Opinion Net?raskan Friday, Octobar 15,1993 Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jeremy Fitzpatrick.. Kathy Steinauer.... Wendy Mott. Todd Cooper. Chris Hopfensperger Kim Spurlock. Kiley Timperley.... ... Editor. 472-1766 Opinion Page Editor . . . Managing Editor .Sports Editor ... .Copy Desk Chief .Sower Editor Senior Photographer ()[ < > I i s ()l I ill W ilk “/ would never say that we are treated equal because I'm not stupid enough to say that we are equal, but we are treated better than most other programs and are on equal grounds In academic services. ” — Women's basketball coach Angela Beck on gender equity in athletics at UNL “We're not actively coming out against any certain group. It's just the students that will be in the booth and working in the booth will be hetero sexuals. ” — Shawntell Hurtgen, secretary of College Republicans, explaining the purpose of a kissing booth at Broyhill Plaza on Wednesday “I’ve been really paranoid. Every time I’ve heard the word ‘Barney, ’ / turn and look. I don’t know If It’s going to be a mad mom, a little kid who’s dis appointed with me or someone who’s laughing at the whole thing. ” — Travis Fox, University Program Council events director, who has planned Barney-bashing events for UNL “We don’t want foreigners coming here and trying to tell us what to do!’’ — An unidentified Haitian man, protesting the arrival of U.S. _ forces in Haiti “We’re going to do to them what they did In Somallal’’ — Another Haitian protester “We felt like we were selling the bodies of our 19- and 20-year-olds for a fast buck. We have a word for that In Utah. ” — Chuck Bell, Utah State athletic director “After viewing what the ESPN thing showed about me, I feel the need to speak out. Much of what was said about me was taken out of context. Although I have friends who are gang members and grew up In an area where gangs are common, I am not a member of a gang, as ESPN and the reporter said.” —Nebraska football player Abdul Muhammad “With gangs In LA., there are different levels of Involvement. He said he Is not a killer, but consid ers himself to be one of them — not a killer but part of the group. ” — ESPN reporter Shelley Smith, who said she stands behind the story. ESPN has apologized to Muhammad for any embar rassment the story may have caused him. “It's going to be a happy, feel-good meeting.’’ — ASUN President Keith Benes, previewing Wednesday 's ASUN meeting "He Just said Ramaekers, I don’t know where, I don’t know when and I don 1 know how but I’m gonna get you. ’ Then he walked away. ’’ — Kevin Ramaekers describing a conversation he had with Coach Tom Osborne after Ramaekers soaked Osborne with water following the Oklahoma State game last week I Di i < >iN#**tW. \ *O.V:rfBORVS, WH TWST MJereRtO TWLVEiaUE^ MCMt CWT^TOt MORL ^UBU£ #€JPECfe OF ^EWOCWCi 5 1.1 I 11 Us in I III I HI M>K ‘Ridiculous’ I am writing to support Travis Fox and the Barney Bashing day. The controversy surrounding this event is ridiculous. The mothers who have voiced their opposition to this event are not merely standing up for their children’s idol, but rather for a commercial giant. You need only go to the toy store to see this. Barney merchandise is ev erywhere. And while his purpleness teaches youth about wholesome family val ues, overseas he is paying cents an hour to poor families working in his sweatshops, stitching together dolls made in his image, when he could be helping the very families he preaches to in the form of jobs here in America. Barney is not that which he seems. Lighten up, moms. 1 think Junior will survive this ordeal. Brice Sullivan freshman general studies Barney I am amused by all the hoo-ha that’s been made over the scheduled Barney Bashing. Apparently Mr. Fox is a “child-hater” because he wants to have an event for non-children to get together to thump on an over merchandized, saccharin, insipid TV character. There are so many more important “evils” — racism, homophobia, etc. —to contend with. Getting irate about this inconsequential event is just silly. I have a suggestion: I will leave my 6-year-old Barney-loving child at home Nov. 10 and all other concerned parents can do the same. Perhaps, in