Editorial
(Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Uncoln
Amy Edwards, Editor, 472-1766
Bob Nelson, Editorial Page Editor
Ryan Steeves, Managing Editor
Eric Pfanner, Associate News Editor
Lisa Donovan, Associate News Editor
Brandon Loomis, Wire Editor
Jana Pedersen, Night News Editor
I Debate loses focus
Sour grapes leads to more filibustering
State Sen. John Lindsay of Omaha exhibited the
frustration felt by several senators Wednesday night
when he said, “We lost this game.”
Lindsay was referring to the complicated filibustering
done by Sens. Ernie Chambers of Omaha and David Ber
nard-Stevens of North Platte, which successfully killed
I the informed consent abortion bill for this legislative
| session. Wednesday was the last day to advance bills from
j select file to final reading.
But senators lost more than the “game.” They lost
respect.
Instead of an abortion debate, the session turned into a
I rules and regulations debate with votes to overrule the
l chairman and votes to reconsider the previous votes to
overrule the chairman.
Sen. Sandra Scofield of Chadron was on the mark when
she said a tally sheet was needed to keep track of the
motions flying back and forth.
Chambers, Bemard-Stevens and other senators opposed
j 10 the abortion bill were attempting to follow the only
j course available to stop the bill which was supported
strongly by a majority of the body. And nothing different
would have occurred if the senators were considering a
pro-abortion measure.
I bull, the body ignored some important Dins in meir
time-consuming, often petty arguments. The informed
consent abortion bill was not the only piece of legislation
on Wednesday’s agenda. And at the end of 4 1/2 hours of
debate, no one’s mind or vote had changed on the contro
versial issue.
And still the dilatory tactics did not end Wednesday
night at 11:30.
On Thursday, Sens. Carol Pirsch of Omaha, Bemice
Labedz of Omaha and Lorraine Langford of Kearney
furthered the pettiness that has prevailed throughout much
of the session.
Sour grapes led to yet another round of filibustering by
the senators, this time against a bill sponsored by Cham
bers. A ridiculous four hour return in kind for his delay
tactics on Wednesday.
The legislative session will end Monday, but next year
a new round of abortion bills will crop up and a new mass
of filibustering will undoubtedly ensue.
•• Emily Rosenbaum
for the Daily Nebraskan
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Student goes on smoking binge
Non-smokers must protect themselves against smoking habit
1 started smoking two packs of
cigarettes a day during this year's
Spring Break. I know it is hard
to believe that a man who has never
smoked in his life, a man who runs
every day, eats right, stays healthy
and coaches track would start this in
fernal habit. Let me explain.
Because of my financially decrepit
state, I did what many poor college
students do for break -- slay in Lin
coln and work. Actually, 1 was look
ing forward to the extra lime away
from classes. 1 decided to put all this
lime on my hands to work --1 would
sleep, watch television and spend some
time with my roommate, whom I
seldom sec.
And for the next nine days, I wal
lowed around the apartment with my
two-pack-a-day smoker roommate
breathing in his second-hand smoke.
Usually, his habit does not bother
me. I’m busy during school, and I’m
never home. There arc a few times
when I sec him lighting up or I detect
that gross ashy smell in my clothes,
but hell, he’s my friend and everyone
is entitled to a habit, are they not?
The long days of break continued,
as did the awful Lincoln weather and
1 found myself confined to the apart
ment, trapped with the smoker. Scott
fired away butt after butt, turning the
air around me into a silver, swirling,
habitual ha/e of discomfort. The air
got thick, my food lasted sick, I began
to think of my roommmatc as a ...
There was no escape. The smoke
was everywhere.
Just like any other public place, I
decided to make certain areas of the
apartment off-limits to smoking. I
made a few hilarious colorful signs
reminding Scott that this was a no
smoking area and please observe this
at such and such times, etc.
» Yet the designated smoking pol
icy did no good because the smoke
followed me everywhere. I’d run olf
to my room, and the smoke followed
me there. I’d hide in the bathroom,
and the smoke would waft under the
door.
Why does smoke follow a non
smoker? Being a science teacher, I
must explain. Hot air flows to cooler
air. Smoke tends to go to a cooler
Kurt
Krugerud
place. Have you ever noticed while in
a restaurant all that filth from the
smoking area floats over to the non
smoking area? All those smokers
holding a fire stick two inches from
their face, all with elevated blood
pressure, all exhaling hot smoke, one
must know where the pollution w ill
end up.
I confronted Scott, “Please don’t
smoke while I’m in the house.
(Expletives removed).
“Listen Scott, your smoke gets
everywhere, it’s bothersome, it’s a
filthy habit.”
“Hey, you lay around here drink
ing all day and I don’t bother you.”
“True, but do 1 burp in your face
every 30 seconds?”
I threatened to beat him up. He
dared me to. 1 threatened to move out.
He said he’d hoped I would have five
months ago. This dialogue contin
ued.
I decided to wage my personal w ar
on cigarette smokers everywhere. I
really don’t mind people’s habits;
everyone is entitled to a few. You
enjoy drinking, have one on me. You
like to overeat, here’s a box ol Ho
Hos. You enjoy drugs, load up man.
You are a tobacco chcwer, go ahead,
you couldn’t look more silly.
There also was a ume when smok
ing habits never bothered me. I'd
even get upset when all those bleed
ing-heart liberals established “no
smoking /ones’’ and placed health
warnings everywhere. Yet alter my
Spring Break smoking binge, I ve
decided cigarettes have got to go.
Habits are never beneficial, and
indirectly, bad habits affect us all
adversely. Yet, with cigarettes, the
non-smoker suffers the most, directly.
You could sit right next to a drug
addict and never notice, yet w ith a
smoker it is different. You feel as
they do. Your lungs hurt, your eyes
get red, your sense of smell dimin
ishes, your food tastes bad, you smell
like an ashtray. Why must a non
smoker suffer for the smoker’s habit ’
You can’t drive a car without seat
bells. You can’t ride a motorcycle
without a helmet. You can’t drive
drunk. There are many things we can t
do because the government is trying
to save our lives. Why not ban ciga
rettes and save a few lives or at least
make life more pleasant?
What’s a non-smoker to do to protect
themselves? You can cither avoid the
places smokers haunt, you can hound
them to quit, or you can invent ways
to live with their problem.
And, if all else fails, there’s al
ways The Final Solution. There s
nothing quite as delicious as watch
ing that first deep drag followed by a
soothing “BANG!”
I wonder if cigarette loads also are
addictive?
Krugerud is it senior secondary education
major and a Daily Nebraskan columnist.
iL^e&nso
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I Signed stall editorials represent
the official policy of the spring 1990
Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the
I Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its
members arc Amy Edwards,’ editor;
Bob Nelson, editorial page editor;
Ryan Sleeves, managing edilor;Eric
Planner, associate news cditor;Lisa
Donovan, associate news editor;
Brandon Loomis, wire editor; Jana
Pedersen, night news editor.
Editorials do not necessarily re
flccl the views of ihc university, its
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