NelSraSkan
Tuesday, April 24,1990
■ Daily
I Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Uncoln
§__
Amy Edwards, Editor, 472-1766
Bob Nelson, Editorial Page Editor
Ryan Stccvcs, Managing Editor
Eric Pfanncr, Associate News Editor
Lisa Donovan, Associate News Editor
Brandon Loomis, Wire Editor
Jana Pedersen, Night News Editor
Keview not enough
Required multi-cultural course needed
Two blatantly racial incidents at the University of Texas
this month galvanized more than 1,000 students and
Austin residents to march on the Texas Supreme Court
and a fraternity, according to the Daily Texan.
Both incidents took place during the same weekend. One
involved a car in from of UT’s Delta Tau Delta house being
painted with racial epithets and demolished.
The other involved members of UT’s Phi Gamma Delta fra
ternity selling T-shirts on campus featuring a caricature of
“Sambo” on the body of professional basketball player
Michael Jordan.
The “Sambo” caricature was banned from the fraternity’s
shirts in 1987.
Luckily the march and rally were peaceful. The Texan
reported that violence almost erupted once but was prevented
by march organizers.
The incidents and ensuing rally and march caused UT
President William Cunningham to suspend both fraternities
pending a “thorough review,” according to the Texan.
The Texan reported that Cunningham issued a prepared
statement saying that “acts of racial harassment will not be
tolerated at the University of Texas at Austin.”
lllty WCICII l lUIUUUCU, UUl llicy WCICII l picvtmtu CllllWI.
* The University of Texas’ problems are a mirror of hundreds
of others at universities across the country. Most of them are
not as blatant, but they do exist, as was evident at the Univer
sity of Nebraska-Lincoln earlier this semester.
University officials everywhere are racking their brains for
solutions and mumbling that something will be done, pending
“thorough review.”
It should be obvious that nothing is being done fast enough
to ward off future problems.
Touting cultural plurality, putting together a fighting words
policy and sending selected students to retreats is not enough.
What this university - and others — needs is a required
freshman level course that will broaden students’ perspectives
on different lifestyles and cultures.
It also needs a deeper base of minority and women profes
sors. and programs that arc serious about attracting and keeping
minority students.
Officials can talk all they want about heightening awareness
2 and respect, and students can be proud of the lew who stand up
£ to combat racism.
But unless that talk turns into workable education programs,
it won’t make any difference to the people who are too ignorant
to listen.
- Amy Edwards
for the Daily Nebraskan
Writer’s intent not alienation
vyu» iwu.iij', 11 v/i11 uiv uiiivjuiii ui
controversy concerning my essay, it
requires an explanation. It was not
my intent to alienate women or, for
that matter, men. I was merely point
ing out some of the possible scenarios
that might be detrimental to the armed
forces if women were allowed in
combat roles. There are certain bene
fits that would be present if women
were allowed in combat, but that is
for another essay.
In paragraph one, l point out that
“our country has always viewed and
treated women as something less than
men.” This is still true, although
women arc being treated as equals
more and more. This is still a male
dominated society, so perhaps, the
fault lays on the men of this nation for
raising women to be soft and pretty.
Also in paragraph one, I state that
“there arc exceptions:" there are many
women out there who could do much
better in combat than some men could.
It is my opinion that women arc ca
pable of becoming combat qualified,
look at Israel for example, but first
they must convince the cadre in the
military that they both want and can
do it.
In the second paragraph, I state
that women ‘4 must be able to perform
cquaUy to men in unmodified physi
cal activities;’' I think dial this is
essential not only for a feeling of
equality between male and female
soldiers, but also to show the “higher
ups ’ ’ that women can perform at male
standards. It won’t be easy to con
vince the older brass, but if the women
ituit) warn ii tiivj wan uu it.
Paragraph three states that “troops
can always go into town and get a
whore.” This was not implying that
all women who associate themselves
with servicemen arc whores or that
all the soldiers become involved with
that type of women. It is merely an
example of a possibility, showing that
their arc more opportunities around
than just the women in their com
pany. For the most part, the men in
the military have very high morals
and hold women in high regard. The
scenario I depicted in paragraph three
was a ‘‘worst case” scenario that
could happen. For all practical appli
cations it probably wouldn’t.
As for paragraph four and the
comment I made about women being
“combat ready three out of four weeks
every month,” I was mistaken. The
fact that women can perform just as
well if not better during their “week”
was made quite clear to me by a pair
of female Army medics. My mistake.
I apologize to anyone that may have
taken offense.
In conclusion, I would say that if
women want to be in combat they
should be given the opportunity to
prove their capability by one, a stan
dard physical fitness test for both men
and women, and two, a desegregated
basic training. I fa woman can make it
she has every right to be in combat
that the man next to her does.
Joe M. Davis
sophomore
criminal justice
“(Polhill's release) has to have are
ciprocation. It is not feasible that ail
releases be made as good will ges
Hires... ^eadjng shiite Moslem cleric
Dialogue--not force—must continue
Hostage release, Lithuanian crisis show need for compromise
This has been the week of the
brushoff.
