Pago 4 "i - : . : . - Dally Ncbrcisan
jrascor ce
nsored
oy
church, not state
A nother Christian pastor has run
ZA afoul of the law this week. No big
JL news, maybe, to a country tiring of
the politicized ramblings of such men as
Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Everett
Sileven.
But this time the man is behind bars as
a direct result of supporting a liberal
cause. No demands for uncertified teach
ers in a parochial school, no anti- abortion
statements, no days of fasting to help
elect conservative leaders.
Kenneth Roth, erstwhile leader of the
flock at Trinity Lutheran Church in Clair
ton, Pa., noticed the pitiable lives of many
steelworkers in his area.
He preached a political sermon to hb
congregation and the wrath of the West
Virginia-Western Pennsylvania Synod of
the Lutheran Church came down on him.
They tried to quiet the pastor by
threatening him with his job. His congre
gation, said the church, was unduly wor
ried about ungodly matters.
Roth saw it as his job, though, to con
tinue to speak out for what he thought
were oppressed people. He preached
another sermon devoted to social, not
spiritual, issues and his flock became
further riled. So did the Synod leaders.
A bishop of the Synod ordered Roth to
leave his post in Clairton and then ar
ranged for Roth's replacement.
Roth hadn't had his last word. He
rpt.nrnpfi r.n the rhurrh anti vowed to
remain there as a protest for plight of the
workers and his right to join a liberal
brotherhood or clergymen caiiea uic
Denominational Ministry Strategy.
The local synod then got a court order
to assure that Roth wouldn't bother the
business of Trinity Lutheran Church with
his protests. The court order Tuesday
resulted in Roth being led from the church
in the custody of the local police.
He broke the law only when the Luthe
ran Church decided he had broken the
law. Roth was being censored by his
church, not by the state. Once he was
ordered to stay away from the church he
probably should have.
The courts cant be at fault in Roth's
arrest and imprisonment. They earned
out their constitutional duties.
One wonders how the Lutheran Church
would have reacted had Roth decided to
campaign on the pulpit for some of it?
political causes, had he given up two con
secutive weeks to matters not of spiritual
concern.
Considering the Lutheran Church in
most sections of America adamantly
opposes abortion and calls nuclear war
in some cases preferable, it is doubtful
that the West Virginia-Western Pennsyl
vania Synod would have been so quick to
condemn Roth's political actions had they
been Right.
Jeff Browne
Daily Nebic&l&n SerJer Editor
Old Minnesota friend would comfort Mondale
Political opinions
absent in heaven
A fter the election, Walter
ZA Mondale has a heart-to-ii
heart chat with Hubert
Horatio Humphrey, who has come
back from the beyond to comfort
his old Minnesota friend.
"I dont know, Hubert, why dont
people like me?"
"Walter, you're just so serious.
You're alvays scowling. Loosen
your tie, wear plaid shirts, relax."
"Joan tells me that, too. But
you know, whenever I smile and
relax, I just don't feel like a good
Minnesot a populist, you know?"
!
fy James A.
V? Fussell
"What do you feel like?"
"A beagle, I guess."
"You've been looking at too
many Oliphant cartoons, Walter."
"My son cuts them out and puts
them on the refrigerator. He
thinks they're cute."
"You always have had an image
problem, Walter. You're also per
ceived as old and out of touch."
"Old? But I'm younger than he
is."
"So What? I'm dead and I look
better than you."
"It's those eye bags."
"Hey I had 'em, too."
"Yea, but they looked cute on
you. You were always so cute. And
you could smile like the dickens.
People liked you."
"Well, it helps if you're fat and
jolly and your belly shakes like a
bowl full of jelly."
"That's Santa Claus."
"See, everybody likes him."
"Maybe it wouldVe helped if I
had talked less about nucular
war."
"Maybe it would have helped if
you learned to pronounce nuclear
war. Gads, man, it's nu-cle-ax war, :
I ALLDli RgQfc yJ?J I Ph
Kv I VW- UfT U I tfi J
ar . . . nuke . . . nu-nu-nu, cle, cle, you, Hubert."
cle .
. "I dont know, maybe nothing
would have helped defeat him.
What do you think it would have
taken to defeat him?"
"Nucular war."
Well, maybe. Little drastic,
"Honest? In politics? Look,
honest is fine. But stupid is some
thing else again."
"But that's terrible. You mean
we really have to deceive the
people "
Tor their own good, Walter.
not nu-cu-lar war." have told the people you were "Walter have you ever thought
"Shoot, I never could get that going to raise their taxes." that the people just might have
one straight. Nu-cu-lar... nu-cie- I was trying to be honest. Like agreed with himr
NEVER! I'M THE MAN OF THE
PEOPLE. I'M THE MAN THE PEO
PLE COME TO. THE DEMO
CRATIC PARTY HAS ALWAYS
BEEN THE PEOPLE'S PARTY."
