Wednesday, April 23, 1986
Daily Nebraskan
Page 5
ecision not made in vacuo
COHEN from Page 4
But the major European concern is
terrorism itself. Many Europeans are
afraid that retaliating against Moammar
Khadafy is like poking a snake with a
stick. This is hardly an irrational fear.
In the last year alone, there have been
two terrorist incidents in Spain, six in
France, three in Greece, four in Ger
many, three in Italy and one in Austria.
Whatever the eventual result of the U.S.
bombing might be, in the short term
there will be upsurge of terrorism.
Many Americans, quick to condemn
European timidity, have themselves
canceled plans to travel abroad this
summer. For Europeans, things are not
so simple; they are already there.
Still, Europeans who are so quick to
demonstrate against the United States
ought to ask themselves why they did
not do the same when the Rome and
Vienna airports were littered with the
bodies of 1 6 persons killed by terrorists.
Where were they when three members
of one U.S. family were blown out of a
plane over Greece? Why no widespread
European indignation when 18 Span
iards were killed in the Madrid bombing
of a restaurant frequented by U.S.
servicemen?
Where was the march for the bombing
last month that killed two persons in
Paris; the one on Feb. 5 in a Parisian
shopping mall; the bomb that exploded
in a crowded Latin Quarter bookstore
the day before; or the one that exploded
Feb. 3 on the Champs Elysee, wounding
eight persons? Who marched for the
Achille Lauro and Leon Klinghoffer, for
the TWA hijacking and Navy diver
Robert D. Stedhem or for the 57 who
died when commandos botched an
attempt to free the passengers on an
Egyptair plane forced to land on Malta?
No one that's who.
It's true that not all these terrorist
incidents can be traced to Libya, not
even most of them, and it's true thatin
both France and Italy there were public
protests against terrorism directed
against Jewish targets. But by and
large, those Europeans who are inclined
to exhibit their political opinions by
marching, did not hit the road until
U.S. bombs hit Tripoli. Then, as if the
event took place in a vacuum, a roar
came up from the pavement.
You can argue over the wisdom of the
bombing. You can argue over the manner
of its execution. You can fear for U.S.
standing in the Middle East, for whether
the lessons of Libya will be misapplied
to Nicaragua. But you can not treat the
bombing as if it were an unprovoked,
irrational act as if it had not been
preceded by many bombings, years of
carnage, and a constant plea from the
United States to the European nations
to punish Libya economically. The re
sponse was a cynical shrug of the
shoulders by those same European
nations.
There are a thousand concerns to be
voiced. But you can not voice an outrage
that does not take into account all that
went before: terrorist acts all over the
world and, finally, the one that took the
life of a U.S. soldier April 5 in West
Berlin. European anti-Americanism is
plain to the ear. The sounds of silence
have been replaced by the roar of
hyprocrisy.
198S, Washington Post Writers Group
Cohen writes an editorial column for the
Washington Post.
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Letters
Greeks use 'gumption' for others
Each year the Greeks at UNL cele
brate Greek Week, and each year some
editorialists makes a feeble stab at be
littling them.
This year Scott Harrah was right. His
article (DN, April 15) was based on an
extremely "unoriginal and contrived
topic." A few clothing criticisms and a
bad attitude toward philanthropies
hardly constitutes the wasting of space
in the paper. So while wearing my
putrid, pastel Greek T-shirt and floral
print, day glo beach attire, I decided to
Letter Policy
Submit material to the Daily Ne
braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1 400 R St.,
Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
add some facts.
Greeks raise more money and volun
teer more time for non-profit organiza
tions than any other student group
about $60,000 to $65,000 a year. The
overall Greek Grade Point Average is
consistently higher than the overall
university GPA. Greeks comprise the
majority of membership in many top
student groups. And there are also
Greeks who pay for their own education
and living expenses.
So there you have it, some facts
about those "geeky" Greeks. But for
Harrah and his followers, who have the
"gumption to do their own thing," per
haps they should stop doing their thing
and start doing something for others.
Laura Harvey
senior
English
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Lincoln 472-3467
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