paga4
daily nebraskan
Wednesday, October 24, 1979
Parentis' vs child's rights controversy not solved
Chad Green is dead. The three-year-old
leukemia victim was buried
in Hastings Saturday. He had become
a national figure when his parents, in
defiance of a Massachusetts court
order, took him off chemotherapy
and escaped with him to Tijuana for
laetrile and vitamin treatments.
With his death, the debate about
the moral character of the Greens
has become moot. And, rightly, Gov.
Charles Thone announced Monday
that "The State of Nebraska will not
add to their suffering" by allowing
Massachusetts to extradite Gerald
and Diana Green to face contempt-
of-court charges.
But even though this case has been
closed, the social debate about
parents rights and childrens' rights
has just begun.
Already there are other cases. In
California, the courts have ruled that
a boy with Down's syndrome cannot
have surgery without his parents'
permission. The parents of Phillip
Becker have refused to give the per
mission because, they say, they fear
Phillip will outlive them to live un
happily in an institution.
In another case, this one in New
Jersey, a judge has said that a boy
with Hodgkin's disease can be treat
ed with laetrile and metabolic cures,
against medical advice but according
to his family's wishes.
In both cases, the courts have re
sponded by allowing these difficult
decisions to be made by the parents.
The court in California took special
pains to make sure that it steered
clear of the "quality of life" debate
and made its decision on purely legal
grounds. .
There is a danger in following such
philosophy. It is difficult to deter
mine what is in the "best interest of
the child" in purely legal terms.
Is it better to live in an institution
for the rest of one's life, or is it
better to die a natural death? If a
child has a terminal disease, who
should choose the method of treat-ment-especially
if one treatment is
painful (chemotherapy) and the
other (laetrile) likely to be ineffect
ive? Those are not strictly legal quest
ions and there never will be strictly
legal answers. We cannot allow the
courts to take a black and white
approach to such cases. Always, "the
best interest of the child" should be
the deciding factor.
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Needless to say, we were dismayed when we read the
headline in Tuesday's Daily Nebraskan which said "Pro
lifer to give talk on abortion controversy." The article it
self, about Ms. Judith Levin's PRO-CHOICE presentation,
, was accurate. It is the mistake in the headline to which we
object, To put the wrong label on the speaker is as serious
an error as reporting that a Nazi will speak to an audience
of Jews.
Ms. Levin, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney,
from New York, will represent a pro-choice point of view
in her lecture. To label her as she was labeled is an error of
such magnitude that it boggles the mind. Her address, en
titled Abortion: A Religious and Legal Controversy will
be held Thursday, Oct, 25, 7:00 p.m. in the Nebraska
Union Ballroom. The event is sponsored by the Women's
Resource Center, the Student V, the Nebraska Religious
Coalition for Abortion Rights and the Nebraska Civil
liberties Union. We urge everyone to attend the lecture
on this very important issue.
Mary Emanuel
Representing the Women's Resource Center
Pornography criticism relevant
I am writing in response to the Oct. 1 1 and 12 issues of
the Daily Nebraskan. I was especially interested in the two
articles responding to Nebraska student William Watters
speech to a small group of NU students on Oct. 10. I
believe that the points Mr. Watters made regarding the
guidelines for advertising in the Daily Nebraskan were
relevant and responsible criticism.
Instead of supporting advertisers who advocate
X-rated, pornographic films and theatres, why not take
the opportunity to educate your readers about porno
graphy? For a college newspaper to promote advertise
ments that degrade 50 percent of its readership seems in
appropriate, if not abusive. Violence in pornography leads
to violence in the streets, in the bedroom, and in the
office. Perhaps if people were actually aware of how
women and children are depicted in these films and maga
zines, they'd be weary of financially supporting these
establishments.
It is my opinion that Mr. Watters was not attacking the
Daily Nebraskan as much as speaking out on behalf of
responsible journalism. For that reason, the editorial
printed in the Oct. 12 issue seemed unfair. From Us tone,
it appeared to me that the individual who wrote the
editorial had not even attended Mr, Watters' presentation.
This leads me to further conclude that the paper respond
ed defensively, rather than acknowledging Mr. Watters
ideas as valid criticism and suggestions for better serving
the interest of your readers.
If the Daily Nebraskan's goal is to teach responsible
journalism, I think it had better re-examine its editorial
policy on such issues. I'm sure that there are plenty of
local businesses which would be glad to advertise in your
paper. Vou do have the right to be selective.
Stephanie Marino
San Diego
Director responds
I feel that I must respond to the story on page 1 of the
Daily Nebraskan for Oct. 19. As I feared, when I was in
discussions with various persons concerning the complaint
raised by Leslie Harlow, that the story to be printed
would put the whole matter in a simplistic light and that
the reporter's delight in finding "trenchant" comments
would result in inaccuracy of representation or give the
impression that persons being quoted were on the verge of
idiocy, . ..
Continued on Page 5
Winter initiation is
a common hardship,
can crack isolation
Winter 1980. We have seen its commencement once
again-and survived. ,
The annual initiation by the elements-that-be, into the
dark, cold, eternal thing called Winter, exerts a powerful
influence on the UNL community.
sfidCiin
It-is embarrassingly easy to "blow off trivial matters
like deadlines, election days and prestigious guest speak
ers. But no one crossed campus this past Monday morning
during the Great 8:30 a.m. Migration without subjecting
themselves to total involvement in a common struggle
against wet, windy snow. '
What a unifying phenomena, right? Unlike tuition in-
creases, tne onset ot baa weatner is a visible, immediate
hardship. And our exposure to its first occurrence
nrnviiles us with an irlpnl nnnnrtnnitv fnr milliner tnoether.
for becoming friendly allies instead of competitors for
grades and jobs.
I said ideal.
. Once inside the classroom, the shared exasperation of
demummifying ourselves for the first time can thaw the
barrier of distance set up by so many people. But for the
duration of time spent out in the; weather, especially this
first time, each person is on hisher own. '
The wind whipped furiously around the bundled
jigures crossing the campus. A lead-filled sky suspended
ominous, bloated clouds in all directions. A student
wrapped in wool and corduroy struggled to reach her
destination, but her footprints, refusing to set themselves
down straight ahead, keot drifting off to the south, driven
by the wind. This impeded progress and forced all the stu
dent 's energy into deliberate walking, and she lowered her
hooded head to strengthen her resistence.
The world around ceased to exist as the hood of her
coat swallowed her ears and forehead.
Timidly at first, she skirted still newly-formed puddles,
and flinched at eacTt new blast of snow. The lonely sound
of the wind created its own silence, and she wondered, "Is
there no conversation this morning, or can J just not hear
A venturesome peak from inside the drooping hood
revealed other solitary figures before another icy blast
forced a retreat into its confines. "At least they are there,'
there, " she consoled herself as she let go of the panicky '
thought that it was really only Sunday morning.
This is isolation the uncertainty that the rest of
humanity is still within an arm's length. The hood itself
doesn't matter; it can be Camp 7, White Stag, or Halston
designed, arid still symbolize the effect of cold weather
on our attitudes and behavior.
In time, we resign ourselves to the increasing cold, and
learn to talk and fight the wind at the same time again.
Even more Importantly, this is Nebraska, and by late Mon
day afternoon, the clouds had dispersed themselves to
where used storm clouds go, and the sun was once again
uj&iui&miiig an me goias ana reas oi auiums ncca. n
could reach 70 degrees by Thursday.
And maybe it won't snow again until November. Mon
A hiklnff boots
and wet hair and cold fingers, might have been worthwhile
if it causes us to appreciate a little more the temporary
beauty of this Midwestern fall.