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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1990)
Editorial (Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Eric Pfanner, Editor, 472-1766 Victoria Ayotte, Managing Editor Darcie Wiegen, Associate News Editor Diane Brayton, Associate News Editor Jana Pedersen, Wire Editor Emily Rosenbaum, Copy Desk Chief Lisa Donovan, Editorial Page Editor Free speech fizzles Jury’s ruling violates First Amendment Album review: “As Narrow-minded As They Wanna Be” 6 Blind Jurors, Fori Lauderdale, Fla. A jury in Fort Lauderdale has convicted a record store owner on obscenity charges for selling the rap group 2 Live Crew’s ! album “As Nasty As They Wanna Be.” E-C Records owner Charles Freeman could get up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine when he is sentenced Nov. 2. That’s a sad fate for a shop owner simply responding to the demands of 1 his neighborhood. Especially when the jury had nothing in common with those consumers. “It doesn’t represent my community where E-C Records is,’’ Freeman said as he left the courthouse. “It’s unfair. The jury was all white. They don’t know where E-C Records is. They don’t know a ... thing about the ghetto.” The jury also doesn’t seem to respect the First Amendment - that’s the one that protects freedom of speech, an all-Ameri can virtue. It doesn’t say the only protected speech is that which is all-American - just that freedom of speech is desir able. Clearly, 2 Live Crew’s music is not all-American. It’s down right offensive - even violent, degrading and sexist - to some. The songs contain descriptions of intercourse and have been criticized as promoting violence against women. But that doesn’t mean the music should be banned. Letting individuals make up their own minds is one value of a free society, even when those choices arc unpleasant. Whether one likes it or not, music is a form of art. When government - not the individual - decides w hat types of art arc acceptable, free speech has fallen on its ass, cr, fanny. •• Eric Pfa nner for the Daily Nebraskan Exxon hits new low ; Attempts to evade liability show greed, gall As if big oil companies aren't making enough money hiking gas prices in the wake of the Persian Gulf crisis. Now Exxon wants more. Its claim: The U.S Coast 1 Guard was responsible for the 1989 oil spill that washed 11 million gallons of oil onto the Alaskan Coast. Apparently corporate greed and gall have reached new lows. Exxon’s claim could cost the government billions of dollars if granted, the Coast Guard said Monday. Exxon’s shipping subsidiary, whose ship struck a reef off Valdez, Alaska, last year, filed a similar claim. Last week, an Alaska state court rejected one of Exxon’s defenses against liability for the spill. Under state statute, Exxon could be held entirely liable for the damage from the spill, regardless of who was at fault. That only makes sense. Exxon, not the federal government, stood to gain financially if the voyage of the Exxon Valdez had been successful. Because the voyage ended in disaster, Exxon also has a re j sponsibility to account for the damage it caused. The oil company in its federal claim maintains that the Coast Guard is “wholly or partially responsible” for the spill. So I Exxon is asking the federal government to reimburse it for any damages awarded to environmental groups that arc suing in Alaska and in federal court. Exxon said the Coast Guard was negligent in granting mari ners’ licenses to crew members — including the captain and helmsman. I That’s an irresponsible claim to make. Even a corporate giant should be responsible for the actions of its key employ ees. Obviously, a large company can’t minutely scour the : record of every employee. But the captain and helmsman of one of the shipping company’s largest oil tankers arc not insignificant crew members. Anyone who steers the course of 11 million gallons of crude should be screened thoroughly before awarded a mariners’ li cense. But if negligence was involved in giving licenses to Exxon Valdez crew members, the shipping company should have known why before sending the tanker out on its voyage of destruction. - Erk Pfanner for the Daily Nebraskan Jr /the.