The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, March 11, 1994, Page 4, Image 4

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    Opinion
Nel^raskan
Friday, March 11, 1994
Jeremy Fitzpatrick
Rainbow Rowell. .
Acieana Left in. . . .
Todd Cooper.
JeffZeleny.
Sarah Duey.
William Lauer. . . .
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
.Editor. 472-1766
.Opinion Page Editor
.Managing Editor
...Sports Editor
.Associate News Editor
Arts & Entertainment Editor
.Senior Photographer
EDI I OKI \l
‘All’ means all
Liberty and justice not just for status quo
If there is one place that should be free of discrimination in
the United States, it is the Congress. The elected representa
tives in Congress arc entrusted with making laws and
protecting the citizens of the country.
Republican Congressmen Bill Barrett of Nebraska failed to
meet that responsibility with statements he made Wednesday. The
Associated Press reported Barrett said he probably wouldn’t hire
someone who admitted being a homosexual.
“An overwhelming majority of my constituents have told me
— especially during the debate over gays in the military — they
don’t support the promotion of homosexual lifestyles,” Barrett
said in a statement. “This is their office.”
Barrett’s remarks were related to a petition that has been
circulated in Congress by the Human Rights Campaign Fund, a
gay and lesbian political organization. Individuals who sign the
petition pledge that they will not discriminate against gays or
lesbians in hiring.
The Constitution guarantees homosexuals the same rights as
everyone else in the United States. Their private lives have
nothing to do with their ability to work. If they arc the most
qualified applicants, they should be hired.
We cannot say in the United States that everyone has rights
except people who arc homosexual. The rights we have under the
Constitution arc universal. If everyone’s rights arc not protected,
then everyone’s rights are in danger.
Ql <) I i s ()l Tin: W I I K
“I really would like to spend the rest of my life
with (VISION second vice presidential candidate)
Judy Rishel. ”
— Matthew Brinkman, LETTUCE second vice presidential
candidate, explaining why he got involved in Association of
Students of the University of Nebraska elections.
“You have the audacity to say I look like Jesus. I
am Jesus. ”
— Matt Kissler, LETTUCE presidential candidate, revealing at
an ASUN debate why he was wearing a brown robe
“I think the biggest factor is that (Loudon) had
89 people kissing his ass to get the cheeseball
elected, and the people got the biggest snow job
they ve ever seen in their lives."
— J.B. Howell, RESUME presidential candidate, responding to
VISION candidate Andrew Loudon 's victory.
“Anyone and their dog could have predicted that
VISION would win. ”
— Gary Doyle, organizer of Dave Letterman's write-in
campaign, after VISION's victory.
“He was extremely calm. That’s what bothered
me.”
— Connecticut Capitol Police Sgt. Tony Murphy, describing the
emotions of a man who cut off his finger in front of the State
Capitol to protest gun control.
“I haven’t done anything wrong and I’m not
going to do anything wrong. ”
— President Clinton, who said he had nothing to hide in the
Whitewater investigation.
I m mui \i I'm k \
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 Regent s. Editorial columns represent
the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan They establish the LTNL
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 III l< I'tH 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 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, ifany. Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily
Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb 6858X 0448
JOURNAL ©94
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Homosexuality
Arc homosexuals really a race, and
if so, do they deserve special rights
over and above the rights of the major
ity? Is it possible to define a group of
people that have similar likes and
disl ikes as a race? Can race be defined
by actions instead of physical charac
teristics?
If homosexuals arc a legitimate
race, then by the same standards, so
are the Black Panthers and the KKK.
If homosexuals deserve special
rights, then the Nazis also rate equal
representation and due consideration
for their practices.
When the Cub Scouts “discrimi
nate” against gays by not allowing
them to be scout leaders, the Ameri
can Civil Liberties Union cries, “hate
criminals,” but nobody would say any
thing if David Duke were denied the
same position.
Why can society determine what is
normal and abnormal except in the
ease of “sexual preference?" Depres
sion, phobias, multi-personalities,
schizophrcnia.bestiality, necrophilia,
the act of rape and pedophilia are
obviously all wrong and abnormal, so
why not homosexuality?
If society can define right and
wrong, then what is the point of it all?
Why is murder or rape illegal, and
why do we even have laws to begin
with? Everything should be for our
selfish desires.
