18-year-old vote
The 18-year-old vote has a long history
of futile attempts by senators and congress
men to secure its legality by constitutional
amendment. And more recently, 18 or 19-year-old
voting rights have been denied in
several state elections, including Nebraska.
Now, the Senate is on the verge of by-passing
the obstacles which have prohibited youth
suffrage and passing the 18-year-old vote in
the form of a legislative act.
Yet there is some opposition to the bill
in the Senate and more in the House. The
reason: the bill is potentially unconstitutional.
In light of past failures in Congress and state
elections, this argument must be overlooked
if America is to grant one of its largest and
most vocal minorities a voice in the nation's
government. What is more, Sen. Roman
Hruska's argument that a court ruling nulli
fying votes cast by 18, 19 and 20-year-olds
might create doubt about the 1972 presiden
tial election is particularly invalid. The voting
amendment would go into effect Jan. 1, 1971
thus giving the Supreme Court ample time
to rule on any charge of unconstitutionality.
Even ignoring the "if he is old enough to
fight, he is old enough to vote" argument,
there are numerous reasons to back passage
of the 18-year-old vote amendment. No other
American generation in its youth has shown
as much interest in political affairs as today's
youth. No other generation has been as well
educated. No other generation has been so
willing to jresort to mass action and even vi
olence in order to be heard.
As long as young Americans are de
prived of the right to vote, they will consider
themselves outside the system and owing no
allegiance to it. If futility and frustration are
the only rewards for their interest in bettering
America, they will lose all respect for their
nation. Only the right to vote and the po
tential power to change America which goes
with that right, will harness youthful activism
and convince the young they have a say and
a stake in the socio-political affairs of the
nation.
Jim Pedersen
mm
DAILY NEBRASKAN
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Our man Hoppe
by Arthur Hoppe
Look. Look and see. See
Dick. See Pat. Dick and Pat
live in a house. They live In a
white house. Pat is home. Pat
is home from a trip.
"Look, Dick. Look and see. I
am home. I am home from my
trip."
"Yes, Pat, I see. Did you
have a nice trip?"
"Yes, Dick. I had a nice trip.
I had a very nice trip. I went to
five nice colleges. I received
many nice flowers. I shook
many nice hands. I said many
nice things.'
"That's nice, Pat. What did
you say?"
"I said America is a won
derful country."
"That's nice, Pat."
"I said American young
people are wonderful, too."
"That's nice Pat."
"I said peace In Vietnam Is
just around the corner."
"That's ... You what!"
"It was a nice thing to say. It
made everybody happy. I know
everybody was happy.
Everybody laughed."
See Dick. See Dick frown.
"Shades of Yo-Yo McNamara,
Pat! You should not have said
that"
"Oh, Dick. I am sorry. I am
sorry I spoiled your surprise."
See Pat. See Pat frown. "But
peace is just around the corner,
isn't it, Die!?"
See Dick. See Dick frown.
Dick frowns sincerely. "I am
glad, Pat. I am glad you asked
that question."
I ; 'Sr. ' I
ISLH-KjE Li
America
went
looking for
a man.
And
got a
president,..
O 71
Ofl Til :L,0
3. J8stet m
"I am glad you are glad,
Dick. What is the answer?"
"Let me be candid about this,
Pat Let me be very candid
about this one thing."
"I am glad to let you be
candid, Dick. I am always glad
when you are candid about one
thing."
"I am for peace, Pat. It Is
just my simple duty. Others
may differ, but I think it is just
my duty to be for peace."
"I am glad you are just for
peace, Dick."
"I am not just for peace, Pat.
I am for a just peace."
"I am just glad you are just
for a just peace, Dick. Is it just
around the corner?
"Let me say this, Pat. Let
me say this about that. A just
peace is not just around any
corner. A just peace is around
a just corner. Let us not say
that peace is just around the
corner. Let us say that peace is
around the just comer. That is
my judgment on this. This is
also my judgment on that."
"Oh, Dick, will we turn the
just corner?"
"We Just must, Pat. Or the
most terrible thing of all will
happen. We just must turn the
corner."
"By when, Dick?"
"By 1971, Pat."
"Do you have hope, Dick?"
"Yes, Pat, I hope. I hope I've
made myself perfectly
clear."
See Pat See pat frown. Pat
wants to help, pat wants to
help Dick. See Pat smile. Pat
has an idea.
"I wUl help you, Dick. I wlU
help you make one thing
perfectly clear. I will say that
peace is not just around the
corner. Then one thing will be
perfectly dear."
See Dick. See Dick pick up
the poker. Dick is going to
strike a blow. Dick Is going to
strike a btew for peace. See
Pat See Pat run. Run, Pat,
run.
PAGE 2
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1970