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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 1992)
- - LISA PYTLIK —— Holiday should be questioned Many UNL siudcnis arc cele brating St. Patrick’s Day today by drinking green beer at their favorite bars. Others arc wearing green and sport ing thrcc-lcalcd shamrocks. Still oth ers arc checking out the videos that TV Guide suggested a couple years ago as St. Patrick’s Day favorites, such as Fred Astaire’s 1968 musical, “Finian’s Rainbow.” Those students with children might be digging out the March 1989 issue of Better Homes & Gardens to make some “Kid Pleasin’” St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes. In actuality, however, the question of “what” one docs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day isn’t really all that sig nificant. The question of “why” is much more important. Why do we celebrate this holiday at all? Because we always have? Most people don ’ t even know what St. Patrick’s Day signifies. St. Pat’s is another example of a tradition that people blindly follow without asking why. The problem with this practice is that it often results in traditions being misunderstood or mistaken for laws. Also, myths arc often mistaken for facts. In the end, people walk around like machines, unqucstioningly doing what the past has programmed them to do or believing what the past has programmed them to believe, regard less of whether it makes sense in the present. St. Patrick’s Day is a wonderful illustration of how the original mean ing of traditions can be lost when people fail to ask why. As a child, I learned to wear green mi St. Pat’s to avoid being pinched, not because it represents Si. Patrick and the country of Ireland. Furthermore, I always assumed that it was luckier to wear four-leafed clovers than three-leafed ones, even on St. Patrick’s Day. But I recently learned that the shamrock, which is also the national flower of Ireland, traditionally is worn on St. Pal’s in memory of the way St. Patrick, a Catholic bishop, would use iLs three leaf structure to illustrate the doc trinal teaching of God as a “three-in one” deity. The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day also illustrates the way that some traditions can be given precedence over others simply for reasons of In actuality, however. the question of “what” one does to celebrate St. PgtricKs Day isn ’t really all that significant. The question of “why” is much mare imqarz tant. Why da we celebrate this, holiday at allZ. popularity and publicity rather than for reasons of importance. After all, many people who cele brate St. Patrick’s Day arc neither Irish nor Catholic. And even Catho lics don’t celebrate the days of other well-deserving saints on a national level. Most everyone ignores the March festival of St Eustace, a Roman martyr who, along with the rest of his family, was cooked inside a bron/e bull when he refused to make sacrifices to non Christian gods. And 1 do not know anyone who celebrates the April feast days of St. George the dragon slayer, St. Mark the gospel writer or lots of other saints who were at least as important as St. Patrick. Alannah Hopkin, author of “The Living Legend of St. Patrick,” wrote that today’s following of St. Patrick is larger in the United Suites than in Ireland. In the book, Hopkin said this was a result of Irish immigrants inac curately changing facts about St. Patrick’s life to meet the political and religious challenges of living in a new land. Since then, most people have celebrated the holiday without ever considering to question why. This is pretty harmless, since St Patrick’s Day basically is an innocu ous holiday. However, the practice of not asking why historically has proved to be much more detrimental to soci ety. Consider slavery, for example. Perhaps if more people honestly had examined why certain people were slaves while others were free, this popular but unjust practice would have ended sooner. For years, Americans also believed the myth describing the “good” while people bringing civilization to the “poor” native American Indians. Asking why the natives would need while civilization destroys this myth immediately. After all, the Indian way worked just fine before the Europeans came to impose their assumed-superior traditions. Furthermore, the spread of “civilization” definitely was not “civilized.” Today, many people still fail to ask why, and much of society still suffers as result. This failure allows all sorts of prejudicial beliefs to exist. A good example of this is illus trated by the suffering borne by the homosexual population. Not enough nA/\nl/s ai'l u/hl/ K/^fTIACP Y 111)1 mrlnPK who may have lived with their sig nificant others for more years than some heterosexuals stay married, may not be allowed to be with those loved ones when they die because of “fami lics-only” visiting policies enacted by hospitals under certain circum stances. Not enough pcoplcask why homo sexual couples can’t enjoy other benefits that come