Opinion
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chris Hopfensperger.Editor, 47.2-1766
Dionne Searcey.!.Opinion Page Editor
Kris Karnopp...Managing Editor
Alan Phelps..Wire Editor
Wendy Navratil.. Writing Coach
Stacey McKenzie..... Senior Reporter
Jeremy Fitzpatrick ...‘..Columnist
Vote Clinton
President needed to solve domestic ills
Four years ago, President Bush said, “Read my lips, no new
taxes.” He lied to us.
Bush called himself the education president. He failed
us.
This year’s incumbent even told Americans that he wquld be
the environmental president. And he burned us.
Now, Americans should make Bush the ex-prcsidcnl.
Bill Clinton — as often as he has said it — is right. The United
States wants, needs and deserves change.
Americans arc looking for a government that can work together
to solve their problems — not the same president who has ignored
the nation’s needs for four years.
Throughout his first term, Bush virtually ignored domestic
issues. Americans have not forgotten.
People want to improve
HHHH the economy. People want
BBBSU health care re I onus. People
■■ want change.
In fact, people want
SSIhKH change so badly that a large
number ol Americans are
looking away from the two
JHH| major-parly candidates in
jammm scarch ol the next president
■SRj^B koss Perot's candidacy is
a direct result ol the spiritol
KtfwK dissatisfaction with American
mmm government. People all across
jgBBgy the country have come to
* mmMA gcthcr to support Perot be
Bnan Sheiiito-DN causc Qf widespread desire
to end the inaction in Washington. But Perot would not make a
good leader.
His influence should not be ignored. His candidacy has ensured
that Bush and Clinton would not be able to avoid the issue of the
floundering economy. But Perot is an extremist, not a president.
Bush has the makings of a president. But he is the leader of a
Cold-War world; that era is over.
Americans need a leader who is in touch with problems close
to home. Americans need a president who w ill admit the United
Slates needs to make changes.
Throughout the campaign, Bush has looted America’s horn
while the engine has fallen apart. Saying, "Hey, we’re the United
States’’ is not good enough anymore. Americans want a president,
not a cheerleader.
Clinton knows the United States needs work. He admits there
arc problems with the economy, education and health care.
Most importantly, Clinton has come up with a plan for making
improvements without making promises he can’t keep.
Clinton has listened to the people. He knows what Americans
want, and he has committed himself to rebuilding the United
States.
Clinton lacks the experience Bush has acquired dealing with
global issues, but that's not reason enough to vote against the
democrat. Twelve years ago Americans elected a man who had
little political experience at all, much less experience abroad.
The United States deserves a president and a congress that can
work together to solve the problems America faces.
The United Slates needs Bill Ginton.
Siaff editorials represent the official policy of the Pall 1992 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by
the Daily Nebraskan hditorial Board. Hdilorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the
university, its employees, the students or the NL’ Board of Regents. Hditorial columns-reprcscnl
the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL
Publications Board to supervise the daily production of the paper. According to policy set by
the regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of
its students.
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others.
Letters will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity, originality, timeliness and space
available. The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted. Readers
also arc welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material
should run as a guest opinion. Letters and guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the
property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be relumed. Anonymous submissions will not be
published. Letters should included the author's name, year in school, major and group
affiliation, if any. Requests to withhold names w ill not be granted. Submit material to the Daily
Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 14(X) R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
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Bereuter better
“Rcprcscniaii vc Doug Bereuter can
be characterized by a number of posi
tive adjectives: effective, moderate,
responsive, certainly hard-working
and well informed. (Lincoln Star,Oct.
29).”
This is but one example of what
other well-established and respected
newspapers throughout the First Con
gressional District have been saying
about Doug Bereuter, while the Daily
Nebraskan has once again displayed
its ignorance and extreme partisan
ship in endorsing Gerry Finnegan.
In its editorial, the Daily Nebras
kan staled that Finnegan is dedicated
to reducing the federal deficit, while
‘Bereuter and other long-term pro
lessional politicians have presided
over the problems for years, with little
result.”
LeTsgctihe facts straight. Bereuter
has supported a balanced budget
amendment since his first days in
ol fice. He also supports a presidential
line-item veto to remove the last
minute pork barrel spending items
that get added to legislation, usually
by committee chairmen (i.c., mem
bers of the Democrat leadership). It is
this same Democrat majority leader
ship that has prevented the congres
sional reforms supported by Bereuter
and other House Republicans.
Yes, the American people have a
rigni 10 do angry that nothing has been
accomplished on this matter. But it
doesn't follow logic or reason to sug
gest that adding another novice Demo
crat (who would be easy prey for the
leadership) to the House of Represen
tatives would solve anything.
Obviously, the Daily Nebraskan
also failed to do its homework on
Doug Bereuter’s support of higher
education. Bereuter is a graduate of
UNL and taught part time in the Col
lege of Architecture for several years.
