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Tuesday, November 15, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Students, administration can't ignore threat of AIDS
College students who are not worried about AIDS need a wake-up call.
That call comes from new evidence that shows AIDS is more widespread among college students than previously believed. Central recently released the
The Centers for Disease Control recently released the preliminary results from a study of blood samples drawn from students who came to campus health centers for diagnosis and treatment of any ailment requiring a blood test. The study shows the AIDS virus present at the rate of three out of 1,000 students. This figure is almost as high as the rate among convicts, which is four out of 1,000. Convicts are considered a high-risk group.
Three in 1,000 may not seem like much, but figure that if the University of Kansas has an enrollment of about 27,000, there would be about 90 students with the AIDS virus at KU, according to the study.
College students must snap out of their complacent attitudes about AIDS. To stop the spread of the disease, students must follow guidelines set by health experts such as avoiding casual sex with strangers, using condoms and being tested. Students also need to disregard myths and take time to educate themselves about AIDS.
themselves about AIDS. The University must do its part by doing more than just handing out pamphlets. Programs that educate about AIDS must be stressed. And KU could become one of the many universities, including Kansas State, that allows condom machines in its residence halls as an effort to slow the spread of AIDS. So far, several different requests by residence halls to have condom machines installed have been denied.
The study suggests the AIDS virus is not limited to homosexuals and drug users. The disease is spreading to the heterosexual community, and college students are not any more immune to it than other groups. Students and University officials must pull together to help stop the spread of AIDS.
Julie McMahon for the editorial board
Stephan's legal problems
Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan found himself in trouble again last week when he lost a judgment in a breach of contract suit. He disclosed in 1985 the $
The suit came about after Stephan disclosed in 1985 the facts of an out-of-court settlement between himself and 'Marcia Tomson Stingley, a former file clerk in his office. Stephan paid $24,000 in 1982 to settle a sexual harassment suit she brought against him.
Stephan hasn't just suffered financially because of the case. The scandal ruined his chances for governor in 1986 when he was considered an early favorite, and his political opponents are sure to use the lawsuit as ammunition against him now and during his next campaign, just as they did last time.
against him.
The jury ordered Stephan to pay $200,000 in damages. Stephan said he would continue in office and would fight the judgment against him.
But the loss of the breach-of-contract suit and surrounding controversy shouldn't force him from office now. Stephan, who was elected attorney general in 1978 and won re-elections in 1882 and 1986, has had a solid record of service in office, and has been a friend to such causes as press and consumer rights and anti-drunken driving measures.
There may be reasons to oppose Stephan, but unproven rumors shouldn't be one of them.
There was nothing illegal in settling the sexual harassment suit out of court. It would be wrong to insinuate that he was guilty of sexual harassment. Question Stephan for breaking his agreement. Question how the state's chief attorney did not know the terms of a settlement. And question how he could originally suggest that the state would have to pay for his defense. But don't judge him for an alleged crime when his guilt has not been proved.
Christine Martin for the editorial board
The cloud from this episode will linger over Stephan's strong service record for some time. Maybe that's the most unjust part of this case. Because the harassment charges never went to trial, we may never know whether he's truly guilty of wrongdoing or just being hounded. But unless different facts come to light, Stephan should be allowed to put it behind him and get on with the affairs of the state.
The editorials in this column are the opinion of the editorial board
News staff
News staff
Todd Cohen...Editor
Michael Horak...Managing editor
Julie Adam...Associate editor
Sophie Wade...News editor
Michael Merschel...Editorial editor
Noel Gerdes...Campaign editor
Craig Anderson...Sports editor
Scott Carpenter...Photo editor
Dave Eames...Graphics editor
Jill Jess...Arts/Features editor
Tom Eblen...General manager, news adviser
Business staff
Greg Knipp...Business manager
Debra Cole...Retail sales manager
Chris Cooper...Conveyors sales manager
Linda Prokop...National sales manager
Mats Wassermuth...Promotions manager
Sarah Higdon...Marketing manager
Brad Lenhart...Production manager
Michelle Garfand...Asst. production manager
Michael Lehmann...Classified manager
Jeanne Hines...Sales and marketing adviser
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Crossing fine line between the 'Big L's'
It's okay to be liberal, but is everyone who wants cleaner air and water a loonie?
It's not every day that somebody walks into the governor's office and handcuffs herself to a chair. Especially in Kansas.
But it happened last week when Lauri Maddy chained herself to Mike Hayden's chair to protest what she said was the state's inaction in dealing with hazardous wastes from chemical plants.
"I have locked myself into your environment as you have locked me into mine," Maddy said in a written statement. "Consider me a hazardous chemical . . . I am ever present in your environment. You can haul me away, where will you put me? You can't get rid of a hazardous waste."
No wife maddie is a loony commite who opposes peace, Mudge and the American way," said my intellectual sparring partner, U.B. Orderly, and did war be a little more specific?
Derek Schmidt
but she does have a point. I mean, if living near the Vulcan Chemical plant in Wichita really did cause her to develop a lung disease, doesn't she deserve to be upset?
Could you be a little more specific?
