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Daily Nebraskan
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MX mossile piropoinieinite
stick to ttiieio' otgds
If at first you don't succeed, try, try,
again, and again, and 32 more times . . .
That seems to be the logic behind
proponents of the MX, who have made
35 futile attempts to find a reasonable
plan to deploy the missiles. But like any
die-hards worthy of the name, they
stuck to their guns and have proposed
the same plan to base MX missiles in
Nebraska and Wyoming which Congress
rejected just a year and a half ago.
If Reagan and Congress accept this
"new" plan, Ncbraskans will be the re
cipients of 31 of 100 MX missiles to be
placed in Minuteman III silos. Who said
the Panhandle was only good for cattle
and the Sandhills?
Not President Reagan. He is deter
mined as ever to strengthen our military
capabilities at any cost. Never mind that
the plan is already obsolete. The com
mission making the recommendations
admitted as much ; its plan also called
for development of a mobile, single
warhead missile to supplement the MX.
The MX is open to attack in more
ways than one. Each MX missile would
hold 10 nuclear warheads, instead of the
three held by the Minutemen. Since the
Soviets know where the current sites
are, said Sen. J. James Exon, this change
would increase the Soviet's strike force.
The missiles' vulnerability to attack means,
in effect, that they would be viewed as
"first-strike weapons," wluch Cxon said
would have "destabilizing" effects on
Soviet relations. It would be easier to
expand sea-based or submarine-launched
missiles which would be as accurate as
the MX. The latter have the advantage
of mobility, making them less vulnerable
to attack.
Of greatest consequence for Ncbraskans,
however, is the threat of losing farmland.
Because the MX is vulnerable, it would be
almost mandatory to build an anti-ballistic
missile defense system to protect the
missile sites. Both Exon and Sen. Edward
Zorinsky oppose this because it would
take so much farmland out of production.
The creation of a ABM defense system
would also put an end to the Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty of 1972, "the only arms
control treaty in history which eliminated
Graduating columnist decides
to pursue career in
bowEn
1 wasn't surprised; I'd mingled before.
I knew it was just a dumb thing college
kids often say to strangers at a mixer.
It's a friendly, if unoriginal, gesture. It's
like in these silly '70s when goofballs used
to try to guess everyone's zodiacal sign.
That was a snap when you had the hang
of it - and this is easier still.
Anyway, this dapper elf saunters over.
"Hey," he says. "Let me try to guess your
major." He's in computer science, 1 notice.
"Sure," 1 say; I'm cordial.
- He pauses to ponder. "Urn," he says.
"You look to me like you're a 45-year-old
undeclared undergraduate. Am I right?"
"Sure," I say; I'm cordial.
He laughs. They always laugh. It's
like my dentures have embarrassing loose
spots but they don't anymore. They
slap my back, as if trying to jar the Poli
Grip. "Ha ha ha," they say. They think
it's enormously funny that, while I have
yet to decide my major, my estranged
daughter has already graduated and is
prospering in New Mexico. "Dave," they
tell me. "You're one kind of guy."
"Sure," I say; I'm cordial.
They take me around to show off at
parties. "Hey," they say. "This is Dave.
He's a non-traditional student."
"I'm 45," I say, anticipating the next
question. I then correct their English. A
non -traditional student is someone who
returns to school as an adult; a professional
student never leaves in the first place.
"Hey," I say, anticipating again. "I'm one
kind of guy."
The last few years, however, have been
a bad time to be a professional in my line.
That's nothing special; that's just the case.
Financing is no longer so cheap and easy
and there's a worsening attitude toward
the elderly.
I think UNL has a secret rule that, if
you don't fulfill your major and group
requirements after 500 credit hours, you're
graduated anyway and given a generic
diploma. It seems like reverse job security.
Today I got an ad from a photographer
who promised to be at the sports center
for graduation, snapping shots of posers
in cap and gown, if I wished to hire him.
"What gall," I said, chagrined - a memoir
of me, in my darkest hour, dressed like
a choirboy with a square halo, receiving
my walking papers, being put to pasture
with only a sheepskin, a certified plain
label bachelor of college, one kind of guy.
"Hey," the youngsters now say, with
awe and belief. "Are you really getting out
of here?"
"Sure," I say; I'm as cordial as a lame
duck.
"Hey," they say. "What are you going
to do, like when you get out?"
"Sleep, I imagine."
"I mean, what arc you going to do,
like for money?"
"Donate plasma, I presume."
"I mean, what are goint to do, like
after you're out a while?"
"In nine months, I know, I'll have to
start repaying the $40,000 I owe in student
loans."
"I mean, what are you going to do, like
as in how do you picture yourself - say,
three years down the road? What do you
hopefully see yourself doing?"
I pause to ponder. "Urn, I'm a janitor,
for instance. A couple of us are off sneak
ing coffee, lollygagging, chatting about
quantum mechanics and epistemology, for
instance."
"I mean, what are you going to do, like
your fondest ambition?"
"My fondest ambition is not to have to
worry about repaying the $40,000 I owe
in student loans."
"Dave," they say. "You'll have to pay
it sometime. The tab can't just vanish."
