OPINION Nebraskan
J £ I J I Y y J Thursday, Hovambar 11,1993
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jeremy Fitzpatrick.Editor. 472-1766
Kathy Steinauer.Opinion Page Editor
Wendy Mott.Managing Editor
Todd Cooper.Sports Editor
Chris Hopfensperger.Copy Desk Chief
Kim Spurlock.Sower Editor
Kilev Timperley.Senior Photographer
Arms down
Americans ready for stricter gun laws
Legislation to regulate the purchase of firearms is long
overdue. And now that American public is lining up behind
gun control legislation, it might become a reality.
A poll released by EDK Associates on Wednesday found 44
percent of adults would be less likely to re-elect their representa
tives in Congress if he or she voted against the Brady Bill.
The Brady Bill would impose a waiting period for handgun
purchases so the buyer's background could be checked. President
Clinton is pushing the Congress to pass it this year.
The EDK poll found 76 percent of the respondents thought
controlling the sale of handguns would be effective. An even
greater number said they thought inner-city job programs would
help reduce violence.
“They’ve bought locks, they’ve bought guns. And now they’re
saying there’s not a lot more I can do myself,” said EDK presi
dent Ethel Klein, who conducted the poll independent of any
interest group.
The EDK poll clearly shows the American public is ready for
the regulation of handguns. In a country where murder is com
monplace, the time has come for stricter gun control laws.
Now, Congress needs to take the people’s lead and pass the
Brady Bill and other measures aimed at getting guns out of the
hands of criminals and those who will use them irresponsibily.
Gun control is not the only answer. But it is a first step that
should be taken.
Safe at home?
System penalizes sexual assault victims
The man whose wife cut off his penis was found innocent
Wednesday of sexually assaulting her. Looking at the
facts presented by the media about the case, it seems the
jury did not come to a fair conclusion. It is very difficult to
believe a woman would do this without being provoked.
The prosecution pointed out the fact that Lorena Bobbitt went
to a court counselor five days before the infamous attack seeking
protection from her husband, John Wayne Bobbitt, because of
sexual and physical abuse. The counselor testified in court that he
feared for her safety based on what she told him.
A problem in cases like this is that the man’s version of the
story is pitted against the woman’s. It becomes a case of one
person’s word against another’s. Also, victims of rape, sexual
abuse and assault are sometimes reluctant to press charges be
cause they are often subjected to intimidating, prying questions in
court, as if they arc the ones on trial.
By finding John Wayne Bobbitt innocent, the jury has added to
victims’ reluctance to press charges. In the future, women think
ing about pressing assault, abuse or rape charges might look to
this case and realize that there were hard facts showing Lorena
Bobbitt was frightened of her spouse; she was scared enough that
she sought court protection. This case was not simply a case of
one person’s word against another’s. Yet Lorena Bobbitt did not
win the case.
Lorena Bobbitt is going to trial at the end of the month on
charges of malicious wounding. More than likely she will be
convicted because what she did to her husband is physically
obvious. The court system needs to look at the way it handles
marital abuse and sexual assault cases and set a good precedent
that is fair to victims. Obviously this ruling is not a good exam
ple.
SUfT editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 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 column* 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
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Capital
Punishment
There seems to be some prevail
ing confusion over the purpose of the
judicial system of the United States.
Put simply, our judiciary is designed
to exact equitable and appropriate
justice on those individuals found
guilty of committing crimes. This
method of justice should serve a two
fold purpose: To impose punitive
measures on the offender, and to com
pel society’s lawful behavior through
recognizable consequences. With that
in mind, the subject of capital pun
ishment should not be a matter of
debate.
Ideologues who believe that life
sentences are justice-enough for con
victed killers are purposefully ignor
ing tho^e states, Nebraska included,
that do not have a life sentence with
out parole provision in their sentenc
ing guidelines. Murderers, such as
Charles Manson, need only exhibit
“rehabilitation” to an overburdened
and understaffed parole system to gam
freedom to roam our streets in unre
stricted freedom.
I he current trial ot Roger
Bjorklund has sparked new debate
on this matter. It is easy, given the
unbelievable atrocities committed
against Candice Harms, to fall prey
to the “string 'em up” justice of old.
Fortunately for Bjorklund, that’s not
the way our existing system works. If
found guilty, he should receive jus
tice that meets the criteria elucidated
above. His punishment for Harms’
torture, rape and murder should be
sufficient to communicate our soci
ety’s intolerance of, and repugnance
for, that type of criminal behavior.
