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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1990)
■ I ▼ Correction: In a Diversions story (DN, Feb .22) about UFO sightings, Donald Taylor, a “ # UNL associate professor of astronomy, was misidentified as physics Professor Robert Fuller. Statements attributed to Fuller were made by Taylor. The Daily Nebraskan regrets this error, ..... . WEATHER INDEX Friday, partly sunny, high 45, northwest wind 15- News Digest.2 i 20 miles per hour. Friday night, partly cloudy, low Editorial.4 in the low-20s. Saturday, variable clouds, high sports 6 Arts & Entertainment.9 Classifieds.10 February 23,1990 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Vol. 89 No. id 7 Committee argues over implications of flag bill By Victoria Ayotte Senior Reporter Proponents of a bill to ban flag desecra tion argued Thursday that America’s symbol of freedom should be protected, while opponents argued that the bill would take away some of Americans’ freedoms. The Nebraska Legislature’s Judiciary Committee failed to act on LB 1227 and LR245 after a public hearing on the measures. LB 1227 would make flag desecration a Class I misdemeanor, punishable by up to one-year imprisonment, a $1,000 fine or both, according to the bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Elroy Hefner of Coleridge. LR245, also introduced by Hefner, would petition Congress to propose a constitutional amendment banning flag desecration. “Our flag is a symbol of freedom,” Hefner told a roomful of veterans and students at the public hearing. “I feel that nobody should be allowed to desecrate our flag.” Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, however, said Hefner’s bill is worded poorly and would be deemed unconstitutional, as the U.S. Su preme Court declared a sim ilar Texas bill to be. Chambers said the bill does not define a flag, and asked if a stamp with a flag on it qualifies as he tore one up. “Sen. Chambers, 1 think you’re carrying that a little bit too far,” Hefner responded. “I think your bill goes too far because it hasn’t been thought out,” Chambers said. Sen. Arlene Nelson of Grand Island said the bill’s provision that a flag is desecrated if it is known that it will “outrage the sensibilities of I any person likely to observe or discover such action or disturb the peace and quiet of any I person” can be read many different ways. Chambers also questioned the resolution’s provision that “all patriotic Americans” be lieve the flag should not be desecrated. The provision is a political statement, he said. Chambers then tore up what he said was a copy of the U.S. Constitution and asked Hefner if that bothered him, to which Hefner said “not necessarily.” Chambers asked if the reason the bill’s proponents don’t include the constitution “is because they arc in fact desecrating the constitution with this” bill. Sen. Jerry Chi/.ck of Omaha said people “border on being a little hypocritical with this issue” when they support the ban on flag dese cration but don’t petition Congress to reinstate cut veterans’ benefits. “The men and women that serve this coun try are the ones we ought to move mountains for,” Chi/.ck said. Duane Bokcmpcr of the Nebraska Ameri can Legion said he hopes the resolution passes so a constitutional amendment could “settle the issue once and for all.” A flag protection amendment would not infringe on the First Amendment, Bokcmpcr said, and would say only that the flag deserves special protection. Another proponent, Joseph Ballwcg of the County Veterans Service Officers Association of Nebraska, said sometimes “we get loo lib eral in our interpretation of the law.” “We’re a good country,” Ballwcg said. “The flag represents that goodness.” Opponent Bill Schalz of David City said the bill is a “knee-jerk political reaction.” “Freedom means there’s a right to dissent,” Schalz. said, and ihc Supreme Court was right See FLAG on 3 CFA hears CAP budget appeals By Roger Price Staff Reporter The Committee for Fees Allocation reaf firmed Thursday its decision to elimi nate some funds that would be used to staff Campus Activities and Program’s leader ship development programs. Students, faculty and CAP staff testi fied about the im portance of leader ship development, but committee members main tained that although the program is im portant, it should not be financed by student fees. Some CFA members suggested the leader ship programs in CAP become self-funded by charging a fee to those who use the program. “Why should every student pay for a lead ership development program? Why not charge those who use it?” asked CFA member Todd Oilmans. Committee members also questioned the number of students served by CAP’S leadership programs. Kathy Shellogg, coordinator of student organizations and leadership development for CAP, said not all students take advantages of other student-financed activities such as those at the health center or in campus recreation. CFA member Brad Brunz said there arc differences between the number served by campus recreation and the health center and those who participate