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daily neoraskan
guest
opinion
Students
three re
By Karen Lundquist
The time has come for students to exercise their politi
cal power! ..... L
After pursuing every university administrative patn to
allow alcohol consumption and 24-hour visitation on cam
pus, many students think they have reached a dead end.
Frustration bred by unreasonable and illogical ex
planations of opposing regents has triggered two extreme
reactions, neither which would benefit students. They are
the popular apathetic nonreaction and, at the opposite
end of the scale, a revolutionary attitude based primarily
on mass violation of conduct codes.
In past years we have seen the regents use student
apathy as an excuse to refuse student requests.
Explaining that a proposal lacks student support, the
regents have denied student rights. Even this year, after
letters to
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I have finally come to an agreement with Sen. Ernie
Chambers on an issue. I think it would be a fine idea to
execute vicious criminals in Memorial Stadium. I would
further suggest that the electrocutions take place during
halftime of a Big Red football game. The band can be
pretty boring after a number of Saturday afternoons.
I do not agree that the governor and other officials
should pull the lever however. I think the victim or
members of the victim's family should have the pleasure
of getting revenge on a criminal who has hurt them.
Public killings would also cut down on prison
populations. 1 think we should all get on the bandwagon
of the Omaha senator and lobby for this creative and just
resolution to the problems we have with law and order.
If there aren't any hoodlums there won't be any crime.
America can be safe again.
Ben Sullivan
Racism rehashed?
Here we go again! The same old rehash of racism,
oppression and exploitation. Okay, fine, we all know it,
now "can" the rhetoric.
Everybody is discriminated against at one time or
another. We all have our individual problems because lite
is oftentimes cruel and hard. Being white can be difficult
also.
I think minority groups might be better off if they do
not demonstrate such extreme arrogance and impatience.
If we do not learn to live together, then everyone (not
only whites) have to try to be cooperative.
Rudy Graham
Keep the draft
It was with sincere regret that I read the article on the
closing of the Selective Service Office in Lincoln (Daily
Nebraskan, Feb. 27.). I fear tht America is losing its guts
and will soon find itself in the grasp of a foreign
influence. It wasn't hurting anyone to be up for the draft
at the age of 18. We all had to face it. Now we are turning'
our backs to the United States' pledge to protect the free
world. We have a volunteer army that is made up of mis-'
fits and lazy drifters.
I honestly feel that we will pay for our weakness later
on when other nations see that we are willing to give up
our peace-keeping functions throughout the world.
The next thing you know they will be granting total
amnesty to all of those who "wouldn't face the music"
like so many others of us had to do in Vietnam. Keep the
draft or we'll be blown away by the might of others
more corrupt than ourselves.
PhUip 0. Stewart
Not guilty
I wish to inform all those who may have seen or heard
of my detention by Campus Police on Monday night,
March 1, in connection with the pulling of a false fire
alarm at Schramm Hall. I was found innocent.
I wish to extend my personal thanks to Campus
Police, The Schramm Hall residence director, and to all
interested parties for their support, assistance, and show
of professionalism. I have learned the true meaning of
luunility. r
.Steve Kemp
surveys of 40 per cent of the residence hall population
showed that 50 per cent preferred the 0 to 24 hour visi
tation option and 84 per cent preferred alcohol in their
living units, some regents still question student support.
Although about 50 students attended the regents Feb.
14 meeting to support the proposals, the lack of prior
'student-regent contact was evident. If UNL students are
ready to utilize the rights we supposedly assumed upon
reaching the age of majority, we must prove it through
mass support when next year's proposals reach the board.
The second extreme could be much more detrimental
Wednesday, march 3, 1976
'support urged;
ents targeted
to student popularity in outstate Nebraska. After being
labeled "children," irrational action such as mass violation
of conduct codes would prove the accused immaturity of
students too impatient to seek logical means. News of the
negative action would spread through Nebraska faster
than the concern and research that went into the pro
posed experimental options. Obviously, any student reac
tion should be orderly and disciplined to create the most
positive reputation for students.
Perhaps the most viable solution is the tremendous
amount of previously untapped student political power.
With the current regents in office, there is no chance of
passing either proposal. The emotional decisions regard
ing these student rights were, for the most part, made be
fore students presented any arguments and evidence.
