"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°
