OPT "N" TON n elJraskan
JL-L 1 lVyl 1 Wednesday, December 1,1993
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 llopfensperger Copy Desk C hief
Kim Spurlock Sower Editor
Kiley Timperley.Senior Photographer
Law named Brady
Bill first step to reducing illegal gun use
The United States won a small victory Tuesday when Presi
dent Clinton signed the Brady Bill into law. The handgun
control bill requires a five-day waiting period and back
ground check on handgun buyers. It will take effect in 90 days.
The new law will not mean the end of violence. It will not take
handguns away from criminals who already have them It will not
even stop all criminals from getting handguns.
But it is a beginning. The United States desperately needs to do
something about the devastation caused each year by firearms.
People being killed with guns has become commonplace in our
society.
Critics of the Brady Bill have said the law should not have
been passed because it will not solve all crime overnight. They
argue that since some criminals will still be able to obtain hand
guns, the bill is pointless.
While it is true that the Brady legislation will not stop all
criminals from buying handguns, the law will mean fewer weap
ons will be bought illegally. And fewer weapons on the streets
will mean fewer weapons in the hands of criminals.
The National Rifle Association and other lobbying groups
opposed the Brady Bill, as they have opposed any form of firearm
regulation. But the overwhelming support of the American people
for this law shows they are ready for laws to stop the blood that is
being shed on our streets.
The Brady Bill is no miracle. It is only a first step in a long
battle to stop violence in the United States. The law alone cannot
stop violence. But it can the beginning of a larger effort to do so.
Caveat no more
AMA should rethink finding on implants
Wednesday’s edition of the Journal ofthe American
Medical Association will report their finding that
women should be able to have silicone breast implants
for cosmetic reasons once they are informed ofthe hazards
involved in the procedure. The association reports there is no
convincing evidence that implants cause disease.
The journal also printed a retort from David A. Kessler,
Federal Drug Administration commissioner, which says, “Con
gress has made clear that caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) is
not the accepted standard for medical products marketed in this
country.”
In January 1992, Kessler called for a moratorium on the use of
silicone breast implants because of unanswered safety questions
about them. The FDA has received 41,112 reports of problems
with implants since 1992.
Kessler is right to protest these findings. Silicone breast
implants serve no medical purpose — they arc purely cosmetic.
Although it is understandable for women who have had
mastectomies to want them for reconstructive surgery, their use is
foolish considering the other medical problems they can cause.
More than 1 million American women have had the implants,
so even if only 5 percent of those arc dangerous, about 75,000
women will be affected. The medical world should be conscien
tious of the danger the implants pose and not encourage their use.
Women should also think twice about society’s ridiculous
beauty standards that suggest that large breasts arc desirable.
These standards are causing thousands of women to endanger
their lives with silicone implants.
Staff editorials represent the official policy ofthe Fall 1993 Daily Nebraskan Policy is set by
the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Hoard 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 ofthe 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 ofthe 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
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Sidewalks
I would just like to point out anoth
er perfect example of the sick minds
that arc responsible for UN L’s admin
istration. I’m certain many students
will begin to notice the build-up of
snow and ice on many of the campus
walkways. Well, the reason for this
build-up is that there is no money
available to pay for snow and ice
removal on all of the sidewalks.
Perhaps our esteemed chancellor,
Graham Spanier, would like to ex
plain why there is no money to use for
sidewalk cleaning, while there is plen
ty of unused cash lying around to be
spent on “green space.” If Mr. Spanier
is so concerned with improving the
campus, why can’t he use the same
zeal that he has for parking lot remov
al to scrounge up funds for sidewalk
maintenance?
I am really beginning to believe
that Mr. Spanier, along with the restof
university administration, really could
care less what the average student has
to say about how this “public institu
tion” is run, and I’m getting tired of it!
Jeff Lutkehus
sophomore
veterinary science
Apollo 009
I am writing regarding past Daily
Nebraskan letters of Ron Synowicki
(DN, Sept. 22) and Larry Schmidt
(DN, Oct. 11). They both wrote about
the condition of the Apollo 009 test
capsule that was moved to East Cam
pus. Mr. Synowicki said the capsule
would continue to deteriorate even
after storing it inside. Mr. Schmidt
wrote that the stainless steel construc
tion of the outside of the capsule
would protect it. He also compared
the restoration of the Apollo 009 to
the restoration of an old aircraft. I
believe this trivializes the difficulty
of restoring this unique spacecraft.
