Page 4
Daily Nebraskan
Monday, March 10, 1986
"Editorial
NslSkan
University of NtKjh-Lincoln
Joke
Elections merit respect
Elections have long been a
platform for humor.
Examples abound, from
the perennial candidacy of once
serious presidential contender
Harold Stassen to the humorous
candidacy of carpenter Curt
Donaldson in his 1982 run against
1st District Congressman Doug
Bereuter.
In fact, Donaldson was so
clever in his quixotic pursuit
that after the campaign, the Lin
coln Star made him a regularly
featured humor columnist.
Humorous intrusions into the
typically serious world of polit
ica have a more cynical side
for example; remember former
penter's nominat ion of the myth
ical Joe Smith as vice-presidential
candidate at the 1956 Republi
can National Convention.
Candidates poking fun at
candidates releases tension
for a brief time during cam
paigns. But the emphasis is' on
briefness: An appropriate ser
iousness undergirds the demo
cratic process, and that serious
ness must be respected, no matter
how "small" the office. When
joke candidates and parties begin
to meddle with the election pro
cess, something must be done to
reduce the interference.
The presence of joke candi
dates and parties in all aspects
of Nebraska electoral processes
has become intrusive and tire
some. Campaigns are attracting
joke candidates less intent on
using humor as a legitimate
commentary on politics. Instead,
campaigns are attracting old
3E
i : i
resignation
i mm
111
Firing reveals double standard
Kelly Hill, Nebraska women's
basketball coach, got a raw
deal.
Hill resigned last week after
the athletic department told her
that her contract would not be
renewed next season.
During her three years as coach
at Nebraska, Hill compiled a 37
47 record. By itself, the record is
not impressive, but Hill's
coaching is.
Hill walked into a bad situa
tion. During her first year at
UNL, Hill was interim coach
after Coleen Matsuhara resigned
before the season began.
During the next two years,
Hill worked to build her team.
She was successful in recruiting
she lured Maurtice Ivy, prob
ably the best player in Nebraska,
to UNL.
Generally, Hill's players liked
her. One player, Stacy Imming,
quit in January, but she was hav
ing an off year.
- In addition, Hill appears to
have-a clean slate. She appar
ently never had illegal practices
or recruiting violations.
Despite Hill's strengths, she
had a bad year. The team was
Vicki Ruhga, Editor, 472-1766
Thorn Gabrukiewicz, Managing Editor
Ad Hudler, Editorial Page Editor
Junes Rogers, Editorial Associate
Chris welsch, Copy Desk Chief
"class clowns" who use elec
tions merely as self-serving,
attention-getting devices.
The perennial joke candidates
in Lincoln mayoral campaigns
and senatorial campaigns of years
past, as well as t his year's guber
natorial campaign, support this
point.
Closer to home, the "joke
parties" in the upcoming ASUN
election are entertaining but not
helpful. With the exception of
the World Wrestling Federation
party, only trite inanity charac
terizes this campaign's "joke"
candidates.
Although joke parties should
not be prohibited from filing
(that woud be prior restraint),
most debate sponsors are not
obligated to waste everybody's
time by includingjoke parties in
the proceedings.
On a city and state level, a
similar rule should be imple
mented: If candidates are admit
tedly or clearly not serious about
the office, they should not expect
to participate in debates, and
they should not be invited to
participate.
Also, future Daily Nebraskan
editors should not feel obligated
to provide front-page coverage to
all parties. Coverage only encour
ages media-hunters to announce
and contributes to the problem
of the increasing numbers of
joke parties in recent years.
Even at UNL, the democratic
process is too important an
interest to any longer be slowed
by unclever boorish joke candi
dates. plagued with injuries, the sche
dule was tough and, most impor
tantly, the team had no seniors.
Right now, the women's pro
gram is not as strong as the
men's. But unlike Hill, men's
coach Moe Iba was given several
years to build his program.
One must question why the
men's coach was given a three
year contract, while the women's
coach was on a year-to-year plan.
In the last 1 1 years, UNL has had
five women's basketball coaches.
Perhaps the different con
tracts reflect a sexist tradition
or low level of confidence from the
athletic department.
UNL athletic director Bob
Devaney was out of town and
unavailable for comment on the
two contracts. Barb Hibner, act
ing women's athletic director,
also refused to comment.
Hill at least should have been
allowed to stay at Nebraska until
her first recruiting class advanced
to the senior level.
Hill planted the seeds for a
good women's basketball pro
gram. She should have been
allowed reap any benefits.
r
VitRE LUCKY 1UE
CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP
TOOK PUCE WITHOUT
ANY BLOODSHED
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eagan's hypocritical
Nicaraguan majority chooses Sandinistas, not Contras
I like the United States. I'm proud to
live here. Flawed as it is, our
government represents the best pos
sible system democracy.
It's the land of the free and the home
of the brave and all that, but what I
really like about it is the chance to
vote. Having a day in government, no
matter how small, is important. It
bonds us all together.
That's why the "people power" revo
lution (I use the term revolution
loosely) in the Philippines is so appeal
ing. The same goes for the overthrow of
Baby Doc Duvalier. The people have
made themselves heard.
It's nice, and unusual, for America to
be on the "right" side for a change.
