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The students' helper
Beginning next semester University students most
likely will have a friend who will investigate their
complaints and help them fight the red tape of the
University's bureaucracy.
The ASUN executives have made good on a campaign
promise and have persuaded the University
administration to fund a part-time ombudsman
beginning next semester. The Board of Regents still have
to approve the UNL ombudsman, but it is expected
they will go along with the proposal since the University
of Nebraska at Omaha currently has a full-time
ombudsman.
There probably won't be a problem funding the
ombudsman on an interim basis, but a "more serious
problem" will be to obtain funds on a permanent basis,
according to interim Chancellor C. Peter Magrath. Once
money is found to fund a part-time ombudsman,
Magrath said he will look into a budget proposal for a
full-time ombudsman.
It seems money should not be that big of an obstacle.
The Board of Regents has found funds for the UNO
ombudsman and they should do the same for the
Lincoln campuses.
While the funding of the position is worked out, a
committee composed of students, administrators and
faculty will select a person to become ombudsman. The
selection committee should look into the possibility of
obtaining a lawyer to fill the position.
A lawyer as ombudsman, besides investigating
student complaints, could give legal advice to individual
students as well as student organizations. Students at
several colleges across the nation have hired lawyers to
deal with everything from greedy landlords to college
presidents.
Undoubtedly, University officials might be hesitant
to fill the position with an aggressive person, who would
then turn around and help the students wrest power
from the administration. However, students have gone
too long without a forceful friend to help them fight the
complex operation of the university.
Wheels of progress
The urgent need for prison reform in Nebraska was
highlighted this week when about half of the inmates at
the State Penitentiary conducted a brief and peaceful
work strike in support of needed reform. However, the
strike was concluded after two days as a result of the
good sense demonstrated by Warden Charles Wolff and
the striking prisoners.
The quick conclusion of the strike undoubtedly
helped ease the possibility of a legislative or public
backlash to prison reform.
Wolff said that the end of the strike "indicates to me
that the (prison) population is going to give the
administration the opportunity to get the projects we
have planned done and get on with the programs we
have all been talking about."
From all indications it appears that the new warden
is deeply committed to prison reform. However, the
commitment of the Legislature is another question.
A legislative study committee on law enforcement is
making one of the most intensive studies of prison
reform ever attempted by Nebraska lawmakers.
However, the study committee appears to be in no big
hurry to suggest changes. They have decided to sponsor
legislation calling for preparation of a comprehensive
penal reform plan by 1975.
The tragedy of Attica demonstrated what might
happen if reform is delayed too long. Since prison
reform is a high priority item for the state, the
Legislature should get a reform program started as soon
as possible.
The inmates have peacefully expressed their feelings
about the need for changes and now it's time for state
officials to act. The only way real penal reform will
come about is through the orderly processes of
government
Gary Seacrest
NX 111
Ijje lion jsafo to Cm oooman,
"ou oon't neeo a brain,
get a biploma"
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Brevity in letters is requested and the
Daily Nebraskan reserves the right to
condense letters. Ail letters nvist bo
accompanied by writer's true nanc ,
may be submitted for publication un.ier
a pen name or initials. However, letters
will be printed under a pen name or
initials at the editor's discretion.
When Sen. George McGovern came to this campus, he said
that Israel is the only democratic country in the Middle East,
and so the U.S. would have to support it with more jet aircraft
"in order to survive."
This is not the first time McGovern makes this lie about the
Middle East. He knows quite well that other countries such as
Arab Lebanon are much more democratic than Israel.
Besides what kind of democracy does Israel have?
Is it the kind of democracy under which 225,000 Christian
and Moslem Arabs have lived since 1948 without enjoying
the basic rights of citizenships?
Or is it the democracy that expropriated Arab land and
destroyed Arab villages since the occupation by Israel of Arab
lands in its 1967 war?
Or is it the democracy that conducts the most ruthless
military dictatorship against the one and the half million
Arabs living on the Isnd occupied since 1967?
