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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 1987)
— Editorial Nebraskan University of Nebraska-Line oln Mike Reilley, Editor, 472-1766 Jeanne Bourne, Editorial Page Editor Jen Deselms, Managing Editor Mike Hooper, Associate News Editor Scott Harrah, Night News Editor Joan Rezac, Copy Desk Chief Linda Hartmann, Wire Editor The first ’stoned’ cast Standards for office becoming unrealistic The qualifications for be coming a public official are becoming so strict that soon only people who have been completely insulated from modem society will be accepted for public service. Former Supreme Court nomi nee Douglas H. Ginsburg and two Democratic presidential candi dates, Bruce Babbitt and Albert Gore, have admitted to smoking marijuana while in college in the 1960s and ’70s. This “indiscretion” has cost Ginsburg his nomination and drug use has become an issue in the presidential election. Drug use and experimentation was very common in the 1960s and ’70s. As that generation comes of age, so many otherwise qualified people will be eliminated because they merely experimented with drugs. Officials who admitted drink ing alcohol during the Prohibition era would probably not be elimi nated from consideration. Many public officials of the 1960s actively supported segrega tion of the races, yet their careers are not now suffering. According to a report by The Associated Press, more than 25 percent of Americans older than 25 say they have tried marijuana at least once, and one-third of the total U.S. population reported having tried it. Although with President Reagan’s “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign, it would be too contra dictory for him to push an admitted drug user for such a high position, it has become nearly impossible to pass public and press scrutiny for public office. Where will it end? Most every one has done something that they aren’t particularly proud of. Al- * though a person’s past could be revealing of what he or she has become, some things should not be brought out as more important than what the person thinks or docs now. Ginsburg was forced to with draw before his views were even considered. If people arc judged merely by past personal lifestyles, too many qualified individuals will be elimi nated. It will be a great loss to our country as a whole. Nebraska ambushed by Colorado Fight over water rights could cost state more than just P latte River If Nebraska beats Oklahoma on Nov. 21, the Comhuskers may be on their way to a national championship game in the Orange Bowl. The remaining road block is Colorado. The Buffaloes will attempt to ambush the Comhuskers, who might be looking south to the bowl game in Miami. Yet a Nebraska ambush of another kind is brewing in the Rocky Moun tain state. This battle is over water rights in the South Platte River, and Colorado may win if Nebraska is caught looking downstream. A growing metropolitan Denver is undergoing a greater demand for, water. Population projections indi cate the metro area will grow from 1.8 million in 1987 to 2.9 million in 2035. With such projections in mind, Colo rado has been spending substantial sums of money on water development projects to meet its future water needs. On first impression, a battle over water rights may not catch the atten tion of Nebraskans like a battle on the football field. However, people should take a close look at the impor tance of the Platte River to Nebraska. The 595-mile-long Platte River probably has a better claim to be the “backbone” of Nebraska than Inter state 80. An article in the Omaha World-Herald noted that the Platte and its aquifers provide: • A fertile valley in which the suite’s largest concentration of people outside of Lincoln and Omaha reside (about 17 percent of Nebraskans). • Water for industries which pro vide employment for many in the area. • Water lor farmers which amounts to more than one-third of the state’s 6 million to 7 million irrigated acres. • Flow for five hydroelectric power plants and water for two steam-gener ating plants. • Land and water for about one fourth of the 73 state recreation areas. • Nesting grounds for such endan gered species as the whooping crane c.,. fit' [p - — and the bald eagle. Such factors show that the Platte River contributes a great deal to the economic development and environ mental stability of Nebraska. There is disagreement as to the future of the Platte River if Colorado attempts to divert more water. The proposed Two Forks Dam upstream from Denver could reduce average annual How by 1 percent at the Colo rado-Nebraska border, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That may not seem significant, but the How of the South Platte River is sporadic at times. If Two Forks had existed in 1973, the flow at the border would have been reduced by 15 per ;ent that year. Nebraska is not in the strongest negotiating position. A water com pact signed in 1923 between