Fortunately, this year students can replace three regents
who have histories of opposing student rights. They are
James Moylan, Robert Koefoot and Robert Prokop.
For six years students have, dealt with the inadequate
attitudes and decisions of these elected-and-not-appointed
officials. Now, with enough support, we can replace them
with competent and objective representatives.
Accomplishing this end requires:
Finding possible regent candidates with views sympa
thetic to student concerns yet, representative of public
opinion within their districts. Such a movement has
started and will end March 1 2, the filing date.
-Continuous campaigning for studert-supported candi
dates until the November elections to convince parents
and taxpayers of the need to oust the incumbents.
-Registering students in those districts and encourag
ing them to vote. Students voting in a block can carry
enough weight in these districts to overwhelm the incum
bents. Anyone doubting this should recall the 1974 stu
dent regent amendment-student absentee ballots
finalized the vote in favor of the amendment.
By using political means to remove those regents from
their positions, other regents sharing their views will be
forced to recognize students' political force.
If you feel an obligation to this cause that will carry
your enthusiasm through the summer into the November
elections, then we need your help. Thursday night, past
McGovern campaign manager, Jim Humlicek will speak at
an organizational meeting at 7 p.m. in the Abel Hall Noith
Office. The topic concerns campaign tactics. Volunteers
can call 472-8455 or 472-8659 for further information.
Karen Lundquist is a junior majoring in Chemical
Engineering.
word
unheard
Exploding the China myth
a society of hollow men ?
By Del Gustafson
Last week, Richard Nixon returned to Red China.
Since Nixon's first visit there in 1971, we Americans have
greedily gobbled up any news from that mysterious land,
so long sealed from the corrupting influence of the United
States. Some reflections are in order upon the picture of
Red Chinese society we have received and the manner in
which Americans have received that picture.
Styles seem to change slowly in Red China. The basic
grey gown with matching revolutionary beret ensemble
continues to enjoy 100 per cent popularity. That capri
cious tyrant, fashion, has been overthrown in China. No
longer does the Chinese peasant have to concern himself
with what he will wear: the Party is the ultimate arbiter
of style.
The typical problems of the Western working-man do
not confront the Chinese worker. The Party, in its infinite
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place of employment.
The Party even controls art in Red China. For ballet
lovers, the fare consists either of (1) glorification of some
aspect of the revolution, (2) determination to subjugate
Taiwan (3) denunciation of the revisionist Soviets, or (4)
denunciation of the decadent Americans. There is no
biting political satire here; Chevy Chase would not last
long in Peking.
But the deeper question is, would there be any distent
in China if it were allowed? To answer this question,
probe the essence of the Chinese Revolution. One need
watch only so many Chinese peasants marching merrily
to the fields, and listen to only so many observers com
ment upon the absence of crime in China until a realiza-
ratph by ron wheeler
tion of the totality of the revolution sinks in. The Taiwan
ese used to call for a revolution on the mainland; one
might just as well urge the cattle of China to revolt. The
Party, I fear, determines human behavior. ' -
The mechanism whereby this remarkably sanitary uni
formity has been achieved is quite simply mass murder.
The sight of a few thousand ancestor-worshippers, black
marketeers and various other social misfits floating dead
down the Yangtze is sufficient to rivet any Chinese young
ster's eye upon the angelic face of Chairman Mao.
And what has been the response of Americans to this
national experiment in behavior modification? Do we, like
Lady Astor to Stalin, accost Mao and ask him why he is
killing people? Definitely not. Instead, our journalists
extol the benefits of Maoism for the Chinese. Shirley Mac
hine, freshly returned from a visit to the anthill society of
Red China, sounded as if she had been granted a glimpse
of Heaven. Our Presidents toast China's murderous tyrants
in terms generally reserved for Grandpa Walton.
We Americans allow this kind of claptrap to continue
because our philosophical underpinnings havo become
materialistic. If a regime ushers in material progress, and
in the process, transforms people into automatons, we
nod our collective approval. Mussolini made the trains run
on time-hooray for Mussolini.
The whole affair makes one return to his room and
heartily thank God that he lives in greedy, crime-ridden
America. And maybe even slip in a short prayer that the
next time any American praises the achievements of the
Chinese slave-drivers without mentioning the awesome
cost, they be miraculously transported to a Cantonese rice
field where they, too, can sing the glories of the revolu
tion, and join the ranks of the hollow men.
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