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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1993)
s=Kst- News digest WASHINGTON —With a declaration that it was “step one in taking our streets back,” President Clinton Tuesday signed into law the long-fought Brady handgun control bill. The law requires a five-day waiting period and background check on handgun buyers and will take effect in 90 days. “America won this battle,” Clinton told 200 people in the East Room of the White House. “Americans are finally fed up with violence that cuts down another citizen with gunfire every 20 minutes. We know that this bill will make a difference.” Clinton emotionally recounted an incident in Arkansas where a friend of his sold a gun to a man just released from a mental institution. The man then shot and killed six people. “Don’t tell me this bill won’t make a differ ence,” he said. “It is not true.” The bill’s namesake, former White House Press Secretary James Brady, said the bill would bring “the end of unchecked madness and the commencement of a heartfelt crusade for a safer and a saner country.” Severely wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan, Brady and his wife, Sarah, have promoted gun control since the mid-1980s. “Twelve years ago, my life was changed forever by a disturbed young man with a gun,” Brady said. “Until that time, I had not thought about gun control or the need for gun control. Maybe if I had done so, I wouldn’t be stuck with these damn wheels.” Brady has used a wheelchair since the shoot ing. Clinton said signing the bill “will be step one in taking our streets back, taking our children back, reclaiming our families and our future." He thumped the podium as he insisted the Brady bill and other gun control laws will not hurt hunters. “We have taken this important part of life of millions of Americans and turned it into an instrument of maintaining madness. It is cra zy,” said Clinton, the former governor o Ar kansas, where hunting is extremely popular. “Would I let anybody change that life of America? Not on your lite, he said. Attorney General Janet Reno called the Bradys “an example for all Americans that wc can make a difference — that one person, that one family can make adifference in violence in America.” Reno noted, that Sarah Brady vowed not to stop with the Brady bill alone, saying after the Senate approved it last week, “Wc re going to get the ban on assault weapons passed. Sarah Brady thanked Clinton and former President Reagan, whom she credited with making the Brady bill “a badge of honor for Republicans.” She did not mention former President Bush, who refused to sign the Brady bill unless it was - it-— Americans are finally fed up with violence that cuts down another citizen with gunfire every 20 minutes. We know that this bill will make a difference. — President Clinton -tt_ part of an overall crime bill, which never passed Congress. In a hushed, shaky voice, Melanie Musick of Atlanta told the crowd that her husband was killed in 1990 by a man who had just left a mental institution and purchased a gun. “The Brady bill could have saved my hus band’s life.” Amtrak train derails after accident INTERCESSION CITY, Fla. — An Amtrak passenger train slammed into a tractor-trailer stalled at a rail road crossing and derailed Tuesday, injuring at least 45 people. The driver of the rig could not be found, authorities said. “We don’t know if he’s dead, or il he jumped from the truck,” said Mike Mahoney, an Osceola County fire rescue dispatcher. The eight-car Silver Meteor, bound for New York City from Tampa, was carrying 103 passengers and about eight crew members when the acci dent occurred in early afternoon, said Sue Martin, an Amtrak spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. Four of the train cars were thrown off the tracks in the accident, she said. The derailment occurred near In tercession City, 20 miles southwest of Orlando. A green truck, apparently with a large generator on board, was tangled in the train’s wreckage. The train consisted of one engine, one mail car, one baggage car and six passenger cars, including a sleeping car, a lounge car and four coaches, Amtrak said. It was the second derailment of an Amtrak train in a little more than a week. On Nov. 23, 16 people were AP injured, none seriously, when a Seat tle-to-Chicago train derailed near Boise, Idaho. STATE WIRE -1 Tsongas supports Kerrey s deficit plans OMAHA — A former senator and Democratic presidential hope ful praised proposals by his former rival, Sen. Bob Kerrey, to cut fed eral spending. The proposals by Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Ncb., will measure how serious Congress is about reducing the federal deficit, said Paul Tsongas, who like Kerrey chal lenged President Clinton for the 1992 Democratic nomination. Tsongas, a former senator from Massachusetts, said Kerrey’s pro posals willshowwhothe'^ critcs are in the Senate. The bipartisan proposal to trim $109 billion in federal spending over five years “is the single most important vote in determining who the hypocrites are,” Tsongas said. He was in Omaha to address the NebraskaCattlemcn’s Association convention. Tsongas and former Sen. War ren Rudman, R-N.H., have helped form The Concord Coalition, a bi partisan group that has proposed a plan to balance the federal budget by the year 2000. •Become Active Immediately! •No