monday, november6, 1978
daily nebraskan
page 5
oped
Today's voters indefensible, Shaw's theory still applies
It was Saturday night, and my room
mate noted that this was the 42nd straight
weekend I could reuse the blank pages of
my social calendar.
When I responded that I had devoted
my evening to exhorting UNL students to
exercise their God-given right and duty of
voting, he laughed.
"Tell me, " he said, "have you never
heard of Shaw's theory that democracy
merely substitutes election by the imcom
petent many for selection by a corrupt
few?"
michael gibson
I replied that Shaw's theory was con
cocted in the 1910s, when the high illiter
acy rate and sparsity of information
insured that few voters knew who they
were voting for.
"Indeed," he agreed, "we have now
progressed to the point where, according to
a UNL survey, almost 31 percent of
Nebraska voters know who their state sena
tor is. I wonder what percentage know
their senator's stance on state spending,
state aid to education. . . "
Stands not clear
"That's not the voters' fault," I
attacked. "Candidates rarely say where
they stand on an issue."
"Did anyone every ask them?" counter
ed roommate. "Newspapers are full of art
icles describing candidates and their
opinions, but how many Nebraskans read
them? How may have bothered tc write a
candidate about an issue?"
I sensed my defense of the American
voter was in slight trouble.
"Next youH claim that politicians only
give us simple answers to complex
questions," roommate continued, "but
don't we let them get away with it? How
many of us force a candidate to explain ex
actly how he's going to limit state spending
without hurtjng state services?"
"YoufrTay be unhappy about the use of
simpleslogans, but voters eat them up.
Solution killed
"LB 301 is a good example. Its oppon
ents say there's a better solution, but that
same solution was killed twice in two years
by the Unicameral. Has anyone ever asked
them why they don't spend their money
supporting some type of litter control in
stead of on a media blitz against it?"
I contended that most voters are intelli
gent and adopt a laissez-faire attitude only
on issues that don't directly affect them.
"A lid on local government budgets
won't affect them?" roommate responded.
"Increasing state aid to education won't
affect them? Enacting a bottle bill to clean
up their state won't affect them?"
I pondered for a moment, then said that
many voters are repulsed by a political
campaign's yardsigns and radio commer
cials. Name recognition
"Perhaps," he said, "but if voters would
bother to study the candidates themselves,
why would politicains have to spend so
much money just getting their names
known?
"And that's all a candidate tries to do.
Voters know so little that they vote for
people with nice names, or the name they
remember from somewhere or the name
that's listed first.
"Why else would the law require can
didates' names to be rotated on the
ballots?"
By then, I had but one defense:
cynicism.
"Voters should be cynical about politi
cians," my roommate observed. "Who do
you think elected them? If a voter wants
better politicians it's up to him to force
candidates to be qualified, and the only
way to do that is to spend some time
studying politics.
"Besides," he said, "in the words of
Hubert Humphrey, 'If you think politics
is dirty-and if you're clean-get in there
with your own brand of political soap and
clean it up.' "
letters
Continued from Page 4
and I clearly differ on these points. Such
an examination, I am sure, will show that
the experience and qualifications that I
present to the voters substanciates what I
propose.
Doug Bereuter
Disappointing coverage
I am writing to convey my extreme dis
pleasure at your editorial policy concern
ing the lack of review coverage for the
recent School of Music production of the
opera, Werther. (Oct. 26-29).
Although the regular musictheater re
viewer was marginally connected with our
production, his duties involved pre
performance administrative help only, and
I fail to see how this could have affected
his journalistic impartiality in any way.
Indeed, had you bothered to read the re
view submitted to you, you would have
found it an unbiased opinion that discussed
both the strengths and weaknesses pre
sented in the production.
Any reviewer educationally qualified to
write for your paper on the subject of
opera is likely to be a School of Music stu
dent, and if this is viewed as a conflict of
interest, then obviously your only alterna
tive is uninformed criticism. If, however, it
is your personal lack of appreciation for
opera that leads you to suppose that this
art form can be neglected by a newspaper
editor, then I believe that you are laboring
under a serious misunderstanding of the
journalistic profession.
I am looking foward to seeing a change
in your policy concerning future School of
Music performances.
Edward J. Craft
Director
Editor's note: At the time of the as
signment of the review of Werther, we were
unaware that Richard Weigel was the as
sistant director in the production.
No matter if he had a walk-on part or
a major part in the opera, this constitutes
a conflict of interest.
We do not let any reporter involved in
an organization, cover that organization.
We did read the review and because of
the reviewer's conflict of interest, it was
not published.
The ZOO promises you the best in non-commercial
music and the next 6 weeks are no exception . . .
NOVEMBER
6-Monday
SOUR MASH
Country -swing at its finest.
One nite only, $200 Cover.
7, 8-Tuesday. Wednesday
JIM FREIIGH
Excellent Folk Music, no cover.
9-1 1 -Thursday-Saturday
JIMMY JOI II1S0N BLUES BAND
Contemporary Chicago blues by one of the finest 4-pc.
bands in Chicago. Jimmy's high pitched vocals and dy
namic guitar work make this band a power house. $2
cover charge.
13, 14-Monday, Tuesday
JOHN WALKER
The doctor of country -blues takes over. No cover.
15-Wednesday
GID
Piano blues by Lincoln's own master. No Cover.
16, 17-Thursday-Friday
KEARTKURS
Urban blues (featuring some new Heart murmurs).
$1.50 cover.
the ZOO bar
13B N. 14th
MUSIC STARTS AT 9:00.
18-Saturday
TO BE ANNOUNCED
20-Monday
SEAN BENJAMIN
A healthy dose of the blues by the versatile Mr.
Benjamin. No cover.
21. 22-Tuesday -Wednesday
SANDY GREEK PICKERS
Quality bluegrass by this super-tight 5-pc. band.
$1.00 cover.
23-25-Thursday-Saturday
LUTHER ALLISON
The blues-world's top showman, Luther brings an
exciting band (James Solberg on 2nd guitar and Sid
Winfield on organ) back to the Zoo. Always a standing-room-only
crowd for Luther so come early.
$3.00 cover.
27-29-Monday-Wednesday
PETER SPENCER
Solo guitar playing ragtime, jazz and blues. From
Pennsylvania, this is Spencer's first engagement
in Lincoln. He's excellent so don't miss him! No
4, 5-Monday, Tuesday
STEVE CORMIER
Prom Wichita, KS., a country swinger with a joke or
two. No cover.
6-9, Wednesday-Saturday
HEARTHRS
Cook in' urban blues and rhythm and blues. $1.50
cover.
11 -Monday
TO BE ANNOUNCED
12, 13-Tuesday, Wednesday
JOHN WALKER
Excellent country -blues. No cover.
14-1 6-Thursday-Saturday
ROBERT JR. L0CKW00D
63 year old Robert Jr. Lockwood learned guitar from
his stepfather, the legendary Robert Johnson. He
performed in Arkansas for a number of years with
Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson), and recorded
in Memphis with B.B. King and Jimmy Rogers.
In Chicago he played and recorded with such blues
giants as Willie Mabon, Muddy Waters, the Moon
glows, Little Walter and others. He and his excellent
group (now from Cleveland, Ohio) will be making
their first Nebraska appearance. Don't miss it. $2.50
cover.
cover.
NOVEMBERDECEMBER
30-2-Thursday-Saturday
PRESTON LOVE GROUP
Having played with Ray Charles, Count Basie,
Wynonie Harris, Johnny Otis, and many others,
Preston brings years of rhythm and blues experience
to the Zoo. Excellent Sax! $1 30 Cover.
136 N, 14th