Editorial_
I-----j
•« Curt Wagner, Editor, 472-1766
JJaily ^ Amy Hd wards, Editorial Page Editor
\T1, ^ Janc Hirt, Managing Editor
\ \| »-* f| J 3 W 1^ Cl || l.cc Rood, Associate \e ws Editor
-4“ ^ ^SA. L Diana Johnson, Wire Page Editor
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chuck Green, Copy Desk Chief
Lisa Donovan, Columnist
What’s the answer?
Stiffer laws won’t solve drug problem
Everyone has something to say but no one has an
answer.
That’s what the debate sounded like Monday on
the floor of the Nebraska Legislature.
Senators passed - after several hours of discussion -
LB592, a bill to set mandatory minimum prison sentences
of three and five years for people who manufacture or are
in possession with the intent to deliver crack or cocaine.
Consternation over the drug problem is understandable,
considering how overwhelming the issue is. The bill is a
good one for showing the public that legislators recognize
the fact that Nebraska has a drug problem.
OK, the problem is recognized. But when will they do
something that will begin to solve it?
The penalties awarded under LB592 are stiffer than
current laws — they add the word “mandatory” and will
I keep convicted drug dealers in prison longer.
dui u uuesn i ao mucn gooa to set longer prison sen
:! tences if police can’t catch the real criminals.
The bill doesn’t address the heart of the real problem.
The key word Monday in support of the bill was “de^
terrent.” Senators said drug traffickers would be less
likely to bring their business to Nebraska if they knew the
penalties would be stiffen
That’s bull.
The chances of getting caught selling crack or cocaine
are slim, and the allure of earning several thousand dollars
\ for one-half hour’s work outweighs those chances.
Sens. Ernie Chambers of Omaha and David Landis of
| Lincoln are to be commended. Speaking against a bill to
Crack down on drugs is political suicide in almost every
community.
Also to be commended are Sens. Frank Korshoj of Her
man, Jennie Robak of Columbus, Dianna Schimek of
Lincoln and Loran Schmit of Bellwood.
But voting against LB592 does not mean those senators
i are soft on drugs. They voted against the ineffectiveness
of the bill.
The rest of the Legislature -- while showing a concern
for the drug problem -- also showed that they did not
understand the crux of it.
ben. Chns Abboud of Omaha, who drafted the bill, said
that 26 other states have similar legislation. But that still
doesn’t mean that the bill wiU help solve the drug prob
lem in Nebraska.
Abboud said that under current law, first offenders of
possession with intent to sell might get off on probation.
So now, first offenders could be put in jail and kept there
longer.
If they can be caught.
The Nebraska Legislature must deal with drug traffick
ers first by passing legislation that would equip police
with tfie means and might to cut off the drug supply.
I Senators need to start stronger drug education programs,
-and penalize the people who use cocaine and crack.
They also need to pass legislation to give people a
viable alternative to dealing. If people can’t afford to feed
their families, selling drugs for money may be the most
attractive job around ~ no matter what the penalty.
Until that is done, harsher penalties won’t even begin to
help the problem.
•• Amy Edwards
for the Daily Nebraskan
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I vt ' * • i * V * * •v' * } ") J *! i *: • t ,
Allowing freedom of expression
Columnist contemplates how much should be shown and tolM
When one of my sons was in
kindergarten many years
ago, the class did some
thing called “Show and Tell.”
The kids would have to bring
something to school and talk about it.
They would put on a performance of
some sort.
One day, without our knowing it,
my boy took one of my records to
school with him. He was going to
play a few songs from it and join in on
the words.
It was a fine piece of music, the
score from the movie “Zorba the
Greek.” The movie was one of my
favorites, and I frequently played the
record.
i piayeu u so ouen mat apparently
my son was familiar with every song
and every word.
So he put on an excellent perform
ance. However, it was cut short. The
teacher gave him the hook. Later, she
called my wife and was quite upset.
If you’ve ever heard this record,
you know that almost all the songs arc
instrumental Greek music. There is
little singing.
