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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1989)
T r I'i • 1 Net?raskan B « Q 1 tOn Cll Wednesday, November 1,1989 IW~ Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Uncoln Amy Hdwards, Editor, 472-1766 Lee Rood, Editorial Page Editor Jane Hirt, Managing Editor Brandon Loomis, Associate Sews Editor Brian Svoboda, Columnist Bob Nelson, Columnist Jerry Guenlhcr, Senior Reporter What others think Editorials address homosexuals, AIDS A report by a research arm of the Pentagon has found out what most enlightened Americans have known for years -- that the military’s policy toward homo sexuals is baseless. The Pentagon always has maintained that homosexuals undermine discipline and morale, and therefore has $ justified prohibition of gays from the military. In 1$82, (the policy was broadened to keep out men and women who demonstrate a “propensity” for engaging in homo sexual activity, a description which probably includes more people than the military would like to think about. In 1987, the Pentagon created a research center to study behavioral aspects of personnel security and analyze what kinds of people make good custodians of classified infor mation. It then commissioned the center to determine what security risks homosexuals posed for the military. The bias implicit in the Pentagon’s inquiry made the question its own answer: to develop evidence to reinforce the military’s belief that homosexuals arc a security risk. The center’s findings contradicted current military style, and Pentagon officials buried the report for 10 months. I A co-author ot the report, 1 heodore barbin, said, “Anybody who has a secret is a potential for blackmail, whether homosexual or heterosexual.” This report reveals the fraudulent character of the U.S. military’s stand against homosexuals in its ranks. Poli cymakers at the university should look hard at Sarbin’s conclusions, and then look hard at a ROTC program that permits this baseless bigotry. The university then should come to a just conclusion and kick the ROTC program off campus. •• The Minnesota Daily • The Bush Administration reflected good judgment by selecting Antonia Novello as the nominee for Surgeon ; General of the United States on Oct. 17. Novello, if I confirmed, would"be the first woman and the first His panic to hold the high*office of the nation’s head doctor. As a pediatrician, Novello is an expert on kidney disease in children. During her tenure at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Novello focused on pediatric AIDS. Although Novello’s experience and medical knowledge is extremely impressive, perhaps what is most encourag i ing is her opportunity to influence the medical field. Like her predecessor, C. Everett Koop, Novello will be chal lenged to lead the Public Health Service’s 6,500 employ ees through controversial health issues, such as AIDS and 1 abortion. •• The University Daily Kansan Columnist’s wit isn’t amusing I am writing in response lo Bran don Loomis’ editorial column (DN, Oct. 30) utled “Ideascan’t be kept to oneself.” Our world faces many difficulties at present. Fortunately, solutions also exist. With problem-solving indi viduals taking action, solutions can be found. Staying inspired to work for positive change can be difficult at times, but is crucial. Your latest column (and some past columns) show a lack of rcalislic problem solving. I don’t Iccl that columnists need to be serious all the lime. It depends on the topic chosen to write about. Personally, I don’t find your “witty” com men Ls on pres ent environmental and human righLs issues entertaining. Brent Hint/, senior anthropology Bush was right to veto abortion financing I disagree with your logic that your government should subsidize the killing of innocent unborn babies just because abortion is legal in our country (DN, Oct. 26). Should our government also subsidize all cos metic surgery just because it is legal to have cosmetic surgery? Also, why didn’t you talk about the rights of unborn children? Do you feel that children conceived from the crimes of rape or incest should have no rights? I feel President Bush made the right decision in his veto of the pro posed abortion financing legislation. Though it appears that he is definitely in the minority for his opinion on the matter, it is refreshing to sec that someone has the guts to stand up for the rights of unborn children. Joe Becker graduate student MV/hdt& New 0» Cable" | MoNeY fo a Jim Bakker never had it so bad At least his cycle of success and failure has been finished Tuesday afternoon, I couldn’t stop feeling envious of Jim Bakker. For the last few years, Jim’s been this kind of Beaver-figure for me; a bumbling, stupid little oaf caught in a world that’s just a bit loo big for him. I guess I’ve always seen Jim say ing stuff like, "Aww-w-w, shucks Wally, I didn't know it was bad to steal money. I didn’t mean it. I won’t do it again.” And, sure enough, Jim won’t be doing it again. Nope. He met up with The Honorable Maximum Bob — a judge who hands down life sentences like they were