It has yet to be explained why 98
percent of society is heterosexual if,
supposedly, none of them think it is
animalistic and barbaric. What keeps
them from crossing the line, and what
makes them heterosexual?
Of all the people 1 have known, I
have never heard anyone call homo
sexuality “natural love.” I’ve lived in
California and seen people jumping
up and down and yelling, “I’m God,
I’m God," over and over again, and
others walking around with mice on
their shoulders, eating hair. I guess
that should be called “natural life.”
As far as rights and privileges, all
people have the Bill of Rights. That’s
it. If you don’t like it, 1 dare you to try
your luck somewhere else.
Christopher W. Winkclmann
sophomore
mechanical engineering
Farrakhan
It’s apparent that Kim Spurlock
(DN, March 10,1993) has not studied
enough about Hitler and his plan to
have an Aryan race dominate Europe.
Hitler’s career in politics began as a
soap box speech in bars and on street
comers.
He was mistaken for a nobody, and
the world ignored him. After his book,
“Mein Kompf,” the German people
listened and were brainwashed by his
message. Hitler blamed the Jewish
community for Germany’s poor eco
nomic state.
The same is true for Farrakhan.
Farrakhan is searching for some
body to blame for black repression in
the United States. When you can’t
blame the Koreans or whites, you
search for a specific group of people to
be the cause. Now it’s the Jews.
Do we need a war in our country
over the color of skin or between the
Islam and Jewish faiths? America was
built by people who were oppressed.
We are all the same race, the human
race.
Stop the suspicion and the hate,
lest we are to become the messengers
of death for those that come after us.
Neal King
junior
English
(225
Amy Schmidt/DN
RESUME’s advice
Now that the Association of Stu
dents of the University of Nebraska
election is over, the RESUME party
would I ike to say a few things to those
newly elected.
First, we would I ike to congratulate
the whole VISION party on ajob well
done. You won, and you deserved it.
Next, to the senators: You have a
large responsibility ahead of you. Take
hold of the power you have and use it.
Don’t waste your time or students’
time talking about things you don’t
need to. Don’t be like the little Dutch
boy who stuck his finger in the hole
when he saw it was leaking.
Next, to Judy Rishel and Britt
Ehlers: Keep Andrew Loudon on his
toes. He is going to need a lot of help.
Just make sure he does what is right.
Finally, to Loudon: 1 saved you for
last. Make sure you remain honest
with the people and keep your integri
ty. Don’t sell out and don’t compro
misc. Stand your ground even if it is
the unpopular thing to do.
Make sure that now you are elect
ed, your platform docs not become a
memory. You were elected to achieve
those things, and I hope you keep
working on them all year.
Finally, I hope you’re strong
enough to take a stand for what is
right, even if it’s politically wrong.
Don’t be like past presidents and do
the politically correct thing even when
you know it is wrong.
Every student on this campus has
the right to be treated the same, so
treat them the same. Loudon, work
with the press, instead of against it.
Change ASUN’s image to a positive
one.
Loudon, you have the potential to
have a lot of power. Take the respon
sibility and the power and become a
president this university can be proud
of.
J.B. Howell and the RESUME party
RESUME presidential candidate
Tougher standards
There has been much said about
the increasing costs of an education at
the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln.
There has been just as much said about
the increasing of class sizes to meet
budget requirements.
An acceptance rale of more than 90
percent would not seem to help this
problem. Neither would a freshman
drop out rate of more than 50 percent.
UNL has both of these.
11 seems we m ight have located one
source of wasted funds. Those of us
who want to be here are supplement
ing the costs of coming-of-agc pro
cesses for rural Nebraska’s children.
This is not just another stereotype. It’s
a fact that more than 90 percent of
UNL students are native Nebraskans.
This seems fair, though, when we
look at how much of the tuition costs
actually come from students — less
than half. The rest comes from the
state of Nebraska in the form of tax
dollars.
A university forum of education
should be run for those who haven’t
made up their minds. Isn’t that what
the military is for?
Some of us have travelled thou
sands of miles to attend this institu
tion on the basisof its merits, not so we
can get game-day tickets for the folks
at home.
So yes. President Smith, it is the
faculty. How about eliminating the
seat warmers by toughening up en
trance standards so more of us student
types can gain more from the faculty.
Gordon Bjorman
sophomore
agribusiness