Anne
Continued from Page 6
lie and racist basis.
Secondly, it’s offensive.
Because 1 seek a better a nd more
equitable world, I am placed in the
same category as Hitler and
Mussolini. I really don’t think we
stand for any of the same things.
Instead, I prefer to place myself
in much better company, among
people w ho sta nd iastcad for equ al
ity.
Last year was filled with people
who made strides in the way the
world looks not only at women,
but at humanity as a whole. The
people who have impressed or in
fluenced me the most, especially in
contemporary society, are women
who have tackled these issues.
First on my list this year is
America’s new first lady, Hillary
Clinton. She has been accused of
being many different things — a
bitch, a hard-hitting political wife,
an unfeminine, unmotherly viper,
and a prime ex ample of the deterio
ration of family values.
That’s a bunch of bunk. Clinton
is a career-oriented woman whose
family is easily as important to her
as her career, or her husband’s
career. She is a staunch supporter
of women’s rights and an advocate
of children’s issues. Her first steps
as first lady will be ones to watch,
and undoubtedly, will be focused
in the right direction.
Another woman who made
headlines this year in the political
arena is Anita Hill, the law profes
sor who took Supreme Court Jus
tice Clarence Thomas to task on
charges of sexual harassment.
Although Hill did not convince
the cartoonish Senate committee,
she did convince thousands of
women nationwide to sit up and
take notice, and no longer tolerate
oppressive behavior from male co
workers. Hill stands out like a hero
and an example of what women
will no longer stand for — ever.
The same holds true for Navy
pilot Paula Coughlin. Coughlin
came forward after the horrific inci
dent at the navy’s Tailhook con
vention — after male officers as
saulted their female counterparts.
The assailants, as well as the supe
rior officers that tried to brush off
the episode, received a barrage of
negative publicity, and hopefully,
their just due.
Diane English, Candice Bergen
and TV’s “Murphy Brown" took
one giant step for single parent
hood this year with their trium
phant, highly publicized argument
with former Vice President Dan
Quayle over “traditional family val
ues."
They took another step in mak
ing single parenthood an accepted
and viable option in today’ssociely
of overdoses on conservative con
descension.
Another woman in the enter
tainment industry used her power
to make a difference for humanity
as a whole — Elizabeth Taylor. She
again hit the road, the airwaves, the
fundraisers and the interviews to
trump up more money for AIDS
research and relief. Her appearance
or? the cover of Vanity Fair holding
a condom made a bold statement,
and her split from AmFAR, the
American Foundation for AIDS Re
search, in order to create a less
bureaucratic fund-raising entity,
made headlines and dollars. She
continues to champion AIDSa ware
ness.
These women, and many more
like them, will gain more power,
more notoriety and make even
greater strides in this new year, and
the years to follow.
Hopefully because oT this, that
fellow DN writer’s narrow view of
feminism will change and the term
“femi-Nazi” will become obsolete.
Otherwise, he and Rush will have a
lot to stomach in the months to
come.
Happy eating, fellas.
— Anne Steyer is senior English and
history major, a Daily Nebraskan arts
and entertainment reporter and a Diver
sions contributor.
Robin Trimarchi/DN
Male issue too
Tony Lindquist relaxes at the Women s Center. Lindquist is an intern at the Center. Lindquist
saia he would like to help women by educating himself and other men on feminist issues, rie
said he plans to encourage male involvement in the center.
» ___ —-—---:-rm— -- T _
Women
Continued from Page 9
of literary criticism and economic
theory. Students doing research
about women in any area should
make sure to check out the Re
source Library’s vertical files, which
contain articles on hundreds of
topics. I am the resource coordina
tor, and 1 can answer questions ana
recommend sources or just light
reading. By the end of the semes
ter, the Resource Library will be
cataloged on a new computer sys
tem designed by Kim Firestone, a
computer science intern.
Women in computer science
should look for the first of a series
of new programs designed by Ali
cia Guerra, project coordinator. The
Academic Networking for Women
series win oc an occasion 101 women
in underrepresented fields of study
to meet and discuss their experi
ences and career opportunities.
Although the Women’s Center
has moved and undergone a face
lift and structure shift, it remains a
place on campus for everyone to
meet, study, ask questions and get
involvedin improvingtheacademic
and social experience of women
everywhere.
Equal
Continued from Page 6
“bona fide occupational qualifica
tion” (BFOQ), an employer may
discriminate. Examples of permis
sible discrimination are the hiring
of prison guards, or other occupa
tions where strength is a factor.
Under the Pregnancy Discrimi
nation Act of 1978, an employer
cannot treat pregnancy differently
than any other medical condition.
This, too, is open to varying inter
pretationsby theSupremeCourt. In
a 1990 decision, the justices held
that a company policy that forbids
women from working in a highly
toxic environment if they were of
child-bearing age was illegal.
In recent years, though, preg
nancy has become involved with
another societal problem — drug
use. Over the last seven years, over
a hundred women have been
charged with drug use during preg
nancy, causing harm to their un
born child. To date, no conviction
has stood on appeal. Other women
have had their children removed
from their custody, and found guilty
of child neglect and abuse. Two
dozen states have passed laws which
make drug use in pregnancy child
abuse.
Sam Kcpficld is an alumnus of the UNL
College of Law, and graduate student in
history, and a Diversions contributor.
Ernest
Continued from Page 7
said that we must sacrifice some of
our rights for the benefit of all, and
I believe he was a member of
yours."
“He was, but he didn’t mean
that."
“Maybe not, but your mother,
sister and daughter deserve the
right to use their talents in places
other than someone’s kitchen or
bed, if they choose."
“Now that’s enough,” I.M.
shouted.
“Sorry, that was out of line, but
true. Women can, and should, be
allowed to make decisions about
their own future. It’s about simple,
basic freedom. It’s the American
way.”
“No, son,” I.M. said, standing to
leave. “It’s about power and domi
nance — That’s the American way.
-3-1
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