"Sure," I say. "It can. The clause reads
no repayment while you're in school. So
I'm thinking I may return as a graduate
student - go for a masters. I have friends
enrolled in bowling who say that that's a
fine program."
Although I sort of like the gray, I'm
also thinking of dying my hair blonde,
to draw attention away from the
embarrassing liver spots I'm getting. But
I don't foresee real drastic changes. I
imagine, when you see me down the road,
you can still stop and say, "Hey. Let me
guess. You look to me like you're a
50-year-old graduate in bowling college."
I've been bumping around UNL - NU,
we used to call it - for a long time, since
my youth, since 1955, the year Einstein
died and rock'n'roll was born. I guess some
people just cling to academia like ivy. I
suppose you'll see me around maybe
downstairs, going for the spare, my ball
guttering.
"Dave," you'll say. "You're one kind of
guy."
'Are you rum thb b cn c!d f.'.inutcmsn itjlo?"
an entire class of weapons," according to
the Roosevelt Center for American Policy
Studies.
Transporting the MX missiles would
in itself create problems; the 71 -foot
missiles could not be moved on
the Interstate because of their weight,
so county roads would have to be carved
out and rebuilt. Tlus destruction would
be minor in comparison to the damage a
nuclear attack from either side would do.
If Nebraska is attacked, the sites would
be demolished; if Wyoming is attacked,
the fallout would drift straight to Ne
braska. If the MX missiles were launched,
each of the 10 warheads would be 17
times more destructive than the bomb
dropped on Hiroshima.
One has to question the practicality
of a weapon destined to doom. Western
Nebraska should be especially wary of MX
deployment; yet the twisted logic sur
rounding the whole issue extends even to
Scottsbluff Mayor Don Overman:
"I can't imagine it puts us in any more
jeopardy. You can only be so dead."
Letters
Bible has answer for 'gospel' teacher
After observing the preaching of Bro
Cope last Thursday and Friday at Broyhill
Fountain, I see the need to put his
"evangelism" into a proper Biblical per
spective. His claims of being a prophet and
an apostle (claiming to have seen Jesus
Christ in the flesh six times), make him no
different than any other cult leader of this
age. He spoke "the gospel according to Bro
Cope," and used the Bible as long as it
could be twisted to fit his message.
Concerning his claims to moral perfec
tion, there are only two possible con
clusions that we can make. Friday after
noon 1 gave him the opportunity to choose
which conclusion was true. So that all may
understand the seriousness of his claims of
perfection, I cite what the Bible clearly
states in 1 John 1 :8-10, "If we say that we
have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all un
righteousness. If we say that we have not
sinned, we make Christ a liar, and His word
is not in us."
Bro Cope's claims of his own sinless
ness leave him with one of two choices.
Either he has no sin, and has not sinned, or
Christ is a liar. Friday afternoon 1 read this
passage to him, and asked him to judge for
himself which of these statements was
true. He had no answer!
If one comes to us claiming to quote his
Bible in the name of God, let us evaluate
the content of his message with the Bible
that he quotes. Bro Cope failed to answer
my question, but I believe the Bible has the
answer. Romans 3:23 says that "all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Bro Cope claimed that a relationship
with God can be attained through moral
perfection. But Titus 3:5 says that "He
saved us, not on the basis of deeds which
we have done in righteousness, but accord
ing to His mercy."
Bro Cope claimed that his moral per
fection was what kept him saved. But
Romans 10:8-9 says that "the word of
faith which we are teaching is that if you
confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you shall be saved."
Do you have an interest in what the
Bible says about your salvation? Do not be
deceived by those who teach the Bible
falsely. "Faith" the Bible says, "comes
from hearing, and hearing by the word of
Christ" (Romans 10:17).
Rob Hotz
junior, religion and culture
Rape should be recognized as crime
As a woman, and therefore a vulnerable
member of our society, I would like to
express my opinions concerning sexual
assaults. With Woman's Week upon us, I
urge people to take a serious look at the
effect sexual assaults have on our society -for
both men and women. I also urge
people to look at the language used by
medical personnel, police and newspeople
when discussing this crime. The euphemism
"sexual assault" is as damaging to people's
views as "police action" was during the
Vietnam War. To discover the difference,
simply say "sexual assault" out loud'
then say "rape." The word "rape" has a
much harsher sound, and therefore
connotes a harsher crime.
There are many people working long
hours to prevent rapes, as well as to treat
those women who have been raped. I
applaud their actions and hope I am
helping in even a small way through my
own actions. Treatment is an important
aspect in helping raped women gain
physical, mental and emotional health
again, but prevention is far more impor
tant. I consider it every person's duty to
prevent rapes. I do not think it is fair that,
just because I am a woman, I cannot jog
alone at night, ride by bike alone at night
and in many places on campus cannot
study alone at night. If people would
realize the seriousness of this crime, and
would convince their legislators that rapists
are criminals and should be treated accord
ingly, we would be taking an important
step in stopping the crime of rape.
Remember: Rape is a four letter word.
Tammy S. Hanson
senior, education