M
i
d
eserves
seat
The man who has been walking the 1st District A
deserves to sit In the House of Representatives.
Hess Dyas, democratic candidate for the 1st District
congressional seat, Is running one of the best organized
congressional campaigns in the history of Nebraska
Democrats. And in a seemingly safe Republican
district, GOP Incumbent congressman' Charles Thone
should be "running scared," according to the Wall
Street Journal.
Thone has been an adequate representative for
Nebraska, although not an outstanding one. He,
however, has allied himself with the chief executive on
issues where morality or motives were, at best,
questionable. V
Although Thone himself seems entirely honest, he
has been overdue in condemning the dishonesty of
others. During Richard Nixon's Watergate debacle,
Thone straddled the fence, failing to condemn the
former president's corruption when the time was ripe.
Thone would not go on record for impeachment until
the last minute before Nixon's resignation. On the
other hand, he was quick to support President Gerald
Ford's pardon of Nixon an act which illustrated the
double standard of justice in this country.
Thone has not offered distinguished leadership
during his four years in the House, although some of
. this can be attributed to the political structure in which
he must work. Congress often is dragged down by the
seniority system, the few committee chairmen having
too much power, and ' the lack of party cohesion. A
representative can do little to combat this lethargy.
.Dyas campaign philosophy indicates, however, that
he would, be more willing to stand up for Nebraskans
while in. Congress, rather than sit back and wait.
He has walked the 734 miles in the 1st District. More
than -just a campaign gimmick, the walKs have kept
Dyas in contact with voters and have helped him know
their problems and needs.
If Dyas wins, he says he will return to Nebraska on
weekends, walking first District counties to keep -in-touch
with his constituents.
He has not hesitated to take unpopular stands, such
as supporting environmental protection in front of
also has said heupports land use planning in the rural
areassomething Thone has opposed or ignored.
Instead of being a threat to farmers, land use
planning is devoted to the best methods for raising food
and for preventing suburban sprawl into rural areas. It
is the solution to future land shortage problems.
Dyas has prepared thoughtful positions on major
issues of interest to Nebraskans.
He has said he approves an amendment to reduce
U.S. troops overseas, an amendment to delete $499
million from the B1 bomber program and cuts in
congressional franking allowances.
To fight inflation, he advocates closing tax loophoies
by making intangible wealth, such as stocks and bonds,
subject to taxation. He aiso would try to protect the
family farm from industrial encroachment.
Of course, Dyas has not been tested by service in a
Congress which is notorious for dragging its feet.
But he should. be. given the chance to prove himself
there. Perhaps he could make the mundane representa
tion Nebraskans are accustomed to a thing of the past.
Jane Owens
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Homemaking:
vital occupation
Last July my parents celebrated their thirty
second wedding anniversary. .For 32 years Mom
has been scrubbing endless kitchen floors and
lookirig for eternally misplaced shoes.
Somebody's always sick and somebody's always
depressed and somebody's always overworked,
but it's always somebody else. Mom's always
expected to be ready to listen, slow to anger and
have the laundry done.
Since she said "I do" these eons ago, my
mother's been most everything the old cliches say
an American housewife is supposed to be.
omy struthers .
And that Isn't easy. Our society demands a lot ot ".
the housewife and places the heavy responsibility
of child care almost completely on her shoulders.
Yet the housewife Is pictured by the media as a
pretty, laughable and easily Ignored figure, while -
some of today's career-oi lentea women wouia ukb
to hide her in a closet and remonstrate her for
making fools of us all.
The women's movement has caused many
housewives to begin to question their lifestyle,' :'
which is good. But contrary to what some may'
think, the movement does not seek to demean or
HcKStrrw hltt vital nrrimatlnn '
Rthpr snmfl nrn.inl7Atlnn4 (in DArticulAr. thft
k i -1 : i s-n i T ia... k l r A l
Huiionai vryanizdiiuri rur vvunien muvv;
vely trying to win for the American housewife the
respect she earns every day. ' ,
The first step in this struggle for recognition is
what may appear to be a small and silly change in
terminology. :
the word "homemaker." This seemingly neglig
ible switch servos two purposes. First, it desexes . ;
thfi rnlft mnklnn It a rhniro awcsllahlo tn Knth man '
and women. It establishes that the criterion for the
role is not one's sex, but one's interests and
temperament. . .
I know men who I think would be very satisfied ,
working In the home, helping their children grow
and., learn and learning themselves about all the
beautiful traditionally domestic arts sewing,
vuumny, yai uKjiniiy iniuuyii w 1 1 l nicy buuiu
express themselves.
On the other hand, I have seen many women
who are going crazy changing diapers, women
who have no business being at home except that
society keeps them there. It would be the same
situation if everyone were forced to be a brain
surgeon the pressures and exaltations of the job
would drive some insane and delight others.
The use of the new term "homemaker".also,
connotes an activity, a growth, while "housewife"
is a static word. A housewife is a wife who sits in a.
nouse; a nomemaner is someone DUIiaina.
creating a home.
The ScCGfiCi Step ifi upyfadiny una uCwupaiiuii is
to call it just that an occupation. By talking about
being a homemaker in terms of a career choice
rather than simply a "natural" and expected thing
for a wife to do, the same dignity is given to that
choice as to any other job a person opts 'for.
Giving the homemaker the same status as
someone working outside the home has opened up
a new possibility which some women's groups now
are pursuing to secure Social Security benefits
tor tne nomemaker.
. While the idea sounds interesting, I can see
many problems with it. Someone working in the
hnmfl if. nnt nstiri a ealaru anri on ni..
taxes. While my knowledge of the working of tha
Social Security system is limited, I believe it would
be somewhat unfair to give this money to people
who had contributed none. It strikes me as a sort '
of welfare.
, IT, . niiui mo; couudlf lu
be a hostile movement can feel secure in the '
knowledge that tha American homemaker is for a
large part, the movement itself. With the' vast
majority of women currently at least part-time
homemakers, the upgrading of their status is vital
to the success or the movement in central ' '
page 4
daily nebraskan
fnday, november 1 , 1974
