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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 1990)
Homophobia, prejudice, social variances discussed Writer defends himself, opinion In the past few days I have been termed a homophobic, bigot, war monger and a crybaby. All by people who have never even met me, let alone know me well enough to make such malicious comments about what type of person that I am. I realized that when I addressed the issue of homosexuals in the military that I would be the subject of sharply worded criticisms. However, I did not believe others would be quite so judgmental and launch such ruthless attacks upon my character. So be it. To quote a fellow paratrooper, “Sometimes, you just have to stand in the door.” I could fill up a entire page of the DN refuting the unfounded accusa tions of Joyce C. Melvin, Lawrence Jones and James A. Zank, but have neither the time nor the desire. What counts is that not one person who knows me has expressed his or her disagreement with the letter, nor has anyone that knows me accused me of being a bigot. None of these three related any personal experiences in the military or did an adequate job of supporting their assertion that my letter was simply homophobic tripe. That is why I know that I am right and have “stood in the door” for the right reasons. Douglas J. Shonka senior political science View is narrow, reader says Joseph Ryan, in response to your letter (DN, April 30) I can only say that, as a white male with North Euro pean lineage, I’m really sorry that you feel the way you do. Being in my early 20s and being bom in the South, (gee, I’m a Republican too) I was taken by surprise by your extremely derogatory comments about myself and others with my ancestry. It is obvious that you feel that as a group, Americans of European descent are doing everything possible to suppress all minorities in the U.S. I agree with you that, being a part of the majority in the U.S., it is diffi cult to pul myself in your position as a member of a minority group. But when it comes to me, I try to use empathy as much as possible when dealing with not only someone who happens to be a different skin pig ment than myself, but all people I come into contact with. I found your point troubling that I, as a white male, should feel respon sible for the actions of my forebcarers (who took part in the cruel system of slavery and setting up a system of government that in your opinion is based on suppressing minorities). My question for you, Mr. Ryan, is exactly how far do you go when you say that I should stop being ashamed of looking back at the past, and should see what really happened? Does this statement simply pertain to Ameri cans with European descent? Should Americans with North African roots feel badly about how their ancestors during the crusades forced Christian soldiers into lives of slavery which were as harsh as the ones Africans had to deal with? Should all German Amcricans feci a responsibility to Israel because of the atrocities that their ancestry committed against them during World War II? If what you say is true, shouldn’t certain African Americans be bitter toward other African-Americans because their ancestors captured and sold Africans into slavery (which is how the major ity of Africans became slaves)? My answer to these questions is NO. Since it is obvious that you sup port minority rights in any case, if apartheid did come to an end in South Africa, would you support the white minority who, I’m sure, would be come very oppressed for their rights (or would they be getting what they deserved, Mr. Ryan)? Unfortunately, Mr. Ryan, all cul tures have certain things that we, as their descendants, cannot take pride in. I personally am appalled by the action my white European ancestors committed in die past. But the simple truth is that I can do nothing to change them. So, instead of dwelling on the past, I, as an American citizen, can only do everything in my power to sec that people, no matter what social group they belong to, have an equal chance to live in a society where they are not judged by the color of their skin, but by what is inside them. Jack Miles senior history Whites also have faced prejudice This letter is in response to Joseph Ryan’s letter (DN, April 30). I sec quite a few problems with your letter. How many situations exactly arc you familiar with? To distract any possible criticisms that I may be close-minded, I want to tell you that I live in International House and have shared many cultures with other people. I come from South Dakota and have seen the reservations. I am not happy about what I have seen at all. OK, let the Native Americans use peyote in their ceremonies. Where does it stop after that? Would you see it fit for me to use cocaine in my Lutheran service? If so, why are drugs (narcotics) illegal in the United States? I feel that I deserve a say in every thing because that is my right. If what the Native Americans are doing af fects my rights as an American, I better have a say. What would happen if we tried to reverse things today and gave back the Black Hills back to the Native Americans? Would they take care of it better than the reservations they