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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1994)
Opinion NelDraskan Thursday, April 14,1994 Nebraskan Editorial Board University of Nebraska-Lincoln Jeremy Fitzpatrick Rainbow Rowell Adeana Left in. Todd Cooper JeJfZeleny. Sarah Duey. William Lauer Editor, 472-1766 Opinion Page Editor Managing Editor .Sports Editor Associate News Editor Arts & Entertainment Editor .Senior Photographer F.IH l()KI VI Don’t forget We must learn lessons of the Holocaust It happened. And it must be remembered. Wednesday night at the State Capitol, 200 people gathered at a Holocaust commemoration titled “No More Lists." UNL Chancellor Graham Spanicr was the keynote speaker. Spanier is Jewish, and his father and grandfather both escaped from Nazi Germany. Spanicr spoke of the need to remember what happened in Germany during one of the blackest periods of human history. “Thankfully, there are thousands of witnesses the world over — and for those of us in my generation, tens of thousands of children of witnesses — who must never forget,” he said. There are people today who are trying to promote the lie that the Holocaust didn’t happen. In their quest to spread racial hatred and division, these people arc doing everything they can to cast doubt on the fact that 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. Events like Wednesday’s commemoration arc important because they ensure that we will never forget what happened in Nazi Germany. The genocide of the Holocaust may seem distant to many students at UNL, who were not alive when it happened. But our grandparents lived through it. It was not that long ago. The ethnic cleansing in Bosnia shows this world has not learned the lessons of the Holocaust. The murder of innocent people because of their ancestry still goes on today. The Holocaust happened. And we must keep its memory fresh if we want to stop racial killing in the future. We are responsible for making sure it doesn’t happen again. Cutting costs Health Center changes aren t all that bad Changes in the University Health Center’s hours seem a lot worse than they actually are. The center will no longer be open from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and from I p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays. This would be dangerous if students could not get emergency help during those hours. Many freshman don’t have cars if they need to get to a hospital, and the university has a special need for late-night treatment of intoxicated students. But an orderly will remain in the facility, and a nurse will be on call while the center is closed. Students will still be able to call the center with questions, and students with emergencies will be provided with transportation to a hospital. This will not be as convenient for students on campus. They will no longer have the security of knowing that no matter when they arc hurt or ill, help is only a few minutes away. Dangerously intoxicated students will no longer be able to use the Health Center. However, the changed hours will not endanger students. Few use the Health Center during these hours as it is, and if there is an emergency, students will still get help. No longer keeping a physician and a nurse on duty all night will save the center money. It will be able to use this money to give better service to students during the day, when the Health Center is used most. y m mm \i i*oi n \ SUIT editorials represent the official policy of the Spring I9‘)4 Daily Nebraskan Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Hditorial Board Ldilorialsdo not necessarily reflect the views of the university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents Hditorial 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 II U I'OI 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 ol clarity, originality, timelindks and space available The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material submitted Readers also arc 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, 14(H) R St , Lincoln, Neb 685KK 0448 T THikIK — THAT T$ T FOMt> TMe SooRCe vour ?w>eiM I.ii it i<n in iill l!miok Breaking the law After reading the editorial with the headl inc“Singaporc sting” (DN, April 11, 1994), I have just a couple of things to say to the bleeding hearts in America about the Michael Fay situ ation in Singapore. First, Fay is portrayed as the poor boy who made the “mistake of spray painting some cars.” Mistake? Is de liberately vandalizing 1X cars a “mis take”? Contrary to popular belief, the world does not revolve around the United States. As soon as you take one step out of this country, you arc sus ceptible to the laws of the country in which you arc visiting or living. If you break those laws, you will be punished according to that country’s societal standards. Sadly, it seems as though our stan dards have diminished to the point where our children do not understand right from wrong. This country is unable to find an effective deterrent to crime. Fay’s punishment is designed to serve two purposes: to deter him from committing other crimes and to deter others who may entertain the idea of committing crimes in the future. Amy L. Guminski sophomore marketing Cobain's death