But there are words. Before each
song, you hear Anthony Quinn speak
ing some of the more memorable
lines from the movie.
As the teacher explained it, my
son got through two of them before
she sat him down and switched off the
turntable.
The first one went something like:
“You ask me why I love women so.
How can I not love them? They arc
such weak creatures, and they give
you all they’ve got.”
D .../vn ___•_ J
u “uo uiv iivai uuv^ uiai tnuk/U
the show. That’s when my son, shoul
ders back, speaking in a loud voice,
joined in with Zorba as he said some
thing like:
“There is only one sin God will
not forgive. When a woman asks a
man to her bed, and he docs not go. 1
know that, because an old Turk told
me.’’
The teacher was understandably
upset. That was rather risque stuff for
a kindergarten class. Or even a 5th
gradc class. And she asked that if our
son brought any more music to Show
and Tell, it be something less ad
vanccd.
So the next time my boy did a
Show and Tell, it was with the music
from Mary Poppins.
At the time, I agreed with the
teacher's judgment. But now I won
der if I had made a mistake by not
standing up for my son’s right to
express himself creatively.
The reason I’ve had second
thoughts after all these years is be
cause of the fracas that has just ended
at the Art Institute of Chicago.
As everybody in Chicago, and
much of America, now knows, an art
student at the institute has achieved
great notoriety simply by spreading
an American flag on the floor.
His creation, part of a student
exhibit, was called ‘‘What is the
Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?”
The exhibit included a couple of
ledgers on a shelf in which people
could write their responses. Specta
tors had the option of walking around
the llag or walking on it to get to the
ledgers.
This has enraged veterans, who
have marched and protested, and
given politicians a chance to voice
their patriotism and get on television.
It has also delighted the student,
who says he is a revolutionary com
munist and considers this the most
terrible, oppressive country in the
world.
Despite all the protests and threats
to out off tax grants, the people who
run the Art Institute have stood firm
in delcnding the student’s right to
express himself. So have most of the
city’s intellectuals, civil libertarians
and, of course, artists.
So I wonder if I did the right thing
many years ago, when I didn’t stand
up lor my student-son’s right to chant
along with Zorba.
Think about it: If a student can toss
a llag on the floor and call it art, ain’t
Zorba art?
Ai the lime, however, I wa^ ur.deB
the impression that students do nofl
have 1(X) percent freedom of exprcsB
sion. Being students, I thought, ihcB
had to abide by rules of taste ar M
judgment. ■
For example, if I w as the dean ot B
journalism school and someone camB
to me and said. “In the next issue
our student paper, George, our coM
umnist, is going to w ritc a piece abotfi
how he w'ould like to have sex wi E
little boys. And he is going to dcB
scribe the acts he would like lo peiB
form,” how would I react?
iviy IllM ICSpUllav vvuuiu uv »w
“No he’s nol. I’m going to loss lh®
piece into the wastebasket. II Georg®
wants to express those weir®
thoughts, he should find a niirncc®
graph machine and go stand on lh®
street comer and hand them out like®
self-respecting nut. But we re niW
printing them in this institution ■
paper.’’ ®
But maybe that would lie w rong. m
I follow the example of the Art Inst®
tute, I would be suppressing tins sit®
dent’s need to express himselt.
Or if 1 were running a medic*
school and a student wanted to pci
form brain surgery on a patien
would I be right in saying, “Youn
fellow, you are not a physician, yo
are only a student. Just watch an
listen. When you arc qualified, yo
can do such things. Not yet.
Would I be doing the right thing
You bet 1 would be. And maybe on
of these days the people who run th
Art Institute’s school are going t
“Look, kid, you arc not an aiun
yet. You are only a student. And w
you have created is trash. Now, wne»
you arc an artist, you can display yon
trash in a gallery, if they will nav«
you, or on your front lawn. But |1,(n
you arc a student in this institution
you arc going to have to coniorm
standards of quality and decency an
judgment.”
Mv kid’s kindergarten teacher wd
right.' If she’s still around, the a
Institute might consider hiring nc •
appears that they have students in
grade level.
(c) 1989 by The Chicago Tribune