Editorial
I Nebraskan
—
Curt Wagner, Editor, 472-1766
Amy Bdwards, Editorial Page Editor
Jane Hirt, Managing Editor
Lee Rood, Associate Sews Editor
Diana Johnson, Wire Page Editor
Chuck Green, Copy Desk Chief
Lisa Donovan, Columnist
Just check the box
Say no to drugs to keep money coming
Students who have Pell Grants had better watch out
if they do drugs.
Well, not really.
Under a new' law that bars students who receive federal
grants from using controlled substances, recipients of
grants must sign a statement that says “1 will not engage
in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation,
possession or use of a controlled substance during the
period covered by my Pell Grant.”
The law was implemented March 15, and the Office of
Scholarships and Financial Aid at the University of Ne
braska-Lincoln put boxes on award notices for students to
check if they agree to the statement.
OSFA Director John Beacon said Pell Grants won’t be
given to students who don’t check the box.
So students will check the box. Then they'll do drugs.
Education Secretary Lauro F. Cavazos announced that
Education Department investigators will start spot checks
J on college campuses to see if Pell Grant recipients are
f using controlled substances, according to an article in The
Chronicle for Higher Education.
Jim Bradshaw, spokesman for the department, said no
drug tests will be used to check if students are using
drugs.
If no drug tests are used, how in the world can they
prove that students are using drugs?
Well, Cavazos thinks he has the hard-hitting solution.
| In his speech at the annual meeting of the National Con
ference on Drug-Free Schools and Communities, Cavazos
1 said “we expect to rely on tips from the public.”
„ Great idea — use a snitch to strip students of the money
that allows them to get a better education. No fear though,
because how many students run to the financial aid office
; after witnessing drug use?
Wanting a drug-free education system is a great, even
noble, idea. But the plan is far too sketchy. There is no
J way that Cavazos and his crew are going to get students to
I admit they use drugs if they know they will lose their
money, let alone the near impossibility of enforcing such
a policy.
Cavazos said that investigators could use drug convic
tions to take away the grants.
But one of Beacon’s concerns with the program was for
students who get a drug conviction during the middle of
the semester. What happens then? Do the students have to
return their grant?
The program is a waste of money and time. Without a
conviction, evidence from “informers” is not strong
enough to deny someone an education.
After all, education itself is fundamental to the battle
; against drugs.
-• Amy Kdwards
for the Datty Nebraskan
A m » « - -
Arms are a constitutional right
1 m outraged, saddened and
puzzled. I share James Scnnett’s out
rage that a young girl’s life was en
dangered by some brainless (or
worse) clown. It’s the same sort of
anger I feel when I see a parent whose
child is not secured in a car seat. If our
concern for the safely of innocents is
something more than melodrama
then we should address the issue of
•iiotor vehicles which kill and maim
hundreds of limes more innocents
each year then firearms do.
I’m saddened when a presumably
educated person dismisses issues of
constitutionality as “drivel” and
advocates giving up our rights in such
an offhand manner. I’ll wager that
Mr. Sennett is somewhat more com
mitted to his right of freedom of
speech, which he does choose to
exercise. For clarification, “ the
right of the people to keep and bear
arms ... ” is no more “assumed”
than any other right guaranteed by
the Constitution.
I’m puzzled that some of those
who perceive themselves as champi
ons of civil liberties skip over the
Second Amendment as if it’s some
how less worthy of defense. As foi
Mr. Sennctt’s contention that the
police and the military arc the only
people who should possess firearms,
I would suggest that this is exactly
contrary to the Constitution.
The populations of El Salvador,
Nicaragua, Panama and many others
labor under exactly the sort of system
that Mr. Scnnctt advocates. Mistrust
of and disdain for the “established
systems of societal protection” may
be the seeds of anarchy, but a dis
armed and cowed populace is the
fruit of tyranny.
Robert N. Gale
Lincoln
Administrations need sensitivity
Nine hostages remain in Lebanon, yet government does nothing
rerry Anderson, Thomas Suth
erland and Frank Herbert Reed.
Joseph James Cicippio, Ed
ward Austin Tracy and Alarm
Bradford Steen. Jesse Jonathan
Turner, Robert Bruce Polhill and Lt.
Col. William Richard Higgins. Peter
Kilbum (found shot April 17, 1986).
William Buckley (presumed exe
cuted October 4, 1985).