from being legally married. Until they do, homosexual marriages will be treated as errone ously as so-called “mixed” marriages, which also were illegal at one time. More people must ask why wars and the killing of unborn children arc more socially accepted that two people of the same gender holding hands or kissing. More people must compare more carefully the harm caused by homo sexuality to the harm caused by homophobics to see which popula tion really is acting more “morally,” and “why.” What’s everyone doing for St. Patrick’s Day this year? I hope many people will celebrate it by asking why. PyUik K a senior art and psychology major and a Daily Nebraskan staff artist and columnist. Cartoon shows Israel as terrorist not victim I write in response to a political cartoon composed by Brian Shcliilo that appeared in the Daily Nebraskan on Jan. 20,1992. The cartoon depicts a hypothetical meeting of the “Ameri can Covert Dealmaking Club.” Ref erence is made to the Iran-Contra afTair, apartheid in South Africa, the B.C.C.I scandal,and payments made from Iran to terrorist organizations in Lebanon responsible for the taking of hostages. In the lower-right-hand comer of Shcllito's drawing there is a brawny character with a toothpick in his mouth and a “Star of David” on the shoulder of his uniform. He has a briefcase labelled “Israeli Terrorism Division.” As thcclichc would have it,“a picture is worth a thousand words.” And Shcliilo is perfectly comfortable paint ing a picture in which the stale of Israel and the “Star of David” arc associated with an ugly terrorist. Renod. What’s more, the cartoonist is con tent to place this drawing on the edi torial page of the Daily Nebraskan. Shcliilo creates an image of Israel as a icrrormongcr, and certainly not as a nation victimized by acts of ter racism. The lacl that neither he. nor apparently any ol the editors at the Daily Nebraskan were disturbed by this portrayal of Israel suggests fur ther that perhaps this image of Israel is rather widespread. Now. I must preface my remarks by saying that I am distressed with the senseless way in which the Israeli government has sought to quell the Intifada with bullets. Hundreds of Palestinians have died as a result and this is truly a tragedy. I would also point out that Shimon Peres, most of the Labor Party, and nearly half of Israel’s cili/cns oppose the Shamir government’s handling of the Inti fada. 1. for one, am often in disagree ment with the policies and decisions of the current government and would like to see a peaceful settlement in which the rights of all peoples of the region, including the Palestinian people, arc respected. But should our image of Israel be one of an ugly terrorist slate? Since its founding by a United Nations man date in 1948, Israel has been the vic tim of orgam/ed terror time and again. Now one can well imagine that cili/cns of a nation that has been subjected to heinous acts of terrorism might be somewhat offended at being portrayed quite simply as ugly terror ists themselves. I would urge Mr. Shcllito to reevaluate his image of Israel and of terrorism in the Middle East. At the very least, 1 would urge him and the editors of this newspaper to pass careful judgment before plac ing potentially politically and emo tionally charged images on the edito rial page of the Daily Nebraskan. Now Mr. Shcllito has painted another anii-scmilic caricature in his political cartoon of March 10,1992.1 do not think that anli-scmilic images have a place in any newspaper and certainly not in the Daily Nebraskan. At the very least, I think the editor has an obligation to show some sensitiv ity to all minority groups at (JNL, including Jcwish-Amcricans. I think a printed apology is in order at this point. David Bcrkowil/ assistant professor chemistry Baldwin’s case example of UNL favoritism I am infuriated by the UNL Ath letic Department’s offer to pay Scott Baldwin’s medical expenses. This news, just a couple of walks alter we find out the university is paying to fly an instructor to McCook to supervise a regent’s son, just goes to show the favoritism exhibited by the U. I am also sick and tired of hearing about the alleged “separation” be tween lax money and the athletic fund. Is there no university administrator involved with the athletic fund? What about the cigarette lax money that built Bob Devaney Sports Center? If they arc truly separate, why don’t we just have a farm team? The university claimed the flights to McCook to supervise regent Don Blank's son was not favoritism and that they would do il for any student. I’d like to see any non-athlete, non relative so much as try to gel permis sion to student teach 3 I /2 hours away, have his medical expenses paid or have his family flown in to see him when he gels in trouble. Jane Evers senior political science -- DANCE CONTEST EVERY TUESDAY 9:30 PM Watch Local Ladies Compete for Cash Prizes! Ho Cooer 1823 O' St Home of Lincoln's Finest Dancers £ STANLEY H. 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