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Jesse Jackson and Gary Hart have yet to
admit it. And though he has yet to receive the
official blessing of the Democrats at the up
coming convention, Walter Mondale is wasting
no time. He is seeking a vice presidential
running mate. Not one to ignore the changing
times, he has expressed an interest in recruit
ing a woman as a running mate.
Anything for the sake of appearances, and a
few thousand votes.
Sunday's Lincoln Journal-Star reported a
Saturday meeting between Mondale and San
Francisco's mayor, Diane Feinstein. During
their meeting at Mondale's North Oaks, Minn.,
home, Feinstein was quoted as saying, "It is no
longer incomprehensible to think of a woman
as chief executive."
I disagree. It is comprehensible, but not
necessarily believable.
What has happened is that the male-dominated
party system has recognized the power that
lies in the hands of women voters. They are
trying to humor women. Mondale is toying
with the idea of an historical first, in an
attempt to rally the vast potential of the
female vote.
However, it is mere gesture and not a commit
ment, if Mondale is elected president, will he be
noted in the pages of history as the man who
"almost" chose a woman as a vice presidential
running mate?
Thanks, but no thanks.
Julie Jordan
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Death penalty: Just sentence to all?
Last week, the Supreme Court said it will review a
lower court ruling on the use of lethal injections to
execute death-row prisoners. A U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals previously had "ordered the Food and Drug
Administration to investigate drugs used for execu
tion to determine if they are "safe" and "effective".
The ruling also ordered the FDA to assure the drugs
do not cause unusual pain and suffering to the
prisoners.
Liz Burden
Both orders, to me, are asinine and ludicrous. What
the court needs to consider is not the constitutional
ity of the lethal injections, but the constitutionality
of the death penalty itself.
The court should consider whether or not the
sentences are just, or handed down arbitrarily.
Studies and statistics in a late 70s Death Penalty
Update show the latter to be true. After the plea
bargaining process in which other ethnic groups
receiver lesser sentences not punishable by death
the majority of those sentenced to die are poor,
v non-white or both.
Between 1930 and today, blacks accounted for
more than 50 percent of all executed criminals,
while blacks only make up from 10 to 17 percent of
the whole U.S. population.
This is the racist and wealth-oriented justice
system at work. Half of the murders in the nation
were not committed by blacks. However, non-blacks
hired better attorneys, had more sympathy from
judges and from prosecuting attorneys who charged
them with crimes not punishable by death. Or, they
got off by pleading insanity. Blacks, and other non
whites, receive the opposite treatment.
The court is worried about the tools for execution
being safe, effective, and humane and usual punish
ment. This is off the wall. Accounts of the most
common form of execution, electrocution, are ex
tremely gory. 'Capital punishment supporters say
that these accounts, coupled with the actual threat
of death, prevents future murders. But statistics
show it doesn't deter anyone.
However, capital punishment apparently does
achieve one goal: The extermination of "unwanted"
elements of society.
J 1 7 L
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ci! sure,, he Ms cure
W WWW, BUT DAM
liS IN TilE MARINES
may not help others
Perhaps certain cor.gresspreons hold the
truth in such hlh regard that they do not
want it promiscuously displayed. Perhaps. But
the attempt to kill in the cradle the National
Endowment for Democracy looks like yet
another instance of moral posing at the ex
pense of a moral undertaking.
Some conservatives, eager to combine ostenta
tion and frugality, ant to be seen saving $31
George Will
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8 m s i
million (a sura spent every two and a half
hours on interest on the national debt). Some
liberals, eager for heroism without risk or
exertion, want to slay this butterfly cn tho
pretext that it is a cleverly disguised dragon.
They say NED will te an instrument for U.&
"intervention in tlw internal affairs of des
potism, and we all know that would be wren'."
Don't we? .
You rdht think that persons who ere tren
uoudy opposed to the use offeree to cjhrrncc
US interests, m with lU to Niccrsufin free-
2om tighter and who condemn US. coK i barr.- i
sdriibistration took the i4ea fron tv, a I" :rr.! '
Democratic coessmen, Dnte FjccII of
But a lot of latent hostility to the idea was
brought down, like summer Lhtnh", l y re
cportsthatthAFLCIO thh..nstion most;:;:
-diligent privatelforce-.; for freedom i: spent
$20,009 of NED njeney on bchdlof the nedcr
ate who vcn Panama's presidential election.
Such assistance to friendly persons in elections
maybe problematic?:. certainly it s21 not be a
pan, of NED's future agenda. NEDs board hts
now forbidden the use of funds to finence
;;:;Campaig3;: of candidates for public office.
C-l, r'.'v s7-'
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Editorial Policy
Unsigned editorials represent official policy of
the summer 1984 Daily Nebraskan. Tliey are written
by this summer's editor in chief Lauri Hopple.
Tfi Daily Nebraskan s publishers are the regents,
who established the UNL Publications Board to
supervise the daily production of the newspaper.
Tuesday. June 26. 1984
Page 4
Daily Nebraskan
