Thursday, April 10, 1986
Page 4
Daily Nebraskan
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Vi.ki KuKha, Editor, 472 1766
Thom (iahrukifwicz, Manayiny Editor
Ad lludier, Editorial Paye Editor
.lames Rogers, Editorial Page Editor
Chris Wt-lsch, Copy Desk Chief
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Vetoes will cripple state
An open letter to Gov. Bob
Kerrey:
Once again you claim
senators have not cut enough
from the 1986-87 budget.
If you proceed with plans to
veto up to $46 million from the
Legislature's proposals, you will
do irreparable damage to the
state. What will go next $1.3
million in mental-retardation ser
vices, $800,000 for an Omaha
Met ro Area Transit syst em or $ 1 1
million for an increase in state
employees' salaries?
For the last four years, you
have demanded cut after cut and
vehemently opposed tax in
creases. No one likes to pay higher
taxes, but you continually ignore
that state revenues have dropped
because our system is based on
the declining federal tax system.
Nebraskans actually are paying
less taxes than in the early '80s.
Supposedly the decline in
federal taxes shifted responsi
bility for programs back to the
u
, Jen'oiis
No short-term solution to problem
Terrorism, the personification
of the grim reaper, soon
could reap its gruesome har
vest in the United States, experts
say.
Terrorism is considered a form
of low-level warfare, except for
the indiscriminate nature of its
attacks.
Following the Gulf of Sidra
attacks, Libyan radio reported:
"Everything American, be it an
interest, goods, a ship, a plane or
a person, is a military target . . .
As America permits itself to
strike against the Arabs, it is the
right, indeed the duty of the
Arabs to strike at America."
Open societies are particularly
inept at fighting these "cowards,"
who kill the weak and innocent.
Terrorist bands are small and
secretive. U.S. borders are rela
tively open and movement within
the country is free.
The insidiousness of terrorism
foists a dilemma oa democratic
countries: sacrificing openness
for protection, or preserving
openness only at the cost of
sacrificing lives.
What can the United States
'do& Passive .defensive measures,
Sbitmrityt air-
Chi Omega party in bad taste
Any excuse for a party . . . The
Chi Omega Sorority has
announced plans for a "Ter
rorist Party" on Friday.
Party goers are asked to dress
as terrorists, in accordance with
the party's theme.
Terrorism z a new theme for a
Greek party. But in view of recent
terrorist attacks on innocent civ
ilians, such a party would be in
poor taste.
In 1985, at least 926 people
states. It seems you are unwil
ling to let Nebraska pick up the
slack. While other states make
provisions to provide lost federal
services, Nebraskans will do with
out. Compare Nebraska's plight
with that of a restaurant owner.,
If income was dwindling, could
the business owner save money
by hiring fewer waitresses, buy
ing lower-quality food and reduc
ingthe number of entrees offered?
In the short-term, such actions
might save money. But soon angry
customers would leave because
of poor service, unappetizing food
and inadequate choices.
Gov. Kerrey, your short-sighted
budget cuts already have dam
aged the state and the univer
sity. Since you choose not to run
again, please let the Legislature
and Nebraskans do what is best
for the state.
Forget the line-item vetoes.
Let us start rebuilding the pro
grams you seem intent on destroying.
ness. But some protection is bet
ter than none. Active "counter
terrorist" defense measures in
volve forces trained to react to
terrorist incidents.
This alternative requires bet
ter cooperation between U.S. law
enforcement agencies and local
police departments.
Measures beyond these are
surrounded with controversy. Dr.
Robert H. Kupperman of George
town's Center for Strategic and
International Studies argues for
the selective assassination of
"key figures" in the "operational
aspects of terrorism." The option
is frightening and one cur
rently prohibited by presidential
order.
Proposals to strike against
terrorist camps similarly are re
plete with uncertainty. U.S. for
ces would engage in the same
violence we condemn.
International sanctions should
be taken against states that con
tinue to aid or harbor terrorists.
Additionally, strong support
for democratic-centrist move
ments, as in the Philippines and
South Korea, can prevent exten
sion of t errorist groypjs;.. The solu
tions areflwgerihy but -night
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were killed in terrorist attacks.
This year, more than 40 have
died, including five U.S. civilians
killed in recent bombings of a
TWA jetliner and a West Berlin
nightclub.
Terrorism is a serious global
problem, claiming hundreds of
innocent lives. It hardly seems
appropriate for a party.
College student always will
have parties, but they should not
mock such a serious problem.
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Liberals
Cause and leaders lost to quest for
Ladies and gentlemen, you see
before you a most pathetic man.
Worse than the man without a
country, I am a man without an ideal.
At least, I am a man who feels robbed of
his ideal and betrayed by those who
fostered his belief in that ideal. You see
before you the empty shell of a disillu
sioned liberal.
There was a time when I believed.
My first political hero was Bobby Ken
nedy. The anti-war movement made
sense to me. 1 even angered many of my
friends and relatives by taking a stand
against prayer in public schools, be
cause I saw the tremendous danger of
admitting the practices of one religion
to the exclusion of others in a pluralis
tic society. But besides these specific
ideas, there was an attractiveness about
the whole mentality that just seemed
right to me.
