Wednesday, February 20, 1935
Pago 4
Daily Mebraskan
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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.
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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
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ALL PlATIlrilAL COPYRIGHT ISIS DAILY KSSHASXAN
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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
