Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1989)
Editorial !"' -— _ p. . I Curt Wagner, Editor, 472-1766 Amy lid wards, Editorial Page Editor IVTI r ^ Janc 1Il,t- Managing Editor I \| P ijl Q 1^ CM II Lee Rood, Associate News Editor ^ J. MVJaVvU L Diana Johnson, Wire Page Editor University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chuck Green, Copy Desk Chief Lisa Donovan, Columnist What others think Committee looks at ethnic studies plan •... the general education committee of the College of Arts and Sciences is scheduled to consider an ethnic studies graduation requirement proposal. The proposal is the work of the Association of Students of the University of Washington Racism Task Force, which formed last spring after several publicized incidents of racism occurred on the UW campus. The proposal asks that more classes from the American Ethnic, Afro-American, American Indian, Asian American and Chicano studies programs be added to the current distribution list of the arts and sciences college. The proposal also asks that students majoring in arts | and sciences be required to take 10 credits in courses that “deal with the American ethnic minority experience.” \ Under the proposal, those courses do not have to be from { one of the ethnic studies departments named above. ... The proposal allows for ethnic studies credits to [ also count for credit in either the social science or the l language and literature portion of the humanities distribu tion lists.. .. Part of what the task force hopes will be accomplished with the ethnic studies requirement is to educate students op the cultures of different ethnic groups. ... Ethnic studies courses not only teach students about non-white cultures, but also cover many areas such as the numerous and opposing theories of race relations, history of the United States that is either ignored totally in the secondary schools or only glanced over, and different forms and styles of fiction, music and drama. -The Doily University of Washington • If you’ve been following the Student’s Association j campaigns these last few days, you’ll have noticed that two issues keep coming up. The first is the student government’s image problem - the fact that a great number of students regard UT student | government as an ineffectual joke. The second is the I proposal that a student seat be added to the UT System | Board of Regents. What may not be clear, however, is how closely the two | issues are connected. ... You see, most people who complain about the n. j . . A a . 1.1 .« • i n a • • /*/* • « • . t oiuucm /Asscmuiy umiK o/a is lnciiccuve Dccause li uraws l ineffective people. Those critics, however, get cause and effect reversed: | If in fact the SA draws too many ineffective people, that’s « because the regents have systematically deprived student I government of effectiveness. And the regents make many other decisions that di rectly affect students’ educational experiences and oppor ? tunities... But can we really expect a student to be able to grasp the issues the board has to confront? Of course we can... What’s more, non-student members of the board often \ require as much training and orientation as any student member would. Remember: Very few members of the UT System Board of Regents have any special expertise in education issues. In order for UT student government to recover its power to support a variety of substantial student pro grams, students need an advocate on the Board of Regents . who can stress students’ need for -- and right to - a strong, independent, autonomous student government_ - The Daily Texan University ef Texas letter _ The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publi cation on the basis of clarity, original ity, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit all material submitted. Readers also are welcome to sub mit material as gues^ opinions. Whether material should run as a let ter or guest opinion, or not to run, i; left to the editor’s discretion. Letters and guest opinions sent t< the newspaper become the propert; of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot bi returned. Submit material to the Daily Nc braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 14001 ^tv Lincoln, Neb, 685^8-0448. ,, 7N0 frfAR...£ mmVu jujt .PUTA NlwoNl. Ss-vs" I » v\~\ iB Ethics missing in North’s trial! Longsine compares federal case to problems on campus leve H Honestly, I haven’t been fol lowing the trials and tribula tions of Oliver North. Has he been acquitted yet? Or has the trial simply halted for lack of non-classi fied, non-shreddcd information? There is a thoroughly documented case involving the purchase of some silk or lace for Fawn Hall, but I was hoping that the special prosecutor was going after more than the return of $36.95 to National Security Coun cil petty cash. Just because I don’t know any thing about it doesn’t mean that 1 don’t have an opinion on it. This is America and I’m entitled to have an opinion on anything, despite Meese’s best efforts. If history is any guide, my deepest convictions should be about that which I know the least. That’s another story though. Join with me in reciting the American Creed on the Iran-Contra Affair. I believe that Lt. Col. Oliver North is guilty of crimes more serious than theft, but short of treason. I believe that