Colorado and Nebraska does not guarantee Nebraska will receive enough water. Nebraska can force Colorado users to shut down only during the irrigation season and only users between Ju lesberg and Fort Morgan. Nothing prevents the Denver area, which is upstream, from diverting water out of the South Platte. The confrontation with Colorado over the South Platte River is just one battle for Nebraska. The North Platte River is also at stake. Nebraska is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court in a suit against Wyoming. Nebraska contends that a proposed Wyoming diversion is not allowed under an earlier court decree which apportioned flows to Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado. Wyoming is serious about this lawsuit. They have hired a top-flight Washington law firm and obtained S3 million for litigation costs from their legislature. Nebraskans should be as con cerned about winning these court battles as they arc about winning the national championship in football. Our water resources arc at stake, and we should consider lifting some legis lative weights in order to win. If not, much of the state’s livelihood may dry up with the Platte River. Carlson is a third-year law stu dent. Abortion views voiced; one calls topic ‘overpublicized’i Letters Alumna applauds Free University 1 was pleased to see the editorial (Daily Nebraskan, Nov. 3) supporting the University Program Council’s right to decide which courses it will offer through the Free University program Political pressure used to suppress unpopular viewpoints is sad, indeed. Robert Smits and Thomas Hoffman (letters, Nov. 2) state that the Free University classes are student funded. I am unaware of any expendi tures for either instructor pay or class materials that would be funded by student fees. It is my understanding that class participants pay SI for proc essing and that is it. Perhaps they mean the minimal expense of having the Free University courses listed or the valuable utilities at the Nebraska Union that surely will skyrocket dur ing this three-hour class. 1 suspect mat its and Hollman s concern is not over the alleged use of student fees, but their intrinsic objec tion to the course material, what they term “trendy ideologies” and “popu lar new-age philosophy.” Earth relig ions are hardly new, predating tradi tional religions such as Islam, Christi anity and Judaism by tens of thou sands of years. Pagans have existed in all cultures throughout recorded time, despite many efforts by both church and state at various times to stamp them out. While one may disagree with any rcligion’sdoc trine and theol ogy, it is my experience that most all religions have a central moral code that strives to bring the believer in closer harmony with the divine, how ever, that term may be defined. Asa University ofNebraskagradu atc who never had the opportunity to lake Free University courses while I was an undergraduate, I am pleased to be able to do so at this time. Cindy Clardy alumna Educating on morality answer to abortion Mark Ludwig’s comments on abortion (Letters, Nov. 5) deserve a response. Ludwig states: “I would rather be stigmatized for not aborting an undesirable pregnancy than for committing legalized murder.” Very effective, Ludwig, very ef fective. However, you’re not running for any public office. Women’s rights advocates are talking about privacy rights. They are also talking about the mother’s rights. As a second-year law student, Ludwig surely is familiar with a person’s right to privacy and Roc vs. Wade. It really docs no good to use such propaganda as “legalized murder,” ‘you and/or your husband have yourselves fixed” or “unselfish motherly love.” The Constitution simply is not on Ludwig’s side. I’m sure that Ludwig’s propaganda was easy to write. Being a man, Ludwig will never have to face the situation of being pregnant. Any man can be anu-abortionisl or anti- any women’s rights position because he will never be in that position. I am not advocating abortion. 1 am ad vocati ng women’s rights. Lud w ig ’ s letter and other responses I have read on the issue of abortion all follow the same pattern — induce guilt and shame, stigmatize as selfish and un feeling, give an absolutely absurd alternative, and then close with some witty little phrase about the wonder of birth and motherhood. These people are putting the cart before the horse. The answer is easy, yet easy to pass by. If anti-abortionists would put half as much of their time and energy into education as they do into propaganda, they probably would reach their goal much easier and more effectively. Education is not merely sex educa tion. Classes on sex and morality should go hand in hand, to solve the problem of teaching effective birth control and morality. The answer lies not in shame, guilt and witty phrases on motherhood, but in education. By teaching effective birth control and by supplementing this knowledge with education on morality at an early age, the