but when someone flagrantly desecrates the indisputable privilege of being an American, I take offense. Perhaps Johnson takes living in a democracy for granted, and perhaps he does not care about our freedom of speech and freedom of the press, but I do. Sure, this country of ours has problems, but what country doesn't? If Johnson would be so bold as to point out a utopian society that exists, I would be most grateful. If Johnson wished not to live in America, I am sure there are many dictatorships in the world that would welcome him and his nearsighted views with open arms. Brian McGee Lawrence sophomore Rock Chalk show selection a secretive but simple process During the past several weeks, I've been asked the same question repeatedly: "So, Reagan, have you chosen the five shows for Rock Chalk Revue 1997 yet?" People always seem a bit surprised when I tell them that I actually have nothing to do with that decision. One of the biggest misconceptions about Rock Chalk Revue is that the executive director chooses the shows. Although the selection process seems mysterious and complex, it is actually very simple. So, to prevent any random brown packages that go "tick" when arriving on my doorstep, I'd like to take this opportunity to clear the air. GUEST COLUMNIST I do not pick the participating shows, nor does the Rock Chalk Advisory Board. An independent panel of judges is formed every year to select the five Rock Chalk Revue finalists. This year there are 12 judges, all of varying ages and backgrounds. They do, however, have a few things in common: None are affiliated with any KU housing organization, none are KU students or faculty members, all have some knowledge of Rock Chalk Revue, and all have theatrical expertise. The judges have spent the last few weeks reading the show entries. After interviewing each set of show directors, the judges will make their decisions. The voting results will remain in our adviser's care until tonight, when I announce which shows will be performing on stage in March and which will not. Each show is identified by a random number to ensure that all groups (residence halls, scholarship halls, fraternities and sororities) remain anonymous. After the judges vote for the shows they like, the ballots will be tabulated by our faculty adviser and an independent party. Here's how it all began: Here is school begin. In 1949, a highly motivated and creative man by the name of Roy Wonder decided that good ol' KU needed all an-campus variety show similar to KState's now-defunct "Y-Orpheum." When trying to gain support for the show, Wonder received a lukewarm response from fellow students. He decided to take an alternative approach. Twelve groups submitted shows but unfortunately, only five will perform. Once again, this will be an exciting year for Rock Chalk Revue. "On a Mission" will be performed March 13-15 at the Lied Center. Rock Chalk History Days later, a letter was printed in the University Daily Kansan from a Kansas State student by the name of Russ Miller, who ridiculed Wonder and KU for attempting to steal the strong K-State tradition. As you can imagine, that mouth Wildcat caused quite a stir here on the Hill. Soon enough, Wonder had all the support he could handle from the KU student body. Little did everyone know that Wonder and Miller had planned the entire scheme. The efforts of these two men have been carried on since the first onstage performance on April 1, 1950. After the first show in the former Hoch Auditorium, the Revue was performed in Lawrence High School and is now in the beautiful Lied Center. Rock Chalk also has added a community service program and donates all of its proceeds to the United Way of Douglas County. Despite the many changes throughout the years, Rock Chalk Revue continues to provide entertainment to the KU and Lawrence communities. HUBIE Reagan Judd is the executive director of Rock Chalk Revue and a Tula, Odea, senior. By Greg Hardin