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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
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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.
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Eternal Flame?
page 4
daily nebraskan
thursday, decemberS, 1974
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