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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1988)
Editorial Curt Wagner, Editor, 472 1766 Mike Reilley, Editorial Page Editor Dims Johnson, Managing Editor Lee Rood, Associate News Editor Bob Nelson, Wire Page Editor University of Nsbrasks-Uncoln Andy Pollock, Columnist Craig Heckman, Columnist -." .. 1 """i""" <■' ■ ;»)»■.'" ".w " nw—.,■.«■«..... What others think Action can resolve college complaints * Foe years, black faculty and students at Ptm State have been asking for an administrative position which would exclusively handle their concerns. Now black students will have this representation — sort of. * The administration told the university’s Board of Trustees recently that a new vice provost for equal oppor tunity will be appointed within the academic year. The vice provost is the administration’s answer to the Con cerned African-Americans at Penn State’s request for a vice president of pan-African affairs. The African-American students asked for a vice presi dent for pan-African affairs after an April sit-in resulted in 88 arrests and subsequent meetings with administrators. Other groups in the past have asked for similar adminis trative positions. Tim vice provost office has merit. It would provide an office for minority concerns at a high locatioji fc the administrative structure and give greater attention m equality. — The Dally Coilegten. Penn State University State College, Fa. t m • College students seem to enjoy complaining. They I complained when the drinking age wm raised, when * I financial aid legislation significantly affected college H funding and when a fee for a campus coliseum was B approved. A high number of students complain, but a surprisingly B low number act on those beliefs at the polls. B Many believe this topic has been beaten into the I ground, that urging people to vote is a hopeless effort B Well, it shouldn’t be. Voter turnout in the United States has been low histori I cally. It's lower than most European nations, especially B other democracies. The United States is almost at the I bottom in both the average turnout percentage of people I registered and the average turnout percentage of eligible 1 age groups. — The Kansas State Collegian Kansas State University ' Manhattan, Kan, Bourke’s letter showed only rhetoric, not facts There were only two apparent facts in Tim Bourke’s letter (DN, Sept. 29). First, it contained typical Bob Kerrey rhetoric, minus the facts. Secondly, Bourke was a naive fresh man when Kerrey was working his havoc on the University of Nebraska Lincoln system. Bourke shows the typical amnesia inherent in Kerrey’s campaign work ers. He chooses not to remember the 400 picketing students on the state capitol’s steps because he slashed the university budget. Remember how the students chanted “Hey Bob, do your job” and “No way, we won’t pay” in reference to causing UNL tuition to increase to the second-high est in the Big Eight. Bourke must have failed to read the editorials and articles in the DN with headlines such as “Low faculty pay; Decline blamed on Kerrey;” ’“Dear Bob; Vetoes will cripple state;” “Budget cuts leave NU administra tion full of empty chairs;” “Regents reject Kerrey's suggestions;”or in the words of former DN editors, “Gov. Kerrey has done a complete turn around in his attitude about the uni versity.. .. He said if the university failed to eliminate or reduce pro grams, it would ‘lead to increased mediocrity.’” Another editorial read: “No more excuses or justifications from Kerrey will do, his actions arc only slightly short of criminal for the future of the slate.” Bourke can continue to dream the Kerrey dreams and forget the night mares Kerrey created. He just needs to leave reality to those of us who do remember. Chris Knigge senior speech communication ■Iftttffcjm— The. Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Anonymous submissions will not be considered for publication. Letters should include the author's i\ame, year in school, major and group affili ation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Ne braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R sv. . HCOHfflfoCCPTtVE VACClNCll I CONTROL 6ROWP I 1 *1 ------. Susanna WilHams/Dally Nabraakan Character assassination abounds Name-calling seeps into UNL political scene, columnist says Until now, I have been trying to ignore the urge to write about the presidential campaign. It has been rather easy; noth ing has hap pened worth talking about. Sure, there have been some mo ments worth remembering, but for the most part it has been boring at best. The first debate between Dukakis and Bush was more of a slapstick comedy mated with childish name-calling. I found even the experts agree that this campaign is one of the worst in recent memory; it’s the worst in mine for sure. It has even plagued the senate race here in Nebraska. The debates that were supposed to be weren’t. Since then, there's been a lot of the same rhetoric. Now we have it right here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. More negative campaign ing. I was saddened to see this; I thought maybe we could stay out of it. What has got me up in arms, you ask0 On Wednesday, I was walking through the Nebraska Union and a friend showed me a card being handed out at the Dave Karnes booth. On the front reads “GET OUT OF JAIL FREE" and “Compliments of Michael Dukakis." On the back it describes the Massa chusetts prison furlough plan and blames Dukakis for a murder which was committed by a furloughed pris oner. It also says that Dukakis is re sponsible for the furlough of more than one murderer per day. The Iasi line states, “Mike Dukakis is the killer’s best friend, and the decent, honest citizen’s worst enemy.” Pretty harsh stuff, especially when you realize that it’s not correct. Say ing Dukakis is responsible for this murder is like saying Tom Osborne is responsible for the well-being of the English department. It is simply a lie that Dukakis can be blamed for this. Yes, he supports the program, and yes, murderers arc furloughed. It is not his responsibility for these people though. It is the re sponsibility of the system as to who is furloughed. It also is not Dukakis’ fault that prisoners must be furloughed. It is the system’s fault that more prison space has not been provided. The real question though is one of truth and one of responsibility. Who cverprinted this card took neither into consideration. This card does not tell the truth, it tells half-truths and lies. This is not responsible campaigning and I don’t feel that we must lower our on-campus campaigning to the level reached by the national campaigns. Don’t get me wrong... I am for the continuing education of the voters by both groups. This was not education, though. This was a cheap shot at the character of Dukakis. I am quite sure that the author of this card would take equal offense if Bush was hit in a similar manner. If pro-Dukakis people did something like this to Bush I am quite sure we would hear about it. I did take the time to ask who had the cards printed up. The answer I got was, ‘‘I don’t know.” Good reply, I thought. That’s what I would have said. I wouldn’t want to be associated with such a thing. I wonder if Karnes wanted to be associated with this thing. It was,after all, being handed out at a booth sup porting him. I don’t imagine he would but I could be wrong. I am sorry that character assassina lion has become commonplace in American politics, and I am even sadder that it has found its way onto the UNL campus. I hope this does not become a trend. Let’s not follow ,»e rest of Amer ica into the gutter Let’s lift our heads up and stay proud. Let’s stay above the fray of the disturbing scene of American politics. Heckman is a senior International affairs mjqor and t Daily Nebraskan edltor.al page columnist iidifewM-— —= Signed Halt editorials represent the official policy of the fall 1988 Daily Ne braskan Policy is set by the Daily Ne braskan Editorial Board. Its members are Curt Wagner, editor; Mike Rcilley, edito rial page editor, Diana Johnson, manag ing editor; Lee Rood, associate news editor; Andy Pollock, columnist; Bob Nelson, wire page editor; and Craig Heckman, columnist. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Re its itorial columns represent the opin ion of the author. The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers are the regents, who established the UNL Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According U>policy set by the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its student editors. Campus Nets* i 1,1 ■ ■ "■ I-—— _ by Brian Shellito 1
