Opinion
Jana Pedersen, Editor, 472-1766
Eric Pfanner, Editorial Page Editor
Diane Brayton, Managing Editor
Walter Gholson, Columnist
Paul Domeier, Copy Desk Chief
Brian Shellito, Cartoonist
Jeremy Fitzpatrick, Senior Reporter
The right stuff
Apollo 009 capsule swap made in heaven
Even in a time of budget cutting, the University of Ne
braska-Lincoln has managed to gain a valuable collection
of space artifacts.
UNL doesn’t have to pay a cent for the roughly $1.5 million
worth of objects, including some that accompanied Apollo
astronauts to the moon. Instead, the university will give up its
ownership of one of the craft that carried such items — the
Apollo 009 space capsule, which has been disintegrating
outside Morrill Hall for years.
The capsule will be taken off the UNL campus, restored at a
cost of about $400,000 and displayed at the Kansas Cos
mospherc space center.
The swap was finalized last month, UNL officials said
Wednesday at a press conference. It is still subject to approval
from the NU Board of Regents.
No money will change hands in the agreement. But both
UNL and the Cosmosphcre, as well as Apollo 009, should
benefit from the trade.
UNL gets a strong addition to its museum, the Cosmosphcre
gains a piece of U.S. history and the capsule will be subject to
the care of experts rather than the cruelty of the elements.
— E.F£~
Parts is parts
Laws shouldn't cover women’s breasts
For those who consider separate public restrooms a sexist
institution, a dismissal of charges against 10 women who
exposed their breasts in a New York park came as good
news.
In overturning the convictions of the 10 women, Monroe
County Judge Patricia Marks said women’s breasts legally
should not be distinguished from men’s breasts. Such a distinc
tion violates the New York state and U.S. constitutions, Marks
ruled.
In 1989, the women, who call themselves the Topfrec 10,
were convicted of violating New York’s public nudity law after
removing ihcir shins for a picnic in a public park. The women
gather yearly to bare their breasts in protest of the law.
Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Clifford said New
York law defines female breasts as private body parts because
of community beliefs, public morals and common decency.
But, in the decision, Marks noted the testimony of defense
experts who said society doesn’t consider women’s breasts as
private or intimate body parts.
In European countries, the distinction between men’s and
women’s breasts has long since blurred. Perhaps the New York
decision is an indication that lopsided laws based on biological
assumption will no longer be tolerated on this side of the
ocean. _JP
Artificial turf in stadiums
fusing football injuries
I am writing in response to two
events that happened this weekend at
the Nebraska at Kansas football game.
First, Kenny Wilhite’s non-contact,
but nevertheless severe, knee injury.
Second, the fact that the Nebraska
athletic department is trying to re
place the turf at Memorial Stadium
with another artificial surface.
Wilhite’s injury would not have oc
curred on a grass field. We have lost
other great players, such as Terry
Rodgers, due to injuries attributed to
artificial surfaces. I hope Wilhite will
be fine, but the likelihood of this type
of injury can be reduced by playing
on grass.
The problem is that the athletic
department is just looking at the bot
tom-line costs. A natural surface is
more expensive. However, it would
pay off by reducing practice- and
playing-related injuries. A grass field
would also help prepare us for bowl
games. A majority of the New Year’s
Day bowls are played on grass. The
trend in football is to switch back to
grass fields. The University of Michi
gan and the Chicago Bears switched
back. Furthermore, if I was a “blue
chip” recruit, I would not consider
schools that had artificial surfaces. I
would want to protect myself from an
injury that might end my career pre
maturely.
Playing on an artificial surface is
like playing football on your base
ment floor with a carpet. When asked,
NFL players preferred playing on grass.
If the university was a private com
pany, the Occupational Safely and
Health Administration would proba
bly force it to protect its workers and
install grass. It is unfortunate that the
Athletic Department is not concerned
enough with the safety and the well
being of its athletes to consider a
grass field. If you share my view on
this matter, I suggest that donations
made to the turf fund be contingent on
installation of a grass field. I will not
support the athletic department by
purchasing any more season tickets
until there is grass at Memorial Sta
dium.
Sanjay Batra
graduate student
industrial engineering
-LETTER POLICY
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PAUL DOMEIER
Bush disqualifies himself
Events on Nov. 9,1989; Jan. 17,
1991; and Aug. 21, 1991, may
have cost George Bush the 1992
presidential election.
Doubtfully, but possibly.
On Nov. 9,1989, the Berlin Wall
came down. In the next few months,
Communist regimes across Eastern
Europe were dismantled and four
decades of Cold War came to an end.
On Jan. 17, 1991, U.S. air forces
began bombing Iraq. In the next few
weeks, one of the largest armed forces
in the world was routed by the best
military in the world. Vietnam de
mons were exorcised and Bush showed
that rules on armed aggression have
changed in the post-Cold War world.
