Opinion
NetJraskan
Wednesday, October 27,1993
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
.Spoils Editor
. . . Cop}’ Desk Chief
.Sower Editor
Sen ior Photographer
Km inui \i
Rumor mill
Expedite investigation to end speculation
The beating of Boon-Chung Ong, a University of Ncbraska
Lincoln student from Malaysia, has been talked about since
it happened shortly after midnight Oct. 17. Rumors have
been spreading rampantly about who did it, why it happened and
if the beating was racially motivated.
UNL police have identified three men as suspects in the
assault; two arc not students, and one is. All three arc black.
One of the nonstudent suspects was cited on third-degree
assault charges in Omaha Monday night. The suspect was a
juvenile and was not identified.
UNL Police Chief Ken Caublc said another suspect was
interviewed by police Tuesday night. Caublc said the man, who is
not a UNL student, offered additional information on the assault
and was not cited at the time of the interview.
Caublc said he would not make additional arrests until he was
certain of the suspects’ involvement.
Rumors have spread about the assault. Why did the athletic
department assist in the investigation? Some rumors have said
that football players were involved. Until this matter is resolved,
the rumors will continue to spread.
UNL police need to expedite their investigation so this matter
can be resolved. The police need enough time to fully complete
their investigation, but they also need to fully disclose the facts of
this case as soon as they can.
The rumors about this case need to be stopped. Only after the
case is fully brought to light will speculation be replaced by facts.
Others’ View
Chalk one up for Lutherans.
A new report from the leadership of the Lutheran Church
offers a welcome reality check to religious crusaders in the
moral wars.
The report tells Lutherans — among other things — that
masturbation is healthy, homosexuality is biblically justifiable
and using condoms is not sinful, but morally imperative.
When the pope issued statements about human sexuality over
the summer, he took the opposite position on these issues. He
lambasted homosexuality and birth control, and he launched a
broad attack on humanistic values. The Lutherans’ message of
tolerance is a happy alternative. Their stance toward human
sexuality is a model for a harmonious relationship between
religion and life.
In order for democracy to function, there must be a certain
level of tolerance. Protection of free speech relies on the tolerance
of offensive speech. Equal opportunity in the secular world relies
on tolerance differing lifestyles — and religions.
Whenever a moral line is drawn dividing good from evil,
tolerance is threatened. On the other hand, that line is drawn all
the time. Democracy exists in the delicate balance between moral
dichotomies and forbearance.
The moral code handed down by the Lutheran church seems to
embrace democratic tolerance. By accepting masturbation,
homosexuality and birth control, the Lutheran Church accepts and
tolerates people as they are.
— The Minnesota Daily
University of Minnesota
I HI I nl<l \l I'm K \
SlafT editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1993 Daily Nebraskan Policy is set by
the Daily Ntbraskan Editorial Board. Editorials do not necessarily reflect (he views of the
university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial columns represent
(he 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 cditoriiUxontent of the newspaper lies solely in the hands of
its students.
1.1 I 11 It IN )l It \
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to (he 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 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
TELEVISION INDUSTRY
Sam kepfield
Discrimination not color blind
Imagine, if you will, 10 white
guys wearing Tony Lamas, hub
cap-sized belt buckles and cow
boy hats. After taking in a Garth
Brooks concert, they find themselves
in front of Broyhill Fountain and dis
cover a black student. They proceed
to beat him up, without saying a word,
and then leave in a battered Ford
pickup.
Is there doubt in anyone’s mind
just what the reaction to this would
be?
Protest marches by the Afrikan
People’s Union in front of the foun
tain. Pious statements by Graham
Spanierthat this sort of racial incident
would not be tolerated. Eric Jolly and
his merry band of quota hawks would
cite this as yet more evidence of racial
“backlash” in our fair city. Sen. Ernie
Chambers, he of the tom sweatshirts,
would no doubt be thundering away
against racism in the halls of the
Legislature, the editorial pages and in
person. Fligh-sounding editorials
would be running here in the Daily
Nebraskan, decrying racism and de
manding the heads of the perpetra
tors. There would be campus work
shops on racial sensitivity, as if we
needed more.
Is any of this happening when it’s
a case of black students beating a
Malaysian student? Apart from pro
tests by international students, no. It
has to make one wonder about the
larger, hidden prejudices at work here.