The Lithuanian independence
movement has reached the crisis stage
with the Soviet Union’s blockade of
supplies to the rebellious republic.
The Soviet government says it won’t
restore the supplies until Lithuania
rescinds or freezes its March 11 dec
laration of independence and admits
it is subject to the Soviet Constitution.
Instead of succumbing to the So
viet government’s demands, Lithu
anian leaders responded by imple
menting rationing policies within the
republic and hailing all exports to
other Soviet republics.
Lithuanian leaders defended their
actions by claiming the Soviets have
put them under a complete embargo,
but a Soviet official denied that alle
gation Sunday.
So, the Soviet so-called embargo
is straining Lithuanian supplies, and
the Lithuanian ban on exports is
damaging other Soviet republics.
The Sov ict cconom ic sanctions arc
meant in part to deter two other Bailie
republics from proceeding with their
efforts for independence. But Latvia
and Estonia don’t seem too intimi
dated. Both arc going forward with
their plans for secession.
With the economic sanctions not
dissuading independence efforts, some
Soviet leaders arc talking tough. In an
interview on the British Broadcasting
Corporation’s “Panorama” program,
Mikhail Gorbachev’s senior military
adviser said the Soviet army won’t
hesitate to use force in Lithuania if
Lithuanians break the law.
Well, I guess that statement just
about condones any use of force in
the republic since Lithuania’s decla
ration of independence, the basis for
the whole controversy, is illegal un
der the Soviet Constitution.
According to The Associated Press,
Lithuanian President Vytautas
Landsbergis responded to the mili
tary adviser’s comments by saying,
“.. . Force is always a real threat as
long as there is no willingness to use
politics. If they use force in L.ithu
ama, il means they would be prepared
to use force in the world.”
Although I doubt that any military
activity in Lithuania would foreshadow
a Soviet takeover of the world, I do
agree with part of Landsbergis’ state
ment. Without politics, force isa very
real threat.
The biggest part of the problem in
the Soviet Union is the lack of much
needed dialogue, the lack of politics.
Jana
Pedersen
Neither Lithuania nor Moscow is
willing to back down, even a little.
Lithuanian leaders have tried to
open communication lines, traveling
to Moscow to ask for dialogue with
Gorbachev, but the Soviet leadership
is unwilling to open its collective
mouth unless Lithuania delays seces
sion for at least two years.
Some compromise.
Meanwhile, the United Slates has
done its own share of brushing off,
which almost extended the 39-month
impnsonment of hostage Robert Polhill
by pro-Iranian kidnappers in Beirut,
Lebanon.
U.S. officials refused to speak to
Polhill’s kidnappers, saying U.S. policy
forbids negotiations with hostage
takers.
Thanks to intervention by Iranian
and Syrian negotiators, Polhill was
freed, and it looks like the negotiators
may have arranged for the release of
more than one hostage. Iran clearly
showed it wants improved relations
with the United Slates.
And the United States responded
by saying it wouldn’t jxirsue any change
in U.S.-Iran relations until all hos
tages arc freed.
I agree that there should be no U.S.
negotiations with hostage-takers or
more hostages are bound to be taken.
Bui I don’t agree with the decision to
wait until all hostages arc freed be
fore improving U.S.-Iran relations.
With all that’s happening in the
Middle East, it wouldn’t hurl to im
prove relations with any country in
the area. I don’t mean opening em
bassies or selling arms to Iran. And l
don’t mean compromising other
Middle East relations cither. But a
small gesture -- even if the United
States “isn’t into gestures” — couldn’t
hurt.
Where politics fail, force follows,
as has been demonstrated by the round
ing up of army deserters and the occu
pation of a printing plant by Soviet
troops in Lithuania.
It’s time U.S officials took a les
son from the Lithuanian crisis and
realized that brushing off Iran's at
tempts to improve relations isn’t help
ing the hostages.
I suppose the theory is that since
Iran was able to secure Polhill’s free
dom without U S. support, their ne
gotiators should be able to secure
freedom for the other hostages too.
But there has been speculation that
Polhill was freed because Iran of
fered weapons to the kidnappers. It
would be foolish of the United States
to expect or want Iran to hand out
arms to the organizations holding the
seven remaining hostages. If there is
any hope for peace in the region,
under-the-table arms trades must be
controlled, especially to organizations
that arc known hostage-takers.
If the hostage-lakers see that U.S.
Iran relations arc improving, their
excuse for taking hostages is lost.The
kidnappers would have no basis for
claiming to be pro-Iranian if the United
States and Iran have some sort of
dialogue and that dialogue is threat
ened by the holding of hostages.
Without such dialogue, situations
in both the Baltic states and the Middle
East have little chance of improve
ment, and Landsbergis’ label of force
as a real threat may be all too real.
Pedersen is a sophomore advertising
major and a Daily Nebraskan night news
editor and columnist.
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