live on? I am tired of people consistently bringing up the past in trying to get point across. My first ancestors immigrated from Germany in the late 1800s. How dare you say I have had an impact on the minorities of the United States because I am white! I do not sec having to pay for the sins of my forefathers. It’s practically ab surd, in fact, that they had anything to do with slavery in the United States when they came here after it was abolished. Why should reverse dis crimination be imposed on me be cause of what has happened in the past? Discrimination should not be allowed on any basis! The minorities have their faults also. They tend to stereotype all whites as one background. Wrong. We all have come from different areas of the world with different views. Every white has not had a part in the subjugation of the minorities. Do blacks actually want more integration with whites? No, many blacks associate with mainly blacks. How long would a black family remain in a predominantly white neigh borhood? Chances are. not very long because they come from different backgrounds. Nothing ever has been handed to me because I am white. I have worked since I was a sophomore in high school. I have earned my student status completely. I had to borrow almost $5,000 to be able to go to college this year because I am a middle-class white. Believe me, preju dice exists on both sides of the slick. The past should not be forgotten, however. We must take a look and then carry on. To dwell on the past does no one any good. To live in harmony, all people must change their attitudes, not their heritage or past. We change for the better if we look at both sides, and that means also look ing at our own mistakes and correct ing them. Whites need not be punished for what has happened. De-humaniza tions of people occurs globally. It is always easy to focus on a group’s faults. It is difficult to look at their accomplishments, though. To achieve a good relationship between all people, we must live a global life, and that means recogniz ing everyone’s lifestyle. We can change things, if we all work together. Brian Oltmanns freshman international business Equal coverage irritates alumnus As an alumnus, I am more than fed up with the time, space and attention which you and your colleagues from coast to coast have been giving to wards fulfilling the desires and aug menting the publicity campaign through which some homosexuals continue to attempt to legitimate their deviant behavior and hoodwink the public in support of that objective. In fairness, it must be admitted that they do have some rights as members of a minority group. In particular, they should be allowed the same rights as members of minority groups such as kleptomaniacs, pyro maniacs, homicidal maniacs and those who practice bestiality. A bit of research will also reveal several other facts about homosexu als: (1) that the latest statistical re ports continue to show that they lead all other groups in zealously contrib uting to die spread of AIDS; and (2) that in over half of the United States, sodomy is still a form of criminal activity as well as the most effective means of spreading AIDS. George P. Dooley Lincoln class of 1940 Appreciate social, cultural variances There have not been any incidents on campus lately in reference to any physical violence towards homosexu als, but that does not mean that the problem has vanished. In fact, the absence of any mention of the subject scares me. The lack of acknowledge ment that the problem is still around demonstrates that, once again, the public prefers the unpleasant things in life to be swept under the carpet where guests cannot see it. We, as a society, overlook racial slurs, unkind homosexual comments, and many other slams on those who are different than us Why must we condone these vile activities by ig noring their existence or saying that it is just a little bit of harmless fun? Do we really believe that harassing oth ers is an OK thing to do? If we do, then I am ashamed of the place I call home. Minorities, whether they are eth nic or social minorities, arc not fright ening creatures that should be poked fun at. What needs to be done in volves education -- education of those who are frightened of the cultural differences that do exist. Although a person may act or do “weird” things, he or she is still a person with feeling and dreams. Do the world a favor and take the ti me to learn about the other people in the world. Sonja Kapoun freshman athletic training letter—i The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others. Letters will be selected for publi cation on the basis of clarity, original ity, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit all material submitted. Readers also arc welcome to sub mit 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 property 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 affi I i - alion, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Ne braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 14(X) R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. Bring Them To... } NEBRASKA BOOKSTORE 7 1300 Q St. A April 30-May 12 A *-x| <5 / v / ears] y 7 More than ever, more than a bookstore.