Do any of these names mean any
thing to you? They should. These arc
the nine Americans being held hos
tage in Lebanon. Anderson is enter
ing his fifth year in captivity. Higgins
has been held for just over one year.
Can you even begin to imagine
what it would be like to be held in
captivity for more than four years?
Not ever knowing if you would be
released or killed, not knowing what
has happened to your family. Ander
son does not know that his father has
died.
Can you imagine being the wife or
child of one of these nine? How
would you tell your son or daughter
that they may never sec their father
again? Imagine having your husband
held hostage for years.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of all
is the continued insensitivity of both
the Reagan and now the Bush ad
ministrations. I can remember when
the hostages were being held in Iran.
Everyday there was something in the
news about it. I even remember the
yellow ribbons tied around trees to
honor the hostages. All of America
was behind them and all of America
was hoping and praying for their re
lease.
The hostages were held in Iran for
444 days. They were released on the
day Reagan was inaugurated, and
when news of their release was made
known, all of America breathed a
sigh of relief. The new president
bathed in the glow of his success at
getting them released. His message
was that America would no longer
tolerate that sort of activity.
Of the nine hostages, eight have
been held for more than 444 days. Yet
the very individual who heralded the
release of the Iranian hostages eight
years ago did absolutely nothing in
the name of freeing the hostages in
Lebanon.
Not counting the “arms for hos
tages’ ’ deal.
It still boggles my mind how the
administration could tell us with one
face that they would not deal with
terrorists, while their other face was
doing just that. At least when Jimmy
Carter tried and failed to rescue the
hostages he admitted it was a mistake
-- Reagan hasn’t admitted, or done
anything.
Ironically, one of the more suc
cessful methods of gaining the re
lease of hostages is no longer being
used - Nabih Berri, the leader of the
Amal militia. According to an article
written by Clyde Mark, Lebanon:
The Remaining U.S. Hostage, be
tween 1983 and 1986, Berri secured
the release of or rescued nine hos
tages. Unfortunately he quit working
lor the release of American hostages
after the United States led a boycott
of the Beirut International Airport.
It seems to me that it would have
been wise for the Reagan administra
tion to make the fullest use of Beni’s
services. Assuming, of course, that
the administration wanted their re
lease.
The man who ux>k his place ha,
done absolutely nothing toaticmptio
free the nine Americans being held.
Bush continually referred toa “thou
sand points of light" throughout the
campaign last year. I have yet to see
even one point of light.
It goes beyond just doing very
little to get the hostages released
Both the Reagan and Bush admini
strations have placed the issue on the
back burner -- the backest burner they
could find. Very seldom, if ever, do
you hear anything from the govern
ment on the slate of the hostages
(except when one is released).
I realize that other issues arc im
portant here, like the policy of not
dealing with terrorists. Supposedly,
dealing with them not only legiti
mizes them, but it encourages more
terrorist activity. Well, it .seemstome
that this policy of not dealing \uth
terrorists has failed. It has failed #
part because the Reagan administra
tion tended to talk with more than one
face.
I have a solution to this problem,
one that is really quite simple. Kid
nap various members of the admini
stration and Congress. Hold them m
captivity for a month or so in condi
tions similar to those in Lebanon,
the end of the month I can guaranu
they will do anything to get the nos
tages released. . . M
The nine Americans being hew
now and those who have been
and released arc true America
roes. It’s a shame that all Amff'c^
have not yet realized this. Th y
serve our thoughts and piay^' ffairs
Heckman is a senior international ^
major and a Daily Nebraskan editor'
umnist.
Reader suggests leaving country to Sennett
If Mr. Senneti takes such offense
at the Constitution of the United
Slates, specifically the Second
Amendment of the Bill of Rights, I
suggest that he move to the Soviet
Union or some other country where
he wouldn t have to worry about such
troublesome problems as privately
owned assault rifles, freedom of the
press, or trial by jury.
I would think that a man as obvi
ously intelligent as Mr. Sennett
would also be blessed with enough
common sense to realize that by at
tacking the rights of gun owners he
will not only help weaken and de
stroy the Second Amendment, but the
entire foundation of the Bill of
Rights.
If the Second Amendment goes
down, Mr. Sennett, don’t you think
that will pave the way for the fall of
the other nine? You are aj
and a religious man, there o )^
undoubtedly hold the freed
press and religion very highly '^
hope that you realize bc|o . tf0y
late that you will inevitably
much more than you think
Dll dll f* • _
mechanical enjgg^
NRA memt#
Ictttj'pnncyi
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