Pledging! •Scholarship Aides! •Job Referral Service! •Over 300 Chapters To Visit In U.S. & Canada! You're invited to Christmas dinners every night this week. Like to hear more? Call Tim at 436-7736 _bPORlS W1RL_ Jacksonville Jaguars add to Florida football craze JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Over the years, Jacksonville hasproven it is football crazy. It simply never had a chance to go nuts over the NFL. Now, it will. “It’s not a miracle. It’s a well earned victory for our community,” said Wayne Weaver, the managing general partner of Touchdown Jack sonville! Ltd., the group seeking an NFL team for several years. “We are going to be a great new partner for the NFL,” Weaver added, holding up a Jacksonville Jaguars jer sey. “This is truly a great day for Jacksonville. “The Jaguars will mean enormous economic gains for the state and plen ty of excitement for residents and visitors alike, uov. Lawton Chiles said in Tallahassee. “It kind of says a community has arrived.” Chiles said his hopes of a team for Jacksonville had faded as the list of cities shrank. “1 have to say it was so surprising — pleasantly so,” he said. As commissioner Paul Tagliabue made the announcement, fans at The Jacksonville Landing uncorked cham pagne and cheered loudly. "There was a very strong feeling that Jacksonville wasa hotbed of foot ball interest,” Tagliabue said. Dan Connell, an official with First Union National Bank who helped spearhead a drive to sell 10,000 club seats, said, “This is the greatest news tn the history oi Jacksonville. After a tense summer between Touchdown Jacksonville and the city, the City Council finally approved a $121 million renovation of the Gator Bowl and NFL Now!, a group of businessmen, sold 10,000 club seats in 10 days. Attendance has been strong for several NFL preseason games and the city has supported teams in the USFL and the WFL. The Jacksonville Bulls led the USFL in attendance. This drive to secure a team was the latest in a long list of attempts, includ ing courting the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta Falcons, Houston Oilers, St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Colts. Education Continued from Page 1 and diversity, distributed to faculty who wanted to express openness to gay and lesbian students. • The abolition of prayer last De cember at graduation ceremonies. The tradition has since been reinstated. • The furor over using student fees to fund gay and lesbian organizations. “Higher education is a bit of a farce,” Sigerson said. “We’re more concerned with speech codes, pink triangles and green spaces.” Caldwell said, “We know we’re headed in the wrong direction when on over 600 radio stations across the nation. Rush Limbaugh is calling the Big Red the Big Pink.” ' Sigerson said the uni versity should focus on its strengths and take major steps toward program specialization. He said the university could re define priorities and get away from its social agenda by reforming faculty tenures and by avoiding the use of graduate students in high-level cours es. “It just isn’t right. They should be teaching us because that’s what they’re being paid for.” he said. Sigerson said taxpayers across the country were unwilling to fund a sys tem that adhered to such a broad philosophy. “We need to start looking at spe cializing,” Sigerson said. “We should be good at the things we’re good at. With the things we’re not so good at, we should let other campuses han dle.” Caldwell said Rotary Club mem bers had the influence to make chang es in Nebraska’s colleges and univer sities. “You should speak out for prioritization on how we spend mon ey on higher education,” he said. Students attend college to get a good job and be a positive force in society, not to quibble about social issues, Sigerson said. “When you’re coming into the university, you’re going to deal with social issues — that is one of the important aspects of col lege life, he said. “But spending your time arguing about pink triangles isn’t the kind ot education you’re sending people to school to get.’’ Caldwell said students’ freedom of expression on college campuses everywhere was under fire. “Higher education is now trying to dictate what students can and cannot say through intimidation,” Caldwell said. “It seems somewhat odd that the very institution that supports free thought is stifling free speech.” Caldwell asked Rotary Club mem bers to consider some university deci sions in a business light. “Suppose your company had al ways started off your annual meeting with a prayer,” Caldwell said. “Stock holders had even voted on it and said, ‘We want it.’ Then your board ot directors votes to do away with it because you may offend someone. NelSral&kan FAX NUMBER 472-1761 The Daily Nebraskan(USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Nebraska Union 34,1400RS1 Lincoln NE Monday through Friday during the academic year; weekly during summer sessions Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472-1763 between 9 a m . and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also has access to the Publications Board. For information, contact Doug Fiedler, 436-7862 Subscription price is $50 for one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St..Lincoln, NE 68588 0448 Second class postage paid at Lincoln, NE. ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1993 DAILY NEBRASKAN