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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1990)
Editorial | Nebraskan g Editorial Board f University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jana Pedersen, Editor, 472 1766 Matt Herck, News Editor Brandon Loomis, Columnist John Payne, Entertainment Editor Darran Fowler, Sports Editor Brian Shcllito, Art Director Michelle Paulman, Photo Chief -tt-t-?-— I Quibbles 4n’ bits Album labels take away parents’ control W ouisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer vetoed a bill Wednesday j that would have required albums containing potentially offensive material to carry warning labels. | The bill would have made it a crime for record shop owners to self labeled albums to minors* Rnemer said he vetoed the bill because of First Amendment considerations. But more importantly, the bill deserved the veto because of family considerations. Supporters of the bill argued it was designed to give parents tnote control over what their children listen to. But such an attempt to give parents control only takes their responsibility away and gives it to record shop owners. The decision of what is ami what is not offensive also is taken away from parents and put in the hands of the state. And warnings won’t stop kids from borrowing labeled albums, which surely would gain instant popularity, from their friends who bought albums before they were labeled or who obtained them from their older friend^ siblings or parents. If Louisiana’s parents truly are concerned about what their I children listen to, they will take the responsibility of monitor* mg their children’s music themselves and leave the labeling up to their own discretion. inn* iv.1. i v/mi for the Parly Nebraskan K..._I Clay’s jokes are not just jokes Yet again, Public Enemy is able to offer sound advice, this time in an swer to “Ford Fairlane.” Chuck D. says, ‘1 Bum Hollywood bum! ’ ’ Right on. First off, I already know that Andrew “Dice” Clay is a ’90s version of Archie Bunker, and I see enough of that crap already for free. Secondly, I’m not going to give my money to him and support his lame ideas. My friends tell me, “Lighten up. It’s just a joke.” But it’s not just a joke,or jusla word or just an idea. It’s a sickness. What makes j>eople think they can say terrible things in the name of humor and not be degraded by it? It makes you petty, makes you less human. We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful w hat we pretend to be. One of my friends asked me, “What’s the difference between a Jew and an apple pie? Apple pies don’t scream when you pul them in the oven.’ 'It’s just a joke, right? The holocaust, slavery, AIDS, rape, Wounded Knee -- Ha! Ha! Ha! What in the hell are we laughing at? Them, or our own inability to take responsi bility for our actions and history? I have to laugh because it hurts too much to cry, but one more joke like this and I'll scream. Joe Bowman senior anthropology NelSaskan Editor News/NSE Editor Copy Desk Editor Sports Editor Arts & entertainment Editor f eature Editor Photo Chief Art & Graphics Director General Manager Production Manager Advertising Manager Sales Manager Publications Board Chairman Professional Adviser Jana Pedersen. 472-1766 Matt Herefc Stephanie Neill Darran Fowler John Payne Robin Trlmarchl Michelle Paulman Brian Shelllto Daniel Shattll Katherine Polleky Loren Melrose Todd Sears Bill Vobejda. 436-9993 Don Walton, 473-7301 i ne uaiiy rwarasKan iuara i«< oonj is puDHinw oy ine um ruui twont ouaru, Nebraska Union 34, l400RSt, Lincoln, Neb 68536 0448 weekdays during the academic year (except holidays), weekly during the summer session Readers are encouraged ro submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472 1 763 between 9am and 5pm Monday through Friday The public also has access to the Publications Board For information, contact Bill Vobejda. 436 9993 Subscription price is $45 tor one year Postmaster Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St, Lincoln Neb 68588 0448 Second-class postage paid at Lincoln Neo ALL MATERIAL COPVRK3HT 1990 DAILY N£BRASKAN Success not based on work Getting what you want has nothing to do with working hard 1 scarcely care cnougn 10 write this. I am old enough to take out loans w ithout having a co-signer. By this age, I should have been a minor league ballplayer for the Elmira Pirates or some damn thing. I should be writing hard-boiled detective nov els under the pseudonym of Sanscrit Delores. There’s something about being a human being which makes writing weekly columns for the summer Daily Nebraskan seem an unfulfillmg pro fession. There’s so much I need to do, so many things 1 must pursue in my quest to be a truly good, well-rounded guy, like