At the heart of liberal dogma was the
centrality of human rights. Liberals
consistently fought for those who could
not fight for themselves. Oppression of
human beings was to be opposed, no
matter where it was found and no mat
ter what purpose it served. The purpose
of a just state was to insure that eve
ryone would be granted equal oppor
tunity to share in what political theor
ist John Rawls calls "the primary goods"
"liberty and opportunity, income
and wealth and the bases of self
respect." The liberal was concerned
with, in a word, fairness.
To this end, then, liberal dogmas
encouraged people to selflessness and
altruism. The important thing was that
everyone be granted equal opportunity
under the law. So Northern whites
marched for Southern blacks, rich white
Anglo-Saxon actors pleaded the cause
of poor, unemployed Native Americans,
men spoke out on women's rights and
college professors protested the use of
Golfer may still have Hogan's swing,
bill unusual p xo;m a kes.-fr i ra.-los-g r i p
Because it was a sunny spring
afternoon, I was amazed to see
this friend sitting in the gloom of
the barroom.
So I took the next stool and asked
him why he was there.
"Why shouldn't I be here?" he
answered in a listless voice.
You know why.
The truth is, he has always been a
man obsessed. For most of his adult
life, he has sought the perfect golf
swing. He has read every golf book and
magazine, gone to golf clinics, spent a
fortune on private lessons and tried
every miraculous putter, amazing driver
and incredible ball as soon as they
reached the market.
In the winter, he spends hours in his
AS
abandon
young men to fight an unjust war. The
movement stirred in us that intuition
that most closely approximates true
humanity the willingness and eager
ness to lose ourselves in pursuit of the
well-being of others.
Liberalism was not concerned with
matters of fiscal or economic impact.
There was no good reasons for failing to
meet the noeds of others. If liberalism
was found to be impractical, then so
much the worse for practicality. If we
had built a world for ourselves that
made it economically necessary' or even
feasible to oppress large numbers of
people, then that world must be drasti
cally and painfully altered.
James
Sennett
But liberalism has come of age. And
like the 1960s hippie who grew into the
1980s yuppie, the formalization of ideas
has led to the surrender of integrity.
Liberal thinking has deteriorated into
special-interest concerns that have lost
any sight of the big picture once its
sole motivating force. Concern for
human rights has become concern for
"my rights." We no longer see people
marching and protesting for the causes
and rights of others. Liberal dogma now
encourages each person to get his (or
hers), rather than seeing that others
are able to get theirs.
So gays march for gays, women speak
out for women, teachers strike for
teachers, farmers worry about farmers
and no one is standing up for the child
ren, who cannot, alas, stand up for
living room, swinging a weighted club
to strengthen his golf muscles. He once
accidentally struck his wife in the brow
with his follow-through. When she
regained consciousness, he was studying
the lump on her head for clues as to
whether he had hooked or sliced.
Mike
Royko
When the snow melts, he abandons
the golf course or practice range only
for his job or to sleep. While sleeping,
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WHEN THE VICE PRESIDENT FLIES' TO THE
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individual gains
themselves.
What is really sad about their dete
rioration is that liberalism is now
indistinguishable from the conserva
tism is so greatly despises. At least it is
indistinguishable where it counts t In
most in motivation for a t"n. Tin
caricatured conservative is dnun !
profit motive and the great American
dream. He wants to get his, and doesn't
particularly care what it might cost
others in the process. The come ol'agr
liberal is driven by a paranoid obses
sion with the idea that someone is
going to try to deprive him. He takes
whatever measures needed to ensure
that he gets his, and he doesn't partic
ularly care what it might cost others in
the process.
So you can understand my disillu
sion. I bought into the liberal ideal,
and now the liberals have abandoned
it. The problem is, I still believe in the
ideal, but I am finding it harder and
harder to link up with political leaders
who share that ideal. Concern for the
liberty of all does not reduce to special
interest politics. Promotion of the gen
eral welfare cannot be interpreted
myopically without total distortion.
Once concern for others becomes en
couragement of others to be exclu
sively concerned for themselves, the
difference in ideal has eroded.
To resurrect the liberal ideal, we
must rekindle our own concern for oth
ers regardless of our own current
situation. And in our action on behalf
of others, we must preach "Go, thou,
and do likewise." A nation in which
everyone is equally fighting to get his
own way presents no viable alternative
to a nation in which only one class is
permitted to so fight.
Sennett is a graduate student in philo
sophy and campus minister with College
Career Christian Fellowship.
he wears earphones that play a hypnotic
recorded message: "Left arm straight,
head still, shoulder turn, weight
shift. . ."
He once joined a midnight religious
cult, hoping to cut a deal with the
devil: his soul for one season as Jack
Nicklaus.
So I repeated my question: Why was
he there?
His voice shaking, he said: "Because
it is all a lie."
What is a lie? .
He brought his hands together and
said: "What is this?"
That is your perfect Vardon overlap
ping golf grip. Anybody can see that.
See ROYKOonl