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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1993)
Nebraskan 1 jy-W^Bp ^ W*dn«»d«y, April 21,1993 Nelaraskan 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 Believe it Reality of Holocaust horror is undeniable Nobel laureate Elic Wiesel summed it up best: “What have we done? We have been working for years and years. “I was shocked that 22 percent... oh my God.” Wiesel, who has written books about his experiences at the Auschwitz and Buchcnwald concentration camps during World War II, was shocked by a survey that found 22 percent of Ameri cans thought it seemed possible that the Holocaust, Nazi Germany’s killing of 6 million Jews, never happened. The Roper Organization survey, released Monday, provides evidence that America isn’t doing enough to educate itself about the past and arm itself for the future. The results are an invitation to these who would dispute the Holocaust and a warning to the rest of the American public. The survey results come at a crucial time in the history of the Holocaust. Those people who actually lived through the horror are now in their 70s and 80s. Soon their first-person accounts will be only written testimony, left open to the arguments of the people who would claim that the Holocaust never happened. Thankfully some things arc being done to ensure that the world will never forget the reality of Nazi Germany. The survey comes just days before the dedication of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Inside the museum, people will sec the reality of the Holocaust through a model of a crematorium, a boxcar of the kind used to carry people to the concentration camps, and authentic film footage. Hopefully the museum, with its honest depictions of the Holocaust and other efforts, will help the public to understand an evil truth whose historical reality should be unquestioned. End the wait No excuse for delay of Tailhook report The Pentagon’s untimely report on the details of the Tailhook sexual harassment scandal — which recommends the examination of disciplinary action for at least 140 people — could be released by Friday. But the release of the study is not a landmark development in the case; it is a long overdue examination into what the military should have handled a long time ago. In fact, this report isn’t even the first examination of the scandal. It was an independent effort after the military botched the first try. The first study of the 1991 Tailhook incident was taken over by the inspector general’s office after officials decided the Navy’s initial investigation was flawed. There is no excuse for the long delay that the American public and the women involved had to wait for action. But the Navy is not entirely to blame. The report has been demanded by Congress repeatedly, but it has been slowed further by Defense Secretary Les Aspin, who wanted to wait until a civilian Navy secretary had been selected by the White House. The public, however, still will not see the entire report. One section, which will remain private, will be released to military legal officers. No names will be released until any formal charges are brought, but the individual cases number between 140 and 150. The incident has already forced the resignation of Navy Secre tary H. Lawrence Garrett III, and several admirals who mis handled the initial Navy investigation lost their jobs. Further action, considering the lime involved and the slow, arduous process, would be inexcusable. Suff 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 regents, responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of its 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 all 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 relumed. Anonymous submissions )viU 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. r '"^1 JANET REN© HNS JOST \ RElEASED k STATEMENT FROM TVER OFFICE COMPVEX. \ Vie. KUE- novi oeopheR^NS vt \ \N ORRER "To CAVCOUffE OOR | nbct course ©f acton \n VIHKT MM B.HC0ME k IPN6 S-TAMD-OFF. THE VS VIOIF BUTZ.ER K\ tHE\ l JUSTICE DEPKVMENT. m -- __ _ "Troubled organiza tion’ I wish to take issue with comments made by political science professor and Young Democrats adviser Bill Avery. Professor Avery was quick to label Republicans as having a track record or‘dirty tricks.” A professor of political science would know better than to label the Republican Party as such when the Democrats offer such a grand and rich tradition of their own. For example, Harry Truman was a product of the corrupt Pendergast machine in Kansas City that routinely stole elections; Lyndon Johnson earned the name “Landslide Lyndon” after he was awarded an election by 87 votes when a “missing” ballot box just happened to turn up; the corrupt Daley machine of Chicago provided the questionable margin of victory for John F. Kennedy in 1960; and Jimmy Carter received crucial campaign funds when his banker wrote huge overdrafts for him. And let’s not start in cm the disgraced leadership in the House of Representatives by Jim Wright and Tony Coelho, who were forced to resign for offering favors to special interests after accepting huge campaign