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Editorial
Eric Pfanner, Editor, 472-1766
_ Victoria Ayotte, Managing Editor
pk j ^ |a ^ Darcic Wiegert, Associate News Editor
J[ y XX JL Cl 3 fl£X X l Diane Bray ton. Associate News Editor
Jana Pedersen, Wire Editor
11 i Editorial Board Emily Rosenbaum, Copy Desk Chief
University of Nebraska-Lincoln , L, P ’ , D P
1 Lisa Donovan, Editorial rage Editor
Try sanctions
I Patience is necessary to save lives
Q enate Democrats began their own battle plan Tuesday for
the showdown with Iraq.
They argued in Armed Services Committee hearings
on the Gulf crisis that economic sanctions should be tried
before the United States militarily drives Saddam Hussein out
of Kuwait.
The U.N. Security Council in a vote today is expected to
give President Bush the authority to use force if Saddam
doesn’t end his occupation by Jan. 15.
But opponents of military action — including Nebraska’s
Bob Kerrey — have a point.
Although economic sanctions would take longer to work
than a show of force, sanctions do not directly cause a loss of
life.
Aircaay, news repons indicate, traq is sintering a snonage
of supplies such as tires, batteries, plastics and food. Many
factories, including refineries and water purification plants, arc
being forced to shut down. The unemployment rate is rising,
i while prices have soared.
| The trade embargo also denies Iraq all oil export profits,
which formerly totaled more than $1.5 billion a month, accord
ing to a Knight-Ridder article.
Despite the strains on the Iraqi economy, experts predict that
sanctions could take mom than a year to be effective.
But the 430,000 American troops currently in the Middle
East might agree that the saving of human life would make that
wait worthwhile.
Perhaps war-happy politicians and President Bush should
listen to Kerrey.
A continuing show of force, he said, could lead the United
I States into a situation from which it could not back out. He
compared the situation to World War I.
The move toward that war was impossible to reverse be
cause once nations had mobilized, they felt compelled to
1 escalate the process to get an edge on their opponents.
The U.S. buildup and a Jan. 15 deadline would create a
similar ultimatum for the use of force.
“The administration’s policy ... is pushing us into a war we
could avoid, reopening social divisions we have only recently
1 healed and undermining public support for a sound and sus
tained foreign and military policy,” Kerrey said.
Kerrey is right. While a show of military force might be a
I quick and “easy” way to end the crisis in the Middle East, the
% cost in human lives would be too great. Wailing lor the sanc
* tions to affect Iraq would take time, but eventually would be a
more effective way to deal with Saddam.
\ Even if the U.N. grants the authority to use force, it should
, be avoided. Patience always is a virtue, but in this situation, it
is more than a virtue. •
It is a necessity if U.S. troops are to come home alive.
— Julie Saughton
for the Daily Nebraskan
Arizona merits apology
I find all the controversy over
Arizona voting not to add Martin Luther
King’s birthday to the list of paid
holidays observed each year abso
lutely incredible. The referendum was
defeated by a narrow margin; but, by
law, the difference of a single vote
can pass, or in this case, defeat, a
ballot issue. Having heard nothing to
the contrary, I must assume dial their
voting was completely legal. Assuch,
the “will of the people” must be ac
cepted.
Anyone who dislikes the outcome
of Arizona’s vote to deny the addition
of another paid holiday certainly has
the right to their own opinion, but
they go too far when they label Arizo
nans as being racist on that basis.
First, as I have previously stated, the
referendum was only narrowly de
feated, which implies that nearly as
many people favored it as those who
opposed it. Second, the defeat of the
issue does not equate racial preju
dice. It seems just as likely to me that
voters decided not to bankroll yet
' another paid holiday for state em
ployees and add to the ever-increas
ing spiral of inflation.
If voters had added Martin Luther
King’s birthday to their list of holi
days, would that mean that Arizonans
were completely not racist? Does
anyone have proof that the color of
King's skin made the difference in
voters failing to pass the measure? If
a white man of equal accomplish
ments was denied recognition by
having a paid stale holiday in his
honor, what would the implications
be? Can any government or law con
trol an individual’s personal thoughts,
feelings or prejudices?
1 strongly object to the staff edito
rial headline printed in the Daily
Nebraskan, which read, “Arizona
Voters Should Apologize. ” To whom
should they apologize? What should
they apologize for? Did the explana
tion on the ballot, of what a vote
against the measure would mean, say,
“a vote against this measure means
that you are racially bigoted?’’
It seems, with all the problems in
the country and the world today, that
people are looking pretty hard for
things like this to complain about. If
you stop for a moment to look, you
will see that those who are complain
ing are complaining about the impli
cations they themselves make and not
on fact.
Lastly, those that suggest an apol
ogy is in ordei are the ones that owe
that apology ... to Arizona.