On Aug. 21,1991, a last-gasp hard
liner coup failed in the Soviet Union.
In the next few days, the U.S.S.R. was
dismantled. The United States won a
70-ycar waiting game.
Bush’s lime as CIA director,
ambassador to China and vice presi
dent has paid off with unprecedented
success in foreign affairs.
And, in a way, he's eliminated the
need for his position. His success has
changed the presidency’s requirements,
ber 1992. Next year’s campaign will
be waged in the shadow of the unreal
istic expectations we have for Bush.
Of course, if we are at the end of
the recession, the election will be a
lock for the Republicans. Even if the
economy stays sluggish, Bush’s
chances will rise considerably as soon
as the Democrats nominate a candi
date.
Despite recent shakiness, I expect
Bush to be president another four
years.
I’m not sure that’s good. Bush
may be belter as the do-nothing choice
than some Democrat as the do-the
wrong-thing choice, but still, nothing
gets done.
It’s not unfair to Bush. He has
served his purpose, done what he’s
good at, and it’s lime for him to return
to civilian life. That’s part of the
whole term-limitation movement
anyway, moving people in and out of
politics.
We need a different type of Re
publican to come with new ideas and
an internal focus. That type of leader
would have a belter chance doing and
_* •_.1___...lik /v
Bush has, done his,
job, as president, Now
we want him to be
prime minister.
Well, be canli be.
Plime. minister, be
cause our govern
ment doesn’t work
that wav.
to do. He got his lax culs and in
creased military spending.
But he couldn’t undo what he
wanted to undo. Congress kept the
portions of the welfare stale Reagan
wanted to remove increasing the crip
pling deficit.
Reagan led, and Congress followed
halfway.
If we really want one leader re
sponsible for pushing domestic pol
icy through Congress, we need to
linker with the Constitution and give
someone that responsibility and power.
The vice president could be elevated
to that role, because he already is
president of the Senate. Presidential
tickets could pair up as foreign con
sul/domcstic consul instead of presi
dent/stiff.
Congressional policy based on
coalition would allow the creation of
more political parties, which in turn
would represent the American people
better than the current “big-tent”
parlies.
In that system, Bush could be presi
dent forever.
But that change is unlikely ever to
happen, certainly not before Novem
UllUUlllg UIV 115111 U1III53, uvui mill u
Democratic Congress. Foreign affairs
arc secondary.
What fcould Bush do on foreign
affairs in another term? With the Soviet
collapse, the only threat from Com
munist/socialist ideological imperi
alism comes from universities, un
ions and certain Democratic presi
dential hopefuls.
With or without Bush, the United
States will be the unquestioned world
leader in furthering peace, prosperity
and the relaxing of tensions.
These tensions aren’t the realm of
a superpower president. Middle East
trauma won’t ease until the partici
pants want it to case. Ethnic-based
civil war looms all across the globe,
and American troops have no busi
ness in those battles. Having Bush in
charge might be an advantage, but
not enough to risk the country’s health.
But we’re stuck with Bush. Sad to
say, Jack Kemp won’t be president
until 1997.
Domeler is a senior news-editorial major,
the Daily Nebraskan copy desk chief and a
columnist.
ttiiu iiv maj mu ium^ui us* v^uaiii iuu.
America is clamoring for Bush to
stay at home and push through do
mestic policy to get us out of the
recession, save our cities, reform the
courts, and so on.
As if he could. What he wants,
Congress won’t pass. What Congress
wants, Bush won’t sign. It’s called
having a Republican president and a
Dcmocraiic-controllcd Congress,
especially when the Republican presi
dent’s strong suit is foreign affairs.
Yet Bush bears the brunt of blame
for this system that we love so much.
That epitomizes the silly expecta
tions we have for our executive leader
— I repeal, executive, not legislative,
leader.
Bush has done his job as president.
Now we want him to be prime minis
ter.
Well, he can’t be prime minister,
because our government doesn’t work
that way.
Ronald Reagan’s first term defined
what will happen with the presidency
and Congress in different hands.
Reagan was able to do what he wanted
-EDITORIAL POLICY
signed sum editorials represent
the official policy of the Fail 1991
Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the
Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its
members are: Jana Pedersen, editor;
Eric Pfanner, editorial page editor;
Diane Braylon, managing editor;
Walter Gholson, columnist; Paui
Domeier, copy desk chief; Brian
ahcllito, cartoonist; Jeremy Fitzpa
trick, senior reporter.
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 Nebraskan’s publishers
are the regents, who established the
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vise the daily production of the pa
per.
According to policy set by the re
gents, responsibility for the editorial
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in the hands of its students.