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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1993)
Nebraskan Wednesday, February 17,1993 Net?raskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chris Hopfensperger. Jeremy Fitzpatrick.. Alan Phelps... Brian Shellito. Susie Arth .. Kim Spurlock. Sam Kepfield...... i;di i oki m ... .Editor,472-1766 Opinion Page Editor .. .Managing Editor .Cartoonist ,....Senior Reporter ... Diversions Editor .Columnist Misplaced apathy Students must raise voices, oppose cuts ike Mulnix is right. |Y|,, University administrators, student leaders, and even Daily Nebraskan editorials have been saying the same, thing for so long now that they are all beginning to sound like a broken record. But the message is worth reiterating: Budget cuts of the magnitude proposed by the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee would devastate the university. It sounds familiar because it has been said so much recently, but if anyone is listening, they just aren’t getting the message — especially students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Maybe someone should try shock value. How would students react if we told them that their favorite professor was getting the ax because the university couldn’t afford to pay her salary? . How would a student £*pectr ipg to graduate next spring react if we told him he would have to stick around another year or so because the classes he needs to graduate were already full? David Badders/DN HOW WOUld a freshman who came to UNL to study speech communication feel if the univer sity had to tell her that she would have to head off to an out-of state school because the university could no longer afford the department? Hopefully that will work, because everything that has been said so far has failed miserably. Most students continue to be apathetic about what the Legislature is planning to do to the university. Average students either aren’t listening or aren’t caring about the message leaders of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska are trying to convey. If that apathy is merely an extension of the attitude surrounding the rest of what student government does, it is misplaced. Because this is not an ASUN issue. This is a very real issue, and there is only so much student leaders can do about it. They have already started to do that. ASUN President Andrew Sigerson and others have done as much as they could to tell state Sen. Scott Moore and others that the university couldn’t cope with budget cuts of nearly $14 million. And Sen. Moore has responded by attacking Sigerson because the ASUN president didn’t offer any alternative cuts from the state’s budget. But it is not Andrew Sigerson’s job to figure out how to balance the stale’s books; it’s Moore’s job. And if he doesn’t have the guts to propose a tax increase or make some other cut to protect education, then maybe he should get out of the govem - ment business. --.— Sigerson is right when he says the university can’t be the chicken in the eyes of the Legislature’s fox. Hopefully he is also right when he says students aren’t going to let that happen. That remains to be seen. Now, it is time for other students to stand up and echo Sigerson’s cry. I hi i < >KI \l IN*| !< Staff editorial* represent the official policy of the Pall 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 regenu 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 its students. I I HIM P()l If \ The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief tetters 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 rcjectall male rial submitted. Readers also are 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 returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published. Letters should included the author’s name, year in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Requesu to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb 68588-0448. mi VsJEJEK \JE-VE-U LETTERS K) THE EDI I OK Terminology Perhaps Mick Thomson, or any one else for (hat matter, can explain what difference it makes to an unborn human being whether you use the term pro-abortion or pro-choice. Call ing yourself a pro-choice advocate simply means that you support someone’s right to choose death for another innocent human being. All we pro-life advocates or anti-abortionists, if you will — are trying todo4s to change a law that we feel is wrong. We all have the right to try to change the laws. It’s the Ameri ‘Bombastic attack’ Is Paul Koester for real? Last Friday he unleashed a bom bastic attack on anyone daring to call themselves conservative. That does not normally include me, but perhaps I will define myself as such if he is representative of the liberal viewpoint. Where do I begin? Perhaps with the fact that conservatives are not the only people who are known to have “hypocrisies and inconsistencies.” Plenty of folks in the “liberal” camp have them as well, and if Koester goes around claiming all conservatives have sold out their principles, toler ance and logic, he is the greatest proof of left-leaning hypocrisy. Give people the freedom to be human and different, and subject your self to the same harsh light you shine on others. The “hop-on-board” men tality ascribed to conservatives has a root among liberals as well, won't even get into the fact that people can lean left on one issue, right on another, and still be consistent — like pro-life feminists. Thu letter proved conclusively that a person can change political sides without chang ing attitudes or waking up. I hope Mr. cut way! Thomas Baumert senior electrical engineering David Badders/DN Koester removes his head from the sand, as he expects others to do. Trevor McArthur senior teachers college Actions Actions speak louder than words. I was raised in a very active anti-choice family; as a child I regularly went to demonstrations at abortion clinics, hospitals and city streets, as well as anti-choice meetings. I truly believed in this cause. This is a life. Besides, how could my parents be wrong? They were Christians. As life went on, I started asking myself things like, “How could a Christian society enslave black hu man beings?,,and *4How couldaChris tian society deny minorities equal education and employment?” An edu cation in history made me realize that Christian society was not infallible. Once I realized that mere Christi anity did not necessarily indicate righ teousness, I began to be OK with asking questions concerning the present. 1 could avoid reality no longer. Why is it these“pro-lifers” support politicians who cut funding to groups idtes Planned Parenthood who are the most able to decrease abortions through education and contraceptive distribution? Why have such a large portion of these people opposed con traceptive distribution and sex educa tion in the public schools? Why is it these people want to bring more chil dren in this world but aren’t on the home front of the environmental movement so that there will a world left for their children? We must look at all sides of every issue in order to be fair to present and future generations. I know this is a life, and I agree that abortion is not a desirable thing. Reality is, however, that the world is rapidly exceeding carrying capacity for humans, espe cially gluttonous humans like our selves. Reality is, we cannot even take care of the humans alive today; and very often theresources to raise another child are just not there. Real ity is that restituuon is still not being made to minorities; and, due to poor education and employment, they suf fer the worst by having unwanted children. Reality is, there is often no choice but to have an abortion. Real ity is that “pro-lifers” cannot and will not ever be able to control the moral ity of SO percent of the population. 1 suggest to those on the front lines of the anti-choice mevement to start volunteering to teach sex education to children, as well as working together with organizations like Planned Par enthood lo decrease numbers of abor lions, not pushing sexual morals onto people through legislation. _ Paul Koester senior agronomy P.S. Write Back Thc Daily Nebraskan,wants to hear from you. If you want to voice your opinion about an article that appears in the newspaper, let us know. Just write a brief letter to the editor and sign iim"pfQtrgelyi°Ur ^^l^^mberland mail it to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, iwLR Slrcct’Lincoln*68588-0488, or stop by the office in the basementof the Nebraska Union and visit with us. We re all ears.