Killing no answer to crime
I used to be in favor of the death
penalty. But something changed in
me. 1 used to support a lot of things:
pot in the ’70s, Ronald Reagan and
Rush Limbaugh in the ’80s. Over
time, small and big revelations
helped me change my mind.
I’m no longer in favor of killing
people or of killing animals for
sport. Killing for food I can tolerate.
When I supported the death
penalty, I had some strange ideas
about human life. I thought it was
all right to decide what to do with
people who did things I didn’t like.
I was in the military, and I was
ready to kill.
My plan was to obtain a jet, fly
low into South Africa at breakfast
time and crash that sucker right into
P. W. Botha’s house — family and
all. Another plan was to become a
mercenary there and kill white
folks; Looking back, 1 spent a lot of
time hating. I call it my pro-death
phase.
Shortly after that, 1 had a small
revelation. I say small because I had
not figured out that I was out of my
mind with hate. This time, 1 had a
plan to round up all the rapists,
murderers and drug dealers. They
were to be put in the least-populated
Western state and imprisoned for
life. I named this territory
AMERBER1A. Now, I look back
and say, “What a whacko I was!”
The key to my salvation was to
have experienced a realization that
changed my thoughts about other
people. It isn’t something I can put
my finger on, but at some point I
began to say, “It isn’t OK to kill.”
The battle had only just begun,
however. I had some other strange
ideas.
/ don't want to let the anti-death
penalty people off the hook, though.
They usually seem to he a bunch of
psuedo-liberal, middle-class,
bleeding hearts who don't back up
their protests with action.
Looking back, I see the contra
diction in my views. I’d grown to
the point of not wanting to see
people killed, but I still wanted to
see some people hurt.
I remember teasing my good
friend Ron Kurtenbach. “Don’t
worry,” I said. “When the black
man takes over. I’ll tell ‘cm you’re a
good one, and you’ll be spared.” At
the time, I thought it was funny. But
playing God with people’s lives -
isn’t funny — it’s sickening.
This past Saturday, my wife and
I happened to walk past a demon
stration of death penalty supporters.
We had no idea what was happen
ing as we approached. I joked that
because they were carrying Ameri
can flags, they probably didn’t have
our interests in mind. So often, it
seems, American flag-waving goes
hand-in-hand with denying people’s
rights.
I don’t want to let the anti-death
penalty people off the hook, though.
They usually seem to be a bunch of
psuedo-liberal, middle-class,
bleeding hearts who don’t back up
their protests with action.
In my seven years of working in
human services, I’ve never seen
these people actually working with
the could-be Harold Lamont Oteys
of tomorrow. Instead of going to the
prison to visit Otcy, they should
volunteer at Youth Services’
Freeway Station or the Family
Services’ Schools Out program.
It might be a little late to salvage
Otey’s life. The State just might kill
him. So when it Finally is decided.
I’d like all the pro-death penalty
folks and all the anti-death penalty
folks to give me a call.
Let’s talk about changing
people’s lives before they end up in
Oley’s situation. Let’s get through
to a child long before he becomes a
madc-to-order marketing ploy, like
Willie Horton was for the Republi
can campaign against Michael
Dukakis. Then we’ll really accom- ["
plish something.
Otey is society’s worst nightmare
come true. He is poor, black and
uneducated, and he was convicted of ‘
the brutal rape and murder of Jane
McManus. He is the embodiment of
societal fears. Willie Horton, a man
who destroyed lives while on
furlough from a Massachusetts jail,
is another example of society’s
worst nightmare come true.
I wish they’d put these people in
a hole, never to see the light of day
again. But society should not kill.
Shanks is a graduate student and a
Daily Nebraskan columnist.
-1 I
Teachers need ‘code of ethics’
Ahh ... I smell newness in the
air. Another year, another semester,
another chance to redeem yourself
from past academic sins. I love the
first day of school.
Friday, I listened to Chancellor
Graham Spanicr greet thousands of
new freshmen. His speech was
upbeat, as it is every year, and full
of promises of wonderful opportuni
ties for freshmen if they try hard
enough. It was the same “Students
beware ... take responsibility for
yourself’ speech we’ve all heard
before.
As a warning, or perhaps as a
threat, Spanier told us one of every
four freshman fails to return for his
or her sophomore year. If only three
of four freshmen return for their
sophomore year, I wonder how
many freshmen actually graduate?
Spanier did offer some sugges
tions on how students could
succeed. He told us to befriend a
faculty member early in our college
careers so that somebody from the
university was on our side. This is
all part of how students can take
responsibility for themselves.
Responsibility — what a grown
up word. I agree with Spanier that
students should be responsible for
themselves in order to prosper in
college. I also agree that students
should find a faculty person to help
them.
But how realistic is it to ask
students to make an effort to get to
know their professors, when most of
their professors don’t know they
exist? It would be different if
Spanier gave UNL faculty the same
pep talk. Maybe he could ask
teachers to also live up to their
responsibilities.
Several factors make this campus
what it is. The most important
entities are students and their
professors. Students always are told
Several factors make this campus
what it is. The most important
entities are students and their
professors. Students always are
told to fulfill their part, but
professors rarely are told to fulfill
theirs.
■
to fulfill their part, but professors
rarely are told to fulfill theirs.
Because no written “code of
ethics” for professors is in my
university handbook, 1 have devised
a list of professors’ “should be”
responsibilities:
1) Remember students are your
clients. Last time 1 checked,
students paid tuition to attend
classes, and professors received a
paycheck for teaching them.
Because students help pay their
salaries, professors work for
students. In the real world, employ
ees show respect for the clients who
support their livelihoods. Why
should it be any different in an
academic setting? Without students,
professors would be unemployed.
2) If, as a professor, you expect
students to abide by your rules,
abide by student policies. Remem
ber the dead-week policy forbidding
professors to distribute unan
nounced quizzes or exams. Last
year, I had a professor who violated
this policy and was shocked when
several students reported him to his
department. It is unfortunate that
this professor couldn’t understand
the importance of following '
student-friendly policies.
3) Students will only learn if you
arc here to teach. 1 realize UNL is a
research university. However, if
professors consider themselves
researchers first and teachers
second, they are confusing their
priorities. Educational systems can
only be successful if students are
willing to learn and teachers arc
willing to teach.
4) If you expect students to
attend your classes, then you also
must always attend. Missing class
for a conference is understandable,
but missing class for seven confer
ences is not.
5) Do not play games with
students’ grades. Perhaps too much
emphasis is placed on grades.
However, at the end of the semes
ter, all students can use to measure
their success is a grade. Teachers
should clearly lay out their grading
policies and their expectations at
the beginning of the semester.
Luckily, most professors already
follow this code of ethics. This list
is addressed only to those teachers
who think they’re doing students a
favor by simply being here. We
don’t need professors who will not
live up to their responsibilities to
their students.
For the new year, students and
professors should make a promise
to mutually respect each other. We
need teachers who will give us 100
percent of their effort, and in return
we’ll give them 200 percent of ours.
Stock la ■ Juolor secondary educadoo
Major ud a Daly Nebraikaa coloMolit.
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