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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 1989)
"r Editorial_SSs Curt Wagner, Editor, 472-1766 Amy Edwards, Editorial Page Editor Jane Hirt, Managing Editor Lee Rood, Associate News Editor Diana Johnson, Wire Page Editor University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chuck Green, Copy Desk Chief Lisa Donovan, Columnist License loss possible Discrimination against minors is obvious I If a bill passes the Nebraska Legislature’s Judiciary Committee today, state senators will have a chance to vote on a bill which could revoke the driving privileges of teen-agers who violate any drug-related or alcohol-related laws. Under Sen. Ron Withem’s bill, LB248, minors convicted of any alcohol- or drug-related crime could lose their drivers licenses. According to the bill, a hrst ollense would constitute a yu day license suspension. The second offense, or any following offense, would result in a one-year suspension. So hypothetically, if a bunch of high school students were caught passing around a bottle of Mad Dog 20/20 in a parking ; lot, each of them convicted for minor in possession could lose their driving privileges. But that’s not all. Minors also would lose their licenses if j they used a false ID to buy alcohol or to get into a bar. Withem has kindly included a provision in the bill which s would allow minors to surrender their licenses with their % parent’s permission. If they do, the violation will not go on their driving records or affect their car insurance policies. The discrimination against minors in this instance is obvi ous. Minors have no voice in a bill which could be passed by - alleged knowing adults. The philosophy of the bill is narrow-minded. It’s a cheap scare tactic which would only reflect negatively on the deterrence of drug and alcohol use. The bill only suggests to teens that education on the dangers i of overindulgencc is ineffective ... that drugs and alcohol only | can be treated by controlling non-relatcd privileges. Teens drink and drive just as adults do. But their driving | privileges should be taken away only if they are caught drink j ing while driving ... not if they happened to be in the same car I with a bunch of other minors in possession of alcohol. But this isn’t the first time Withem has attempted to pass unfair, discriminatory legislation against teen-agers. Two similar bills have been introduced before. Let’s hope the third time isn’t a charm. -- Diana Johnson for the Daily Nebraskan I Regents mistaken | Homosexuals visible on today ’ s campus How does a 45-year-old look at the world? NU Regent John Payne of Kearney said he does not think he would support a change in NU bylaws to include a policy statement prohibiting sexual discrimination | against homosexuals. “Maybe someday you will understand,” Payne said. “When you are 45, you look at the world differently.” Now that’s logic. Payne is making decisions that affect 24,000 students, mostly age 18 to 24, on the basis of his 45 year-old mindset With all due respect, Regent Payne, things have changed since you were in college. Homosexuals are now, more than ever, a visible part of college life. And because they are visible, homosexuals are an easy target for discrimination. The regents need to pass a resolution changing the wording of section 18 of the University of Nebraska Charter, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, sex, color or nationality, so that it includes homosexuality. ' Regents Donald Fricke of Lincoln and Kcrmit Hansen of Elkhom also said they do not think they would support includ ing homosexuals among groups specifically protected in the charter. Bon of Norfolk said she does not know if she change. c of college students in other terms than ’ she said. riot very realistic. Like everyone else, there t students with different sexual orientations, piotected if they are discriminated against, innative action officers, several state prohibit discrimination based on sexual : Iowa State University, Rutgers, the Uni a at Los Angeles and Stanford University. >f Nebraska needs to follow suit to make scrimination are stamped out. - Amy Edwards for the Daily Nebraskan I I 1...11111. Reserved concert seating vital I Bands must make a decision between chaotic or calm seatingm Concerts arc so lun. The lights went down and the Bics and joints lit up. The crowd roared in anticipation, as the moving outline of the bodies mounted the stage. The fans on the floor went insane, wanting a chance to touch the larger-than-life per former. For those who attended the R.E.M. concert last Friday, this scene may describe some of the things that happened, but it was a new and en lightening experience for me. Reserved sealing. No pushing, no shoving and no one seriously injured. What a novel idea ... I thought they only did that at fancy restaurants. Although there’s nothing better than spending four hours in line to sec a band play for a little over two hours, I was relieved to know that 1 had a guaranteed seat. An official at the Omaha Civic Auditorium said the band promoter usually decides the seating arranuc ment. Annnrantlu I!) C 114 ___ C .• . •ppuivuii;, 13 UIIV; UI UIC few bands left that truly cares about the people who come to its concerts. After all, it is up to the band’s pro moter to decide what type of sealing will be provided. Despite what many think, it is not up to the concert hall people, the police or anyone else - the band decides whether they want carnival or reserved seating. Carnival seating does not begin with the excitement of the artists arri val on stage, it starts with the early arrival of concert-goers who want the best lirst come, first serve seating. 1 remember in high school arriving at the arena three hours ahead of time in order to gel a good seat. People drank and toked up and mentally % prepared themselves for an evening of chaos. The doors usually would open at about 6:30 or 7 p.m. for an 8 p.m. performance. But at about 6 p.m., people became ornery and excited. Folks would stand and shout at the officers or security guards to open up the place. And when the doors finally did open, it seemed like a dam had bro ken. Like bats out of hell. To the turns!) le ... to the concession, to the bathroom ... to the T-shirt stand ... uuu iv uiv tuncM m iruiu oi me stage — a llixxl ol humanity. Concerts arc so t un. It s all so ridiculous and when I think about it, it’s a lot more reason able for the band to request reserved seating. First, it gives the band more time to do the sound check - which in turn gives the band extra time to clear out of the place before the crowd begins arriving. And, the crowd won’t arrive until an hour, or even a half-hour before the concert, because there’s no need to fight for a seat if a “safe” scat is insured. Apparently everyone has forgot ten Dee. 3, 1979. About 8,000 fans waited lor the doors at Cincinnati’s Kiverlront Stadium to open. At 8 p.m., 1 he Who took the stage to per form - while police counted the 11 dead bodies of those who were trampled when the doors opened. B In the March 20, 1%0 issue oil Rolling Stone, police reports ciledfl that crowd env ironment was normal.■ Normal? || Normal for 11 people to die offl asphyxiation after being trampIcdB on? Something’s wrong with that! assessment. Personally, I have never had prob-B lems getting into a concert. But onccB inside the arena, the riot-nundedB concert goers forgot about common B decency. Or something like that. 9 hven the reserv ed seating concerts B arc being infected b> riotous bchav-B In August 1985,1 went to a concert B where the scaling was reserved. ButB once the artist hit the stage - it was B _-A ■ uucr maynem. t was in me sen'"*! row, minding my own business, when suddenly I felt like I was being trans formed into an Orange Julius. After I screamed that I was going to vomit, a small path was made so that I could get out of there, and breathe normally again. Concerts have destroyed 10 per cent of my hearing, and I wasn’t about to let them destroy my litc. Concerts are so fun - they really arc fun. Bravo, R.E.M. Hopefully bands will fashion themselves after you. If not, it may lake another Who conccrt incident to get someone to outlaw carnival scaling. And that would be a shame. For those of you attending the Duran Duran concert on Monday, good luck, it promises to be a great concert. Donovan is a junior news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan Arts and Entertain mt-nt a*ninr r»T>,,rt»-r and editorial columnist. Campus Notes by Brian Shellit°