in leadership develop ment programs. “A large number of students use the health and rcc center while a much, much, much smaller number arc served by leadership pro grams,” Brunz said. In an atmosphere which CFA member Chris Potter called the “most hostile” of the year, See CFA on 5 Bllllllll FIHli HH III I im . David Hansen/Daily Nebraskan Diver down . . . Omaha Burke diver Ben Culhane practices at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Thursday afternoon before the start of the Nebraska High School Swimming and Diving Championships. Pool opens today after long delay From staff reports After receiving a permit from the state Department of Health, the pool at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cam pus Recreation Center will open at 10 a.m. today. The Office of Campus Recreation received the permit Wednesday, according to Bill Goa, coordinator of informal recreation and facili ties, after depth markings were painted. Regular hours for the pool begin Saturday. They arc 6:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9:15 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Saturdays and 11:15 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Sundays. Today is the last day for open recreation swimming at the Mabel Lee Hall pool. It is open from 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The pool still will be used for recreation classes and clinics, intramural and club sports. Testimony heard on remains bill !By Sara Bauder Staff Reporter A legislative committee Thurs day heard testimony on a bill that would allow state-financed nstitutions to keep some American ndian burial artifacts. Sen. Glenn Goodrich of Omaha, sponsor of LB 1097, told the Nebraska Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee that the bill was not requested by the Nebraska State Historical Society. Goodrich said there are "an awful lot” of people in Nebraska who want the bill to be passed. In the 1989 session, legislators passed LB340, which requires insti tutions receiving slate funds to return any remains and burial goods identi fied as American Indian to the rela Itives or tribe the remains are identi fied with. LB 1097 would require state-fi nanced institutions to return to tribes any American Indian remains and burial goods excavated after Aug. 25, 1989. The bill stales that only those remains and goods reasonably identi fied with the tribe must be returned. Those burial goods excavated before Aug. 25, 1989, could be re tained by the institution holding them. Skeletal remains would be returned under the bill. Ronald Hunter, an Omaha lawyer and member of the Nebraska State Historical Society, said a law such as LB1097 would discourage collectors from donating their historical collec tions to the State Historical Society. When they die, collectors want to give their collections to museums that arc stable and will be there forever, Hunter said. He said LB340 took 45,000 artifacts and 40,000beads that collectors had donated in good faith and gave them back to the American Indian tribes. Frank LaMere, rcprcscnling the Nebraska Indian Inter-Tribal Devel opment Corporation, said LB 1097 insults the sanctity of human burial. LaMcrc told the committee about his brother, a war hero who died in Viet nam. He said his brother was buried with all of his medals, including a bronze star and purple heart. “Someday, someone will come into possession of those medals,” LaMere said. LaMere said he hopes that who ever finds his brother’s grave in the future does not lake the medals from it just because they are historically significant “My brother was a good man, and if he’d lived, he’d probably be here testifying right now,” LaMere said. ‘ ‘Those medals said something about him, and they were his whole life.” See BURIAL on 3 Chickenpox cases reported, but not considered serious By Emily Rosenbaum Senior Reporter Although up to five cases of chickenpox have been re ported at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, officials said they are not worried. Dr. Gerald Fleischli, director of the University Health Center, said the disease is not as serious as the measles, which was considered an epidemic last year. Fleischli said Doug Zatechka, university housing director, in formed him a few days ago that there were about five students in the residence halls who had con tracted chickenpox. The disease is “extremely con tagious,” but docs not require medical attention, he said. I !■■■!! I ■■■■ ...... lint— ■ The chances of anyone contract ing chtckenpox who has had the disease before are rare because the body develops an immunity to the disease, he said. No vaccine is available for chick enpox, he said. Symptoms of the disease are headache, mild fever and body aches, followed bv “miniature blisters” on the body, he said. Students who develop those symptoms should ‘ ’withdraw them selves from unnecessary exposure to others,” he said. Students should not go to classes or the cafeteria, but “we wouldn’t quarantine someone,” he said. The best treatment for chicken pox is Benadryl, an over-the-counter See POX on 5