parking violations. The Beav got 45 years. You see, I believe Jim’s just a victim of an awfully mean world; a place where everyone is taught to be greedy and everyone becomes greedy, and the people bad at being greedy - because they’re too naive and stupid - end up getting chased by Convict John Doe at the Federal Correctional Institution in Talladega, Ala. Success is driven by greed. Jim wanted success like all of us. He wanted social standing and the life style to prove it. But Jim’s years of driving for success arc over and mine are just beginning. In fact, I just wasted much of Monday and Tuesday suffering for a chance at success. That’s right, the dreaded job inter view. The assistant managing editor of Newsday, a huge and quality paper based in Long Island, N.Y., came to the journalism college Monday and Tuesday looking for young journal ism stars for his newspaper. I signed up for a Tuesday interview. Oh boy! I was going to be the star writer at a huge newspaper and live in a neat apartment on Long Island and meet incredibly brilliant people who thought 1 was incredibly brilliant. The small-town boy made good. My neighbors in Falls City would all say stuff like, “Ya know, I always knew that Nelson boy was gonna make somethin’ of himself. He was a fine boy. Why, I remember the time...” Anyway, while I was writing my cover letter and compiling my clips Monday, I had pretty much figured out that Newsday really needed me. I figured they’d either ask me to write columns directed at younger readers or they’d ask me to travel the country uncovering strange and wonderful stories. I was going to be big. I stayed up late Monday night. I got up early Tuesday morning, put on my wedding/funeral/interview clothes, combed my hair, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, tried to lie my tie, failed, polished my wing-tips, combed my hair and drove to the university. A few hours later, I walked to the journalism school for my interview. I arrived early, sat in the chair by the interview room, got up from the chair, paced the hall, set down my portfolio, sat down, stood up, walked to the fountain, checked my tic a friend had lied, wiped my palms, sat down, lucked in my shirt, smelled my pits, stood up, wiped my palms, smiled at someone, paced, thought, wiped my palms and checked my lie a friend had tied. Interviews were running an hour behind. Finally, the guy from Newsday and an interviewee came out of the room laughing. They seemed to have had a wonderful talk. “Sec ya later, Dave,” Jim said. “See ya later, Jim,” Dave said. I smiled at them both, wiped my palms and reached out my hand to the interviewer, Maximum Dave. He shook my hand and said something like, “You’re Bob? We’ll have to make this quick. I’m running be hind.’’ We walked in the room. He opened my portfolio, looked at my cover letter, looked perplexed, set it aside, pulled out my resume, looked perplexed and said what I interpreted to mean, “Well, at least your GPA’s not too bad.” He went on to tell nje about Ncw sday and how they hire dozens of interns and more or less let them sink or swim on their own. He kept look ing at- his watch, I asked a couple stupid questions and he gave me two quick answers. After about 15 min utes he handed me an application, explained that I had to write some essays on the applications and told me to send it to Newsday when I was finished. Then he stood up, said “thank you” and showed me the door. Well, I realized then and there that I was a miserable failure. I was no journalistic prodigy. To a big leagucr, I was just another face before lunch. I guess this is the “real-world syndrome” everybody talks about. You go through high school, think you’re a success, apply to a college, realize you’re a dope, go through college, think you’re a success, apply for a job and then realize you're a dope. So why am I envious of Jim Bakkcr? Because he’s all finished with this vicious cycle of success and failure. He’s a dumb little man w hose been sent away from it all, locked up to rot in prison. There arc no interviews in prison. There’s no graduating and succeed ing. All you do is cal, read and run from other convicts named John Doe. After my interview Tuesday, John H Doe seems like a fine alternative. ■ Maybe I’m my own Maximum Bob. W Nelson is a senior news-editorial major and a B| Daily Nebraskan columnist. §p| Signed staff editorials represent the official policy of the fall 1989 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its members arc Amy Edwards, editor; Lee Rood, editorial page editor; Jane Hirt, managing editor; Brandon Loomis, associate news editor; Bob Nelson, columnist; Jerry Guenther, senior reporter; Brian Svoboda, col umnist Editorials do not necessarily re flect the views of the university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents. The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers arc the regents, who established the UNL Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by the re gents, responsibility for the editorial content ol the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its student editors.