Opinion
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Chris Hopfensperger.Editor, 472-1766
Jeremy Fitzpatrick.Opinion Page Editor
Alan Phelps.Managing Editor
Brian Shellito.Cartoonist
Susie Arth.Senior Reporter
Kim Spurlock....Diversions Editor
Sam Kepfield.Columnist
Toss out the cushion
Lowering blood-alcohol limit makes sense
In light of the potential danger, it would be hard for drunken
driving laws to be too strict. Getting behind the wheel of an
automobile and hitting the streets without control is danger
ous to everyone. And society should not tolerate it.
Nor should Nebraskans tolerate the argument that a proposed
bill in the Legislature is too tough.
LB80, sponsored by LaVon Crosby and three other senators,
would lower Nebraska’s legal blood-alcohol limit from the
current .10 percent to .08 percent.
The most persuasive argument in support of the bill — in fact
the only argument necessary — is that the current limit isn’t low
enough.
According to statistics Crosby cited at yesterday’s hearing of
the Legislature’s Transportation Committee, one-fifth of all fatal,
alcohol-related accidents involve drivers with blood-alcohol levels
that are currently legal.
An Omaha police officer said he frequently pulled over drivers
who were n6t legally intoxicated or capable of operating their
cars.
And a national safety official said the five stales that already
had the lower limit — California, Maine, Oregon, Utah and
Vermont — had all seen significant drops in alcohol-related
fatalities.
Just as importantly, people should insist that the law be carried
out. Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey said some judges,
because of a lack of faith in the accuracy of the measurements,
would not convict someone of drunken driving if the driver’s
blood-alcohol content was .10. In effect, the judges arc allowing
drunken drivers a cushion.
Not only does that go against the essence of the law, but it is
stupid. Alcohol, like cigarette smoke, has the potential to kill
someone other than the person using the product. And nothing is
so enjoyable that killing someone else as a result of it should be
legal.
Wrong pocket to pick
University is poor target for budget cuts
Get ready for the ax to fall.
If the University of Nebraska has to endure the $13.98
million cut suggested by the Legislature’s Appropriations
Committee Monday, programs will have to be slashed and people
will have to be fired.
It will not be a pretty sight, and UNL can expect to bear the
brunt of the cut.
Michael Mulnix, executive director for university relations at
UNL, said a $13 million cut could send the university into a crisis
situation.
“We’re not crying wolf,” he said.
The Legislature must make tough decisions to close a state
budget gap of about $68 million over two years. But it would be a
great mistake for legislators to approve a $13.98 million cut for
NU — $12 million more than Gov. Ben Nelson recommended —
as a method of solving its financial troubles.
NU will have to swallow a cut, like all state agencies. But the
Legislature should not choke it to death in order to avoid raising
taxes or cutting other programs.
Despite its costs, the university is one of Nebraska’s most
valuable assets. Cutting its budget may result in short-term
financial gain, but the long-term result will be harmful for the
state.
The Legislature should either look elsewhere for money to
make up its revenue shortfall or do the responsible thing and ask
the people of Nebraska to take a tax increase to avoid sacrificing
the university and the valuable service it provides.
-;-1_l
Suff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1992 Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by
the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the
university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent
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 regenu, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of
iu 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 rejected material submitted. Readers
also are welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material
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Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
Dating
I am writing to respond to the
article on interracial dating by Kirby ,
Moss (DN, Feb. 8, 1993). Kirby has j
written a thought-provoking article i
based on experience in the real world. I
As usual, he has shown himself to be i
one of the better col um n isls at the DN. 1
It seemed to me, though, that some i
unpleasant experiences with societal <
attitudes on interracial relationships j
led him to emphasize the difficulties i
faced by interracial couples over the <
joy that a lov ing relationship can bring.
That’s understandable, for we all
evaluate our world largely on the ba
sis of our experiences.
Perhaps the best point that Kirby
made in his column was the observa
tion that “no couple exists in a
vacuum,” or that family, friends and
society all pul pressures on a couple.
I’d like to suggest that sometimes
family and friends can be a positive
influence on a mixed couple, even if
the larger society has some catching
up to do.