donations. Neither political parly has a past that would make MolhcrTeresa proud. Mr. Avery, however, makes the ab surd and bombastic comparison to Watergate in discussion of the Col lege Republicans who won election to posts in the Young Democrats — and then promptly resigned after making their perfectly valid point concerning voter apathy. These were not “dirty tricks” as the Daily Nebraskan and Mr. Avery so wrongfully described them. The students — according to their explanation — were trying to make a point and using a very high profile method to do so. Instead of making wildly over blown assertions, Mr. Avery should put some lime and effort into his role as adviser to the Young Democrats. Had Mr. Avery been a better adviser to an obviously troubled organiza tion, and were there more interest in Young Democrats by other students, this situation could never have hap pened. Put your own house in order, jrtr. Avery, before you start attempt ing to mess up someone else’s. Philip Young executive director Nebraska Republican Party History It happens every 50 years. First they came for the “sexists” and “homophobes,” but you’re not one of these, so you didn’t speak up. Next, they came for “Eurocenuists” and “insensitive” people, but you’re not one of these, so you didn’t speak up. Now Pal Kennedy is coming for the one who satirized the president, but that isn’t you, so you won’t speak up. Next time, they’ll come for you. And there won’t be anyone left to speak up. Joshua Stanton first-year law student r David Badders/DN Ignorance Great, just what we need. Another group of ignorant right wingers has announced their intentions fora better America as if their opinions should apply lo us all. If Boyd Johnston and his conservative “Students for America” group have nothing better to do than protest Hillary Clinton’s speech, I have perhaps a few other suggestions for them. First of all, they can go protest all those God-awful Hollywood movies playing downtown since they insist they demoralize us with scenes of homosexual relationships and single parent families and therefore break the norm of their idea of values. How terrible. Later they can go over to Planned Parenthood and protest their distrib uting condoms and informing women about abortion. Perhaps if they suc ceeded, the number of unwanted chil dren and STD cases would rise. Wouldn’t that be great? And if they are still not satisfied, there’s lots of other evil liberal things to protest. Multicultural education, gay rights, gun control, political cor rectness. Take your pick, guys. Maybe if they get bored enough they can protest Murphy Brown every Monday night at 8 p.m. since she’s the chief instigator in this family values de cline. Maybe you people could start up some advocacy groups like “America for Oxrne Depletion” of “AK-47s for Tots.” Perhaps a fried bacon and eggs fundraiser breakfast to support frying people in the electric chair. Hell, Stu dents for America should go on tour together with Jed Smock and take their ideas of anti-liberalism and ig norance across the country! And they can take that, moron Don Stenbcrg with them. You people can scream at Hillary Clinton all you want. If a Republican presented the same proposal for health care, you’dbe all for it. You don’t like her because she’s a female first and a Democrat second. Plus, you can’t stand the fact that she’s in a power position and that’s outright prejudice. Oh and Mr. Johnston, about that person whose fan club you say your group belongs to, I hear Mr. Limbaugh weighs more than 300pounds. I never knew a mouth could weigh so much. Good luck with the new gig. Scott Carpenter sophomore English ‘Budget ax’ Scuttlebutt has it that the budget ax is cutting excellent, qualified and car ing professors and replacing them with overworked and underpaid graduate students. Instead of receiving insights from proven educators, we will be helping future teachers gain experi ence. The University of Nebraska is on its way to becoming a first-rate barber college; will our tuition reflect this second-class education? (You betcha.and your football seats will be on the 50-yard line, too!) Where will all these up-and-com ing professors find employment when all the positions will already be filled with graduate students? Certainly not in Nebraska; no need to pay for quali fied instructors when graduation re quirements provide low-cost replace ments and apathetic students body stays in the background, dutifully keeping their mouths shut. I realize it’s “politically correct” to stick to bicycle racks and parking lots instead of worrying about equality of educa tion, but if we don’t, who will? Think about the value of a diploma from a second-rate university when it’s put up against one from a school with a reputation for quality learning. Who would you hire? 1 have a better idea lo save a few bucks — why not try a graduate student chancellor? Better yet, let’s add a graduate-student board of re gents. Don’t stop there — we can replace the entire administration with graduate students. Think of it — a school devoted to helping students gain firsthand experience while sav ing the state money. Alan Green sophomore history