*e he »a. ^ "WM Gu* COHERED I >Vi 0>L fGeTttA Everyone’s life includes stress Students should learn to budget time now, in order to face life later 11 was 10:23 a.m., giving Dave seven minutes to find a parking spot and a place to park his body in his art history class. “Parking on this campus always stinks,” he said as his fists banged the steering wheel. As he drove past the Temple Build ing he saw red parking lights and a car pulling out. Dave w hipped into the spot. After plugging the meter, he headed to class, smiling. He got a close parking spot. But the luck wouldn’t last long, after Dave walked into the classroom. A test “Oh crap, if I wouldn’t have had to bake pastries for my mom’s bridge club, 1 would have had time to study art,” he thought Mumbling curses, he plopped down in the firstempty seat he found, pulled out a pencil and wrote his F ticket. After cursing his mother some more he walked slowly out to his car, only to realize the keys were locked in side. Alter denting the passenger door with his shoe he called the police. Dave cursed them for not treating his call like an emergency. Krista, like Dave, was a bit stressed out. She had run out of money and Mommy’s and Daddy’s cheek had not arrived. The phone company had sent her several notices and promised to disconnect her line for a delinquent account “My parents don’t care about me; they don’t care if I have to go without a phone,” she said. Krista also had a paper to write, but she felt too traumatized to even think about writing ata time like this. She was having a crisis. “Without my phone I’ll lose my link to the outside world. How will I order out of J. Crew?” These two college studenLs are exhibiting typical symptoms of the “pity me, I think I’m stressed,’’ syn drome. College students use a wide as sortment of excuses to keep studying of their priority lisL Robert Richardson “I’m going to study at the library, or maybe I should wash all those dirty turtlenecks. Yeah I’ve got time for one. But just one, then I really need to study.” Or how about, “Hey (insert room mate's name), I think the milk is sour, so I’m gonna run and get some more for tomorrow.” “But (other roommate’s name), you hate milk.” College students don t hold exclu sive rights to make excuses. Some of the most responsible people wc know use excuses to get out of tight spots. Dan Quaylc: “George, you know that little red button in the Oval Of fice? Well I was leaning against the wall and...” Kay Orr: “I haven’t had lime to play governor. I’ve had to run around finding real dirty mud to sling at Ben Nelson.” Ben Nelson: “I haven’t had time to play candidate. I’ve had to run around finding real duly mud to sling at Kay Orr. Saddam Hussein: “All right, all right, the real reason I invaded Ku wait was because they have great bars.” So everyone has problems. And everyone gets stressed out. But why shouldn’t they? Architects who build buildings in San Francisco have stress. Slock bro kers in New York have stress. Doc tors who do heart transplants on newborn babies have stress. And Jose Canseco, down two runs with two outs in the ninth inning, has stress. But none of these professionals can quit. They can’t throw in the towel or call home for help. They've got to keep plugging through the earth quakes, operations and baseball games. So this is what we as college stu dents have to look forward to. When we’re out there in that big oF real world we arc still going to have to make decisions between ce ramics, Tuesday night bowling league and what to do with Jimmy and Julie. By learning to budget ume now, we w ill prevent a lot of hassles later. So take advantage of the UNL envi ronment. If you can get it together here, midlife crisis should be a breeze. What would this Husker palace be w ithout constantly teaching us, in and out of the classroom? UNL has foot ball, checkers, tennis and every other extracurricular acu vity on campus for a reason. We have to make a consci entious decision between those ac tivities or cutting up a frog in biology. If we go around flunking tests we’re going to flunk life. Richardson is a Junior broadcasting and English major, a Daily Nebraskan arts and entrtainment reporter and a columnist. Signed staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1990 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nqfcraskan Editorial Board. Its members arc: Eric Pfanncr, editor; Lisa Donovan, editorial page editor; Victoria Ayoltc, managing editor; Diane Brayton, associate news editor; Darcie Wicgcrt, associate news edi lor; Emily Rosenbaum, copy desk chief; Jana Pedersen, wire editor. Editorials do not necessarily re flect the views of the university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent the opinion of the author. The Daily Nc braskan’s publishers arc the regents, who established the UNL Publica tions Board to supervise the daily pro duction of the paper. According to policy set by the re gents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its students. letteg—-3 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 basisofclarity,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 c pinions 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 affih ation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Ne braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 14(H) K St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.