.11 KIMY I I r/JVV I KK K
Shooting still stumping all of us
I-—-1
First it was an accident. Then
maybe it wasn’t.
Now it’s up to the Lincoln
Police Department and the Lancaster
County Attorney Gary Lacey to find
out what happened Jan. 30. Authori
ties said a Nebraska football player
allegedly fired two shots into a car at
17th and L streets that morning.
Many theories have been suggest
ed about exactly what happened. None
of them seem capable of standing up to
the light of scrutiny.
The theories could probably be ig
nored as mere speculation, but several
came from Nebraska coach Tom
Osborne. Osborne took it upon him
self to conduct an investigation of the
shooting— including examining the
car and talking to the driver. He is
close to the players involved and prob
ably has some idea of what went on.
But many of Osborne’s statements
do not adequately explain what hap
pened. Some of the things he has said
have been contradicted by statements
from the police and the county attor
ney.
The most celebrated of Osborne’s
theories was his initial assertion that
the gun may have been fired by acci
dent. Did anyone in Nebraska believe
that sto|7?
To his credit, Osborne has given up
on the accident theory. At a press
conference Feb. 2, he said there were
“a couple of things 1 stated a couple of
days ago that were not totally accu
rate.” Osborne said the information
he gathered in his investigation helped
change his mind. But he declined to
say exactly what he learned.
We can only hope the police have
the new information as well, because
there are many unanswered questions
in this curious case.
For example, everyone knows there
were two separate incidents—one at
the Residence Inn and one on 17th and
L streets. But how are the two related?
We know that on Jan. 30 two police
Many theories have been
suggested about exactly what
happened. None of them seem
capable of standing up to the
light of scrutiny.
officers were dispatched to the Resi
dence Inn at 1:20 a.m. There was a
party at the hotel attended by several
Nebraska football players and recruits.
According to the police, a fight
took place when unidentified assail
ants showed up at the hotel. Nebraska
redshirt freshman Ramone Worthy
was stabbed in the back, and wingback
Abdul Muhammad was pushed
through a window and also received
lacerations to his hand.
At about 2:50 a.m. that same morn
ing, two shots were fired into a car
belonging to UNL student Brooke
Bohac at a stoplight at 17th and L
streets.
Lancaster County Attorney Gary
Lacey filed two felony charges against
Nebraska defensive back Tyrone Wil
liams for the shooting. Lacey said
Williams smashed a window of
Bohac’s car and then fired shots into
the car as it sped away. Williams’
attorney said he would plead innocent
to the charges.
Osborne said he thought the two
events were related. He said the play
ers in the car were agitated by what
took place at the Residence Inn. A
phone call they received on their cel
lular earphone further bothered them.
He said they “didn’t know what they
were getting into.”
But there are several problems with
Osborne’s explanation.
First, the players in the car were not
the same ones involved in the Resi
dence Inn fight. Lacey said Nebraska
football players Ed Stewart, Kareem
Moss and Tyrone Williams were the
only people in the car.
Osborne said the players in the car
were taking Abdul Muhammad to the
hospital or had taken Muhammad to
the hospital. But Lacey said
Muhammad was not in the car.
The matter of the phone call is also
curious. Osborne said the caller told
the players “we’ve got you in our
sights.” He said the players interpret
ed the call as threatening.
That is possible. But if the players
thought they were threatened or in
danger, why did they get out of the
car?
Lacey’s account of the call is dif
ferent. He said a passenger in Bohac’s
car made the call from an apartment
before they went driving. Lacey said
the call was a prank, and the caller
initially identified himself as some
one with the FBI.
If Lacey is right, why did the play
ers think they were in danger? If they
didn’t know the call was a prank, as
Osborne has suggested, then what did
they have to fear from FBI agents?
Not much of what has been re
vealed about this case makes sense.
The conflicting stories certainly do
not.
But people should keep asking ques
tions in the hope that eventually there
will be some understanding of what
happened that morning and why.
Fitzpatrick is a senior political science
major and the editor of the Daily Nebraskan.
the spenceRs
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February 11, 1994
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K. Ill (.MI S SM WKS
Comparisons only hurt people
Making comparisons between
two people can be unfair.
