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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 1992)
Bitter victory U.S. violates code in Noriega conviction Manuel Noriega, former leader of Panama, was convicted of eight of 10 drug and racketeering charges Thursday. The decision comes two years after an American invasion of Panama to force him to trial. Latin America is no stranger to American attempts to be the world police. A long string of U.S. presidents have had their pet adventures around the Caribbean in an effort to dominate this hemisphere. Panama is accepted by the rest of the world as a sovereign state. Yet the Bush Administration saw fit to invade the country, snatch its leader and try him according to United States laws. Whether Noriega is a “drug lord” is not the question. Whether one nation has the right to do whatever it wants to another nation is. There are certain codes of conduct that the United States expects the rest of the world community to abide by, but apparently we don’t have to follow those rules. President Bush must believe it was well worth the lives of the 23 U.S. servicemen, 200 Panamanian civilians and about 300 Panamanian soldiers it took to oust the “strongman.” We don’t. Lawyers representing the government apparently agree with Bush’s heavy-handed tactics. “We did one heck of a job. We’re proud of what we did,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan said, as if the case possibly might have gone against him. Defense attorney Frank Rubino was described as “bitter” over the decision. He said he would appeal the verdict based on issues including the invasion and Noriega’s prisoner-of-war status. “The United States government, in its self-appointed role as world policeman ... saw fit to invade a foreign country and seize its leader,” he said. The United States, he said, tramples around the world, im posing its will on “so-called independent, sovereign nations.” "Unless the foreign governments are willing to kneel once a day and face Washington and give grace to George Bush, they, too, may be in the same posture as General Noriega,” Rubino said. Noriega was no Mr. Sunshine, spreading happiness and joy. But that doesn’t give the United States the right to impose its will on a foreign government through an armed invasion, and it doesn’t give President Bush the right to waste American and Panamanian lives. The Noriega conviction certainly is no victory. Hunting not ‘subliminal hatred’ As my fellow students arc well aware, I support hunting and Fran Thompson opposes it. My support for hunting is based upon proven scien tific wildlife population dynamics equations. Thompson, however, be lieves hunters are possessed by a “subliminal haired” that we take out animals via the kill. Her theory is absurd,scientifically unsubstantiated and further proof that your argument against hunting is emotionally based. Get ready, Fran, I’m about to intro duce you to reality. If I accept your “subliminal hatred” theory about hunters, then I must also apply it to farmers, medical research ers and those of us who eat turkey on Thanksgiving and wear leather tennis shoes and leather coats. The animals that we daily kill to provide us suste nance, clothes and provide us numer ous health benefits arc just as dead as the ones that hunters kill. Whether you like it or not, Fran, you, your loved ones, friends and neighbors have all benefited from the DEATH of animals. For one species to survive and prosper, another must die. That is a law of nature, and one that you and your fellow animal rights zealots avoid. But hunters arc evil, bloodthirsty kill ers, aren’t they, Fran? Your theory of “subliminal hatred” is pseudo-science in its purest form. If hunters are so full of “subliminal hatred,” wouldn’t it be much easier and cheaper for us to purchase a hundred mice and kill them in all sorts of mean and nasty ways, while never leaving the comfort of our homes? Fran, are you beginning to see why your theory of “subliminal violence” doesn’t have any credence and is completely impossible to vali date? Fran, I’m sure you’re going to write another letter and employ other ani mal rights freaks to inundate the newspaper with more propaganda and lies (a common animal rights tactic), but I’m through debating you. I’ve stated the facts, and you’ve eloquently showed us your emotional appeal. One last time, Fran, if you truly care about the welfare of wildlife, I en courage you to buy a hunting license. It’s that simple. Pardon me, Fran, but I’m going hunting. Arnold Remington senior English and language arts -EDITORIAL POLICY _ _ .... - _ . i .L. 1 stall editorials represent tne 0111 cial policy of the Spring 1992 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its mem bers are: Jana Pedersen, editor; Alan Phelps, opinion page editor; Kara Wells, managing editor; Roger Price, wire editor; Wendy Navratil, copy desk chief; Brian Shcllito, cartoon ist; Jeremy Fitzpatrick, senior re porter. Editorials do not necessarily re flect the views of the university, its employees, me muuuiu ui mv Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent the opinion of the author. The Daily Nebraskan’s publishers arc the regents, who established the UNL Publications Board to super vise the daily production of the pa per. According to policy set by the re gents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its students. ~'£k ‘. /qpMgjyWIfF ^??