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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1993)
Opinion Thursday, April 15,1993 I 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 ..n...Senior Reporter Kim Spurlock. Diversions Editor Sam Kepfield.Columnist Partial picture Media keep focus on bleak possibilities While Theodore Briseno, Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell and Timothy Wind are bracing themselves for the verdict in their most recent trial, the people of South Central Los Angeles are bracing themselves for the biggest media event in California since the Super Bowl. Television, newspaper and magazine journalists have con verged on the area to watch and wait for the people’s reactions to the coming verdict. They have talked to city police and the Marines conducting urban assault exercises in Camp Pendleton. But the media’s intense coverage of the riot preparations is creating a bloody prophecy that will demand to be self-fulfilled. Unfortunately, few of the stories have focused on anything positive. Little has been made of black leaders making pleas for peace when compared to the number of stories about the police, National Guard and citizens aiming themselves. Guns, after all, make better video than calm. One exception was a USA Today package of stories Wednes day. The newspaper’s reporters talked to Michael Gonzalez, who says he doesn’t feel the tension of last year. Another talked to a young gang member who said the group planned to raise its voice, not guns, if the verdict doesn’t go the way the gang wanted it to. No matter what verdicts the jury returns, people arc going to be upset. Riots arc obviously a very real possibility or Los Angeles officials would not be preparing themselves the way they arc. But peace is just as real an opportunity. The media should be prepared to cover both stories. Keep it even Worldwide social aid lacks consistency Americans have racked up an impressive list of pet projects of social goodwill around the world in recent years: the Live Aid concert in the late ’80s to help ease the suffering in drought plagued Africa, the harsh criticism of China in the weeks after the incident in Tiananmen Square and — more recently — the effons to feed the starving in Somalia and give aid to the victims of the war raging in Bosnia-Hcr/cgovina. Regrettably, Americans have forgotten just as many civil rights violators and popular causes around the world as they have managed to find in recent years. One of the most notable things missing from the current list is the situation in South Africa. Improvements have obviously been made recently in South Africa, but they arc not reason enough to think life has turned around for blacks in that country. If they had, South Africans would not have gone on the biggest strike in tire country’s history cm Wednesday. As many as 4.5 million of the nation’s ^million workers went on strike, business groups said. The protestors, many of whom heeded the call for calm by black leaders, were protesting a police shooting during an earlier march. Reportedly, police opened fire without warning on thou sands of people who were marching to a police station in Soweto, a black township outside Johannesburg. Three people were killed, five critically wounded and 259 injured. The outcry from Americans should be expected, but it will be another sad example of their reactionary stance on social issues. Obviously it would be impossible for Americans to stay ahead of every issue around the world, but they cannot afford to drop the ball of social consciousness only to pick it up after another event upsets them. Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1993 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 reject ail 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 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. Requests to withhold names will not be gran led. Submit material to the Daily Nebraskan. 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.. Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448. GOP MONUMENT to DEFICIT SPENDING h TWLUOH "BORROW,-SPEND SPEND SPEND WtfT v«RRvf> U'U. ONUN . HK\-f ph w, - | FUTURE *TfT7 1 OF PtM. I \WHUWENT ^ 1 I " i -r- ^ f .- '/W7?~*^ Pizza delivery days near end My iwo-wcck notice will be coming due tomorrow. I am quilling my job as pizza de livery man. My car couldn't lake all the miles on those many trips and has died. Or at least, it is uneconomical to revive it, so an automobile undertaker has offered me S50 to tow it away for good. Rather than gelling another car to put through the tortuous journey of a pizza delivery driver, I am simply calling it quits. The owner has graciously let me use the company truck—with its less than subtle advertising—to finish out my employment. Delivering pizzas is a rather ordi nary occupation. There arc customers to treat kindly, roads to travel care fully, co-workers to treat amiably and a boss to heed most of the time. I can't deny that the boss and I have had our rough spots. There’s nothing like a little