Terry Holman
freshman
general studies
Santa grants adult-size wishes
Shopping-mall visit introduces new magic to Christmas season
On the day after Thanksgiving,
I visited a shopping mall. I
noticed that everyone walk
ing around at a hurried pace was
bumping into everyone walking at a
slow pace. Fathers were fighting over
Nintendo game sets; mothers over
cheap train sets.
As I kept walking, I noticed the
bright red and green decorations that
filled every store and every' hallway.
And then I heard a loud deep intermit
tent noise. As soon as 1 saw the line of
excitement-filled children I knew it
was the “Ho Ho Ho” of Santa Claus.
I immediately stepped into line,
jumping ahead one place each time a
snotty little kid had to go to the bath
room. Soon I was next in line. I was as
nervous as the last time I had done
this almost 14 years ago.
“Is your son coming back from the
bathroom?” said the elf who was
C_L _ 1_
jauui s uvi^/vi.
I looked at her kind of funny and
said, “I would like to have a little talk
with Santa. We used to be gcxxl friends,
but we haven’t talked for some time.”
The elf reluctantly let me go by,
watching as if I was going to assassi
nate the fat red man who sat in front of
a cardboard brick house. Santa obvi
ously was nervous as he watched me
approach his lap where everyone else
got to sit.
“If you don’t mind sitting on the
step I think it would be belter for both
of us,” Santa said.
As 1 sat down, I poured out my
problems.
“I know you arc here for the little
kids, Santa, but I wanted to ask your
help on some problems, do you mind?”
“Rob,” he said, “I have been ex
pecting you.”
“You sec, Santa, the world is all
screwed up. President Bush wants to
go to war, I think, because Saddam
Hussein refuses to take a shower be
fore United Nations meetings. And
the university that I attend hasn’t had
a real leader for more than a year,” I
said.
“That’s a pretty heavy load Rob,”
Santa said.
I sighed a heavy sigh.
“Well, Santa, just one more thing.
Our football coach, Tom Osborne,
Robert
Richardson
(then I whispered) can’t win the big
game. But he’s a heck of a nice guy
and he really tries hard.”
I never thought I would ever sec
Santa look so distraught. Although I
knew my problems were big 1 thought
Santa had dealt with heftier compli
cations.
i\ud, nv saiu, suu irounieu, oui
smiling, “luckily 1 have dealt with
bigger problems before, and I always
come prepared.”
Just then the 6- and 7-year-olds
started a chant — without the super
vision of their mothers.
“You’re too old, you’re in a rut,
STAND UP WALK AWAY. MOVE
YOUR BIG Burn”
Santa quickly dug through his bag
of tricks. He pulled out a real looking
machine gun.
The kids stopped their chant.
“It looks real, it feels real, but it
ain't," Santa said. “It’s a pure fake.
And as I fly over the world I’m drop
ping these to replace them harmful
ones. World leaders need to learn to
talk. With these fake weapons they
won’t have a choice.”
“But Santa,” I said, “what if we
can’t afford to talk? We can’t afford
to let John Wayne and Rambodown.”
Slightly puzzled, Santa said, “Well
I’ll just give ‘cm those guns with the
sticky rubber bullets. If that doesn’t
help, I’ll tell Rudolph and Prancer to
relieve themselves as we fly over the
conflict.”
Seeming satisfied that one prob
lem was resolved, he went on to try
his bag with the next dilemma.
“Rob, I think that that university
of yours really needs a good presi
dent. One that knows the campus like
his elves. I want someone who won’t
be satisfied with complacency and
who will restore it back to it’s original
excellent mode of education. Plus 1
hear that the job pays rcai well.”
He reached in again and pulled out
a name plate that read “Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer, President.’
“It’s about time somebody listened
to that animal. He’s got good ideas
and a lot of guts and a beautiful red
nose.”
Now it was Santa’s turn to whis
per.
nc uic umy living, uiuunma
life form that I could talk into taking
the position. I want him to run your
university fora while. If hedoesn’tdo
so hot, I’ll ask him to step down.”
“Santa, that is a great present.” 1
said. “We’ll have a visible leader and
he will be cheap. You really know
how to hold down costs.”
“Two down, one to go,” we Doth
said together.
“Well,” Santa said, “Tommy
Osborne is next.”
This is where Santa got real close
as he put his arm around me like my
dad did when he told me my dog had
been splattered on the street in Iront
of the house.
He said “Rob, some things can’t
be helped. I hate to be the bad guy.
With that he pulled out a pink slip
and he asked me to give it to Osborne.
“Rob, he’ll take it better Irom
someone he knows,” Santa said.
1 left the mall that day crying my
eyes out. But I still had love in my
heart knowing that I might have helped,
just a little.
Richardson is a junior broadcasting and
English major and a Daily Nebraskan arts
and entertainment reporter and columnist.
^l^Vrorn-1- --—
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