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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1984)
Wednesday, October 17, 1034 Dally Nefaraskan Pago 5 1 - , USA 2a Letter Education most effective in fight against pornography I write this letter In James A. Fussell's editorial (Page 4 of Thursday's DN) concerning pornographic violence in movies. While I agree with the sentiment behind Fussell's reasoning, I felt that he has missed the point entirely. Why do these movic3 exist? Surely they haven't been around as long as they have because of sadistic, amoral writers, directors, producers, etc., or simply because we've allowed them to exist. Speculations about a "desensitiz ing" aspect to these movies seem irrelevant when they are viewed in a wider perspective, probably because it appears that any desensitizing was done before the movies in question ever existed. These movies are made, and will continue to be made, because they have an audience. As morbid and ironic as it may sound, the public actually pays money to watch women being chopped, mutilated, raped and murdered. Is it the responsibility of govern ment to "protect" the public from these shocking affronts to civ- 1 Will CoaAlfiiaed ftesa Yzz 4 However, never has the court had a majority of members 76 or older, as it will this Nov. 12, when Blackmun turns 76. (Only O'Connor, 54, is under 60. Rehn quist is 60, Stevens 64, White 67, Marshall 76, Burger and Powell 77 and William Brennan, 78. However, Tim O'Brien, who covers the court for ABC, reports that in the last six months six justices have told him that they ilized thought? Some DeoDle. like Fusseil, may think so. I do not. Such a solution is merely an attack upon a small symptom of even greater problems, and is not the answer. The sickness lies with the men tality of the public at large, mag nified to sickening proportions by those responsible for making pornographic movies. Civilization has progressed to the point that public murder, like the killing of Christians in the Roman Coliseum, is no longer perceived as enter tainment. Perhaps we as a society have regressed to the level that we enjoy watching simulated mur der; in that case the root of the problem, as well as the solution, lies in the audience. On a purely subjective level, it is easy to wonder how anyone could have fallen so low in taste as to enjoy seeing women muti lated. Yet the fact remains that we, as a society, have. Why not turn your energies, Fusseil, away from trying to arouse public sen timent by suggesting government intervention (which is unlikely lore letters on Pane are not contemplating retirement and not aware of any justice who is. Furthermore, O'Brien notes that of the 102 justices who have served on the court, 32 served 20 years or longer. Roger Taney was still chief justice when he died at 87 in 1864. Louis Brandeis retired at 82, Hugo Black at 85, Oliver Wendell Holmes at 90. More justi ces have died in office than have retired. But, actuarily speaking, each of today's five oldest justices has a life expectancy of seven more years. So O'Brien suggests and time-consuming anyway) toward promoting and providing an alternative form of entertain ment? The only way tha t anything will Changs is if the public realizes that such pornography is trash and is a waste cf time when com pared with the variety of mean ingful, serious, culturally uplift ing art that is otherwise available, even in the film industry. The answer lies in education, not pro hibition. What Fusseil advocated in his article amounts to nothing less than censorship, or telling the public what is good for it. Why not work to educate and uplift, rather than censor and condes cend? Why not help public con sciousness and taste to improve on their own, rather than ram ming such decisions down all our throats? Why not work to improve anyone and everyone, making right-wmg fascist censorship superfluous? Tim Eiben senior English TDTTGA" PUBLICATIONS BOARD .".-. CHAIRPERSONS Nick Foley, 475-0273 Angtla Nittfeld, 475-4531 PROFESSIONAL ADVISER Don Walton, 473-7201 11J1 d K,i,y NebraskanJUSPS 144-CSO) Is published by tha UNL Publications Board Monday through Friday m th f&il and spring semesters and Tuesdays and Fridays In the summer sessions, except during vacations mffKaJf ncpurageJ to submit story ideas and com n's Da' y Nebraskan by phoning 472-2533 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tha public also has Foley, 476-0275 or Angela Nietfield, 475-4S81. A?fmal,e?.Sf nd address changes to the Daily Nobraskan. IlttrlaVJ t- Linco,n- Nb. 68583-0448 ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1134 DAILY NEDBASXAN 6 that in 1083 we might be reading stories that begin, "With five jus tices now 80 or older, whoever wins the election could ..." The "court issue" probably favors President Reagan because, to many voters and especially to many blue-collar Democrats, lib eral justices are equated with forced busing and the "coddling" of criminals. But how does a pres ident in his seventies say that some justices in their seventies may have to be replaced soon? 1S84, Washington Post Writers Groap u u Oarber Styling Saion T 124 North -n ft. , j " rX XIX Come ForThe Cut.Take HomeThe Care. ill a warn in or a "7 yi 1A TT" for appointments: J VS'vJjij fAMUV HAi3 CiNTM ? ii t.riliiilik mih J X fijXXf tstttes ummom Just above Godfathers Pizza In the Gbss menagerie, 1201 St 470-3041 (Si M IVs 10; n w j ' S 5 I O ) ! ' 3 n it i ii V E It Xf a i p Best Quality -A- 6st Pric it ' East Selection it : - 4 Crook Spoftswoaf:'---, Univ. of Hpbras!!a Clothing flbn's-and VVomon's fashions - i nx, 1 '! 11 L Icdbs'iButtoridovnsiSii nuQbi!'Sh!fisv....;..E!1G.C3 i; l tk i. c, a k j r . 1 m i m m m. A a m a rWbUpUiiy.t t't . Ui, ' f