As much as I love the good ol' U.S. of
A., I've never said, "my country, right or
wrong," especially since President
Reagan came to power. I reserve the
right to complain. Reagan either mis
understands or is misapplying one of
the fundamental tenets of American
values the right to choose by vote or
popular revolution a government.
I am speaking, of course, of Reagan's
quest to overthrow the Sandinista
regime in Nicaragua. The quest is
hypocrisy on a grand scale.
The Sandinistas came to power on a
wave of popular support after the over
throw of Anastazio Somoza, a despot if
ever there was one. And a man whom
the United States supported.
The Sandinistas have their prob
lems. They have brutally repressed the
Miskito Indians, and they are not toler
ant of free press, something I value
highly. But they have popular support.
Marcos doesn't need extra guards
if 3 former presidents don't
I'm not fond of too many politicians,
but I think I could learn to like
Frank Fasi, the mayor of Honolulu.
Last week Mayor Fasi found himself
being pressured by Larry Speakes, the
WTiite House spokesman, to provide
police protection for retired Filipino
tyrant Ferdinand Marcos.
When told that Fasi wasn't enthusi
astic about assigning local cops to
guard Marcos, Speakes rather pom
pously said, "We expect all security
elements, federal, state and local, to
discharge their duties in a responsible
fashion."
So we called Fasi to see how he was
going to discharge his duty, as Speakes
put it, to the rich new resident of his
city.
Fasi didn't sound at all awed by
Speakes.
"Two days ago," the mayor said, "I
got a call from Mr. Frank Keating of the
Treasury Department. He wanted back
up service (by the Honolulu police) for
the Secret Service for at least 30 davs
FRANK LORENZO
TOOK OVER EASJERN
AIRLINES WITHOUT
FIRING A SHOT
lit,.. VJ ! ;iif!
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In its last election, the current govern
ment won by a two-thirds msyority. Sev
eral observing countries said the elec
tions were fair. The Sandinistas faced
six opposition parties, and the news
papers were allowed free run before the
elections.
Whether you like the form of govern
ment or not, the people of Nicaragua
chose it, and the government has done
much to improve its people's condi
tion. Wealth has been redistributed,
and the literacy rate has increased
incredibly.
Chris
Welsch
It's not fair, or democratic, to sup
port a small minority, the Contras,
against a popular government. I hope
Congress will see that unfairness and
refuse Reagan's request for $100 mil
lion in aid to the Contras.
By trying to force our form of govern
ment on Nicaragua, Reagan violates
the democratic principles he espouses.
And he is only making the situation
worse.
I abhor communism, but if I were a
dirt farmer in the mountains of Central
America, if I grew up under a brutally
repressive dictatorship, the Sandinis
tas would be very appealing. If, then,
the United States supported the Con
tras, who seek to depose the govern
ment that many of my friends died for,
and possibly for up to six weeks.
"Mr. Keating was very charming, but
we agreed to disagree. I gave him two
reasons why we wouldn't do this. One,
the cost could be as high, for six weeks,
as half a million dollars.
Mike
Royko
"More importantly, this would take
the police officers off more important
duties protecting the people, for
just one man. We aren't going to do that.
I told them to contact off-duty police of
ficers and hire them, if that's what they
want.
"I also pointed out that Mr. Ford and
Mr. Nixon are frequent visitors. And
they do well enough with their own
Secret Service protection. I also pointed
out that the deposed president of
SENDAPIANE
FOR FRANK
BORMAN?
Sv-"--
democracy
it would only harden my resolve to
fight.
To an extent, Reagan's concerns are
justified. Nicaragua would pose a threat
if it were to export revolution to the
surrounding countries.
Nicaragua, however, is a small threat
to us. One we can contain without
force.
Our best protection is to ensure the
stability of the surrounding countries
by making sure their "democracies"
work. If, like in Somoza's Nicaragua, we
support a democracy in name and a
tyranny in reality, we can only expect
another anti-U.S. revolution. We must
use our formidable influence to ensure
free elections, uncorrupt government,
fundamental rights and strong social
programs.
Perhaps Reagan is beginning to see
that. He is, after all, sending Philip
Habib to Central America in search of a
diplomatic answer. I wouldn't be sur
prised if Nicaragua would make adjus
tements in its domestic and foreign
policy if it could be assured that the
United States would not seek to forc e a
minority government on an unwilling
majority. Perhaps it would make trade
offs. But if Nicaragua were to export
revolution, or lose support of its peo
ple, then we could aid a new revolution.
For most Nicaraguan people now.
their government, as flawed as it is,
represents the best possible system.
That's something we can all under
stand. Welsch is a senior English and journal
ism major and a Daily Nebraskan copy
desk chief.
i
.- - "11
Korea, Syngman Rhee, lived four doors
from me, and I don't remember ever
seeing any police officers around his
house.
"If the federal government wants to
give Marcos more protection, let them
pay for it. I have a hard enough time
with the budget I have. When you think
of the federal government and how it
has cut back with monies for munici
palities, we've got to mind the pennies,
never mind the dollars.
"Mr. Speakes says he expects the
local government and local officials to
accommodate them? I say, fine, we'll
cooperate. But if it's going to cost us
money, buddy, you come up with the
dough."
When the super-rich Marcos sent
one of his flunkies to see Fasi about
getting police protection, Fasi told him
the same thing.
"I told them to hire off-duty police
officers, if thats what they want."
See ROYKO onT