Opinion
Net?raskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chris Hopfensperger.Editor, 472-1766
Jeremy Fitzpatrick.Opinion Page Editor
Alan Phelps.Managing Editor
Brian Shellilo.Cartoonist
Susie Arth ... Senior Reporter
Kim Spurlock. Diversions Editor
Sam Kepfield . .Columnist
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Everyday issue
Living Kings message spawns revolution
Today we celebrate the message of peace, justice, hope and
unity. We celebrate the message of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. Today’s holiday is a day for everyone to observe, not because
King was black, but because he believed in equality for all.
Today as you walk through the union’s main lounge, lake time
to listen to the video presentation of the life of King, as well as
his many speeches. Listen to his words and make them a part of
your actions not just today, but every day.
But the holiday is not a one-day celebration — King did not
believe in peace and equality only on the third Monday ofcJanu
ary. If there are problems on campus that need addressing, don’t
wait until the problem explodes — take action as soon as pos
sible.
There doesn’t have to be another incident where African
American males arc singled out of an anthropology class prima
rily because they arc black. There is no need for another racial
beating of a white motorist, like Reginald Denny, for us to realize
a racial problem exists on campus and across this nation.
If we arc to celebrate a message of a man who dreamed, we
need to enforce his message every day.
Eric Jolly, director of affirmative action and diversity pro
grams, called the holiday “a celebration, not of the individual, but
of the ideas that person brought forward. And King brought
forward a revolution of ideas that will help America cope with the
changing landscape into the next century.”
America is a nation of many different races. And if we arc to
incorporate anything, it will have to be King’s message, which
puts down no group, but represents all races.
Addressing problems before they explode is a start to under
standing King’s message that everyone should be judged “not by
the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Legalized prejudice
Colorado bill steals Americans’ rights
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Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of a world where people
would be treated equally.
Sadly, as we celebrate his birthday today, a battle is being
waged in Colorado over the basic rights Americans who are
homosexuals have under the Constitution.
A judge on Friday blocked Colorado from enforcing an anti
gay rights measure until it could be determined if the law was
constitutional. The measure, approved by the people of Colorado
in November, would have barred any law that protects homosexu
als from discrimination.
A group called Coloradans for Family Values campaigned
heavily for the bill, known as Amendment 2. Discrimination and
ignorance arc apparently the values they seek to promote.
There arc many words that could describe Amendment 2. Un
American would probably be the best.
Hopefully, Amendment 2 will be ruled unconstitutional. That it
was passed at all is a disgrace to a nation that claims equality and
justice as its highest virtues.
Amendment 2 was a step backward for America. We can move
forward again by opposing it and any other measure that would
restrict the freedoms all Americans deserve.
That we arc discussing such a measure 25 years after the death
of Martin Luther King Jr. is a sobering reflection on how far
America still has to go.
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Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
Music stores staffed by snobs
First impressions arc important.
Any dandruff-shampoo
commercial will tell you that.
First impressions can be deceiv
ing, I know. For instance, someone
looking at a mug shot might think I’m
a big, Twinkic-cating, double
chinned, hefty kinda gal. But I like to
think of myself as a slender prairie
flower.
One of my majorcharacter flaws is
that I make snap judgments of people
based on first impressions.
I would work harder to cure this
flaw if it weren’t for one thing — I’m
usually right.
So, far be it for me to judge an
entire profession based on my limited
exposure, but I have come to the
conclusion that the people who work
at record stores are pretentious, offen
sive, grungy little snobs.
Don ’ t get me wrong. I ’ m not one to
criticize grunge, pretension or even
snobbery—in small doses I feel these
afflictions arc good for the soul. They
force us to keep a sense of humor.
Someof my best friends arc grungy.
Deep-down dirty, wearing flannel
shirts for days on end.
I don’t even mind salespeople as a
rule. I think it’s kind of cute how they
invariably greet each and every cus
tomer with a chipper, if somewhat
desperate, “Hi! Can I help you find
something?”
How many limes do those people
need to hear, “No thanks, I’m just
looking,” before they’ll leave us
alone?
Then again, a polite “Can I help
you?” would be a pleasant change at
a record store.
At most record stores when you
walk in the door, unless you’rcclad in
a biker’s jacket and studded bra, all
you’ II get in greeting is a condescend
ing once-ovcr and a snide look of
dismissal. \
i- £%
JA
_
“She’s OK,” I’m sure
they say when I leave
the store, a Del Amitri
tape in hand. “She’s just
buying that for a class
assignment.”
God forbid you ask about an artist
who didn ’ t just release an album yes
terday or they’ll let you know.
“That’s not his latest release, you
know.”
I usually feel so embarrassed I
make up lies to cover my entertain
ment ignorance.
“Urn, I know this isn’t the newest
one, but I spilled beer on my old one
at this huge parly I had, so I thought
I’d replace it.”
Or worse yet, you buy something
they like and they feel compelled to
give you insider information about it.
Forgive me Twisters personnel,
but 1 really can't sec how any artist,
cool or not, would contact you to clue
you in on his intentions. I can pick up
the latest edition of Spin Maga/inc all
by myself, thanks.
I don’t mean to single out any one
store, but in my experience. Twisters
has by far the worst superiority com
plex. I’m one of the lucky ones. 1 have
friends who work there, so I run straight
to them, and they cover for me.
“She’s OK,” I’m sure they say
when I leave the store, a Del Amitri
tape in hand. “She’s just buying that
for a class assignment.”
Pickles isn’t as bad, but traces of
condescension still permeate the
dingy, cluttered aisles. I’m not sure,
bull think those sales guys don’t take
themselves as seriously. The help there
doesn’t really care what you buy, as
long as you ride your bike there and
never— under any circumstances —
button your flannel shirt.
For a while, I was so upset about
this that I slopped buy ing m usic at al I.
My tapes became slowly more and
more outdated. Then it hit me. I’m not
going to let those music guys scare
me. I’ll buy whatever tape I want to,
and nobody can stop me. #
I guess I’ll just join the other mu
sical rejects and shop at Music Land. I
know — the selection is limited, the
tapes arc overpriced, the staff is igno
rant.
Thai’s OK by me. What’s the dif
ference between them and any other
record-store employees except that
they lay it on the line. No latest-issue
insight there, just halfway friendly
smiles accompanied by cheap tics and
dress pants they bought at Jeans West.
I think this condescension reaches
all levels of the music world. I know
the DJs al KRNU have a touch of it.
Half the time they don’t know what
song you’re asking for, because if it
isn’t played on MTV’s “120 Min
utes,” it isn’t worth playing. Or if you
ask for something they don’t like, you
arc told in no uncertain terms that it
simply won’t fit in with the program
theme.
Give me a break. Like we need
some KRNU punk looking down his
amateur broadcasting noscal us. As if
we can’t go into a record store and get
that stuff in person.
Mott is a senior news-editorial and En
glish major, a Daily Nebraskan associate news
editor and a columnist.
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