"Walter."
"GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR
POOR, YOUR ETHNIC, YOUR
UGLY, YOUR DOWNTRODDEN."
"Walter."
"WE CAN STIL WIN THIS
THING."
"Walter."
"ITS NOT OVER TILL THE FAT
LADY SINGS."
"She's sung and had lunch,
Walter. YouVe lost."
"I'm so depressed. I think 111 go
fishing."
"You've already gone fishing."
"IH go again. In the Caribbean."
Tou can't. Geraldine Ferraro is
going to the Caribbean."
though. Walter, I gotta tell you, It's the only way.'
what really hurt you was wearing "Would that have helped me
all that make-up for the debate
You know, the sissy factor and
all"
, THE REAL MAKE-UP WAS
THE MAKE-UP ON HIS ANSWERS.
HIS ANSWERS WERE MORE
MADE-UP THAN MY FACE. HE...
I..."
"The election's over, Walter, give
avoid a landslide?"
"You're asking me? You are out
of touch. I don't know, maybe a
little more humor would have
helped. Carter introduced me as
Hubert Horatio Hornblower at
the convention. Now that was
funny."
But you were dead by the time
it up. Maybe the make-up didn't my convention rolled around.'
make that much of a difference. "Hey, I can't do it all for you. I
Taxes. That's where :you . really . delivered Minnesota,.didnt ir
got into, trouble. You shcuidnt - - Thanks for nothing."
I dont give a flying fudge where
she's going. And you know what?
I'm gonna see her. And I'm going
to hug her, too. Right in public. I
might even kiss her on the cheek"
"Walter."
"At least 111 be vindicated in the
end. And God knows I was the
best choice."
"God was for R-. I mean, we
don't talk politics in heaven,
Walter."
This whole thing is so humiliat
ing." "So, what are you going to do
now?"
"I dont know, maybe 111 sell
insurance. IVe gotta find some
thing I'm good at."
"Oh, Walter, c'mon. You were a
great vice president."
"Oh, sure, rub it in, vice presi
dent. That's like kissing your
sister. Why'd you ever tell me you
wanted me to run anyway?"
"Who, me?"
"Yea, I never should have
listened when you spoke to me
that Sunday in my bathroom. I
mean, who ever heard of spiritual
revelation in the bathroom?"
"When?"
"Sunday, Hubert Two years ago.
You spoke to me. 'Run, Walter,
run,' you said plain as day."
"Run, Walter, run? No, I don't
think so, Waiter. I play canasta
on Sundays. There was this one
Sunday that we were down three
hands to one to Dean Atcheson
and John Foster Dulles. And then
Dulles plays his high trump two
hands too early, you know? What
an ignatz."
"But what about me, Hubert?"
"You play canasta, Walter?"
"No, I mean what about my life?
What should I dor
"How Tout just drifting quietly
into obscurity, like I did?"
"But I want to be loved and
remembered."
"Well, you could always go the
assassination route. Worked like
a charm for Kennedy."
"But he was already president."
"You cant have everything,
Walter"
ESBB5ES!I5BBS
etfers
tt fi Daily ti
Laws inadequte to stop repeat offenders
It has been brought to my attention
from recent articles that there are numer
ous repeating DWI offenders. In a count
of 51 accidents involving drunk driving,
the National Transportation Safety Board
said that one-third of these repeaters
had suspended licenses. The problem is
that the prosecution is not strict enough
to reduce repeat offenses. For people to
learn and realise that DWI is a serious
problem, the penalty should not be light
ened and it should be enforced adequ
ately. In interviews with 40 repeat offenders,
the safety board chairman said that the
system has little impact and is not
competent enough to deal with drunken
driving. For first offense drivers in Ne
braska, the penalty for DWI is six months
license suspension. This is a just law.
With repeat offenders, more dramatic
action should be taken to reduce indis
criminate use of alcohol while driving.
With the repeat offenders, the suspension
of licenses should increase because the
serious problem should be stopped at
that point. Also present laws should be
enforced so that there are no gaps to let
people off when they deserve to have the
full penalty.
In conclusion, these benefits should
awaken both the enforcers and the people
who insist on driving while intoxicated.
What I think should happen with these
proposals is that the alcoholism treat
ment programs should bring more effort
into educating the people because inter
views have shown that they have lit'le
impact.
Kevin Hinton
freshman
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