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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1993)
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 Opportunity knocks Rally offers ASUN chance to prove itself This is it. The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska is planning a rally March 9 to coincide with the university’s hearing before die Legislature’s Appropriations Committee. It is the students’ one true opportunity to make their feelings known on the proposed $13.98 million budget cut facing the university. Just as importantly, it is one true opportunity for the members of UNL’s student government to shine. If this year’s senators want to make a real, lasting impact in their waning hours in office, and if next year’s candidates want to make a good impression on the eve of the elections, then this is their opportunity. And what UNL’s student leaders make of it is completely up to them. If the leaders of ASUN want to be taken seriously — by tne students they represent, by the “real” senators they intend to sway and by the taxpayers they are seeking money from — they must make this issue a serious one on campus. ASUN must-convince the otherwise apathetic students of the University of Nebraska Lincoln that they can make a difference. No easy task. ASUN President Andrew Sigerson said the organizers were shooting for 300 people from ail three university campuses, but they can do much better. They can — and should — fill the halls of the capitol with students angered and scared about the future of their education. The rally is exactly what student government is for. It is an opportunity for students to make their voices heard. And it is a chance for those students who want to be “real-world” leaders to show that they can motivate people. Be responsible Clinton’s supply airdrop is smart move Saturday the United States began an airdrop over the former Yugoslavia. The mission, approved by President Ginton last week, is aimed at delivering food and medicine to a starving and desperate people. U.S. planes will fly at 10,000 feet and drop relief supplies over the war-tom region. The planes are capable of dropping their cargo at an altitude as low as 400 feet, but are flying at the higher altitude to avoid anti-aircraft fire. Ginton made the right decision to proceed with the airdrop. The Associated Press reported Sunday that 100,000 people have died or are missing in the region since the Balkan conflict began last year. Unconfirmed reports claim about 5,000 people have died of cold and hunger this winter alone in areas of Bosnia cut off from aid. The United States has a moral obligati o attempt to stop the suffering and hunger in the Balkan country. It should not, how ever, commit ground troops to the region and become bogged down in a situation it cannot control. Clinton’s plan is a sound and reasoned move. Its flexibility will allow the United States to help stop the suffering and hunger in the former Yugoslavia, but will avoid permanently committing it to a very complex situation. The best policy for the United States in the Balkans is one that gives it flexibility and options. Clinton’s decision will allow the United States to meet its responsibility without forcing it into a long-term commitment of ground troops. The policy shows the new president is qualified and capable of guiding the United States’ policy abroad. -1 I I Staff editorials 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 die 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 hs 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 rightto edit or rejectall material 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 Duly 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. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. I ‘Martians’ U is definitely the media. The Serbs: I am sure they are not involved at all (Biljana Obradovic, Feb. 25, 1993). The horrible pictures of slaughter we see on TV are pure fabrications. The monstrous stories we hear about are lies. The pregnant Moslem women— they are a product of our imagination. The concentration camps — they do not exist - 1 am now relieved. It was enlight ening. I just learned that the Serbs “are not involved in the war and do not have its soldiers on Bosnian soil." If there is anything going on at all in Bosnia, it is probably the Martians who are responsible. They are the only ones who can be so cruel and . heartless to do the crimes we hear about. They must be miraculously causing pregnancy in thousands of Moslem girls and women, if that all isn’t an ultimate lie. Alternatively, the Bosnians are masochists; the neighbors hide be hind the windows and use snipers to shoot each other, after which they throw bombs and occasionally use heavy artillery so the rest of the world can pity them. They destroy their homes and go on a vacation. (We incorrectly call them refugees.) We may disagree with the actions of our official government. We may dislike them and we may raise our voices against it. But we should be capable of facing the truth and accept ing it, regardless how unpleasant painful it is. Being objective is a virtue. Otherwise we become identi cal to the little people fighting for their agenda. And then the media become responsible and the Martians are the aggressors. There is bitterness in my soul as I write these words, but I have to say: Yugoslavia is not Europe any longer; but it is not the Orient yet, cither. I can only hope that one day the whole Balkan Peninsula will not turn into insane Great Serbia. Regardless of the influence of the media... and and the Martians. Bratislav Stankov ic doctoral student biological sciences ‘Frightening’ What disturbs me about the current debate over homosexuals in the mili tary is the surprising amount of intol erance and ignorance surfacing; I never would have believed so much could exist in an educated society. Time and again, the opponents to President Clinton’s proposed lift of the ban reveal some fundamental mis understandings about homosexuality. The latest affront occurred in Debbie Wolfe’s letter (DN, Feb. 26, 1993): “I feel gays are bom gay, just as other people are bom without an arm or with a heart condition, etc.” Such a comparison implies that gays arc broken or otherwise impaired, somehow insufficient by Wolfe’s stan dards. The assumption of another group’s intrinsic inferiority is the very foun dation of prejudice. To me, the atti tude of Wolfe’s comment, the spirit in which it was made, suggests a far more frightening proposition than war, wfth or without homosexuals at the front lines, that the hatred and pride which compel people to fightare more deeply entrenched than I had sup posed. Will Farmer graduate student English i— James Mehsling/DN Parking You never hear a member of the faculty or staff complain about park ing. They are the ones that say they are tired of hearing students complain about parking. I bet if the faculty and staff had to scramble for a space and if that did not work, park illegally or end up parking in some far-oft lot, they would com plain, loo. So the next time someone such as Li. Col. Stephen E. Goodrich (DN, Feb. 25, 1993) says students complain too much about parking, let me park where you do and and you park where I do — especially in this weather. Bryce Marsh junior political science India This is in response to the article “Sewer aromas smells in India” (Di versions, Feb. 25,1993). It is unfortunate that the author decided to observe and write about the smells of India rather than the cultural diversity or people of India. I believe that one travels to see places and meet people who make that place unique. It is also unfortunate that au thor doesn * t realize the econom ic con - dilions of the third-world countries, for which the exploitation by the west ern world is party “ * 5. Holay graduate student It ~ mathematics Clinton With regards to Sam Kepfield’s column (DNTFeb. 23,1993): I agree that the political lexicon assists in shaping both the slantand direction of public issues. However, Clinton’s phraseology was not unique to the ethics of political campaigning, nor was it any more misleading than the lexicon of his opponents. Clinton’s success arose by convincing America that domestic affairs were the issues of major importance, not foreign policy. The Bush campaign was not suc cessful in convincing us otherwise. In fact, the Bush campaign was so poorl y executed that the issue of domestic growth during his tenure was over shadowed by his reliance on his per sonal leadership in world affairs. Clinton had little criticism of the Re publican Party’s ability to deal with foreign affairs — you don’t win an election by attacking the strengths of your opponents. un me omer nana, aon t mm* iui a second that there isn’t cost associ ated with the great military strength we possess, a cost that comes at the expense of our domestic programs. A viable defense is certainly important to our society’s welfare, but it is merely one aspect of a healthy people. We paid dearly for the Cold War and now we must begin to pay for those pro grams that arc necessary to maintain our quality of life. How much of our resources can we channel into the military at the ex pense of education, health, research, infrastructure and aesthetics before we begin to recognize a need for increased domestic funding? It took the former Soviet Union less than a century. The problem we face now is not whether our president is a registered Democrat or Republican. The polar ity of our political system, and the agendas of each, hinder our steps to ward reaching middle ground on all affairs. What we consider to be im portant and the way in which we utilize our resources will inevitably shape our future at home and abroad. It’s time to confront our own nation. Peter Olson graduate student • biological sciences
