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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1994)
Opinion Netwaskan Wednesday, January 26,1994 Jeremy Fitzpatrick Rainbow Rowell . Adeana Leftin. .. . Todd Cooper.... JeffZeleny. Sarah Duey. Stacie McKee .. . Net?raskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln .• Editor, 472-1766 ...Opinion Page Editor .Managing Editor ....Sports Editor .*.Associate News Editor .Arts & Entertainment Editor .;.Photo Chief KIM l()KI \l Shaky ground Nebraskans should aid earthquake victims Monday morning, one week after the earthquake in south ern California, a small tremor hit Ainsworth. This quake didn’t compare to its predecessor. It injured no one and measured only 3.3 on the Richter scale. But perhaps this tremor in a small Nebraska town will remind us that we are not so far from our countrymen and countrywomen on the West Coast. Sometimes we feel insulated in the Heartland, well-protected from the devastating hands of hurricanes and earthquakes. Most Nebraskans joke about California dropping into the Pacific Ocean. We would prefer a twister any day to an earthquake. This summer proved the Midwest was not invulnerable to disaster. The entire nation watched our region cope with horrible flooding. When we were suffering, the National Red Cross and the National Guard came to our aid. Now the Red Cross turns to California. Another downpour Monday night compounded California’s misery. It soaked thousands of reftigecs staying in National Guard tent cities and knocked out electricity in many districts. Malibu canyons ravaged by fire last fall are now at risk for mudslides. The suffering has not ended on the coast. But we can help. The Red Cross has asked that U.S. citizens everywhere help it help California. By cooperating with and assisting the Red Cross, we can lessen the misery of Californians despite the thousands of miles that separate us from their plight. And if tomorrow we are the ones in need, it is hoped the rest of the nation will be as merciful. Change focus Ultimatum could injure health care reform President Clinton pressured Congress Tuesday to pass the health care reform bill he proposed. Speaking in his first State of the Union address, Clinton promised to veto any bill that did not guarantee what he had demanded: universal coverage for all Americans. ‘‘If the legislation you send me does not guarantee every American private health insurance that can never be taken away, I will take this pen, veto that legislation, and we’ll come right back here and start over again,” he said. Clinton’s goal of universal coverage is admirable, but he should not issue an ultimatum that will hurt his own cause. If the Congress can devise a solution to the health care crisis in the United States that does not require universal coverage, the presi dent should be willing to compromise. The biggest health care problem in the United States is the estimated 30 million people who do not have health insurance. The first step in health care reform is providing insurance for them. President Clinton should focus his plan on making sure that all Americans have access to insurance rather than demanding that everyone is covered under one plan mandated by the government. He should work with Congress to ensure the 30 million Ameri cans without insurance can be treated instead of demanding his plan be passed. If Clinton insists on demanding that only his program be passed, he risks getting no plan at all. He needs to work with the Congress in the months ahead to forge a health care plan that will both work and can be passed. I DIIUKI \| |N M |( \ Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1994 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 columns 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. I I I 11 It IN >| l< \ 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 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 KIMBEKL\ SIH RLOC'K Lift voice for 14th scholarship There was no boycott onJan. 15, the anniversary of the birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Had King still been alive, he would be proud of the Black Coaches Association’s planned ac tion. The boycott, which would have taken effect during the college bas ketball games that weekend, was offi cially postponed — until further no tice. The Congressional Black Caucus convinced the BCA to hold off until a mediator could be found. Boycott plans came as a result of the NCAA convention Jan. 10. Among other things, the convention struck down a proposal to allot each Divi sion I school an additional men’s bas ketball scholarship. Many coaches said they were already promised this schol arship. Although denying Division 1 schools another scholarship was the main reason behind the proposed boy cott, it wasn’t the only one. The boy cott was also to protest regulations for higher grade point averages and ACT and SAT scores for athletes. These standardized tests have been proven to be culturally biased. If a student is accepted to a school based on whatever requirements the school already has, then he or she should be able to play college athletics. If a 2.0 or C grade allows a nonathlete to remain in school, then why can’t the grade requirement be the same for athletes? As I was reading USA TODAY two