In response to the assertions made in PaulaLavigne’scolumn(DN, April 11,1994), I would submit to you that Kurt Cobam was not a victim, nor the next John Lennon, nor a spokesman for a generation. What Cobain was, however, was an outstanding example of the human debris that litters our society. Cobain represents the mis guided, aimlessly wandering shells of human beings who want to blame someone else for their own inadequa cies and inabilities to be productive members of our society. People who look to the government for an anchor to their lives. No one ever said that 1 ife was going to be easy. However, when did it be come acceptable to act irresponsibly and lawless when one experiences difficulties and hardship? His youth is colored wi th various accountsof crimi nal activity and irresponsibility, his last being his suicide. He should not be glorified in any manner. What he stands for should be vilified. Suicide, except for God or country, is not an action taken by an intelli gent, thoughtful individual. In fact, it is one of the most thoughtless, self serving acts one can perform. Docs Lavigne actually believe that Cobain had no idea what fame would do to his life? Surely he knew that being in the public eye would place his family, friends, activities and charac ter flaws under a microscope. The American media has a way of scruti nizing the actionsofsomc, while look ing the other way or downplaying the actionsofothers. As Harry S. Truman once said, “If you can’ t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Well, Cobain got out, didn’t he. If Cobain and other musicians feel they are prostituted by performing and raped by fans—who, by the way, purchase tickets, albums and assorted mere handisc—why don ’ t they go out and get a real job? They can then go back to playing their music in a ga rage somewhere on the weekends and not have to worcy about demanding fans, agents or critics, for that matter. No one coerced Cobain into making albums, d id t hey? F in al ly, wh at Cobai n failed to realize is that even though we don’t choose our specific lives, we are each responsible for making some thing out of it. Michael D. Garrison senior business administration r i James Mehsling/DN No hero In response to Paula Lavignc’s column (DN, April 11, 1994): I must take issue with the light in which Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain’s death was presented. Ignoring the questionable equating of Cobain to John Lennon on the basis of talent — their deaths cannot, must not, be par alleled. Len non was murdered. Coba in took his own life. Throughout Lavignc’s column, and in every memorial MTV news segment or N irvana video block. Cobain is eulogized as some sort of tragic hero. MTV needs some sort of victim/martyr to hoist up and illus trate the ills of this sick society that chews up young idealists and spits themout. Sothcy havechosenCobain. Cobain, a man who sought solu tions to the problems that society “bur dened” him with in alcohol and heroin. Cobain, a man who attacked the press when allegations were made that his wife was using heroin during her preg nancy, which, at the time, made him seem concerned with this new life, this new responsibility. Cobain, a man who fathered a child and then left her fatherless. In short, Cobain was a small man. a selfish man who couldn’t deal with pressures far less than many others’ pressures. Cobain was nothing more than a coward. If MTV has its way, however, he will be remembered as a tragic hero, a young genius and a beautiful man who was a victim ofthc immense burdens heaped on him against his will. He was no hero. If he is perceived as such, then I fear for the society that docs so. and even more for those who would emulate him. Phillip Kennedy freshman middle-level education Loudon Assoc iation of Students of the Uni versity ofNcbraska President Andrew Loudon: Ever since you took office. I have been waiting. Have you forgotten? It has been about a month and a half since you took office, and still you have not taken care of your illegal campaign. Do you remember the Electoral Commission hearing where you pleaded to have your sentences re duced because you were paying out of your own pocket? The commission took 11 easy on you. Your worst viola tion, door-to-door soliciting in the residence halls, breaking their rules and ours, only cost you a small fee plus a letter of apology to all of the resi dence hall presidents. All I, the president of Abel Hall, expected was a simple letter of apol ogy.admitting that although you were not directly invol ved, you were indeed responsible for your campaign. You blamed your campaign on everyone else, including your supporters, and pleaded ignorance. These are not the actions of a leader. A leader admits his or her mistakes and accepts re sponsibility for them. I did not turn you in to the Electoral Com miss ion because I questioned yxir leadership. I turned you in because you broke the rules and offended resi dents in Abel Hall. It is now that I question your leadership. You still have not taken responsibility for your campaign. You still have not apolo ?;izcd to those whom you have ol ended. Have you forgotten that we arc the people you represent? Michelle Steinauer Abel Residence Hall president
