daily nebraskan
thursday, february 23, 1978
' oninion
mm vii iiwi 1
Pickets hopefully to strike speakers from fee debate
page 4
What? Picketers in front of the
Administration Building? We
thought that went out with Vietnam.
It may seem like a response
straight out of the '60s, but what can
be expected from a '60s decision?
The two students protesting the NU
Board of Regents' new policy
banning mandatory student fee
support for speakers simply reflect
the type of '60s action taken Satur
day by the regents.
Cutting off all mandatory fees be
cause of public protest that gener
ated from a group of students
concerned about having their student
fees bring a "hate America" philo
sopher such as Jane Fonda to UNL is
a giant step backward into the past
decade.
Although the picketers are a bit
reminiscent of days gone by, we
applaud their efforts. According to
Cecilia Gibb. one of the picketers,
their first goal is to Hood the regents
with protest letters. She said student
response generally has been favor
able, with only a few students
disapproving. Supposedly, more
students are getting their picket signs
ready.
We admire the efforts of these stu
dents who are exercising their rights
as Americans. They are operating
under the same premise the right
to protest on which the Young
Americans for Freedom based their
stop - mandatory - fees - for - spea
kers campaign.
Saturday's regents' meeting is
testimony to the fact that YAF
members were successful in their
campaign. Let's hope that these two
students - representing a majority of
students who oppose the regents'
decision are as successful in their
attempts to reverse or at least
improve, the new speaker policy.
They have the support of the
majority rather than the minor
ity behind them.
Picketing seems to hail back to the
days when students fees were once
again the subject of student-regent
dissent. Obviously, UNL did not
learn its lesson then, for, five years
later, we still are arguing over what
student fees are for. It seems we are
moving backward as time moves on.
Let's hope that this will be the last
we will see of picket signs. More im
portantly, let's hope that when these
signs clear up, so will the controver
sial issue of mandatory student fees.
Correction
Due to a typesetting error, a Daily
Nebraskan editorial Wednesday in
correctly reported that Talks and
Topics budgets S32.500 for major
speakers. The correct flume should
have been S2, 500.
Politicians stir issues before campaign trail dust settles
The current lull before the political storm provides a
good chance to reflect on issues which may be left in the
dust as the 1978 campaign livens.
1978 is President Carter's year of put up or shut up.
He must accomplish major legislative victories as well
as provide firmer guidance for the nation. He has com
pleted his learning period and he now must begin to lead
the nation in a definite direction.
Two initial victories he must win are ratification of the
Panama Canal treaties and the completion of his energy
package. He has put his political reputation on the line
with these issues and cannot afford to lose cither.
There is much talk around Washington about Carter be
coming a one-term president; some say through his own
choice, others say through incompetence.
The Carter presidency will be judged on how he
handled the pressing domestic issues which existed when
I I A.
gamott
for the treaties is known, but his vote remains to be
decided.
Finally, an issue of national significance and interest
is being raised in the Republican governor's campaign.
The use of the congressional franking privilege (free
mail for government-related business) by Rep. Charles
Thone has become an issue in the governor's contest.
While the propriety of Th one's use of the frank
remains for the voters to decide, the issue deserves dis
cussion. The franking privilege was the subject of a recent law
suit by Common Cause, the citizen's lobby group. The
suit charged that much of the material sent out under the
frank did not constitute official necessary business and
was used for the representative's political benefit.
The issue here is not the response sent to constituents
who contacted representatives, but the use of mass
mailings in which the purpose and need is less clear.
It is imperative that Congress do as much as possible
to improve its current low standing with the American
people.
Lliminating such self-serving mass mailings from the
benefit of the franking privilege would be a step in the
right direction.
Using Congressional offices for self-perpetuation
should be limited as much as possible.
Deliberate wrongdoing may not be present, but
examples such as the current charge against Congressman
Thone do not serve to improve the image of Congress or
politicians in general.
he took office. He has begun to deal with these problems
and has submitted legislation to Congress.
Questions about Carter's ability to work with Congress
on legislation deemed necessary by the president will be
answered this year. This perhaps will be the most import
ant benchmark of any presidency.
On a related subject, Sen. Ed Zorinsky recently
announced his intention to allow a public opinion poll to
at least partially govern his decision on the Panama Canal
treaties.
While the Zorinsky method may be popular, it raises
many questions.
Taken to its logical conclusion, the Zorinsky method
could eliminate the need for national or local legislatures.
We could merely hire Geroge Gallup to conduct national
opinion polls on all issues, or institute some type of
national referendum system.
Admittedly, the wishes of a respresentative's constitu
ents must be taken into account when he decides any
issue. But he also should consider his own feelings and
beliefs; after all, he was elected for his good judgment and
he should exercise this judgment.
Sen. Zorinsky 's vote will be watched not only by
Nebraskans, but the entire nation. His personal support
to the editor
A Monday editorial in the Daily Neb
raskan suggested that the regents' decision
to cut mandatory speaker funding was a
wise one politically and a deadly blow
educationally.
They are elected with the understanding
that they will develop sufficient insight and
knowledge from being involved with the
university community, and that they will
make decisions concerning the university
community from their better judgements.
How can people in the opposite end of
the state (the regents' constituents) really
know what is best for the university com
munity and its students9
Is restricting the stimulative thought
process of students best for the constit
uents "back there", or in the best inter
est of the majority of students9
The whole idea reminds me of Senator
14 Zorinsky and the Panama Canal issue.
He appears to be placing heavy emphasis
on his constituents" opinion. But in such a
heated issue concerning the nation's
future, how, many of Zorinsky 's constit
uents have the insight Zorinsky has gained
through listening to Senate debates'.'
Scott Whitcomb
Senior Journalism Major
Right to display
Since early December 1. the K'KAN
KAR Student Society has been the sublet
of an unjustified vendetta of some person
or group of people Books, literature, and
even the identification boards from the
Nebraska I'nion have been torn down and
tossed into the nearest wastehaskct. No!
only is this action illegal, immoral, and
unconstitutional, it just plain does not
make any sense.
ICKANKAR teaches that each person
or group of people has a right to their own
ideas. We arc not crusaders and we arc not
out to convert anyone to our awareness of
life. The literature and books are merel
being presented for those who are looking,
even searching, for greater awareness
As we respect the thought and propcrtv
of others, we sincerely hope that others
will respect us. I very time these books are
stolen, we believe that this person will
realie that his actions are theft and cannot
be tustificd by any legitimate belief system.
With this realization, we hope that out
nght to display material at the union will
be respected.
Keith Larsen
Graduate student