Or is it the democracy that refuses to abide by all United
Nations resolutions for a peaceful settlement to the Middle
East conflict. According to both the Secretary General of the
United Nations and its Mediator to the Middle East "Israel is
the only obstacle to achieving p?ace in the Middle East."
McGovern in his lies forgets or pretends to forget the plight
of two million Palestinian Arabs who were driven out of their
homes and lands so that others from all over the world may
come and occupy them. The Palestinian people have the desire
and the determination to go back to their homeland from
which they were uprooted. They demand the establishment of
a real democracy for all Christian, Moslem, and Jewish
Palestinians. They want this democracy to be based on a
one-man one-vote principle, regardless of color, race, or
religion.
Ironically these are the same principles McGovern claims to
be standing for when he demands equality for all Americans
arthur hoppc
Happiness isn't
everything
When Mr. Nixon announced
his plan for - wage and price
controls in a nationally
televised address in the fall of
1971, the enthusiasm of every
decent American knew no
bounds.
What swept the public off
its feet was Mr. Nixon's master
stroke in departing from his
prepared text to read letters
from four common, ordinary
folk-all of whom had written
their President to tell him how
happy they were to be making
less money.
"I want you to know how
much it has meant to me," said
the President, a lump in his
throat, "to hear that most
Americans will put their
country's interest above their
personal interest in this
battle."
Once the President had put
the issue on a patriotic basis,
there was no holding the
country back. The White
House was flooded with letters.
"I sure got some good news
today," wrote a fishmonger's
apprentice in Peoria. "I thought
I was supposed to get a $6.12
raise next month and I was
happy to lose it. But now it
turns out it would have been
$12.24. So I'm twice as
happy."
'With millions of Americans
finding happiness through less
money, it came as little
surprise when negotiators for
The Amalgamated
Brotherhood of Tinkers,
Smelters & Scoff laws marched
into The Tinker & Sons Smelt
Factory and demanded a 5 per
cent across-the-board pay cut.
The settlement, which
included eliminating the
company-paid podiatric care
plan and three holidays set a
pattern for labor-management
relations.
Yet hitches occurred.
Indeed, the following month
there were threats of a
nationwide general strike after
Congress, by a close vote,
failed to pass a Maximum Wage
Law.
As wages dropped, prices
f ollowed--the nations's
businessmen understandably
seeking their share of happiness
by cutting their profit margins
to the bone. Inevitably, there
were bankruptices. And while
this overjoyed those
bankrupted, it unfortunately
created unemployment
By January, there were
bread riots in Detroit-those on
relief contending the
government was wastefully
giving them bread.
There was but one cloud
left on the horizon: the stock
market. Because the nation's
economic ills had been so
obviously solved, the market,
instead of going down like
everything else, obstinately
kept going up.
Imagine the gloom on Wall
street when the Dow Jones
industrial average broke
through the psychological
barrier of 1000 and hit 1000
58. No fewer than 42 brokers
lept from their office windows
that qrim day.
Fortunately, economists
began to worry publicly about
"the vicious wage-price spiral,"
.as they put it, "downward."
And the market cooperatively
plummeted.
By June Mr. Nixon could
truthfully say he'd got the
economy back where it
was--back where it was in
1932.
In the election that
November, Mr. Nixon was
opposed by dark horse Osbert
Snavely.
Mr. Snavely accused Mr.
Nixon of "all but destroying
our great free enterprise system
by eliminating greed." If
elected, Mr. Snavely promised
to "restore greed to its rightful
place in the heart of every
American."
He won in a landslide.
(Copyright Chronicle Publishing
Co. 1971)
doug voeglor
Time out for religion?
despite color, race, or national origin.
All of these facts are overlooked by McGovern when he
talks about the Middle East, because this serves his own
personal interests of seeking the nomination for the presidency
in 1972. He cannot of course frankly tell the American people
why he supports Israel. He would not admit that in seeking the
financial support of the influential Zionist establishment in the
U .S. to win the nomination, he has to support Israel wrong or
right.
Mr. McGovern, these are the same kind of deceits and lies
which took America to Vietnam. You and some of your fellow
politicians should stop deceiving the American people on this
issue, since this only invites another Vietnam in the Middle
East.
