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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1990)
Editorial I Daily I Nebraskan I Editorial Board ■ University of Nebraska-Lincoln Eric Pfanner, Editor, 472-1766 Victoria Ayotte, Managing Editor Darcie Wiegert, Associate News Editor Diane Brayton, Associate News Editor Jana Pedersen, Wire Editor Emily Rosenbaum, Copy Desk Chief Lisa Donovan, Editorial Page Editor Another enemy Boredom could lead to itchy trigger fingers When Operation Desert Shield was initiated nearly three months ago, organizers painted a picture of a clean, clinical exercise to protect U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf. From President Bush to the lowliest private, everyone involved in the operation was gung-ho about its efficiency and success. Even some of the adjectives used to describe the scenario were medically sterile: “Surgical” airstrikes were to be used against Iraq if push came to shove. But after 10 weeks in the hot, grimy desert, U.S. servicemen have found out that Operation Desert Shield is a little dirtier than they thought it would be. And the exercise has taken on its human clement. Reports continue to flow out of Saudi Arabia about the adverse conditions the troops face. At first, it was the heat and the sand. Now dirty rifles and sweat have become routine. Instead, the operation faces another natural enemy. Boredom. A Los Angeles i imes article indicates that unit commanders arc finding little for their soldiers to do. Even in the desert, there are only so many sand bags to fill. Cultural differences between the United Stales and Saudi Arabia are increasing the strain on the visitors. Alcohol is banned; so is Amcrican-style entertainment. Last week, comedian Steve Martin visited Saudi Arabia to boost troop morale. But he had to reign in his act to avoid offending the Arab'hosts. So while the United Slates bides its lime wailing to see if Saddam is a wild and crazy guy, the human element of the exercise may do more to damage it from within than any outside enemy. The danger is that boredom can lead to an itchy trigger linger. As one soldier told the Times, “We should either go light or we should go home.” Operation Desert Shield was not conceived as an offensive measure. It was designed to protect Saudi Arabia front further aggression by Saddam. A military' clichd says Army routine forces its soldiers to “hurry up and wail.” In this ease, the wailing is as stressful as the hurrying. — Kric Planner for the Daily Sehraskan Safe for now i Freedom of expression found innocent 2 Live Crew will be playing again in Broward County, Fla. That’s what the rap group’s leader, Luther Campbell, said after he and two other band members were found innocent I of obscenity charges there. The jury deliberated for about two hours Saturday before deciding that the group’s June concert in Hollywood, Fla., had some artistic value. The prosecution had argued that the group's lyrics met a Supreme Court test for obscenity; that by community standards they appealed to a prurient interest and lacked artistic value. The jury — all members of the community — proved with their verdict that that was not the case. Jury foreman David Garsow told The Associated Press, “As the cross-section of the community that we arc, it (the album) was just not obscene.” j Intentionally or not, the jurors also helped uphold the freedoms of speech and expression. Those freedoms had come under fire in recent weeks, especially after another jury in Fort Lauderdale found a record store owner guilty of obscenity for selling 2 Live Crew’s record, “As Nasty As They Wanna Be.” Saturday’s verdict, along with last week's acquittal o( a Cin cinnati museum director on obscenity charges for displaying if photographs by the late Robert Mapplethorpe, lets artists and others who favor an open society relax. At least until the next county sheriff decides someone’s art is obscene. — Eric Pfanner for the Daily Nebraskan \ PROPOSED H\6VH^EL POUt” Uetr l WASTE STORAGE FACtUTV 1 lEVE.l-k IP LEVELS I LEVE.L-C (e*-«N6REESPEI?S0N‘,') (MNERTISIMft') (POUTItAL MWUH6S) MICDtV 70X\C OF COURSE INCUMBENT 'NASTE FROM Ail STATES m BE ACCEPTED.” Darling Quayle takes nosedive Vice president's verbal stumbling rgain pulls down popularity Uan Quayle s rating among the public is down again. Dan’s wife Marilyn de fended him last week on Sally Jessy Raphael’s show, saying that Dan’s popularity was down because the questions used in the polls asked how people would feel about Danny-boy becoming president. Marilyn said that because some thing would have to happen to Presi dent Bush