page 4
daily nebraskan
thursday, january 29, 1981
pJi0iil(o.
LJ s4 LJ
Educational decisions should be made at local level
Deciding whether to teach the
theory of creation concurrently witli
evolution philosophy in public
schools should be done on the local
level, not mandated by the state
Legislature.
A Legislative bill heard in a coin
mitee hearing this week would re
quire both theories to be studied
when the origin of humanity is dis
cussed in the classroom. According
to Grand. Islan Sen. Howard Peter
son, the proposal would "foster
balance of fairness and not advocate
religious teaching."
However, it is impossible to separ
ate religious doctrine from any of
the many creatioist theories.
Another problem with the prop
osal is that it is too specific, which
may cause it to be interpreted to ex
clude discussion of other theories
relating to creation or evolution phil
osophies. Because of the specific nature of
the bill, a question of whether it is
designed to promote a certain relig
ious viewpoint in public schools also
arises. This is a very important quest
ion since such efforts would repre
sent a clear violation of the separa
tion of church and state constitut
ional clause.
(Jiving teachers the flexibility to
devise their own curriculums is es
sential if they are expected to pro
vide quality, personalized instruct
ion. Teaching creationist theory is not
prohibited in public schools. If prob
lems exist if evolution is being
taught as the only philosophy ex
plaining the origin of humanity
then this is not balanced instruction
and should be dealt with according
ly. The appropriate way to deal with
it is to have local school boards that
assume responsibility for the mater
ial covered in their classrooms con
front the problem.
Most teachers are not theologians;
nor are they surrogate parents. Par
ents and guardians deserve to be
closely involved in decisions concern
ing curriculum relating to this sens
itive subject. Without a doubt, that
involvement' is maximized on the
local level. '
The educational needs of students
varies from town to town, even from
school to school. Curriculum decis
ions, therefore, should be made on
the local level by those who are more
attuned to the community's prob
lems and concerns relating to educat
ion than are state legislatures.
YELLOW FLVER.
A TERMINAL
CASE...
y bAy?LUfBK IWQ
H
unters defend desire to kill
Editor's note: This is the fourth article in a five-part
series.
Three shots rang out in the forest. Roy Blizzard's
shotgun followed the grouse that flew toward the trees.
Blizzard was doing his best to kill the bird, hut it managed
to fly away with its life.
is) grecne
"Damn," Blizzard said,
to show you one."
'I thought I was gonna be able
I was glad that he had missed, but I didn't say any
thing. Our day in the West Virginia hills was coming to
an end. Because of the severe weather, the hunters had
been able to flush only three grouse from the underbrush
all day, and they had not been able to kill any of them. I
had not fired a shot at a bird; the only times I had squeez-
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ed the trigger had been to find out what it felt like to un
leash that firepower, and my shots had dropped harmless
ly into the forest. I felt good that my instincts had not led
me to try to kill.
We were all tired. The four of us Blizzard , CM).
Duncan, Bo Griffith and myself had been trudging
through the snow, over the hills and between the trees tor
five hours. These West Virginians were true hunters the
people I had called "perverts" and "the sickest of the
sick" in my original column and now we were trying to
make it out of the forest before darkness set in.
As we walked, we talked about it. I had watched the
hunters do what they do all day; now I wanted to hear
them tell me why.
"I just love to jump those birds and shoot them," said
Blizzard. 45. "The days when I can jump 40 or 50 birds,
its a real turn-on. The more birds you find, the more turn
ed on you get."
I asked Blizzard if he couldn't get the same satisfaction
from going into the woods with a camera.
"No," he said. "I like to shoot those birds. Once I've
killed a bird, if I could breathe life back into him, I
would. But then I'd go out and hunt him again the next
day.
"I don't apologize for my feelings. When I was a kid. I
felt bad when I shot my first bird. But now I don't.
Whether or not that's callous, it doesn't bother me at all
now. When I go out. though, my four-year-old daughter
says to me, 'Don't shoot any baby grouse. Daddy.' and I
tell her I won't shoot any babies.
"I don't think I'm a bloodthirsty gu hvervbody has a
different outlet, and this is the one that was hied into me.
That's why it's a good thing you came out here When you
get into another man's game, you learn some things you
didn't know before."
D.C. Duncan, 26, said that even though we hadn't
killed any grouse during the day, it had not been a total
vaste to him. "The enjoyment of being out here with
good friends is a big part of it," he said. "It's not just the
kill -it's the whole experience."
I told him that I agreed, it was great to be out here in
the wilderness but if that's the thrill, why not just go for
a hike, without guns?
Continued on Page 5
Satan proposes
one helluva plan
(The scene: Hades. Satan has been reading the morning
paper, mumbling obscenities to himself with the turn of
even page. As Satan's personal secretary, I am minding
my own business, sitting at my desk and playing solitaire.)
"Scribe, get over here!" I hear Satan say, and scramble
to his desk. I am not overjoyed with my work or my boss,
mind you. but a job is a job in these recession-riddled
times, so I try to act like I am happy here.
"We have a problem," says Satan.
"1 figured that," I respond, "since you never call me
over here unless we have a problem."
dark
"We are facing a seveie image problem with the Ameii
can public."
"The ingrates," I say.
"No kidding." Satan wads up a section of the paper
and throws it into an incinerator. (We have incinerators all
over around here.) "I have been as loyal to the American
public as I can possibly be. livery time the going got
tough. I came through for them. Look at the Depression.
Right when the American economy hits low ebb, I show
up with Adolph Hitler and World War II. and America is on
top of the world again."
"That was your idea'.'"
"Sure, and a helluva plan it was, too, no pun intended.
But that won't help us now."
"Yes it will," I say. "The American economy is at low
tide again. If we bring them another good war to sink
their teeth into they'll respond, same as always."
"Won't work." says Satan. "I tried that already. Big
brouhaha between the United States and Iran. It was a
natural. Shah with oodles of American pals goes down in
coup, new first banana resembles a manic Santa Claus and
snaps up every American left in the country as hostages."
"The Americans were probably drooling to fight that
one." I say.
"Some of them were, but not enough. I tried every
thing. I had this guy call America a Satanic power."
"That's your best shot."
"I know, and they didn't take it. Would you believe
me if I said that America not only did not start a war to
get revenge, but paid cash for the release of the hostages?"
"You just can't count on anything anymore."
"That's the truth. But we have a new idea, and that's
where you come in."
"Fire away "
"We start with a media blitz. Now that the hostages
are in America again, we start getting people to talk
revenge, like America should go blast the infidels back to
the Stone Age or something. I'll let you write these your
self, spare no expense to make inflammatory statements."
"What if that doesn't work?"
"I've thought of that. What we have to do next is
dangle something in front of America that it wants so
badly that it would go back to war to get it. And we
both know what that would be."
"Oil?" I say.
"Right. America will walk into hell to find a good
oil field, and we're going to help make one available to
them ."
"Sounds like a good plan."
"I hope so." says Satan. "I have never been more
desperate. If we can't get America back to the blood -splashing
days that made it great, if America starts look
ing for other ways to solve its problems, we will be
losing one of our steadiest customers. And you know
what that means." he said. "Recruitment goes down, wage
cuts, people get laid off and pretty soon you and I are
both out of work."
"I'll get right to work on it," I said, already turning
to get back to my desk. "Don't worry. I'll have Americans
dancing with their machine guns in no time."
"Good luck." said Satan.