weeks ago, I came across re sponses from readers about the schol arship debate. One respondent did not understand why blacks were com plaining when they already had about 75 percent of the positions any way.” Another said whites should boycott “until they have 80 percent white players on the court.” Coaches want to win basketball games, and they don’t care if the athlete is green, yellow or purple. If Historically, whenever blacks have fought, boycotted or protested against what they considered an injustice, they were not the only ones to benefit. an athlete can produce at a higher level than anyone else, then that ath lete will receive the scholarship. You don* t hear black athletes com plaining that whites have more than 90 percent of the positions in base ball, tennis, swimming or other col lege sports. Of all the responses, about half were for and half were against the extra scholarship. And then one respondent, whom I agreed with, said athletes generated a lot of revenue for the universities and the v should be granted the extra schol arship. He also argued that one scholar ship for Division I schools allows 300 more men, who may not be able to afford college, the opportunity to get an education. What would we do if the Huskers didn’t make it to the Orange Bowl, or any bowl game for that matter, or if Danny Nee’s basketball team didn’t sell as many season tickets as expect ed? Because this has not happened in years, why can’t we keep 14 men’s basketball scholarships, and while we’re at it, add on another women’s basketball scholarship? Do we really need to save that extra buck, especial ly when we spend it on nonsense like green space? The administrators of our univer sities are the ones who voted against the scholarship. Maybe we should be talking to them. How about we talk to the black football and basketball players at UNL and ask them to boycott one game, or a season, and see what happens. Think they’d go through with it? Some would. Some wouldn’t. Those that wouldn’t need to under stand how they got to where they are in the first place. They must not ig nore the fact that blacks made up two thirds of the men who received that 14th scholarship in past years. A lot of athletes on this campus and in this nation fail to realize they have a powerful voice. If they stand up and fight collectively, they can make a difference. One athlete will not risk being the only one to stand up and fight for something, thus jeopardizing his or her career. Historically, whenever blacks have fought, boycotted or protested against what they considered an injustice, they were not the only ones to benefit. By reinstating the 14th scholarship, all races will have just as much of a chance as the other to receive one. People forget that, even though in past years two-thirds of those scholar ships have been given to black ath letes, this is not a guarantee. Even if it were, there still would remain one third, or 100 of the 300 scholarships. The bottom line is that we go to college to get an education and to get a job and to make money, so it doesn’t matter how we get there, just so long as we’re there. Spurlock b ■ tcalor broadcaitiag. aewi editorial aad EagUih major aid a Dally No braskaa columabt. 1.1 I II US in III! I HI mu Eye-opener Pm relieved to see people care enough to check up on the greeks and make sure they aren’t violating any alcohol sanctions. Now that we find out some of the fraternities are in violation, it’s a good thing we have the residence halls to keep up UNL’s good name. Please! On a weekend night at one of the residence halls, there is more alcohol than a St. Louis Anheuser-Busch brew ery. Everybody is so worried that fraternities are smuggling alcohol into their houses. Well, open your eyes. Take a look at the big, white buildings with the beer cans and whiskey bot tles stacked in the windows. Here are a few tips for people who should be stopping alcohol from en tering the residence halls: • When a person is waiting for the elevator on a Friday or Saturday night with abookbag so heavy the straps are about to break, there’s a good chance they aren’t carrying books. • When a person comes in during spring wearing a heavy coat, with their hands in their pockets, and they look like they just ate Valentino’s buffet three times over, something might be fishy. • If a person comes in on a week end night with a cooler, it's probably not full of picnic food. Rules are rules and they should be enforced, but asComhusker fans have been saying for years, “If you’re go ing to call it, call it both ways." Matt Kroll junior geography ‘Loving decision’ I agree with Pamela Hagman’s to sponse(DN, Jan. 21 )toSam Kepfield’s column on abortion (DN, Jan. 19). Abortion can be a very loving deci sion. It is selfish and irresponsible to bring a child into the world without having the resources to support it and Sve it opportunities. People who do is are thinking of themselves and not the well-being of the child. We need to start our children out on the right foot and at least give them a fair chance at being successful in the future. Those who choose abortion have foresight. Their decision is based on logic and reality rather than per sonal emotion and idealism. Why make a child suffer because of its parents’ mistakes? Tisha Smith sophomore pre-nursing