*y*f**? MARK FAHLESON UNL life puzzles law student Two thousand and fifty-eight days, give or take a few. That’s how many days I have been enrolled as a student at the Uni versity of Nebraska-Lincoln. Starting back in the fall of 1985 as a glassy eyed freshman entering the world of secondary education, I set out in search of enlightenment and a college di ploma. Now, after attaining a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and, with the grace of God and two professors named Steve, a doctorate in jurisprudence, I am finally prepared to leave the world of academia — at least for the time being. My lengthy stay at this fine institu tion of higher learning qualifies me as somewhat of an expert on the issues and environment surrounding UNL. And after seven years, 20 pounds and countless numbers of new gray hairs, I still am pu/.zled by many facets of life at UNL. Hence, this being my last column, what follows below represents the opening of my time vault of thoughts and ramblings accumulated through out my career at UNL. Here arc my parting shots. For some reason, evej7onc who attempts to rebut my editorial col umns begin their letters with the fac tual assertion that I am a law student: “As a law student, you should know better, Mr. Fahlcson.” Trust me, a legal education does little in provid ing greater insight on the important issues of the day. But try to tell that to the record number of individuals entering law school each fall. Aside from a few thousand dollars in property damage and a smattering of bruised faces, I never quite under stood why university officials pul an end to the annual snowball fight that occurred after the first snowfall of every year. After all, this was the only time UNL garnered national head lines. Just what docs it lake to qualify for a “need-based” scholarship on this campus? I’m a student, and I’m cer tainly needy. Yet apparently it takes something more, such as owning an expensive car or something. Although not empirically verified, 1 never have understood why it seems as though so many students on need-based schol arships drive such nice cars. The UNL of 1992 places a greater emphasis on foreign language and cultural diversity. Why is it that yoy can’t fulfill ^our foreign langua/i requirement simply by taking six hours in math or upper level economics courses? Why is it that whenever the politi cally correct lobby on campus wishes Ours make you want to iransier else where. Whatever happened to Corncobs and Tassels? As a youngster attend ing Nebraska football games, I used to watch these two groups gather on the field before games to welcome and cheer on the team. In exchange, members of Corncobs and Tassels received prime tickets along the 50 yard line. Now it seems that all they want are the tickets. Newcomers might disagree, but the Office of Scholarship and Finan cial Aid has come a long way in the past seven years. It used to be so bad that it made the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade look organized. But the office is not quite ready to be nominated for a Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. Whatever happened to Ivy Day? Once a grand university wide celebra tion of academic achievement, it has now been relegated to the interested few. Of course, its demise might be indicative of the importance of schol arship on this campus. Why hasn’t someone thought to exploit the tunnels that transverse both City and East Campus? As an under grad, some “friends of mine” used to enjoy descending into these commo dious tunnels in search of fun and adventure. I have been told that this is illegal. But they have tremendous potential as a recruiting tool. Imagine being able to travel from class to class in these hermetically sealed tubes, thus avoiding Nebraska’s harsh wintery conditions. Why are UNL’s graduation cere monies so sterile? They feature some dry commencement speaker and tunes of Muzak, which might explain why colleges such as the College of Law have opted for their own separate ceremonies. Other major universities have time-honored traditions, such as a promenade through campus, allow ing others to join in the pomp. We could do this at UNL. Because graduation lakes place at Bob Dcva ncy Sports Center, located on the stale fairgrounds, would-be gradu ates could begin their trek at the 4-H Beef Barn located on the cast end of the grounds. From there, they could proceed through the fairgrounds. After a brief pit stop at the Beer Garden and the Open Class Hog Bam so that graduates could marvel at the stale’s largest boar, onward to Bob Devaney so that the official ceremonies could begin. So long UNL. We hardly knew each other. i Fahleson Is a third-year law student and a Dally Nebraskan columnist. Trust me. a legal education does little in providing greater insight on the, impor tant issues of the day. But trv to tell that to the record number of individuals entering law school each fall. to protest the military’s ban on homo sexuals, they physically and verbally attack members of ROTC? Certainly these individuals are intelligent enough to realize that university ROTC offi cials have little control over the pol icy of the United States defense de partment. It has always amazed me that the Interfratcmity Council at UNL re fuses to rank fraternities by their grade point average, yet will gladly tell you how they performed in intramural sports. Perennial bastions of academic excellence such as Farmhouse Fra ternity pet slighted while the IFC evades its duty to foster good ole’ American competitiveness and growth among greeks. How is it that the UNL Parking Department can justify calling what they sell you a parking “permit”? Parking permits at UNL are nothing more than glorified hunting licenses, “permitting” you to hunt for a park ing spot. The only problem is that convenient parking places arc now an endangered species. Just what are the criteria for be coming eligible to be a UNL Police Officer? It’s scary to think that these individuals have jurisdiction over the entire state, much like the Slate Pa trol. Why don’t university officials create ^sdme new commercials to run during televised athletic competitions? The ones UNL currently runs have all the excitement of melba toast. Schools such as Duke and Notre Dame run captivating and intriguing public serv ice announcements that make you actually want to attend their schools.