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
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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< \
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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.
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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
