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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1990)
Editorial |f~~~ Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln 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 What Others Think Evaluations, unsigned editorials disputed A Florida state House of Representatives subcommit tee approved a bill Wednesday that would make it illegal for newspapers to publish unsigned editorials and force editorial writers to disclose financial holdings, The Associated Press reported. ft would make it a misdemeanor for a newspaper to run an editorial not signed by the author, said the AP. One of the 32 co-sponsors of the bill, Democrat Elvin Martinez, said the measure’s intent was to shed more light on newspapers’ role as opinion leaders, the AP said. “The real molderof public opinion is the press,’’ 1 Martinez said. “They can take you and beat you and do anything to you, and they’re immune. I think people have I a right to know if their views are jaundiced by some ! financial interest.’’ Well, isn’t that special? This was tried in South Caro \ lina a few years back. The same reasons were given at the I time, but the truth was far more revealing about the ? representative who wrote the bill then. Rep. G. Ralph Davenport, R-Spartan burg, had been the subject of an editorial campaign in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal that didn’t present a favorable image of him. Back then, Davenport wanted to make one person | responsible for the editorial of a newspaper. He wanted to I know exactly who he should call up and take to task about what he considered unfair statements. But it doesn’t work like that. Editorials traditionally are the opinions of the editorial board of the newspaper. The top editors meet and decide what their stand on local issues is. And then they tell their editorial writer to write it, whether he believes in it or not. I- The University of Georgia Gamecock • Accountability to students is crucial to any reform of the University (of Texas). UT administration is showing that it recognizes this and, more importantly, faculty have jj joined students in a call for some form of mandatory | teacher evaluations. | ... statistical data that would be provided from fill-in the-blank surveys are very necessary to recognize trends in certain departments and compare levels of student satisfaction in different colleges. Mandatory evaluations made available to the general * UT community have been long in coming. Faculty and • students both recognize the necessity; it’s safe to say this 3 issue isn’t the only one in which each group can find 3 common ground. We must come together and hammer out 1 the final form of evaluations. j Mandatory teacher evaluations are the first step on the | road that places value in educating students. — Brandon Powdi, for the University of Texas Daily Texan Ex-smoker supports Krugerud Fran Thompson, you insolent pod! Never before can I remember suffer ing through such an unwarranted at tack of wearisome, overcapitalized, underconsidcrcd flack (DN, April 10). I don’t believe that Kurt Krugcrud has violated anyone’s space by merely voicing his opinion on smoking. It is your letter which is “rude and vio lent’’ It seems to me that you wouldn’t even take issue with Kurt’s column if you didn’t already feel defensive about your defenseless habit. Where in Krugcrud’s article did he mention “wishing to save your life?” I can’t recall that part. I currently share a dorm room with a smoker, and I must sav that at times it does bother me. Yes, Fran, I know, I got myself into this one, but what you might note is that there arc rude smokers and there are considerate smokers. I certainly can see that smoking does affect the space of a non-smoker. Krugcrud’s point as regards public space, (a point which was bafflingly missed by Fran-baby in her verbal assault on Krugcrud), was that a smoker cannot share publ ic space because smoke doesn’t stay within the confines of the “smoking section.” Cigarette smoke is a filthy, greasy, dust-manufacturing industry which coals everything that it comes in contact with. It’s true! I am a non-smoker who recently quit smok ing after a four-year bout as a pack-a-day Benson and Hedges fanatic, and yes, 1 used to try to ra tionalize what was purely a psycho logical addiction with phrases like “who wants to live forever,” and “there is already enough pollution in the atmosphere, what could a ciga rette hurt.” Which brings me to my next observation: Apparently, Fran has no bodily odor and doesn’t need louse “vile chemical deodorants and aftershaves.” Wouldn’t it be neat if we all had such inhuman immunities! Next time Fran, why don’t you just let one rip and release some of that pent-up aggression that you arc cur rently fostering deep within your in testinal cavity. Eric Williams senior art frjUST BET\VEEKr\ f VOU AND W£, I r [ PONT RECOGNIZE I VOUE INCLUSION IN I V THE SOVIET UNION J EITHER ... «? VMOfc , tODK. M me TiK\e. let's i L* GtT Tms UJMO\ I gk THK4C- GOING .J Parents’ abuse causes anger Public should not close eyes to warning signs of child abuse "Perhaps we cannot prevent this world from being a world in which children are tortured. But we can re duce the number of tortured children. And if you don't help us, who else in the world can help us do this?’ ’ - Albert Camus My grandmother used to tell me fairy tales. We’d be sitting at the kitchen table, drinking our instant coffee or hot tea, and she’d tell me stories about how much my mother loved me and how much she would dote on her cute little blond girl. How she used to dress me up in frills... in bows ... in spit-shiny shoes. In beautiful things. “You know, she really did love you Carrie Jo,” she’d say. “Uh-huh,“ I’d sigh. She’d continue talking, while I’d be quietly thinking to myself: If my mother really loved me so much -- then why did she abuse me? Why? 1 agonized lo find an answer. Right now, even as you read this, some child out there is probably ask ing themselves: “Why me?” Maybe you’ve already heard that this is Child Abuse Prevenuon Month. As a college student, you may feel that such an issue docsn t really con , ccmyou. After all, most of you aren’t ’ even parents yet. But you do know what it’s like lo be a child. And more than likely, you’ll also f know what it’s like to be a parent someday, if you don’t already. So take some time to listen. Last year in Nebraska, 7,522 child abuse cases were investigated by the . Department of Social Services. Slightly j more than half of those were proven , to be actual cases of maltreatment. Nebraska ... the good life? Not for these kids. j Between 1979and 1986, Nebraska 1 saw a 181 percent increase in re ported child abuse and neglect cases. And authorities say there arc still many cases that go unreported. I’m sure some of you even know of one. In fact, mine was one of those they never counted. I was in fifth grade when it all started happening. In the next few C. J. Schepers years that followed, I and others around me, watched me transform from a happy, extroverted child into a sullen and solitary mess. Throughout my years of public education, not one teacher got a clue. And the neighbors who talked about the screams? They just plugged their ears. They probably rationalized that it was just my parents’ way of . . . parenting. Alter ail, it was their business, right? Of course, that was more than 20 years ago. I’d like to think because of a growing awareness of abuse and acceptance to talk about it, that today my parents would have gotten some help. Maybe. But then again, authorities say, many cases go unreported. So you can’t offer safely to chil dren and help to their parents if you don’t even know they exist. But they do exist. In fact, often painfully. And the pain doesn’t end with the advent of adulthood. In fact, it only continues to manifest. It’s not un usual to hear ol adults who were abused aschildrcn abusing their own kids. Or striking out at society in other ways. Fortunately, the nightmare of my childhood had an opposite effect on me. When 1 read or hear of abuse, 1 get so angry that I start to tremble And it starts me reminiscing about my own experiences. Like the nightly raids upon my sleep, when my mother and stepfa ther in the midst of their hysterical arguing, would wake me and drag me from my bed to vent some of their own personal anger. Or the evening slaps at the dinner table. Or the ritual beatings, which oc curred on a daily basis for more than three years of my life. But words hurl, too. Just as much as physical abuse. Calling an 11 -year-old names like “bitch” and “idiot” work just as well as slamming her head against the wall. Sometimes, even better. When I was in sixth grade, 1 re member one night my mother crept into my room to tell me she was sorry. She held me tight and cried for a while. Then she crept out. That was the only time I remember her with affec tion. uvcr me years, l vemougmauuui that moment between us, and I've come to the conclusion, that yes, she probably was feeling sorry. She was actually full of shame. But she didn’t know what to do about it. Many parents don’t know whal to do about it. The National Committee lor Pre vention of Child Abuse publicizes an alternative lashing-out list for parents to follow, with suggestions such as phoning a friend or closing your eyes and imagining you’re hearing what your child hears. Just imagine. Schcpers is a senior news-editorial major and Daily Nebraskan columnist. ' I-----— t The Daily Nebraskan welcomes - brief letters to the editor from all - readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publi cation on the basisof clarity,original ity, timeliness and space available. ; The Daily Nebraskan retains the right • to edit all material submitted, l Readers also arc welcome to sub mu material as guest opinions. Whether material should run as a let ter or guest opinion, or not to run, is left to the editor’s discretion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the properly of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be returned. Letters should be typewrit ten. Anonymous submissions will not be considered for publication Letters should include the author’s name, year in school, major and group atl ill ation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nc* biaskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 K St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.