Cat Stevens. I could have started right now had 1 not had this burdensome slop to write for my in tellectual disciples. I’m going to have to take you a long way back -- around the Jimmy Carter era. I had just ridden home in the .Vista Cruiser from a little league baseball game, where 1 had probably struck out several limes, and I asked my father to loss the pigskin around with me. ivi y iatner, 01 course, got the I ire in his eyes like a Sasquaich, and started laying into me with his philosophy of determination and hard work which would pave the way to a healthy and happy life. I think I had no idea what he was talking about, unless it had some thing to do with needing to wash the dishes for my mom in order to be really happy, and I wasn’t buying into that at all. I had seen people who washed dishes, and I knew what hap pened to them. I just wanted to start playing in the junior football league that fall, and 1 figured 1 could get a head start working on my form. “Son, you can’t play baseball AND football and expect to make the big leagues.’’ I fully understood this, but also understood that you can’t very well devote all your time to any sport and expect to make the big leagues, un less you’re really good and you know it, which only happens to people whom I don’t want to associate with, let alone emulate. Besides, I’m not so sure playing football couldn’t actually help one become a professional baseball player. 1 guess, as an American (rod-bloodcd), I see it as a parallel to learning to speak German (not red-blooded). It seems useless if, like me, you’re moving to Wyoming rather than Dresden, but it actually helps you when you’re using English grammar. Look at all the baseball players who were college football stars, and proba bly look German courses as well. I remember reading a story about a young Katcem Abdul-Jabbai (then going by his maiden name) hitting a baseball so hard that it flew out of the little league field he was playing in and over two more. Brandon Loomis If only I knew then what I know now, I could have been a star. Instead, I let my dad convince me that if I couldn’t devote myself to any one thing, then I would never become any one thing. At age 18, I decided to devote myself to one thing, and here I am. Somebody undoubtedly is asking what the moral is, since these things always have morals, even if their authors do not. I guess I’ll come right out and say it: don t apply yourself. Yes, I’ve heard those stones about Isiah Thomas and Bruce Springsteen and the like, but don’t you believe them. Nobody gets what they want through hard work. Getting what you want and working hard arc not com patible. So, “What is success?” all my unsuccessful readers will ask. Well, success is having parents who will buy you a college education in some field where you can make some money. Success ts being in the right place at the right time. Success is knowing people like me on a first-name basis, etc., etc. Incidentally, retiring Supreme Court Justice William Brennan is my best friend. Let’s give him a warm round of applause. If you don’t know what you’re doing with your life, you’re way ahead of everyone else. Only people who arc totally oblivious to any kind of future arc ever at the right place at the right time. If you’re too busy being successful as a music teacher, you won’t be stuck in a dead-end job doing singing telegrams where a rec ord producer at a birthday party will discover you and sign you up. It sounds corny, but it happens all the time. In reality, the American Dream is based more on the milk and honey bit than on the work ethic, but there really isn’t all that much milk and honey to go around either. I nave an acquaintance from mgn school who was going to college until he was mucking around one day and invented the zip-lock shower curtain and bought himself a new sports car. That’s the American Dream on a small scale, since I’m sure he’s probably dirt poor these days, but it’s the. only example I know. For the most part, this country is full of losers who actu ally believe that you can become a corporate executive for Dairy Queen by starting behind the counter mak ing Peanut Buster Parfaits and work ing your way up. As my friend Daena is wont to say, “Buy a dog. Name it Clue. Then you’ll have one.” That saying is applicable to Brain, Personality, Fu ture, Father and just about anything else you can think of to insert therein. My dad has constantly told me that if I don’t work toward being success ful at something, the only thing I’ll successfully be is nothing. Exactly. So, one way or the other, I’m going to be a success. That, my friends, is a self-fulfilling prophecy. IxxHnb Is a senior news-editorial major and Uie Summer Dally Nebraskan editorial culumalat.