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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1985)
Wednesday, February 20, 1935 Pago 4 Daily Mebraskan rr u 0 o U It ? it ij II..J! i IL 1UH! 11(51 r i j TTT) H A A r n A n (2i medlts-adia 0 ell, here it comes again, another John DeCamp controv ersy. Like a bad night's steep or a severe weather warn ing, it's just the kind cf thing you expect to see every once in awhile if you live in Nebraska. Tliis time the question involves a conflict of interest regarding video slot machines, and whether senators who stand to gain from them financially should have the right to vote on legalizing them. How delightful. We'll just add a couple more sor.gs to the "Pros and Cons of Legalized Gambling" album. We hope you're not tired of hearing it, because this record is broken. On side one is a lively littb tune recorded every t'sy in Omaha and Lincoln. The Omaha World Herald and the Lincoln Journal and Star are running all sorts of stories and editciials on DeCamp and Sen. Loran Schrr.it. Schr.it is president and half owner of International Game Technology, a video slot machine firm. DeCamp often acts as an attorney for Schmit, and both have pushed vigorously for video slots, including LB144, a bill which would make the devices legal in Nebraska. The two senators even flew south together a couple weeks ago to promote sales of the machines throughout the Virgin Islands. And so a World-Herald editorial chides: "Senator DeCamp would have us believe that he can set uside his attorney-client-video slot machine relationship with Senator Schmit when the Nebraska Legislature considers a bill that could have a direct financial benefit for Schmit and Schmit's company. Anyone who believes that will also believe video slot machines aren't gambling devices and that the Tooth Fairy really does put money under children's pillows." Good point. But like any good broken record, it must have two sides, and the one featuring John DeCamp stands out loud and clear, as usual. "There's a potential conflict of interest for 49 senators on probably 700-and-some bills out there," DeCamp said Monday. "There's a potential conflict of interest, I suppose, for anybody on anything..." DeCamp blamed the press for abusing its privileges and responsibilities when dealing with this matter. "At this point, there is no bill on lotteries before the Legisla ture, number one," he said. "Number two, at this point I have never said what I'm going to do on the issue. . . .The only ones making an issue are the media. For obvious reasons, they're opposed to something. They're trying to create incredible pres sure to try and stop me from doing something in advance 'cause they think I'm effective. "It's hilarious watching how far the press will go to violate their own principles and principles of all equity, and it's kind of like watching a comic opera." Another good point. But side two sounded an awful lot like side one. DeCamp does have a conflict of interest. He should declare it before LB144 gets to the floor of the Legislature. It's true that other senators have conflicts of interest. But because DeCamp is a major shaker and mover in the Legislature, the media has keyed in on him. It's also true that DeCamp has not said what he will do on LB144, if anything. Perhaps the media have jumped the gun cried wolf before the wolf did anything. However, DeCamp's influence in the Legislature makes such a possible conflict of interest a much more attractive target. Both DeCamp and the media are here to serve the public. DeCamp should declare conflict of interest if only to avoid the appearance of a conflict. The press should avoid making DeCamp a scapegoat. As DeCamp said, "There's a potential conflict of interest for 49 senators, on probably 700-and-seme bills out there..." If that's true, there's also a let of reporting to be done cut there. EDITOR GENERAL MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER ADVERTISING MANAGER ASSISTANT ADVERTISING MANAGER CIRCULATION MANAGER NEWS EDITOR CAMPUS EDITOR WIRE EDITOR COPY DESK CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR PUBLICATIONS BOARD CHAIRPERSON PROFESSIONAL ADVISER Cfula ?s5ch, 472-1 7S3 Dante! ttsVdi Kathsrin Psllsky Tern Byrns . Lau.1 Heppl Mf rn yiG&l Ryhga Christopher BisrSssch XiLzi W. Tr!p?H IE! Stscfa Tfawnsa Chria Clscsfe 472-i788 Dsn Wtitoa, 473-7S51 Th Daily Nebr&sktn USPS 144-0S0) is published by XhQ JUL Publications Board Monday through Friday in the fail end spring semesters and Tussdays and Fridays in the summer sessions, except during vacations. Retdara are encouraged to submit story ideas and com ments to the Daily Nebrasksn by phoning 472-1 783 between S . s.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The pubile t'.io has access to the Publications Board. For information, call Chris Chcate 472-8783. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Dally Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.. Lincoln, Neb. 63589-0443. Second class postaoe paid at Lincoln, HE 63510, ALL PlATIlrilAL COPYRIGHT ISIS DAILY KSSHASXAN ft in hhu r 1 '? li-' i ' . ......-..fc,!! i inn i wm'vr ' ' II . r r ,y ; .in if j I n Q3k...v urn f. l I II -J5SiM' ill1 1 i V3 f Mil ! 