Although Mr. Schmidt believes the
regents will be able to fund the resto
ration of the capsule so it can stay in
Nebraska, the space experts involved
estimate the repair of the capsule will
cost up to $400,000. Even though the
exterior of the capsule is^pretty dura
ble to the attack of moisture, the mois
ture and heat—this shed gets very hot
in the summer—is still attacking the
interior of the capsule. The expansion
and contraction of this moisture will
continue to damage the spacecraft
interior.
I would like to present regent
Charles Wilson’s position, who has
stated that UNL lacks the money to
fund the refurbishment of the capsule
and said, “Why keep it stuffed away
in some dark room just to say it’s
ours?... It would be a shame to just let
it rust away.”
Since it has already cost about
$20,000 to remove the concrete base
outside the museum and move the
capsule, it seems the lack of money is
not a problem when the other regents
need to politically cover themselves.
Mark O. Schlcgcl
alumnus
■fi. »r»y ni/ ;a^_
i i «fT Vo .
David Badders/DN
Football
Kathy Steinaucr.doyou really hate
the game of football (DN, Nov. 23) or
arc you just frustrated because you
don’t understand it? It sounds to me
like that’s exactly your problem.
As a member of the UNL Flag
Line, I care about football. The game
gives us, as well as the band, cheer
leaders and dance team, a chance to
showcase our talents. To as, the games
mean more than just polls and
rankings. It’s a chance to represent
UNL and show our school spirit.
You were stereotypical when you
said you didn’t know any women as
indulged in football as much as men
are. Just because I’m a woman, does
that mean I have to stay in the kitchen
while the men watch the game?
In case you haven’t noticed, wom
en are finally getting the attention
they deserve in all aspects of sports.
It s people like you that keep women
in the dark ages when it comes to
getting jobs related to athletics.
As for your comment about foot
ball not being real, what do you think
it is? These guys aren’t actors. Sure,
they practice, and they even have to
memorize plays. Flowever, what goes
on down on the field is definitely real.
It is not just a bunch of men putting on
pads and helmets lining up over and
over again. They do have reasons for
throwing the ball and kicking it. I fyou
would just take five minutes, say dur
ing halftime, to ask your boyfriend a
few questions about the game, you
could then form an educated opinion
about football. He could tell you the
difference between the punter and the
placekickcr, a wide receiver and a
tailback, and a linebacker and a line
man.
Granted, it’s a dangerous game,
and these players realize that. But this
is their God-given tajent. This is what
they want to do with their lives. This
doesn’t mean they don’t want to gel
an education. If so many players for
get to get an education, then why do
w'e have the most Academic All
Americans in Division I? This infor
mation w as courtesy of the side of a
cup I got at a football game.
No one said you had to like foot
ball. The least you could do is respect
it.
Danielle Browne
freshman
broadcasting
Dairy
The new Bovine Growth Hormone
for cows is a crock! Haven’t dairy
cows had enough? They’re already
producing more than 20 times what a
normal cow would. Growth hormones
used by the animal exploitation in
dustry arc presently suspected for the
very early ages of mcnarche girls arc
experiencing in this country. This
makes me question the use of hor
mones.
The dairy industry, cruel and mon
ey-hungry as it is, is only responding
to the demand. More than 200 million
people in this country want to eat
meat and dairy products daily. We
have no respect for animals unless
they are our pets.
false advertising has become the
norm for the dairy industry, with slo
gans like “Everybody needs milk"
and “Does the body good.” This first
statement was declared false, decep
tive and misleading by the Federal
Trade Commission. This industry also
has the nerve to tell the people that
milk builds strong bones and teeth.
Lies! The largest consumers of dairy
products in the world, Sweden and the
United States, have the highest rates
of osteoporosis, while countries like
India and China, who eat very little
dairy, have virtually no incidence o(
this bone-thinning disease.
The dairy industry even gets away
w ith lying to the public through pub
lic-service announcements on the
university radio station, KRNU, push
ing the four food groups. This comes
as no surprise since the university
teaches students how to enslave, in
ject, genetically alter and artificially
inseminate these animals for maxi
mum output.
Dairy products are unhealthy,
linked with heart disease, breast and
prostrate cancer, obesity, etc. Al
though the industry tells me milk will
give me great muscle tone and healthy
skin, 1 quit. My allergies have reduced
substantially, my digestive system
works better, and 1 feel a lot healthier.
My muscle tone and skin tone have
even improved.
I know it is not the norm,but I think
we should think about making care
for the environment, animals and our
personal health socially acceptable.
The world cannot sustainably revolve
around the human species.
Paul Koester
senior
soil science