Editorial__
Nefiaskan
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Quibbles & bits
Extinct classes, Klan at KU make news
* About 300 extinct classes at
the University of California
Berkeley will be removed from
next fall’s course catalog. Some
hadn’t been taught in “centu
ries,” according to a recent issue
of National On-Campus Re
port. Hans Sluga, chairperson
of the Academic Senate’s
Committee on Courses, said,
“We Just wanted to be more
realistic. It’s a fraud to pretend
wc have this large array of
course^g-§fv
♦ In light of the death of
Martin Luther King Jr. Thfrty
two years after the first black
student at the University of
Alabama was expelled, the
school may revoke the dis
missal. In 1956, Alabama ex
pelled Autherine Lucy Foster
after a riotous mob protested
her attendance at the all-white
school. A court battle followed
and Foster’s attorneys charged
j that trustees had conspi red with
the mob to keep Foster away
from the university. However,
*Jhci r charges were not substan
tiated. Now, Alabama ofGcials
j arc thinking about revoking
Foster’s expulsion, it was not
until 1963 that two other stu
*..
mm integrated Alabama.
* The Ohio National Guard
will no longer use its tuition
scholarship program as a re
cruiting tool In fact, it will drop
the program entirely, although
current enrailees probably will
receive funds through at least
1989. The biggest factor In the
showdown was the program’s
cost: 4,800 guardsmen are cur
rently eligible.
* After denying them permis
sion, University of Kansas offi
cials decided to allow Ku Klux
Klan members to participate in
a campus forum on free speech
after all. More than 2,500 pro
testers shouted ami-Klan epi
thets outside the building in
which the forum was held,
while inside, hecklers repeat
edly tried to interrupt the pro
ceeding by shouting and sing
ing gospel songs. State, county
and campus law enforcement
officers (even die FBI showed
up) carried nightsticks and
donned bullet-proof vests and
riot helmets. But they were not
necessary. The protests ended
peacefully and the Klansmen
were quickly escorted out of
town.
Give, take away credit when deserved
Although 1 am not an avid sup
porter of Michael Dukakis in his quest
for the presidency, 1 am more con
cerned with Joel Carlson’s defense of
the President Reagan legacy (Daily
Nebraskan, April 4) than with his
spurious and often unfounded attacks
on the Massachusetts governor.
Carlson can trot out all the biased
and selective statistics he likes, but
the fact remains that the Reagan
administration has constituted on
unparalleled assault on the economic
rights of poor and middle-class
Americans. He notes the abundance
of high-paying service-sector jobs,
but fails to mention the cuts in pro
grams designed to inform and train
people for these jobs. He argues that
America’s rich have been burdened
with increased tax rates, but neglects
to state that the concentration of
wealth in the American economy is at
a level unparalleled since 1929.
Ask the farmer what the Reagan
Revolution has done for him and he’ll
paint a picture of bank foreclosures,
heavy debts and broken families. Ask
the working men and women of
America what they have gotten under
the Reagan administration and they
will tell you about massive layoffs as
a result of corporate greed and a rav
aged industrial base. Ask blacks,
Chicanos and native Americans what
Reagan has done for them and they
will respond with a list of affirmative
action programs opposed by the presi
dent and with figures describing dis
gustingly high rates of unemploy
ment, poverty and infant mortality in
their communities.
In 1968, another native of Massa
chusetts, Robert Kennedy, had the
courage and foresight to challenge the
oppressive policies of an incumbent
administration. Twenty years later,
we have in our hands the same oppor
tunity — the opportunity to propose a
vision of America and where it needs
to go in the next decade. Dukakis has
this vision and the ability to act upon
it. Carlson does not give him the
credit he deserves, and he gives the
president much more credit than he
deserves.
Brian Svoboda
junior
political science
Nebraska youth coordinator
Dukakis for President
Use voting right to make a difference
Politics are going to be exciting
this year. The doldrums of the past
eight years may be over. The Reagan
era has only created apathy, wealthier
rich, increased military buildup, in
creased poverty and crime in his own
branch of government. Our Republi
can leaders in Nebraska are so close to
Reagan’s philosophy that they are
indistinguishable.
We have a chance to change our
world and create new tomorrows.
Some exciting leaders are running for
election. The race for Senate by Bob
Kerrey is stimulating. Candidate
Kerrey is a good candidate for this
job. He’s intelligent, well-rounded
and charismatic. I say away with the
anticsof Karnes and Daub. They can’t
hold a flame to Kerrey’s candle.
On the presidential scene, we are
going to sec an invigorating race.
Jesse Jackson is the most uniquely
qualified candidate we have got. He is
not swayed by corporate America.
Jesse has a farm policy, an education
agenda, a peace platform, and shows
humanitarian concern for all minori
ties. I say vote for the people’s candi
date — Jesse Jackson, not for a “cor
porate puppet” like George Bush.