then President Ronald “I believe in the book of Revelations” Reagan played an ac tive role in approving North’s at tempts at circumventing the prohibi tion set down by Congress against funding the armed group known as the Contras. i uciicvu mai men rresiacni Ronald “Trees cause more air pollu tion every year than automobiles” Reagan may have forgotten that he did indeed approve these fund-rais ing activities. I believe that North was directed by his superiors to perform various tasks which he and they knew to be of questionable legality. I believe that William Casey and George Bush haddirecl knowledge of North’s actions and might be in cluded among those as of yet un named superiors which form the basis of North’s defense. I believe that people who have “Ollie for President*’ posters, T shirts, bumper-stickers and coffee mugs are guilty of poor taste. I believe that North is innocent in the eyes of the law until proven - guilty, and that he has the right to a » fair trial. Despite the fact that I don’t agree ) with North’s actions (selling arms to t the Ayatollah is not a good idea, ask ; Salman Rushdie). I am no longer convinced that he should spend time • behind bars, or even on a minimum * security golf course. North is still convinced that he did nothing wrong, although he should be convinced otherwise. But using him as the scapegoat is perhaps a greater evil. The special prosecutor, natu rally, wants to see someone held accountable for breaking the laws of the land with malice and forethought. The central problem lies with North’s defense. His actions thus far demonstrate extreme loyalty to Ronald “ICBM’s arc recallable” Reagan and might still be considered admirable. North docs not want to get up on the stand and say “the presi dent, vice president, and the director of the CIA not only were aware of my every action, but even directed me in my effort to provide support to the Contras.” r " — ~ 11 I Instead, he wants to quietly sub poena documents which will demon strate that fact when he talks vaguely of his superiors. North doesn’t care if these portions of the trial take place in secret. He certainly doesn’t want these documents made public any more than the Bush administration docs. The only person North wants to see those documents is the judge. The administration doesn’t want that. Why, what if, a year from now, the judge tells his girlfriend, and she tells her husband, and he tells the press? Ghastly! The central issues here all involve ethics. It was wrong for North to what he did, whether he was told to do it by President Ronald “We begin bomb ing in five minutes’’ Reagan, or not. It would also be wrong for our coun try to convict and sentence North for something we all know he did after denying him access to documents needed for his defense. Ethics arc not wholly a forgotten art, by the way. Residence Hall Asso ciation members recently had a bout of ethics and thoroughly lambasted the space to my right, (your left) which unlike my space, represents the official opinion of the Daily Nebraskan. That doesn’t prevent it, in my opinion, from being wrong on occasion. Even though Sen. Malt Wickless was within his rights to spend, with his committee, their remaining SI3.50 at Burger King, I think it is important for some senator® to question the ethics involved. Sue® persons should run for other govern® ment offices and counter the Ion® standing government principle that® one has taxpayer’s money left at ih®| end of the fiscal year, one shoul® spend it. ^ I was thrilled to see that the issue® despite it’s technical legality, wa® cause for debate. It is an interesting® comparison between RHA and th® Association of Students of the Uni® versity of Nebraska. RHA has a tiny® pittance of a budget (ASUN spend® more than the entire RHA budget on® photocopies and other printing ex® penses each year) and yet most of the® time, most of the senators attend mos® of the RHA meetings. m Wednesday night on the local® news ASUN was featured promi-H nently. The opening shot was simply® the senate meeting with the typical® attendance level of about 2/3 ol the® senators. T-' Every year RHA senators work (in® vain, I might add) for the two issues® of primary concern to their constitu-® ents, visitation rights and the other® one. They also contribute to educa-® tional and recreational activities in® the halls. Former ASUN senates, in con-H trast, have stood by while the NUB Board of Regents pass sweeping® changes in their jurisdiction over k student fees, leaving them with token B control. ASUN was out to lunch when the Regents grabbed Freedom 0. Speech by the neck and slashed her campus speaker’s programs. There is one option, though. Very soon you will have the opportunity to vote for new leadership for ASUN. Vote for the only serious party: SLUMBR. Rather than suggesting, like their opponents, that ASUN has an image problem that can be coun tered with a Committee on Good Public Relations or some such bu reaucratic monster, McArthur and SLUMBR have set about finding is sues that arc important and taking real, public stands. The most interest ing and important of these is the issue of on-campus condom distribution. The SLUMBR campaign buttons feature a slogan and a condom. Longsine is a senior international affairs and economics major and a Daily Nebraskan editorial columnist.