While a member of the stale Legisla
lure, Bereuter sponsored legislation
that added 45 full-time professors to
this universky to reduce the si/e of
undergraduate classes. Many of them
arc still here and arc known as
Bereuter professors.” Ask around,
many of you are probably taking a
class from one.
Change can be good, but not when
sought merely for its own sake. Doug
Bereuter has demonstrated his com
mitment to the people lie represents
by his hands-on approach and by ac
tively working to keep touch with
them.
One last note to the Daily Nebras
kan: I’m sure you’ll find the poll
rcsultsol Tucsday’sclcction will back
up this analysis.
Perre Ncilan
jlmior
political science
Senator wrong
In the spring of 19891 worked as a
custodian in the Stale Capitol Build
ing. One night while working, mcm
bcrsoflhcCapitorssecurity team led
Lincoln Police to a room where I was
working. The purpose of the visit was
quickly evident. I was questioned in
connection with an assault that had
occurred earlier lhatevening, because
I happened to match the description of
the assailant, a white male, approxi
mately 5 feet 7 inches tall, w ith long
ish hair, a beard, wearing a striped
shirt and tennis shoes. Alter a brief
questioning, the officer asked to lake
my picture and I agreed. After several
days of worry on my part, another
contact with the officer affirmed that
the victim had seen my picture and
had determined I was not her assail
ant.
Now, I will admit that this whole
incident cause me a lot of stress,
- tt
... Sen. Chambers is
charging in with the
cry of racism, and
frankly, I am
unconvinced.
' ---— «« —
w w
including failing a German lest dur
ing those days of wailing. As I look
back now, 1 understand lhal my own
discomfort was short-lived, and the
greater good to the community was
being served by following all leads in
a serious crime.
Now this incident concerning Phil
Bales has been brought to the atten
tion of the com m un i ty and Sen. Cham -
bers is charging in with the cry of
racism, and I rankly, I am unconvinced.
First off, questioning of the four
Al rican-Americans was not done w ith
an assumption of ^uih, rather it was
due to reports that an African-Ameri
can man had been talking to Harms
the day before her disappearance.
Sen. Chambers claims that UNL
Police had no business making “such
an outrageous, racist call” to Bales.
Bates, according to Chambers, was
implicated “solely on his race.”Cham
bers claims this was inappropriate
and unprofessional. I find this a fal
lacy of reasoning. Bates was impli
cated not solely due to his race, but
also due to his proximity in being in
the same class as Harms.
As to “insulting, heavy-handed
police procedure,” 1 fail to understand
that claim at all, senator. I hardly
consider a phone call requesting an
interview “heavy-handed.w Now, go
ing to the class, arresting the four
African-American men, THAT would
be heavy-handed. That is not what
occurred.
I have a great deal of admiration
for Sen. Chambers. In the past I have
seen him stand up against societal
injustices, and he has worked hard to
improve life in Nebraska for those
members of society who don’t have
much political voice. However, in
this instance, the senator has rushed
headlong into this situation without
looking at it logically. Such reaction
ary tactics don’t serve to improve the
community. Rather they serve to fuel
already high racial tcnsionsalUNLas
well as hinder the process of investi
gating the disappearance of Candice
Harms.
James A. Zank
senior
art and English
Sleepout
As a UNL student who partici
pated in the Great Plains Winter
Sleepout, I feel I must clear up the
skewed and uninformed view of this
event Jeff Hankins presented in his
column, "Sleepouls don’t help home
less (DN, Oct. 29).” My participation
in thiscveni was voluntary, not forced
on me, or spurred by a guilty con
science. I went to this solemn event
understanding the seriousness of the
problem of the homeless in Lincoln
and nationwide. There I tried to keep
in mind the primary goals of the event,
which were: to raise funds for local
agencies who work with the homeless
population daily, to raise awareness
of the problem in our community and
to snow that the problem oi
homelessness in Lincoln has many
faces.
If Mr. Hankins had done some
background research, or bothered to
pick up a pamphlet describing the
slccpout, he would have known the
money raised went to the Lincoln
Homeless Coalition. This coalition is
made up of many local agencies that
provide services* to people* who are
homeless. The coalition will distrib
ute money to these various agencies
to be used in direct services.
II the agency I work for only advo
cated for “those who arc ready and
willing to help themselves,” we would
never reach the children who must
leave their home because of violence,
or people living with AIDS who can
no longer work to provide for their
basic needs. I have never met a person
who has asked for help from this
agency who was somehow not work
ing toward a better, safer and more
productive life.
Finally, Mr. Hankins, your trying
to minimize my experiences as a
slecpout participant has only brought
to light the ignorance of one indi
vidual who cannot be allowed to rep
resent the student body of UNL.
Keith Cruise
senior
psychology