Above all, register to vote. Make a
difference, use your voting power.
Students need to return to times prior
to the Reagan era. It was then that
students pushed for social change. Do
we want another four years of policies
that don’t work?
Rodney A. Bell
Lincoln
" WHCN I SAY WRlTg 11 WILL NOT BRING A GUN To SCHOOL' ICO T1MGS I
AND BRING IT To Mg, I (MgAN BRING IT To Mg l" '
DWI costs more than fines I
Moral justice should prevail, but moral truth is more important j
The other day a friend of mine
was wailing for the bus. She
had been charged with driv
ing while intoxicated, and she was on
her way to sec her lawyer.
She had no qualms about her
charges, no question of guilt or inno
cence in her eyes. She was drunk, she
was driving and she was caught. Be
tween her, me and whatever mildew
might have been growing inside the
bus shelter on that rainy day, she
confessed — guilty as charged.
Her dilemma was: Should she tell
that to the judge or should she try to
get out of iL She could exploit some
technicality, water down the charge
through a plea bargain or something
of that ilk. Oh sure, she could discuss
it with her attorney, at least from a
legal sianapoini. one wasn i inter
ested in the legal struggles, but the
moral ones, something lawyers don’t
seem to have a great grip on.
In other words, does she lunge at
any opportunity the legal process ora
great lawyer might afford her to
lessen the crime, or docs she take her
lumps? After all, in her heart of
hearts, she knows she’s guilty.
I realize for many this comes down
to socio-economic terms. Affluent
people can shell out the bucks for the
high-priced lawyers who have the
savvy and connections necessary to
get them off. Those who can’t afford
the prices get the overworked lawyers
who, even if they have the resources
of the high-powered lawyer, can’t
devote the time.
But for a minute let’s suppose
everyone can afford the F. Lee
Baileys of the world.
All our lives, up until college at
least, we arc taught to do the “right”
thing. Somewhere along the way, we
learn to “CYA” — Cover Your Ass.
Certain ly the business world oper
ates this way, but I’ve never had a lot
of faith in the ethics of the business
world. Even our legal system, what
philosopher Edmund Burke referred
to as “the pride of the human intel
lect,” seems to favor “CYA” instead
of doing the “right” thing.
Consider this: what incentives do
we have in “taking our lumps”? Moral
satisfaction perhaps — and a record.
None too flattering.
Look at the other side of the coin.
What incentives have we for trying to
get off the hook? Everything, except
we’re left with an empty moral soul.
I realize for some people this is no
problem.
For example, in the past 10 years
DWI has gone from “well, everyone
docs” on the public scales to ranking
in popularity next to child molesta
tion. It’s a damning thing to have on
your record. Besides the social stigma
of being a drunk driver, it wreaks
havoc on your pockctbook, including
lossoflicenseprivilegesand skyrock
eting insurance rates.
Drunk driving is just a microcosm
of the whole. Look at the example set
by some public officials — people
like Iran-Contra figures, Ed Mcese
and former Arizona Gov. Evan
Mccham (by no means limiting it to
these examples). Ihese men nave
taken no great strides in becoming
examples on how to4 fess up to wrong
doing. When was the last time a pub
lic official admitted — cleanly — to
a wrongdoing? My memory fails me.
(Jimmy Swaggart doesn’t count. Ef
forts to subvert damaging evidence
failed before he took to tearing up on
the tube.)
So what to do in this situation? Do
we do what’s morally right and suffer
consequences that may trail us for the
rest of our lives? Or do we become
moral weasels and try to come out
what would be perceived as coming
out smelling like a rose? Who would
know, besides ourselves (and maybe
our lawyer — see note on lack of
moral scruples).
V-/iiv^ 11lui w uiuu^m* mv -j; Jkv...
can work to reward those who attempt
to weasel out of their shortcomings,
doesn’t it equally damn those who
stand up for principles? What if Ed
Meese or Evan Mecham arc doing
what they see as the “right” thing, and
the black cloud hovering above their
head was wrongfully placed? Highly
unlikely perhaps, but not unreason
able. Certainly their lives would have
been much easier if they stepped
down and faded away as quickly as
possible.
This dilemma troubles me. I’d
really (in my heart of hearts) like to
see moral justice prevail, to have the
scales of justice tip overwhelmingly
in its favor. But in analyzing real
world “truths,” it’s difficult to see
how moral “truths” carry a lot of
weight on the scales.
Coffey is a senior in political science and
is a Dally Nebraskan arts and entertainment
reporter.
Unsigned editorials represent of
ficial policy of the spring 1988 Daily
Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its mem
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selms, managing editor; Curt Wag
ner, associate news editor; Chris
Anderson, associate night news edi
tor and Joel Carlson, columnist
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