Election pickrnay spur congressibnif r ef orm
This week's national election rest' fts "hold , ' .tor such reforms:
some promise of much-needed reform in the The wave Of 61 retiring congressmen
94th Congress. .'--. ntne senators and 52 representatives means
Americans have debated the ' merits ofvK; that a majority in both houses of the new
Congress' internal organization since the two-' : Congress will consist of members elected in
houses were established, but change, rarely
nas loiiowea. congressional -effectiveness
still is hindered by such practices as Jhe
seniority system. " ' - .
"Important bills, such as the one th1s"yfear
which would have created a consumer
protection agency, have been waylaid; by
only, the last six years. This represents the
most sweeping turnover since just after
World War II. ,
Thelos&iOj soil much .congressional,
' seniority Ms li.Hetyr tcr 'produce 'gatrts for the'
apolitical reform movement. The retirements
'swept away a substantial bloc of anti-reform
filibuster tactics. Other pieces of legislation-.'; '-votes and could propel certain reform issues
over ine lop.
- -For example, bnly seven votes in the
House .of Representatives kept the much
"ytOuled campaign reform of nationwide
'. postcard voter ; registration from becoming
r - law earner this yea.''. The vote was 204 to 197,
often are bottled up in a committee if the
chairman opposes them. ' ;
This year the issue of congressional
reform which once would have drawn only
blank stares from voters became-aVmajbr
issue in many races across the country. H,' v--For
several reasons, the time seems right
. ' '" -v ::
-wfth 28 of those "no" votes cast by members
who will not return to the new Congress
Likewise, only nine votes prevented the
Senate last year, from opening all committee
meetings to theTpublic unless closed by a
majority, cpm.rnitteeypteljs-.pi the "ng
votes enough to reverse the outcome, if
switched came"-from senators not returning.
Reform momentum should be quickened
by voter disenchantment over recent political
scandals' from Watergate to "milk fund"
campaign contributions and the growing
influence of public-interest lobbies such as
Common Cause and Ralph Nader's
organization.
The first test of the new congressional
reformism will come when Democrats, still
the ruling party, caucus in December to
organize the Hote. Hopefully, they will prod
a sluggish government by enacting long
thwarted congressional reforms.
' r Jane Owens
Campus male:eWbitionists and assailants
'destroy a woiini0frientaily and emotionally'
Last Sunday night, a girl was -walking"' from
Harper-Schramm-Smith Halls fo Neihardt Residential
Center. When she got to Nebraska Half;,jtian came
walking out of the parking lot., ' T'; - V- '
Witlwhat she described as a "sickenirfg .smile" he
said, "Hey lady, look at me" and exposed himself. She
was so scared that she was momentarilyr'unable, to do
anything but stand there, while he talked on - .
She began to run away, but he followed her. When
she started waving at passing ears,-he. turned " and
walked back towards the parking lot ,".'' . v . ...
Two weeks ago, a woman was Attackedon eampas
near Love Library by three boys, all about twelve years
old. They tore at her clothes' -while fusing obscene.'
language. ' V - ;. ,'.
When she managed to break away. from fhem, she
Immediately called the Campus Police.: They-iold her
'- 'r ; ' ...... ; '
amy strua
.brood: si
they had received a similar report teri'mtriutss earlier.
Wednesday night, a friend of mine- was waiting in
Oldfather Hall for her husband, who was"takwig a' night
class. While she walked around the. btiUding, she
noticed a custodian following her. '.""-''
She was virtually alone when sfie'vefifirred away from
her husband's classroom to use the' telephone. The ,
Custodian kept appearing around corners.'iso", she,. went
back to the area around the classroom. H3 etobd at
short distance down the hall staring at her. v v. ,
When she realized he was masturbating while he,
watched her, she told him she would est! Jha CSmpus
Police. He looked surprised, and walked away.V ' ; ,
The fact that I heard all three stories within a week or
so was even more disturbing when I considered that I
heard these only because the women involved were
friends of mine. How many similar things have been
happening on campus?
... Some people look at these events as unimportant and ;
relatively minor because no one was physically hurt, or,
in two of the three incidents, even had physical contact
'-with the men.
But the emotional effects on the three women were
severe. The girl who had the experience with the
custodian said, "I'll never take a nignt class. And I'ii .
let my husband take the car from now on. I'll just stay
.at home."
Only men can inflict this kind of intimidation upon " '
women. We are powerless to do the same. How many
men would be frightened of a woman walking out of a -parking
lot with no shirt on? It would be, Instead, a big
joke. ; . , -
Some people have mentioned to me that they think' ,
the media has run the subject of rape into the ground "
recently.
. But rape is only one of the crimes which force womer
to define their activities and lifestyles In terms of what '
, risks are involved. An exhibitionist may not be a v
physically violent person, a man following a girl around" ' .
" may not be a criminal, but both are capable of mentally ' '
and emotionally destroying a woman.
I was pleased to hear how the three stories turned
out! The three 12-year-olds were caught and went to
. court the next day with their parents. -'.
The girl who encountered the man in the parking lot
reported it to the Campus Police the next day. And the
' third woman is going to make sure that custodian won't
be around Oldfather Hail at nights to botheranyone
else. ; t
- - '"' ' - ' ' ,
That's important. That's action.
.i.: dally nebraskan ,-
Dear Editor,
On Nov. 1, the Daily
: Nebraskan reported that
26,. out of 34 legislature
canaiaaies ravorea nigner
tuition rates for nonresi
dents This is a fine
argument, because this
school is supported by
state taxes.
- loday I read about the
decreases in college en
rollment, specifically at
" UNL. Whv doesn't some
one, sii down and figure
out,what enrollment might
be if rates were
equalized?
, Let's give Nebraskans
priority, but let's fill the,
school too. Universities
are a competitive bus--iness.
Wake up, Neb
raska, and brush off some
Of those havseeds.
Mark Buckley
friday, november8, 1974
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