To the editor:

There seems to be a great deal of bewilderment as to why Kansas University and the city of Lawrence are the object of so much hostility in the state Legislature and from the rest of the state. Here are some clues:

We elect “Republicans” to the state Senate who vote like liberal Democrats. Local demonstrations against U.S. foreign policy and our leaders are accepted and condoned. Teaching methods, policies and the political agenda of many of the KU faculty and administration are questionable. Jocelyn Elders is sponsored by KU Student Union Activities to speak at the Lied Center. Lawrence becomes the first Kansas community to go on record in opposition to the Patriot Act. Lawrence ranks in the top 10 small cities in the percentage of gay- or lesbian-led households in the United States. And then, the icing on the cake: KU invites Bill Clinton to deliver the first Dole Institute of Politics lecture.

If you find this unbelievable, I suggest you spend two or three weeks traveling in Kansas talking to people. Don’t waste your time on the “powers that be”; they are so hobbled by political correctness you will never hear their true feelings. Instead, be up before daylight, find the cafe where everyone (professionals, business owners, their employees, factory workers, retirees, etc.) gather for breakfast each weekday morning. This is a daily public forum, and they love to talk to strangers. When you are found out to be from Lawrence, rest assured you will get an earful, and you will begin to understand why you see so much purple.

Larry F. McGlinn,

Lawrence