Wednesday, november 14, 1979
lincoln, nebraska vol. 103 no. 55
O
u
Nelbirfflskffi Canter
By Barb Richardson
Pres. Jimmy Carter's campaign force entered Nebraska
last weekend. -
Scott Burnett, Carter's regional coordinator for Mis
souri, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas, visited Omaha
and Lincoln Nov. 9 and 10 to work on Carter's Nebraska
campaign, according to DiAnna Schimek, First Congres
sional associate chair of the Nebraska State Democratic
Committee.
Nebraska State Democratic Committee Chairman Dick
White said Tuesday that Burnett phoned him last Monday
or Tuesday about the visit.
White was out of town during Burnett's visit.
Schimek, who was a member of Carter's steering comit
tee during the 76 campaign, said Burnett was a member
of the campaign in 1976. She added that she does not
plan to be on the committee again because she plans to
run for the chair of the Nebraska State Democratic Com-
mittee.
"He's from Kansas, very mid-western and people find
him. easy to relate to," Schimek said about Burnett.
Burnett came to Nebraska this weekend to start a Ne
braska steering committee for the campaign and to get
a sense ot what Nebraskans are thinking about Jimmy Car
ter, she said. -...
"The bulk of his work here was to re-establish contacts
with previous Carter supporters and current supporters,"
Pat McCarthy, Second Congressional district chairman of
the Nebraska State Democratic Committee, said Tuesday.
McCarthy added that Burnett also wanted to find peo
ple who would be willing to write him in Washington
about issues they feel should be addressed by Carter,
"He didn't indicate so much what Carter was
concerned about, but wanted to know what Nebraskans
were concerned about," Schimek said.
She added that Burnett said he found Nebraskans
V
-a
Photo by Mitch Hrdlicka
About 50 people gathered at the Nebraska State Capitol Tuesday to protest the holding of 60 American hostages in
Iran. - -1
Chambers calls death penalty unfair
By Liz Austin
The death penalty is impractical and unjust, according
to State Sen. Ernest Chambers of Omaha, :
Chambers, who spoke Tuesday at the Law College
on his proposed bill that would repeal the Nebraska
death penalty, said the death penalty is unjust because
it isn't imposed on most people who are candidates for
it, as penalties for other crimes.
The majority of those who commit homicides don't
even go to court with the death penalty option, he
explained. Those who impose the death penalty pick and
chose not on the nature of the crime, but according to the
way they feel that day, he said.
"People in the state pen have committed worse crimes
than those m death row," Chambers said.
WHETHER to impose the death penalty is decided
on an irrational basis with no system of specificity, he
said. Many homicides are classified as justifiable or ex
cusable, but who in society is in the position to make
this determination, he asked.
According to Chambers, society is not in a position
to make that determination. They can't make one state
ment or principle that applies in all circumstances, he
said. .
The majority of homicides occur among family
members or friends, Chambers said, and the uncertainty
of these domestic situations cause people to excuse these
homicides.
D
o n
o
20 million bricks: Local brick company thrives on clay
from area. Page 6.
Facing the world: Columnist tries professional face
cleansing method in search of new beauty . . . Page 10.
Juicy, Sticky, cottony mess: Columnist Ron Powell ex
amines post season bowl possibilities Pas 12.
If the state gives the right to kill its own citizens, it
should have a careful system of specificity, Chambers
said, adding that it should explain what is done and why,
with careful steps to carry it out.
But even if Nebraska had a system of specificity,
Chambers said that he doesn't feel that the state would
have the right to take a citizen's life.
'The laws of a society should not reflect the most
barbaric or meanest things in a society," Chambers
said. "Rather the best thing for a society to do is to be
civilized and set goals for people to reach for and offer
guidelines to reach them."
WHEN ONE allows something as evil as the death
penalty into society, society is bound to lose control and
the evil gets out of hand, he said.
"Frankenstein tried when he created something evil
and he could not build in a mechanism of control,"
Chambers said.
Cruel and unusual punishment is supposedly uncon
stitutional, he said. It used to be that if one maimed an
other then he would be punished by being maimed, he
said. But this was determined to be cruel and unusual
punishment and if maiming is cruel and unusual punish
ment, then the death penalty certainly is also, he added.
Chambers said that he could understand the use of the
death penalty if there were rationale for its use, but the
number of crimes committed for which the death penalty
is used hasn't diminished. ,
For something the society wants, it seems to be unpop
ular, Chambers asserted.
According to Chambers, past governor, J. James Exon
said he was happy that there was no execution during his
term. And, Chambers said, Gov. Charles Thone feels that
the similar sentences for similar offenses bill will keep :
executions from occurring during his term, so he is not
supporting a repeal of the death penalty. But Thone is
thinking in political terms, Chambers added.
If executions are so good, then why hide them and
why not give the executioner medals as they do the
soldiers? Chambers asked. Instead, he said they keep it
secret, clean and separate from the people who
supposedly want it-society.
were mostly concerned about abortion and the present
situation in Iran.
Although Burnett did not specifically address Sen. Ed
ward Kennedy's campaign, Schimek said Burnett
mentioned that he was surprised at the Irish-Catholics
in Omaha supporting Carter, rather than Kennedy. She
added that it was not necessarily the number of Irish
Catholics, but the "politically important" Irish-Catholics
supporting Carter.
"Scott mentioned that there will probably be a full
time state coordinator in Nebraska sometime in Feb
ruary," she said. "I would expect that a headquarters
would be set up shortly after the coordinator arrives."
According to Schimek, Burnett said he would like to
see a temporary phone number established for Nebraskans
to call if they have questions about Carter's campaign.
Schimek said she expects Burnett to return to
Nebraska before the first of the year to permanently es
tablish the state's steering committee.
Protesters decry
emoassy takeover
By Wayde Wrich
Between 40 and 50 people gathered in front of the
state capitol Tuesday to protest the holding of 60
American hostages in Iran.
, With photographers, reporters and law enforcement
officers looking on, the protestors expressed concern for
the hostages' safety . .
"I think the United States has been pushed around too
long, and I don't think we should meet their demands,"
UNL Student Ronda Dohse said . :"; -"
English major Jody Weldon said, "I think the fact that
there are more journalists and officers here than
protesters just shows the apathy of most people."
Dohse said she wasn't asking for deportation of Iranian
students think Carter made a good move when he
decided to stop buying oil from Iran ," she said . v
Weldon said the United States should cut all
relations and economic ties with Iran.
"Whether we should do it now or after the release of
the hostages, I don't know," she said.
NU President Ronald Roskens and the chancellors of
the three NU campuses, commended students Tuesday for
maintaining their composure during the crisis in Iran. In a
prepared statement, they said "It is especially important
to avoid any incidents that might endanger the welfare of
the hostages."
' Continued on Page 6
4 v .
o
o
o
N is--. J
' 1 sh
(
Photo by Mitch Hftflska
State Sen. Ernest Chambers