Library privileges, cable television
and three squares-a-day, even if con
fined for the rest of his life, is posi
tively NOT appropriate or equitable
justice for a crime of that magnitude.
Thomas K. Eads
junior
political science and English
Christianity
I feel it necessary to respond to
Robert J. Tobin’s assertions (DN,
Nov. 8).
Tobin unwittingly illustrated the
major, tragic flaw in people’s con
ceptions of what it means to be a
Christian, especially living in a time
when so many alternatives are chal
lenging those things usually associ
ated with Christianity.
He points out that Jesus used harsh
words in dealing with the pharisees.
True enough. But then he follows by
saying, “This sounds like a judgmen
tal, intolerant person, not a loving,
accepting one.” To love a person or a
group of people docs not mean that
one must accept and love their ac
tions. Never docs Jesus say, “I hate
you pharisees,” but rather, he assaults
their deeds and conceptions —justi
fiably so, because no less than their
eternal security was on the line.
It is my belief that Jesus spoke
these words out of love, even though
it was not the easy thing to do; it
ultimately led to his crucifixion. They
were words that needed to be said,
and Jesus loved them enough that he
was willing to die to get that message
across.
Brian Schwarz
junior
English
Michele Tilley/DN
Improvement?
Mr. Sink, I read with respect and
interest your response (DN, Nov. 10)
to my letter (DN, Nov. 8). 1 disagree.
What do we know about the mes
siah? Only that things will be better
after he comes. Have things improved
so much since your Jesus came? To
the extent that they have, science has
improved them — along with the
collective political will of decent
common people. To what extent has
the church helped? To put it another
way, what was the crime of Galileo?
Pursuing science in opposition to the
church, right? The messiah has not
come; my reasoning tells me this.
Robert J. Tobin
graduate student
geology
Cruelty
I recently learned the University
of Nebraska’s zoology and biology
departments use organisms purchased
from Carolina Biological Supply
Company for use in laboratory test
ing and dissections. I understand that
Carolina Biological Supply is the na
tion’s largest distributor of organ
isms used for this purpose.
I am angered and appalled our
university would purchase materials
from a corporation that has cruelly
and inhumanely prepared organisms
for laboratory use. Documented re
ports have surfaced linking Carolina
Biological Supply to countless thefts
of domesticated dogs and cats in the
community surrounding their plants.
Numerous other animal rights abuses
have been documented by animal
rights groups, including shocking
footage of Carolina workers brutally
killing a dog to be used for class
room dissection. Workers savagely
beat the dog with a shovel and
laughed and taunted the creature as it
attempted to struggle to its feet.
Carolina workers also have been
captured on film spitting and extin
guishing cigarettes on frogs gasping
for their last breaths after being in
jected with chloroform while still
alive. It is also common policy at
Carolina Biological Supply to starve
dogs, cats and rabbits while placing
them into overcrowded cages where 1
they are often crushed under the
weight of other animals awaiting a
cruel and inhumane death. With all
this knowledge of the wrongdoings
of Carolina Biological Supply, can’t
we take our business elsewhere?
Nick Myers
sophomore
social sciences, speech
‘Their job’
In response to William Ogden’s
letter to the editor (DN, Nov. 11), 1
agree with Ogden in one respect: the
idea that Bjorklund’s trial is impor
tant to many students here at UNL.
However, I disagree with his idea
that the Daily Nebraskan’s coverage
is too graphic. Granted, what hap
pened to Candice Harms in her last
few hours of life is disturbing. It’s
tragic and awful to imagine, but it
happened. It’s a fact. People need to
be aware of this. By making people
aware, hopefully people will be more
cautious and watch out for their safe
ty because even here in Lincoln, not
everyone is safe.
Whether or not we like what is or
will be written is not the press’ con
cern. The press has a right to keep
the public informed. In fact, it’s their
job.
Lisa Palmer
senior
human dcvelopmcnt/child studies
Denny trial
In response to Sam Kepfield (DN,
Oct. 27) and Chad W. Pekron (DN,
Oct. 28), great job! Both stated very
nicely the problems of today. It’s
nice to see at least a couple of indi
viduals with enough common sense
to see through the whole farce of a
trial of Henry Watson and Damian
Williams. I also find it interesting
how liberals and minorities arc so
quick to cry racism, then turn around
and claim that Watson and Williams’
beating of Denny was somehow jus
tifiable because of the past. It just
makes no sense to me.
Mark D. Mercer
freshman
general studies