abortion alternative could be ef fectively eliminated. Quit pointing fingers, Ludwig, and donate your energy to educating those who need it. Tami Byron junior Alulaw ASUN representation of students questioned Is ASUN a true representation of the students at this university? I be lieve Bob Gestring hit the the nail on the head when he stated ASUN members are “not your average stu dent as far as income is considered.” I consider myself an average stu dent. I attended the meeting of ASUN and made a statement concerning the tuition increase. My statement may not have been well-rehearsed or well prepared, but I believe I made my point. borne of die things that take prior ity at this university are not important to the true purpose of this institution, education. I realize that money given to the football team is not for faculty salaries, but how are these donations raised. Why aren’t the resources used to gain donations for football, build ings and other “noble” causes used to gain money for the general cost of running this university? The idea of supporting the teachers’ salary in crease is good, but raising our tuition rate is not. Why not support a lobbyist for the teachers? Is ASuN representa tive of the true feelings of the average student? Please respond. Patrick Niemeyer senior public relations Reader says abortion not a simplistic issue Let’s make something clear. No one is pro-abortion.” The (questions and responses surrounding this issue depend on one’s perspective. At worst, aborting is murder (and punish able as such?). At best, abortion is an extremely difficult answer in an ex tremely difficult situation. To a woman faced with an unwanted preg nancy, the choices arc grim. Some recent letters in the Daily Nebraskan have opposed the choice of abortion. In reading these letters, and in hearing other anti-choice rhetoric, one generally finds simplistic, unreal istic approaches toa very real, compli cated and far-reaching problem. To those of you who try to maintain the characteristic of open-mindedness, I offer the following points: • Polla Ita states: “A couple knows what they’re doing and no pregnancy is a surprise to the mother.” I was a counselor in a women’s clinic for over a year and a half. I saw hundreds of women in that center. Some people do not know what they arc doing.” (I was told in high school by a good friend that you can’t get pregnant the lirst time you have sex. This is a fallacy that is still accepted by many today.) And then there was a woman I talked with who was rudely faced with this issue. Her partner told her he had had a vasectomy. He hadn’t. Do you not think her pregnancy was a surprise to her? • And in regard to ineffective birth control and rape victims’ (and incest victims’) situations Polla states- “1 can’t believe that God would create a life in any situation unless there was a very special purpose for that life.” Docs this mean that God causes birth control to fail or that God purposely chooses to have a woman be raped? Polla, I don’t think we worship the same God. • Elaine Connelly also has some thing to say concerning the situations of rape victims. “That’s a tragedy that society needs to work on preventing ” Preventing rape, Elaine? I’d like to hear your plan. • In addition to these (and hundreds of other) issues is another, and con cerning this I have a question for both Polla and Elaine: Do you take mother hood so lightly that you think it is a simple matter of “nine months?” k Pol la: because it will cause a woman i nine small months of discomfort" — discomfort? Connelly: “And com pared to a lifetime, nine months is not a long time.”) Whatever option a woman chooses, it will affect her the rest of her lifetime. Let’s face reality, people. The problem of unwanted pregnancies is a hard one, and it is not going to go away. Safe, legal abortion needs to remain as one alternative answer. I have never been faced with this ques tion in my own life. I do not know what my answer would be. But one thing I do know- — I do not have the right to impose an answer on any other woman. Katherine Araujo graduate Lieurance’s fan lauds ‘greatest human being’ Every time I read one of Charles Licurancc’s previews, reviews or any views I feel sooo happy. Even now, 12 minutes after reading his work, 1 am still trying to catch my breath. Charles, in my opinion, you arc the greatest human being on the face ol our cold and cruel world. How do you do it? From our local music scene tc the brilliant definition of anarchist in the Karamazov piece: “those who operate at the loosest, least-controlled end of any term.” You seem to know it all. Would you be offended if 1 started a fan club? Kevin Wilkins junior devoted Licurancc fan Letter Policy The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers nid interested others. Letters will be selected for publica tion on the basis of clarity, originality, i timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to *dit all material submitted.