"She's a liberal, big L, who wants to spend,
spend, spend, regulate, regulate, regulate. And for what? To keep a few chemicals out of her body."
Staff columnist *
deserve to be upstairs. "Of course, but there's a difference between being upset and being looyo. I get upset when the neighbor's dog doo-doos on my lawn, but I don't handcuff myself to the neighbor's chair. I go and tell him to take care of his dog."
Does the dog do it again?
"Yep. Neighbor never did listen to me." I rest my case.
"Don't confuse the issue. This Maddy woman could have worked within the system. She could have written letters, called her representatives, lobbed."
But the system is slow. What about the other Laurie Maddys who would be hurt in the meantime?
"You can't just decide to work outside the established rules. That's anarchy."
So maybe she was part of the system. Maybe the system doesn't stop at the capitol doors. A man in a jail cell in Birmingham faced that same problem 25 years ago. Dr. King wrote: "You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations . . . Direct action seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored."
"So what you're saying is that if I want the state to buy me an airplane for my personal use, it's okay to shackle myself to the governor's toilet until he gives in."
You could try,but you'd look silly
You could try, but you'd look sinny.
"Who would I叫你, and Maddy didn't?"
"Why would I look silly, and madden just law. Because Maddy was fighting for aJust law. Remember what St. Augustine said: "An unjust law is no law at all." You could stay in manacles for 1,000 flushes, and there would never be justice in buying you an airplane.
"So you think there is justice in using state influence and money just to guarantee that all Kansens have pollutant-free water and air and food and land?"
Exactly.
"You belong to the ACLU. don't you?"
No, but I joined the KU Ambassador Program. If that close enough?
that close enought.
'Look, what you say says a lot of sense. But I still think she went too far. After Maddy met with Government Hayden, he issued a prepared statement: 'As the nation's only environmentally trained governor, I am extremely concerned about protecting our state's environment and natural resources.' What do you think Maddy would say to that?'
God help the other 49.
Derek Schmidt is an independence junior majoring in journalism.
K·A·N·S·A·N
MAILBOX
Shaky faith
In a day of right-wing extremes, why should I be surprised when a "Christian" (and I use that term loosely) such as Erie Schmidt blindly misinterprets the Bible for the purpose of promoting (insultingly) his own beliefs? Why should it surprise me when he would rather "hang a millstone" around a minister's neck and kill him, rather than become aware of the views of others?
views of others :
In my opinion, he has misunderstood the meanings of the words "promote," "sponsor"
and "Christian."
and "Christian.
In his letter (Nov. 4), he warns of the wrongdoings of Jack Bremer, KU campus minister, because he sponsored a presentation by the Wicca religion Oct. 29. The word "sponsor" indicates support, be it financial or moral. Allowing Sue Westwind the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Wicca religion does not inherently connote support. Bremer is a reverend of the Methodist church, not the Wicca religion. He supports both financially and morally the Christian church, not Satan.
The word "promote" also was misused. The Ecumenical Christian Ministries did host a
forum in which a non-Christian faith was discussed. The purpose of the forum was to become aware, not to convert.
become aware, not to convert. Lastly, the basis of his letter was motivated by his "Christian" ethic. I am deeply offended by his advocacy of Bremer's death, as a friend of Bremer and as a Christian. I have tried to eliminate the feelings of hatred and wickedness that were present in Schmidt's letter. Obviously, his Christian faith is on unstable ground.
Timothy Paris
Topeka senior
Kansas State University
Give voters due
Suppose Roy Laird, the political science professor quoted as an expert in the Nov. 9 Konsan had said, "Women vote their feelings" or "Blacks vote for the darker candidate." I suspect most readers react with outrage. These are incredibly sexist and racist remarks. Should we not react with similar protest to what he did say, namely that "The American people vote by their pocket books?" Or that Bush won because "the economy is doing well"?
These remarks assume that the voter is a self-centered slob, governed by his or her stomach, unable to think or reason about any issue beyond creature comfort. Such a view is
classist, snobbish, elitist paternalism with which no American should put up.
The same attitude infects some of the comment concerning the Reagan presidency. Arthur L. Thomas, Arthur Young distinguished professor of business, emeritus, distinguishes himself for condescension by describing Reagan as "lazy, uxorious and popular." Dare we ask how someone so lacking in humanity, to say nothing of leadership quality, could be elected by two enormous landslides and maintain unequaled popularity ratings for eight years? Thomas just assumes the American people can't evaluate their leaders. He implicitly subscribes to the notion that the noxious Reagan fooled all the people all the time, except himself and perhaps a few elite others.
Ditto for the silly diatribes such as "plastic," "pathetic" and "style over substance presidency." The authors reek of a far-smarter-than attitude toward the public. Such posturing is itself ignorant and pathetic. One may criticize Reagan's policies and actions without insulting his person or the American voter's intelligence.
Without the help of snooty experts, voters told their own story through the exit polls. Thirty-six percent based their choice on foreign policy issues. Twenty-four percent esteemed anti-abortion as their prime motivator. One may argue about these values, but one may not smirk, jeer, and foam at the mouth as if those who hold them are despicable.
Gary Hardaway Hillsboro graduate student
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed
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