disagreement to spice up the work place. Over time, the boss and I contin ued to talk and work to where each is now better able to understand the other’s point of view. I am glad to say that I’m taking my leave on good terms with him. Most customers were pretty de cent in the way they have treated me. Of course, I’ve been conditioned not to expect too much. A “thanks” from both sides is sufficient as far as gra cious verbiage goes. It is in these basic interactions that we confirm our basic respect for one another. Perhaps the most disconcerting experience occurs when the customer doesn’t say anything at all, even in a mumble. It is umcsTikc these when I begin to wonder if I, as a delivery man, am viewed more akin to a ma chine than as a full human being. It I’m also not sure friends and family were complimenting me when they frequently observed, “You drive like a Domino’s driver.” can be eerie. Try il sometime if you’re curious. Either I’ve managed to be a rea sonably safe, cautious driver on my many miles, or the police took it easy on me and my work-day driving. In 14 months, I have been assaulted by one ticket and one warning. That record is not at all bad, considering that il was not uncommon to accumu late more than 100 city miles in a full night of working. And, worse. I’ve had to contend with other, more reckless, drivers on the road. Judging by their lack of driving finesse, more than a few of them out there must have been tanked up with more than gasoline. For a prime example, I vividly recall making my car Jhop” the curb late one night because a car was com ing at me head-on. He was on the wrong side of the median! If it were a game of chicken, he won, no Question. He kept going straight and speedily on, as if I wasn’t even there with my blasting horn. I was left contemplating my frag ile mortality and car alignment while he continued his merry way. Cheers. Turnover is part of the natural or der in a low-wage service industry. 1 managed to outlast many of my co workers. In the end, I was the store’s longest continuously employed driver. I hesitate to say that, for I’m not sure if it is a distinction that is worthy of honor. . I But I seemed to have adjusted fairly well to the job. Perhaps it suited me, for better or worse. I’m also not sure friends and fam ily were compl imenting me when they frequently observed, ,?You drive like a Domino’s driver.” Just how docs a Domino’s driver drive? Perhaps it’s best for peace of mind not lo consider that one too much. In fact, please don’t. I’ve familiarized myself with one fourth of Lincoln in my rather circui tous business travels. Our deli very area covers City Cam - pus. Indeed, the students arc vital to our business. In a purely quantitative sense, I’d be willing to bet that I’ve driven down and around the campus streets more often than Graham Spanicr, but with out his high authority and visibility. He has the credentials to do the job he docs, while I have the barc-boncs qualifications to carl pizzas and make correct change. At least I never had lo deal with the regents. Now, I will have to search for a new identity, or — more to the point — a new job. Boss, can I keep the hat? Burger If a Junior philosophy major and a Daily Nebraskan columnist. China This teller is in response to the editorial “No business” (DN, April 13, 1993). There is no doubt that “human rights" should be improved in China. There is no doubt, cither, that the Chinese government should be punished for its brutality on Tiananmen Square in 1989. But with holding the most-favored-nation sta tus is not the right tool to address these issues. Firstof all,almost every country in the world has MFN status, including Libya and the former Soviet Union. Why not China? Secondly, democ racy without a strong economy can only lead to chaos. We should have learned a lesson from Russia and East ern Europe. Is it in the best interest of the United States to see more than one billion people starve to death although they have the right to say whatever they want to? Maybe then we will only hear one word: Help! MFN status will help encourage China to improve its economy and continue its open-door policy. China has made big progress in human rights in the past 10 years since it started to do business with the outside world in the early 1980s. A good economy can bring about democracy eventually. The experience of Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and even Japan is proof of this. Finally, ending China’s MFN status won’t work, except to ‘ • r. - -J hurt the economy of the United States. The Europeans and the Japanese would like to see a trade war between the United States and China. Remember, the United States is not the only coun try that produces cars and airplanes. Nowadays, everyone is under the pres sure of money. So, renewal of China’s MFN status benefits the United Stales and China, and it doesn’t necessarily help the dictators out there in the Far East. A good relationship between the United States and China also can bcncfitworld peace. X. Hou graduate student entomology