UNL Organization of Arab Students.
Dear editor.
May I take this opportunity to thank The Daily Nebraskan
for the space the newspaper has been devoting to Recreation &
Intramurals. It has been a real help in getting the program on
its feet.
I hesitate to ask you for this change in interpretation
however, it is necessary in order that conflict does not arise.
On page two of the Monday Oct. 18 edition of The Daily
Nebraskan there is a story entitled "Recreation area
construction continues."
According to the story the recreation areas are for the use
of the residents of the dormitories surrounding the fields. The
recreation areas are for the use of all students who are
attending this University. The resident hall students will
probably take advantage of the areas, being adjacent to their
housing. However, we hope and encourage all students to use
them.
Dan Steller
Director of
Recreation & Intramurals
The deepest questions of. human
experience are not in the field of
sexuality or politics, but rather in the
broad area which we may call
religion-philosophy. Why do we exist?
How did we get here? Is there a supreme
being? What exists after death? Certainly
everyone has asked himself these
questions at one time or another.
Recently a conference was held on
sexuality. The World in Revolution
Conference will deal with political
questions. Perhaps it would be possible to
hold a major conference on religion,
running, say, an entire week. A
conference of such scale and scope would
be necessary, I think, merely to begin
discussion in this large area.
Discussion, speakers, debates and rap
sessions would be held throughout the
week. In addition, poetry, literature,
music, art work and films on religion
would be presented and available during
the week. This being a Christian country,
it would be necessary, first of all, to have
forceful speakers from every major, and
as many minor religions as feasible. Then
alternatives to Christianity, such as
Hinduism. Islamism, Buddhism and
African and Oriental religions could be
presented.
There are endless questions which
could and should be explored:
What is the role of politics in the
church? Should the priest or minister
leave his pulput for the streets? Should he
follow the traditional roles of the church,
even when his convictions are in conflict
with these roles?
Christianity is it a white man's
religion? Why is Jesus pictured as a white
man, and what implications has this had?
What about a "black Jesus?"
Religion on the campus: what special
problems concern the campus ministry?
What about "Jesus freaks" and
"getting high on Jesus?" Is Jesus just a
better drug, or something more?
What about one religion for all
mankind-ecumenicalism? When we speak
of a world religion, we always mean a
Christian one, don't we? Where do the
others go?
What about death and the effects of
our realization of it on life? Heaven and
Hell, do they exist? What has been the
function of guilt as a force for religious
obedience, especially in the Jewish and
Catholic religions?
The Bible-fact or folklore? Is it divine
inspiration? How should it be read?
Science and God, are they compatible?
Religion is a serious subject. Students
with questioning minds deserve higher
levels of discussion than having Bible
quotations thrown at them, or
simple-minded diagrams showing the
relation of God and man as fourth-graders
would comprehend it.
Whether such a conference would
strengthen or weaken one's present
beliefs in traditional religion, or send
them- in new directions, no one can say.
However, it should be a valuable and
deeply rewarding personal experience for
all the participants. I ntr objection always
is.
Learn to Fly
University of Nebraska
Flying Club
. For Further Info. CALL: Bill Tesar 489-4103
I
Remember to make an appointment for your Corn
husker picture Friday.
Come to the Cornhusker Office, rm. 34 Nebraska
Union or call 472-2586. We make appointments
from 2-8 p.m. Friday.
Oct. 28 at the Pershing Municipal Auditorium-8 PM
Ik
GRAND FUNK
in concert one show only
along with Grand Funk will be Black Oak Arkansas.
Tickets are $5.50 an $6.50 and go on sale at the
Pershing Municipal Auditorium at 10 AM, Saturday
Oct. 9
tickets available at the followina locations: Brandei Millar n.H Pin
uuwniown ana gateway . Treasure C tv (north anrl nun.l Rirhnun
Gordman, and Dirt Cheap Record Department."
A Bob Bageris Production
KG mm Ci his
fiae OVftiftf6 THE CAMfW.'
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PAGE 4
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1971
FRIDAY. OCTOBER 22, 1971
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
PAGE 5