addition, Mr. Fox would like to make this a 17-year-old and up only event. Nanci Rivenburg senior biological sciences ‘Hate campaign’ A purple dinosaur has taken aver children’s minds (DN, Oct. 13). He never experiences a flat tire, mid terms, the .seat down on the toilet or a bad hair day. It’s called brainwash ing, and parents seem to be a v ictim as well — treating Barney as a deity. So why is Travis Fox the object of a hate campaign? Perhaps because in a world of disintegrating countries and comipt leaders, he can find hu mor and even fault in Americans who at this time are obsessed with some thing that should be hanging from a rear-view mirror— namely, a purple dinosaur. As for Fox to dedicate his time to a “worthwhile” cause, what? Green space? Sam Kepficld? Lighten up. Humor is what keeps us sane, espe cially at UNL. Jennifer Jaskolka senior political science Editor’s aote: The following are letters seat by cklldrea la the Holaaes Eleaseatary Sdsool’s Oat prograas. James Mehsling/DN ‘No reason’ Some of my friends and I arc writ ing letters to try and stop the Barney Bash because it’s teaching kids that it’s OK to fight. 1 don't especially like Barney, but still there is no reason for him to fight Big Bird. In my opinion, Barney and Big Bird are equal. I know this was meant to be funny, but I think the idea of bashing things that you don’t like causes a lot of problems in the world. Little kids don’t know what the UNL students are doing, and I don’t think they would want to know that one of their favorite characters was tom apart and stepped on. If Travis Fox thinks it’s so cool, why doesn’t he take a look at how the little kids love Barney and Big Bird the same. I think that this whole thing is wrong, and I hope that this letter will help stop it. Miranda Barth age 10 grade S Fighting When I first heard about a Barney Bash, 1 thought it would be funny to watch Big Bird and Barney fight. But after I thought about it more and more, and as I talked to smaller kids and found out more about what was going to happen. I started to think that it wouldn’t be fun to see or fun to hear about. There are a lot of kids in the pro gram that are a lot smaller than me, and they love Barney. They wear Barney shirts, Barney shorts and Barney shoes. 1 ’ ve heard some rumors that they’ re trying to bash Barney because the show and all of the things that they’re selling are making so much money. Well, how would you like it if some one took, your idol and tried to bash him or make your idol go broke or even make him go off national TV? Turn your TV on and watch the news sometime. At least two stories arc about fights or crime, and now you’re going to take two of the most liked little kid heroes and let them fight. You have to be crazy! Please think about what I said. Gator Russo grade 5 Violence I think that the boxing between Barney and Big Bird is wrong because you are making both of them violent. When all of you college kids grow up and have kids, you are going to say, “What have I done? There is no Barney on TV for my children to watch.” Have you ever thought that maybe the money that Barney makes is used to help poor children? Bacney loves kids, so don’t hurt him. Alex Barth grade 1 ‘OK to fight’ We do not think it’s right that UNL is having a Barney Bun. Little kids will get the impression that it’s OK to fight. If Travis Fox thinks it’s so cool, why doesn't he put himself in the little kids’, position. We think that this is wrong and we hope this letter will help stop it. Elizabeth Bateman Kristen Henke ages 9 grade 4 Idols 1 don’t like what you are doing to Barney. The little kids really like Barney. They do not understand why you are doing this. We don’t pick on your idols. Please don’t pick on ours. You don’t see us having a Herbie Husker bashing party. Jessica Keown grade 2 ‘Not funny’ I don’t think what you are doing is right. Some kids like Barney and Big Bird and those kids think that Barney and Big Bird are friends. And now they are fighting. Now those kids won’t like cither Barney or Big Bird and this is not funny. So don’t make Barney and Big Bird fight just be cause some kias like them and they make a lot of money. Rikki Neumann grade 3