opinion
Knowledge lacking
in AS UN editorial
“Lacking in knowledge, lacking
knowledge about a particular subject
or fact.” That is the Random House
College Dictionary definition of ig
norant.
After reading Amy Edwards’
“Knock on Doors” editorial, igno
rant was the first word to cross my
mind.
Edwards stated: “If ASUN mem
bers really cared about getting people
involved in campus issues, they
would be knocking on doors, asking
people what issues arc most impor
tant.”
Now Ms. Edwards, a fire doesn’t
get put out by talking about it. If you
really think something is unfair about
it don’t just moan and groan about
everything you dislike.
now I am a treshman at the uni
versity and my knowledge of univer
sity politics is limited, but I do know
a thing or two about politics. If you
don’t think the individual will do his
job, you don’t vote for him.
Edwards stated ASUN members
should go out and ask minority stu
dents to apply for ASUN. That is
ridiculous. People who are interested
in something will do more than some
one who half-heartedly joins.
For my last rebuttal, I would like
to address Edwards’ comments about
grecks. She stated that greeks join
ASUN because “among other things,
it makes the house look good.”
Greeks do many good things, both
for the university and the community,
such as blood drives, working with
the handicapped and the needy.
Now if I were to understand Ms.
Edwards’ article correctly, and I
apologize if I didn’t, she is upset that
grecks are involved in campus activi
ties. What gall they have to try to
contribute to the university. They
should all be rounded up and shot.
Come on, Ms. Edwards, it sounds to
me that you just dislike grecks and
this was the only flaw you could find.
If someone believes an organiza
tion is not operating to their advan
tage and that is ASUN’s goal, they
would go and join ASUN. Since the
opposite is the case, it looks like
ASUN is doing fine.
David Codr
freshman
Phi Gamma Delta
Action needed to
fight homophobia
While sponsors who planned the
vigil last night were trying to respect
the family of J. Eric Jones, they di
luted the issue of anti-gay/lesbian
violence and the motivation - homo
phobia.
It is time for people to stand up
against crimes against gay/lesbian
people. I firmly believe that the Uni
versity of Nebraska-Lincoln commu
nity and the state have ignored social
problems of the gay/lcsbian commu
nity through silence, placation, dilu
tion and distortion. Gay/lcsbian
people at UNL and the global com
munity are the “trash of the 80s and
90s.” I think that the vigil should
stand up against violence, but specifi
cally anti-gay/lcsbian violence.
People are reacting out of homopho
bia and political pressure to label it
otherwise. I have been asked to be
silent on this issue, but silence equals
death.
UNL can make a difference
against the core issue -- homophobia.
The following programs, policies and
actions should be taken to ease the
tension and fight a viable "war on
homophobia:" a) explicit statement
of sexual orientation as a factor for
non-discrimination, b) funding for
Committee Offering Lesbian and
Gay Events and the UNL Gay/Les
bian Resource Center, c) an AIDS
policy that will prohibit discrimina
tion against persons with AIDS and
adequate money spent on AIDS edu
cation, d) a gay/lesbian scholarship
fund, e) a gay/lesbian studies curricu
lum, 0 a needs assessment of gay/
lesbian students, g) removal of
ROTC, the CIA and discriminatory
agencies from the campus that still
discriminate on the basis of sexual
orientation, h) an Office of Gay/Les
bian Affairs (similar to Multi-Cul
tural Affairs), i) group counseling for
students “coming out,” j) strength
ening of the Student Code of Conduct
to penalize homophobic actions and
k) establishment of a Chancellor’s
Commission on the Status of Gays
and Lesbians.
I commend ASUN President
Bryan Hill for taking some action on
this issue, but I think (as many people
do) that the vigil Thursday night
should be against anti-gay/lesbian
violence.
Rodney A. Bell, II
* chairman
University of Ncbraska-Lincoln
Gay and Lesbian Alumnae
Association Inc.
Tax dollars not
a censor weapon
Andrew Meyer’s argument re
garding tax money and the arts (DN
Sept. 6) is typical of all those who are
behind Sen. Jesse Helms’ legislation.
Mr. Meyer asked, “Why should my
hard-earned tax dollars be used to
support something I don’t like?”
Hey, if I had a choice, I’d tell the
government to take all my tax dollars
out of defense because I “don’t like
it” there, and there’s a greater need
for it elsewhere. Unfortunately, the
government doesn’t work that way.
Meyer’s argument is flawed be
cause it misses the point of Helms’
legislation. It doesn’t matter whether
or not money should go to the arts! If
you happen to believe it should, then
the money should not be used as a
weapon to censor artistic ideas some
people don’t have a taste for. The
■ "I ■ I ■" 1 ■■
money should be used to promote
creativity in all areas, without stifling
it in any way. All artistic ideas should
be supported to the fullest without
exception, or not at all.
Next, “art” means a lot of differ
ent things to a lot of people. Oscar
Wilde said, “There is not such thing
as a moral >x an immoral book. Books
are well written or badly written.
That is all.” The same is true for all
the arts. Just because you find an
artistic idea “sacrilegious and dis
gusting” doesn’t make it any less a
work of art than the Mona Lisa. Why?
Art is a means by which the artist can
express an idea through his or her
individual artistic talents. Art also is
supposed to provoke thought. Some
times the ideas may not be all rosy
and wonderful, but we can’t shield
ourselves all our lives from the darker
realities that life presents.
Perhaps conservatives should start
espousing freedom of expression,
rather than freedom of suppression.
Keith Richter
sophomore
anthropology
Reader questions
traffic decisions
I wonder who the birdbrain was
that thought of installing the three
speed bumps and two stop signs in a
one-block area at 39th and East
Campus Loop west of the Dental
College?
Mary Glantz
Agronomy Department
Reader ponders permit sales;
parkin'? equations don’t work
well,isn tu at special/ Ac
cording to the Aug. 28, 1989 edi
tion of the Daily Nebraskan, Lt.
John Burke said that around 3,000
parking permits were still avail
able to be purchased, and more
than 4,700 permits were already
sold. I have a small problem with
that, namely, where are these park
ing stalls?
I am personally aware that more
than 700 permits were sold for the
gravel lot behind Abcl/Sandoz.
Let’s contemplate this a wee bit:
there are six rows of parking stalls
with 66 spots per row — I’m no
math major; Math 106 strained my
sanity greatly - but my calculator
says 396 cars ought to be able to
pairii there.
Maybe if you use inverse sine
theta, or figured the positive inte
gral from X to Y, and differenti
ated, you might be able to park the
other 300 cars - but I sure can’t.
And we have to consider that we
arc still talking theoretically, be
cause we all know how well people
park in the Abcl/Sandoz lot - try
really hard and you too can say
“double park.”
A reminder for people with
small cars: always leave the car in
gear, park and use the emergency
brake because serious parking
mongrels will push small cars into
the aisle and take the parking stall,
also, four average-sized guys can
pick up a Volkie Bug or these new
Geo Metros and carry them a fair
distance. (But in no way is that an
admission of guilt)
One final thought: Where else
but UNL can one car receive two
tickets from two different parking
enforcement agencies on the same
day in one hour?
Kelly Wade
* sophomore
biology
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