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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1974)
Lr editorial pieibn pogp , j . . . . l ISEENEISONS Y rj . BEEN CONFIRMED 1 sps s j'iS',; vl 111 rlJii3sl?'$i rffrl fill IP ll 1 ijlfello I? - 1 r 'mil Sinning U.S. needs morals; Ten Commandments given The nation's law enforcement leaders, shedding tears (tear gas?) for months over rapidly rising crime, , announced this weekMhey may turnMrr their badges soon and strike. . . . V,' We've tried everything, and we've failed," said the president of the National Assoc. of Police Chiefs. "There's no choice now but to throw out the old laws and try something else." President Ford, concerned, immediately announced an emergency plan the Ten Commandments. "I got the idea after I ordered agriculture secretary Earl Butz to apologize to the Pope," Ford said piously. "That's when I relaized this country really needs moral leadership. After all, the country that wants to WIN together cannot sin together." "But Mr. Ford, the Ten Commandments?" "You know ail the controversy there's been over victimless crimes, delays in our court system, white collar crime. ..such a bureaucratic mess. We thought it would be much easier to follow and enforce 10 simple rules." "That's very noble. But that violates separation of church and state, doesn't it?" "Oh, no," the President assured me, "we took care of that with our revisions. We hope our points are rlear." Congress off to a new start The nation could, be in for a "do-something" Congress this January. i Caucusing this week, House Demo crats stripped the prestigious Ways and Means Committee of its power to make House committee assignments. The caucus also elected moderates or liberals to all contested party leadership posts. As chairman of their caucus, the group elected Rep. Philip Burton, the current chairman of the liberal House Democratic Study Group. In a separate caucus, the Republicans also rebuffed conserva tives, generally choosing moderates for their leadership positions. Up to now, Congress has been hampered by a few too-powerful committee chairmen and the fact that committee assignments have been based primarily on seniority. By removing the power to make those assignments from Rep. Wilbur Mills and his Ways and Means Committee, perhaps the Democrats can persuade committee members to be more responsive to party goals. Hopefully, Democratic 'committee: assignments now will be based more , on competence rather than on how long a Representative has warmed his House seat. The Democratic Caucus this week also enlarged the size of the Mill's committee from 25 to 37 members. Weighted on the liberal side, the committee should be more repre sentative of the House membership. The Mills committee's recent -handling of such party priorities as national health insurance and tax reform has often seemed to contradict party goals. With this beginning, Americans should look forward to a 94th Congress that realizes the status quo is less than sacred. Jane Owens nancy stohs second thouo A - fr t ( ' Is Commandment One: "Thou shalt be loyal to no othei countries before the United States of America, and that includes the starving nations of the world and Canada." (Aimed at draft dodgers, perhaps?) Commandment Two: "Thou shalt not take the name of Ford, Thy President, in vain." Three: "Remember the 4th of July, Veterans Day and George Washington's birthday, to keep them holy." Four: "Honor thy father and thy mother; they're the taxpayers of the country." Five: "Thou shalt not kill, unless of course, your armed forces commander orders you to." But strongest of all was the eighth commandment. "Thou shalt not bear false or true, for that matter witness against thy President, Vice President I was thoroughly impressed and said so. "Mr. President, these laws are even better than their original counterparts. I'm glad to see someone trying to perpetuate and glorify the power structure of the federal government. , "Well, maybe they lost a little in the translation," the President said. "But I thought all in all we were quite objective. And then they try to tell us Mr. Rockefeller would have to deal with conflicts of interest? Ridiculous." Ridiculous, I agree. 5 1 in J - V v ' 'r Eternal Flame? page 4 daily nebraskan thursday, decemberS, 1974 A 0 . 4 4. A 4 , 9