for her husband to become president, people said they w ould not like having Dan for president, be cause no one wants any tiling to hap pen to Bush. Huh? Well, it was a good attempt by a good wifely wife to protect her good husband's name. But there’s a better explanation for Quayle’s ever-decreasing popu larity. Besides his boyish charm (the reason he was pul on the ballot, to attract the “lady” voters), and his proficiency on the golf course, Dan Quayle is basi cally a blithering idiot. Of course no one wants anything to happen to President Bush, but it really has nothing to do with love for the president. Bush could chew to bacco and spit on the vice president’s shoes and the American public still would favor him over Dashing Dan Quayle. Why? Because after all lhislimc,afterall the editorial cartoons and public laugh ter, Quayle still can’t get his words right. And someone w ho stumbles in public would not make a good su preme commander for our beloved country. Unfortunately, Quayle will proba bly be up for the president's seat once Bush decides to end his reign. One of my political science professors told me that there has never been a vice president on me Kepuhiican ticket who wasn’t nominated for the presi dency. Kind of gives you the shivers. The vice-president was a guest speaker last week in Louisville. Ky., at a national convention for the Soci Amy Edwards ety of Professional Journalists. Yes. Dan Quaylc used to be in journalism. Quaylc was pushing a proposal to lower the number of years our legisla tors can serve at the national level, and he actually gave a good sell. He must have been practicing his speech skills, or have gotten a new speech writer. Quaylc played the crowd, even donating his signed presidential seal from the podium to a fund-raiser for the group. It sold for SI,500. But when people started getting up to ask questions, Quaylc started fum bling. He doesn’t do very well off the cuff. When asked what the Republican party would do if someone like for mer Ku Klux Klan grand show-off David Duke ever got elected, Quaylc went intoa spiel about how the people of Louisiana were just venting their frustration with the government w hen they voted for Duke. Quaylc said that the 44 percent of the vote that Duke got was not based on racism. “The people of Louisiana are bet ter than that,” he said. Now, I’ve heard this argument before, and some of it has merit. If you re really pissed offal your gov eminent, vote lor tnc siupiuestcanui datc and scare some sense into ihe real politicians. But 44 percent? You can't tell me that some of those people — probably a majority of them — weren't voting for Duke because he w as proud of Ins tics w ith the Klan. Quayle said he doubts there is a resurgence of racism in this country. And because racism is a tough thing to track, and people don't report it, it would be hard to prove the vice presi dent w rong w ith a bunch of sialism s Bui you don't need statistics to know that there’s something wrong with an election where a white su premacist gels 44 percent of the vote. Ignoring that fact isn’t just stupid, it's dangerous. But w hat did we really expect from Dan Quayle anyway? Candy-coating the country is his job. And he docs try to appeal to everyone, doesn’t he? He even tried to quote the United Negro College Fund slogan at the national meeting of that group to prov e his allegiance with every faction of our society. Unfortunately, Quayle got that one wrong as well. His attempt: “It’s a terrible thing to lose one’s mind.’’ Yes, Dan, it certainly is. At least we won’t have to worry about someone knocking off the presi dent while Dan Quayle is still around. And if his popularity continues to decline, more power to the people. Maybe the Republican party will decide not to nominate the man for president in 1996. But don’t count on it. Dan still has his charm, and he can always run on that. hdwardsisa senior news-editorial major and a Daily Nebraskan columnist and Diver sions editor. kite*—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 basis of clarity, original ity, timeliness and space available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit all material submitted. Readers also are welcome to sub mil 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 relumed. 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 affili ation, if any. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nc braskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. editorial — 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 Ne braskan’s publishers are 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.