1 f !' ' "-i-ra n--f I 7 " ' 7 j-'f , - ,vfi n o 0 0T1 Vultures turn artificial heart attention to Haydon nee again we're faced with a situa tion in which the media's attempt to "humanize" a story has shown just how irihumane these vulturous news hounds really are. , Monday, Murray Haydon becaine the third patient to receive the artificial heart transplant from Dr. William DeVries, the only surgeon the government has approved to perform the operatoa ill X His first patient, Barney Clark, lived 112 days. ' " The second patient, Bill Schroeder, is listed in satisfactory condition at Humana Hospital Audibon, where the surgeries were performed. On th asme day hospital spokesman Dr. Allen Laming said of Schroeder, "his emotional state . . . could be a threat to his life, there's no question about it," another news report said that after Haydon's operation, surgeons "expressed hope the 58-year-old retired autc;vcrker would become the first recipient to make a Ml recovery." I hope family members, or someone who really cares, kept the papers a?ay from Schroeder Mondsy. I'm sure the man expected media attention when he accepted the heart as a last chance, but to have yourself written off by the national media just because someone else had a more successful trans plant seems a bit disheartening. ' -" I realize that Schroeder is nothing more than a medical experiment to many of the media and surgeons, but he is still a man. Cruel comparisons began right alter Haydon's more successful transplant. From UPI, "Murray P. Haydon made 'excellent' progress Monday but doctors expressed increased concern about the condition of Schroeder." "Because of lack of excessive bleeding, doctors were able to give Haydon . . . blood thinner ..." But, "Schroeder's post-operative bleeding had delayed the use of blood thinners." From AP, Lansing "said there was less feeling of 'controlled excitement' in the operating room than during th last opera tion when William Schroeder received Ms heart ..." I get the impression that the media is trying to sttp soma kind cf comparison build-up until th operations are common cr at least no longer "news." This is okay when you're talking about the high jump in a track and field event, but I don't like this careless flinging about of people's very existence as if it's soise kind of game. Where will it end? "Joe Q. Public became the 100th artifi cial heart recipient today and is expected to be out of bed in three dtp, unlike Brad Public, who stayed in bed four days after his operation. Come on, Brad, what's the problem?" - The problem is that Schrocdar, Clark and Haydon were sick men who needed medical help. Thank God, or whoever you thank for these things, that medical tech nology is advancing every day md can give these people hope that wouldn't have been available a few years, maybe even weeks, ago. However, the media has stepped in and said, "Hey, bud, we're going to make you famous. Get the wife and kids in here. We might as well get a shot cf you all together . . . slive . . . while we csn." This stuff sells papers, but shouldn't win any humanitarian aveank : I say "shouldn't" bscsiise I half-way expect tit journalist who wrote "DeVries and his assistants listened to classical lute music as they sewed in the . . ." to win some kind of creative newshawk award. In the meantime, it's the Murray P. Haydon show, stirring Dr. William DeVries. That is, until Schroeder dies then he'll rata a tm dip cf covsr&ge. Then another transplant will b 'performed and H&ydoa will tsko a badbeet to another personal profile and this will go on until the media finds something else to "human ise." I just hop th medical researchers don't lose incentive once the media atten tion swings Us mighty head the other way. Student questions article fs reasoning I found Jim Easts' article supporting the dssih penalty most interesting. Bat if I were, him, I'd stick to provsn emotional appeals, and stay away from philosophical .. cr rstierisl justiS cations; they will only trip Mm i-p. For instance, I wouldn't try to defend capital punishment by ssging that execu tions reinforce the value of human life. Seme conscientious bleeding hsirt is likely to point cut that hs's being absurd that he's actually saying thst killing a human being csa make us appreciate the valae of human Ilfo more. I know Rogers is sincere bat ha must O -" . see that such an argument seems illogical. Eealiy, I have to advise him to stay away from philosophy and morality in defending the death penalty. Just appeal to people's bsssr instincts, their fear and desire 'for rsvsnge. Then you won't have to justify faculty realize that epticiss exist. 1 for one remt 'IS iuSa-, i wis rQuiru w vuj 73 dt Sandra Scha graduate stadtnt English Student refutes letter about Kinlco 's prices This letter is in response to Kinko's mssiger Clarice lips, who gave an ex- trciyd:ctcrtcdvicwcfKir.ko'3bir.cc3 (Daily Neoraskan, Feb. 12). . First she said students as well as clasn tmd r,n itthmr rftiw ntsr in town hid a copy cf th text I don't consider that as having a chclce. The book cost a whopping $2103, and it wasn't even hard bound. I would hstt to see what they mii etisfsa for a res! teok. The cost fcrisgs ma to another state ment by Lbc that pc-:;!3 p to KirJ;o's for low r-ccsT I e-:a't cenriiu- tZZM for an everrirrd p:d::t kzrzrz, especidiy shell cue t-mll-2Z t 8 reel! 2 value at an alrirg CD.C1 ln Poage serdor life science Mors letters ca fsS 5