This is not a racial incident, ac
cording to UNL Police. No racial
epithets were hurled, no racial motive
existed for the attack. Fine and dandy.
I'm willing to buy this explanation
for now, until I see better evidence.
But why is an official explanation
that this is an act of “random vio
lence” complacently accepted in this
case and not where the victim is black
and the suspect white?
Need anyone be reminded of the
uproar in January 1992 when the Daily
Nebraskan ran photos of Scott
When we are willing to scrap our
justice system and the concept of
innocent until proven guilty and
turn it into yet another affirmative
action ghetto, the game is up.
Baldwin after his arrest, being loaded
naked and handcuffed into a police
car? As plain an example of racism as
there could be, protesters said. It was
an obvious and overt attempt by the
Daily Nebraskan to keep blacks psy
chologically in slavery. Never mind
that handcuffs are standard procedure
for violent suspects such as Baldwin,
to keep them from further injuring on
police officers.
It doesn’t even take a beating to
start cries of racism. Exactly one year
ago, UNL Police tried to question
black students enrolled in an anthro
pology class with Candice Harms.
They were questioned because Harms
had been seen talking with a black
male the day before her disappear
ance.
Good police work? Not according
to Chambers, who immediately called
it an “outrageous, racist” move. When
UNL Vice Chancellor for Student
Affairs James Gricsen replied that if
the description had been for a “6-foot
6 blond guy, police would have been
looking for him,” Chambers called
for Griesen’s resignation for such an
“insensitive” remark.
Nationally, we have the situation
in Los Angeles. Four cops are tried
and acquitted, and South Central ri
ots. The cops are retried, and two arc
convicted on federal civil rights
charges, to the cheers of the black
leaders.
Meanwhile, Damian “Football”
Williams and Henry Watson are ac
quitted of most charges. Are there any
calls for a civil rights trial? Does the
white community in Simi Valley riot?
Of course not. But we do hear that the
verdicts “kept the peace,” a racial
quid pro quo.
So it seems here as well. After so
many charges of racism, the absence
of protest at the beating of Boon
Chung Ong is apparently designed to
keep the peace, to placate Chambers,
Jolly and the diversity crowd. That is
where the real assault is taking place.
When we are willing to scrap our
justice system and the concept of
innocent until proven guilty and turn
it into yet another affirmative action
ghetto, the game is up. If we can
rationalize allowing reverse discrimi
nation in such matters as making up
for past lynchings or beatings, then
America and the Constitution arc
headed for the ash heap.
A few unenlightened individuals
may cause these incidents, but most
of us, be we white or black, aren’t out
and-out racists. Moreover, racial ani
mosity is not an exclusively white,
heterosexual European male phenom
enon. Treat black on Asian violence
the same as white on black violence,
but don’t start making assumptions
and inferences where they aren’t war
ranted.
Here, as nowhere else, do we sec
the true agenda of Spanier, Chambers
and Jolly. It’s diversity, but only for
the few, not the many.
Kepdeld Is ■ graduate student In history
and a Dally Nebraskan columnist.
Ill 11 us m 1111 Km mu
Canada
It’s clear from Todd Cooper’s col
umn (DN, Oct. 21) that he’s not seek
ing a diplomatic post anytime soon!
As we North Americans travel our
continent, we can often find those
who resent their nearest neighbors
even though the majority of us may be
courteous, hospitable, understanding,
tolerant and even greatly interested in
the cultures, economies, values and
aspirations of their neighbors. Hav
ing lived as a U S. citizen employed
by the Canadian government in
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada for six
years, I can say with some authority
that the vast majority of Canadians
were most hospitable and courteous
to this family of “landed immigrants.”
Canada has extremely strong tics
to its immediately southern neighbor
because not only have baseball play
ers immigrated, but likewise, histori
cally, pioneering family members of
U.S. citizens. Despite our periodic
challenges in reaching amiable trade
agreements, there is a profound re
spect between the people of the United
States and Canada. We are credited
with having the longest undefended
border in the world.
The expansion of the National and
American baseball leagues into
Canada was a tangible recognition of
the great interest Canadians have in
baseball. That expansion provided
employment for additional players
whose efforts probably create at least
as much economic activity in the U.S.
league towns as they do in Montreal
andToronto. Where would the United
States’ segment of professional hock
ey be without the continuing importa
tion of Canadian talent?
Lavon ). Sumption
resource development specialist
Institute of Agriculture and Natural
Resources