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editoriol
Weapons of peace
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It appears that the Mideast, after being pressured
by the U.S. and the Soviet Union, is settling into an
uneasy peace. Now all that remains is the exchange of
prisoners, counting the dead and the plotting of
future military strategy based on what was learned
during the conflict.
Perhaps 20 years from now, historians will view
this, the fourth mideast war in less than 30 years, as
being a testing ground for weapons to be used in
some later blood bath-in oth vords, like the
Spanish Civil War of the 30s.
The Pentagon stratagests are at it already. News
reports have said they are pleased with the way the
U.S. tanks outfought the new Soviet models. They
also are reported to be concerned with the U.S.
Army's shortage of infantry-operated missies which
proved themselves during the fighting.
As a result of these concerns and probably
concern over a British research report that says the
U.S. Navy no longer rules the waves, the American
people probably can expect soon a major Defense
Dept. push for a larger "weapons development"
budget.
The result of i!ie fighting ought not be so much a
test of the capabilities of the weapons of war, but of
the forces for peace. For another lesson has been
learned in this conflict: because of the need for oil,
the major powers could be pulled into a fifth Mideast
war. The American people must petition Congress to
make sure such a thing will not happen.
A beautiful adventure'
Black Elk, a Sioux holy man, said of John
Neihardt: "This world is a garden. Over this garden go
his words like rain and where they fall they leave it a
little greener." Our world is indeed a little greener for
his having lived.
Michael (O.J.) Nelson
to (he
editor
Regent rhetoric
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Editor, Daily Nebraskan, J4 rverjrasKa
Dear editor,
How reassuring of Regent Schwartzkopf
to let us know if he receives Federal District
Court order directing a change in dormitoty
regulations "then I'll go along with it"
(Daily Nebraskan, Oct 19).
Who does he think he is deceiving with
rhetorical flourishes like "positive
procedures for changing dormitory
regulations"? What procedures? The regents
have the authority. HHA has made the
students' position clear to the regents.
Therefore, it is not up to the students to
propose anything, it is up to the regents
now. They should do their job and fulfill
their responsibility to RHA, otherwise tell us
why they are not doing their job and just
who or what exactly is causing the delay.
These are simple problems, not
sophisticated political problems in
international relations. It's in the interest of
the regents to make them appear
complicated. If they are able to do this, they
may avoid any changes and continue to deny
dormitory res'd; its their civil rights.
Rolf E. Shasteen
White House secret storm show
draws viewers' 'impeach' rating
Hep up pep
Dear editor,
I recently read in the Daily Nebraskan a
story about the Yell Squad members at
UNL I attend the Nebraska games faithfully
and I agree, after watching other schools,
that Nebraska needs to improve its Yell
Squad. Nebraska's crowd's pep is great, but
it needs bettor and more support of the main
source: the yell members and the
cheerleaders.
I think the male members need to
improve their spirit and cheering. I noticed
yell memlx-'rs from other schools were more
fantastic. Even when their team was behind,
they came through with great yells and
stunts. Maybe if Nebraska started losing a
few games, that would kick our yell
members into really caring about what they
do and say. But let's hope it doesn't come
down to that.
Cindy Patterson
Homecoming displays
Dear editor,
I am writing to express my thanks to all
of the students who helped create the clever
and attractive homecoming displays. Our
whole family enjoyed them.
Mrs. Frank C. Sidles
TWi'STiKio Suowlv, slonlv in -rwS vyimd
Editor's note: Chris Harper is a UNL School of
Journalism graduate and a former Daily Nebraskan
staff member. He now is enrolled as a graduate
student at Northwestern University, Evanston, III.,
and is working for Medill News Service in
Washington, D. C.
By Chris Harper
WashingtonNot only have the television news
commentators been giving President Richard
Nixon a prime tough time.
But somebody in the network scheduling office
must have enjoyed the events of recent weeks as
the same Nixon folks who brought you the Soviet
television spectacular and the Peking road show
stumbled across the tube with the greatest of case.
plns
A summary of that possible new scries, Mr.
Nixon Leaves from Washington, looked like this:
-The televised announcement of the
resignation of Spiro Agnew as vice president and
his no contest plea to tax evasion interrupted The
New Price is Right Game.
-Nixon's televised nomination of Rep. Gerald
Foid (R-Mich.) was viewed by rabid fans who
awaited the pre-empted ABC Friday night movie,
Dracula.
-Agnew's fjrewell speech interrupted Bob
Barker and Truth or Consequences.
-But more appropriately, when Nixon finally
got around to his much postponed press
conference, he interrupter! the television series.
Mission: Impossible.
The bumbling schedule gave Washington a
needed laugh as rumors circulated around town
that the Nielson ratings showed great potential for
a new series.
Long tx-fore the advent of television, the
caustic H.L. Mencken said in 1926 that
"democracy... is incomparably idiotic, and hence
incomparably amusing. Does it exalt dunderheads,
cowards, trimmers, frauds, cads? Then the pain of
seeing them go up is balanced and obliterated by
the joy of seeing them come down... Is rascality at
the very heart of it? Well, we have borne rascality
since 177G and continued to survive. In the long
run, it may turn out that rascality is an
ineradicable neccessity to human government and
even to civilization itself."
With television, that tumble has been at least
sometimes bitterly amusing. And when we lose our
ability to laugh, we lose our ability to confront the
problems we face.
Amid the tragedy and humor, however, the
often stumbling democratic process worked well.
After Nixon dismissed Special Prosecutor
Archibald Cox, the President's "silent majority"
spoke loudly and vigorously.
Within an hour after the firing, telegrams from
citizens throughout the United States relayed a
simple message to their congressmen: "Impeach
Nixon." Letters followed. Within three days,
300,000 telegrams repeated the same message.
Where lawyers and politicians had failed to
dislodge the presidential tape recordings for four
months, the American people had succeeded in 40
hours.
After the events, two Nixon appointees, Elliot
Richardson and William Ruckehhaus, also resigned
for reasons of principle rather than because they
were associated with any alleged political
corruption,
Because of his apparent isolation, the President
had misjudged badly the response to the tapes
compromise. And as a result, Congress gained new
momentum to regain the influence it had deserted
previously.
Although recent events have pir ved traumatic
for the nation, the reaffirmation of faith in
Washington used to come each Sunday-not in
church, but rather at the Redskin's football game.
But, alas, when things go wrong in Washington,
they apparently go haywire -as the listless
Redskins lost to the New Orleans Saints last
Sunday. But 'se Redskins, like Congress, have the
chance this week to flex their muscles.
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daily nebraskan
rnoruJay, november 5, 1973
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