Even when meant as a com
pliment, a comparison can hurt peo
ple’s feelings and damage the images
we have of them.
I think we make comparisons be
cause we’re lazy. We use them to
make quick and easy explanations.
We tend to make hollow comparisons
for convenience.
Far too often we freely compare
public figures without even thinking.
Recently, I overheard a friend of
mine singing. Having been a musi
cian most of my life, 1 felt I could make
a qualified compliment.
She sang a short phrase. 1 was
impressedby her Phoebe Snow-like or
Deniece Williams-like vibrato.
Without thinking 1 blurted out,
“You sound like a sister.” A black
woman.
I suppose if she were black I could
have said something 1 ike, “Damn girl,
you sound like Phoebe.” But my flawed
intention was based partially on race.
1 didn’t even catch my error until
she asked what my next column would
be about.
I replied, “It’s about what I just did
to you, actually. It’s about how we
make mindless comparisons — how
we take shortcuts, especially when
making race-based comparisons.”
Flippant comparisons also deny a
person’s individuality and ability to
stand out. What is intended to be
complimentary may actually be con
descending or belittling.
Comparing an upstart figure in a
particular field to an already estab
lished figure tends to diminish the
overall significance of both parties.
One person’s hero may be another
person’s anti-hero.
In our haste to explain things, we
rush to describe one person using an
other person’s accomplishments or
failings. No matter how you slice it,
one or both lose.
In most comparisons, neither party
really has a chance to defend them
selves. Unless someone says they as
People deserve protection from
sweeping summations of them
by others. This protection
comes by giving every
individual credit where credit is
due.
pire to the accomplishments of the
other person, he or she may get defen
sive.
People deserve protection from
sweeping summations of them by oth
ers. This protection comes by giving
every individual credit where credit is
due.
I once heard an interviewer ask
Spike Lee about how it felt to be called
“The Black Woody Allen.” I won
dered, “What does that make Woody
Allen, the Jewish Orson Welles?”
Lee retorted that it was not reason
able to be compared to Allen. Sadly,
Allen hasn’t had the opportunity to
say what he thinks. He’s been busy in
court.
Lee said Allen didn’t have any
people of color in significant roles in
his movies. That was true when Lee
said it. However, Allen’s most recent
film stars A1 fre Woodard, who is black.
So much for that comparison, huh?
What would Spike Lee be to the
“film” industry without Woody Allen?
What the hell kind of question is that?
Besides, there is no guarantee that
their fans think Lee and Allen belong
in the same category anyway, or even
the same planet. Good Lord, they are
two distinctly different and signifi
cant filmmakers. Period.
Here are some other comparisons
of public figures. You be the judge.
Rush Limbaugh and Kenneth
Hamblin are both well-established
media figures. Limbaugh is white,
from Missouri and well-known for
strong political views.
Hamblin, who is black, grew up in
Brooklyn. He has a twice-weekly Den
ver Post column and local radio show.
Similarities between the two begin
and end with the fact that they are
controversial media figures. It’s high
ly likely both men would prefer their
reputations to stand less on how con
troversial they are and more on their
convictions.
The fact they make a living pissing
people off all the time is just a coinci
dence.
Hamblin says he hopes to motivate
the black and Hispanic communities
of Denver by saying “things that a
white pe rson couldn ’ t ge t away w ith. ”
It would be suicide for Limbaugh to
incorporate racial justification into
his message. No comparison, I say.
Hamblin started as a photojournal
ism Limbaugh’s father owned a radio
station. Again, comparing Limbaugh
and Hamblin is not fair.
The other day, a friend of mine
compared Tom Osborne and Buffalo
Bills coach Marv Levy. He thought
they were two peas in a pod just be
cause they are both highly educated
and have recently lost bowl games.
But what does that have to do with
their coaching styles or personalities?
It shows how some comparisons
are made and the damage they can do,
especially when they are made to ful
fill some self-serving bias or meant to
let out frustrations.
Either way, it isn’t fair. And we
need to cut it out.
Shanks is a graduate student and a Dally
Nebraskan columnist.
On February 12, 1994, join the University Program Council for an evening with
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