As a white man recently married to
an African woman, 1 know that ra
cially mixed couples arc a novelty in
some quarters. We have received our
share of strange and sometimes hos
tile looks from whiles as well as blacks,
and we have sometimes found it nec
essary to explain, “Yes we arc to
gether. We’re married.” But each of
our families, in Africa as well as
Nebraska, has greeted our marriage
with genuine caring rather than simple
acceptance. Our friends here in Lin
coln— yes, Lincoln! — representing
various countries, cultures, ethnic
backgrounds and skin tones have been
nothing but supportive.
I recognize that we have been very
fortunate to have supportive friends
and family. I further recognize that
American society still has a long way
to go, as Kirby’s article demonstrates.
He is absolutely right to outline the I
challenges that interracial couples !
face. I just wanted to point out that
there can be rewards as well — in
having the opportunity to learn about
each other, respect each other, and
just maybe in helping to change our
society one family at a lime.
Stephen Witte
graduate student
history
Ban
1 want to address an issue that has
escalated to national focus. The issue
is President Clinton’s desire to lift the
ban on homosexuals serving in the
armed forces. I would like to say
outright that I avidly support this ac
tion.
Lifting the ban will not give spe
cial protection or consideration to gay
people. The lift will merely give them
equal consideration under guidelines
and directives and will allow them to
ive in truth while they serve their
:ountry.
I want people to understand that
jiscriminalion against homosexuals
s equal to that against gender and
ace and these battles have already
>egun. I don’t think we have won
hem by any means and I doubt we
vill win them in my lifetime, but the
nitial declaration of the battle was the
amc. Many people were adamantly
tgainst that type of change but through
ime, steps were made to end that
iiscrimination.
Many countries around the world
require their citizens to serve in the
national militia. The Unites States
prides itself on freedom and, within
he scope of freedom, allows its citi
zens to choose whether they will serve
in the armed forces. It is ironic, then,
hat the United States for so long did
not give women, blacks or gays the
freedom to serve their country through
military service. We have taken steps
lo conquer two-thirds of the problem.
Patrick Tuttle
graduate student
David Badders/DN
Ideology
I have been reading the Daily Ne
braskan for about 10 years. 1 have
witnessed the bashing of liberal view
points as well as conservative view
points.
Recently, issues about prayer at
UNL graduation ceremonies and the
rewriting of history have been de
bated from each ideological view
point. These arguments have repre
sented how somewhat chaotic our
society is. Our society, as well as out
economy, is experiencing growing
pains. The childhood dreams of civil
rights and the war on poverty of the
1960s have confronted the adolescent
realities of the 1990s.
The social reality of increasing
diversity and the economic reality of
a service-oriented economy have
caused a culture shock within this
country. Laws and government pro
gram implementations must be ad- 1
justed to respond to this culture shock j
and ensure our social growth.
Extreme ideological advocacy only Jj
prevents the maturing of our society. 1
While both conservative and liberal 1
viewpoints arc valuable for the DN, 1
we need to realize our viewpoints 1
need to be coordinated with reality. 1
This is achieved through com promise ’
and appreciation of the general pic
ture of our growing society. People,
step back and look at the forest and do
not get so wrapped in one tree!
Bryson Bartels
graduate student
public administration
Prayer
Here s some lood for thought when
considering using a student vote to
determine whether to have prayer at
graduation ceremonies. First of all, it
is apparent that the low voter turnout
at student elections is a minority of
highly conservative students, as shown
by the “representation” of students by
the elected members of ASUN. Why
should the less wealthy, more liberal
students vote at an election that only
presents the conservative candidates
who have the money to compete with
other wealthy conservatives?
ASUN has recently assured that
the process will continue to bring
forth those with money by lifting the
previous spending limit of $3,50().
Those who have not had to struggle in
life obviously cannot relate to the
entire student body, especially to those
who are of different faiths, or those
who believe in separation of church
and state.
Another point to consider is the
fact that even if there was a high
turnout, is it right to have a prayer at
a public institution? The majority of
people in our democratic system have
on several occasions in history sup
ported policies that were wrong. For
ages white Christian American soci
ety supported a policy treating mi
norities as inferiors, and denied them
equal access to education and em
ployment. For well over 100 years
this same society supported treating
women as inferiors by suppressing
them and not allowing them to vote.
These are extreme examples of the
injustices that the majority will inflict
on the minority if given the chance,
but if people will elect to support such
blatant injustices, won’t they elect to
support less profound injustices as
well?
Paul Koester
senior
agronomy