Opinion
Net>raskan
Monday, March 7,1994
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jeremy Fitzpatrick.Editor. 472-1766
Rainbow Rowell.Opinion Page Editor
Adeana Left in.Managing Editor
Todd Cooper. ...Sports Editor
Jeff Zeleny.Associate News Editor
Sarah Duey.. ..• . — Arts & Entertainment Editor
Willian iMuer.. . .Senior Photographer
I Dl lout M
Greek beat
Houses should open in the name of law
To survive on the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln campus,
the grcck system must evolve with changing times.
Although they coexist with the residence halls on campus,
the greck houses are private property and relatively off-limits to
authorities except members and five administrators.
If there is a problem in a house and the UNL Police are not
invited in, they can do little but stand outside and shout advice.
Motivated by the hazing of Jeffrey Knoll and recent thefts,
university administrators have proposed a revised contract with
the grcck houses.
This contract would allow security officers to patrol the houses
and to enter them unannounced to spot check for alcohol in all
rooms except restrooms and individual rooms.
The officers would be paid for by the greek houses, as they arc
paid in the residence halls by housing fees.
The grcck houses should accept this contract.
Although it would restrict their freedom and involve some
expense, it would only hurt the houses that violate the student
code of conduct.
It would make it easier for UNL Police to take care of prob
lems if they do occur. It would also help secure the houses from
dangerous intruders. Because the officers would not have access
to individuals’ rooms, it would not be an invasion of privacy.
Although the grcck chapters arc on private property, they arc
guests of the university. It is only fair that the university have the
right and the means to enforce its code of conduct in these houses.
Out with it
Clintons could end speculation with truth
Each week brings new revelations about the Whitewater ease.
And each revelation makes it harder to believe the Clintons'
arc being completely open about their involvement in the
failed Arkansas real estate deal.
Friday, special prosecutor Robert Fiske served subpoenas on
six top Clinton aides, compelling them to testify before a grand
jury and ordering the White House to preserve all records related
to Whitewater.
The subpoenas came in the wake of revelations that senior
aides to President Clinton had been briefed by Treasury Depart
ment officials on the investigation of a failed Arkansas savings
and loan tied to the Whitewater. Administration officials said the
briefings were only to address press inquiries about the ease.
Saturday, White House chief counsel Bernard Nussbaum
resigned. Nussbaum was involved in the briefings.
Other elements of the ease have been opened up as well. The
Associated Press reported that Fiske has decided to hire patholo
gists to directly re-examine the conclusion that deputy White
House counsel Vincent Foster’s death was caused by suicide.
Foster, a former partner of Mrs. Clinton, was working on
Whitewater matters at the time of his death.
Administration officials went on television Sunday, admitting
the White House had made mistakes handling Whitewater, but
saying the White House is cooperating fully with the investiga
tion. They claimed Republicans were using the issue for political
gain.
It is clear that Republicans arc hoping to benefit from the
fallout over Whitewater. But it also seems clear the American
people are not being told the entire story about this ease. If
President Clinton wants to end the speculation about Whitewater,
he should come forward and tell what he knows.
Km IOKI W 1*01 l< \
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P \l I KOI SI I K
Old-fashioned thought outdated
Although history is a long story
involving many peoples and
places, it is actually quite sim
plistic. Willa Cather, a famous Ne
braskan author, said, “There arc only
two or three human stories, and they
go on repeating themselves, as fierce
ly as if they had never happened be
fore.”
One of these stories is the lesson
taught by “old fashioned” thought.
History shows human behavior
never changes, not even in an educat
ed, civilized society. Due to old-fash
ioned thinking, the masses have been
resisting change in their 1 i ves for thou
sands of years. We must be careful to
not let that old-fashiontd thinking
alter our sense of logic.
History is a repeating story of a
minority of individuals fighting for
change, while the masses, whether
due to com fort or fear, resist change or
go with the flow.
Progressive thinkers have histori
cally fought for changes at the ex
pense of being labeled as radicals or
extremists. Sometimes fighting for
justice resulted in imprisonment and
execution.
Old-fashioned thinking is what
possessed virtually the entire south to
enslave blacks and resist changing
their evil ways. This same mode of
thought led our God-fearing nation
into widespread acceptance of sexism
and racism well into the 1960s. Mil
lions of old-fashioned thinkers still
carry these ideals inherited from their
ancestors, ideals set in concrete.
1 have observed that in history,
many things that were once fully ac
cepted by society we now find unac
ceptable. The people who fought for
these changes were viewed as extrem
ists in their day. Perhaps the extrem
ists of today will one day be viewed
with respect and thankfulness, just as
many of the extremists of yesterday
arc today. If not for these radicals,
black people still would be slaves,
women would not be allowed to vole
f
Perhaps the extremists of today
will one day be viewed with re
spect and thankfulness, just as
many of the extremists of yes
terday are today.
and wc still would be polluting the
environment free from regulations.
Takc, for instance, Harriet Tubman,
who fought for freedom of the slaves.
Hated by many, she fought for what
was then radical change and helped
free more than 300 black human be
ings. Slavery was once an acceptable
practice in this country, although most
of us abhor it today.
Then there’s Mrs. Rosa Parks, a
mulatto woman who in 1955 calmly
refused to give up her bus seat to a
white man. She was arrested for this
radical deed, which started a boycott
ofthc Montgomery, Ala., busline. This
one action by this"cxtremist” gave the
civil rights movement momentum.
Until the 19th Amendment was
added to our constitution in 1920,
women were not even allowed to vole.
In fact, for the majority of American
history, women have been treated as
inferiors. Women once gave up their
rights through marriage and weren’t
allowed into colleges.
It took 70 years of hard work by
women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and Susan B. Anthony to gain the
right to vote. It’s hard to believe the
majority once supported the blatant
oppression of women, but that is our
heritage.
Even today, old-fashioned think
ing is predominant. Those who stand
up for the rights of humans or the
preservation of the environment arc
conveniently labeled as extremists and
ignored. I call this the Rush Limbaugh
syndrome. Ignorance is bliss, but
-—
change is painful.
Old-fashioned Limbaugh syn
drome was clearly demonstrated by
the business college last week when
allegations of sexism by the Universi
ty of Ncbraska-Lincoln chapter of the
American Association of University
Professors were conveniently dis
missed. Chancellor Graham Spanier
disregarded it because it appears there
needed to be a larger number of com
plaints to take these women seriously.
CBA Dean Gary Schwendiman
claimed the whole ordeal was a plot to
disrupt the college by an outside wom
en’s group.
This sounds a little paranoid to me.
Anothcrexcusc to ignore the claims
was that it was not a—biased—UNL
investigation. It would have been bel
ter to simply listen and deal with the
alleged problem, but at a school oper
ated by eight Republican regents with
wealthy backgrounds, nothing sur
prises me.
Sexism, racism and homophobia
are serious problems dividing our na
tion. Overpopulation, poverty and the
state of the environment threaten the
future of our children. Still, millions
in our nation engage in old-fashioned
thought and cast their votes from a
financial perspective.
Old-fashioned thought, a simple
lesson in history overlooked by many.
Until we recognize the lessons of his
tory, we are doomed to repeat it.
Koetter it a tealor toil tcieace major aad
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