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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 25, 1994)
C IM)\ LAMiK-kl bk k Unorganized moms must rebel i uu can siop looking now. 1 louna them. And by the way, a big thank you to all 10,384 folks whom I stopped on Tuesday to ask, “Have you seen any keys?” You can finally rest easy knowing that they, and consequently I, arc safe. Funny thing is, they were right where I left them: at home hanging on their little hook in the hallway. Tuesday was not a good day. I also left my bike lock in the garage, neglected to bring a writing utensil to class and forgot to put on deodorant. I did, however, remember to brush my teeth. So I’m unorganized and forgetful. So what. There is a method to my madness. I have an excuse. I’m a mother, which means I have children. Children arc those little people who expect you to remember, and take care of, all the details of their lives. I’m also a wife, which means I have a husband. Husbands are those big people who expect you to remember, and take care of, all the details of their lives. Forgetting my keys, unbeknown to me at the time, could be the modest start of a social revolution. From here on out, I am making a political statement about the inequali ties of home and hearth using negligence as my weapon. I am formally instituting a rebellion of women as keepers of the list, kicking off a “just say no” campaign against the superwoman syndrome, changing the social structure through sisterly subterfuge. It will take more than simply forgetting our keys, but if we all work together, we can successfully slop civilization as we know it. OK, we start with the little things: misplaced keys. No more car pools to Little League games; eventually no more major league sports, because no I haven't always advocated uprising. There was a time in my life ivhen I thought organization was obtainable and even desirable. one drove the kids to practice — do you see the implications here? We forget to make denial appointments, then move on to losing the laundry soap and the vacuum. “Honey, have you seen the Hoovci lately? I just can’t remember where I put it.” Finally, we forget to put anything away, including — but not limited to —junk mail, dishes and our child’s school papers. I haven’t always advocated uprising. There was a time in my life when I thought organization was obtainable and even desirable. I knew and envied organized people. They had file cabinets that actually held labeled files. They mowed their lawns at an angle and had all their tools hanging on Pcgboards in the garage. They had appointment calendars the size of the New York City directory, and they used them. The watches they wore beeped on the hour, told time on all seven continents and reminded them to floss their teeth. They had organized children with clean rooms. Their kid.* wore wrinkle-free clothing with matching socks and brushed their teeth without being reminded. (No doubt they were anal retentive and prone to nightmares.) For years I deceived myself into thinking I could do it too. I perused the public library and checked out — but never had time to read—“Five Days To An Organized Life,” “The Ninety-Minute Hour,” and my favorite, “Where’s My Other Sock.” I bought a file cabinet. I used it to store all the junk I wanted to hide from my children. 1 figured someday 1 would buy files and fill them with important stuff, like the articles I’d clipped from the paper that explained how to organize your time and manage your life. I fantasized that the gift of organization would come with motherhood and maturity — sort of like wishing for pain-free childbirth. While pregnant, 1 would see women lugging the entire infant department of Dillards around in quilted tote bags. When my turn came, I was lucky to remember to throw Pampers in my purse. Thank God I had the sense to breast-feed my babies, or they would have starved to death waiting for me to sterilize bottles and pick up the forgotten Similac. Things have progressively gotten worse. Sometimes I have to go through the checkout line three times on a single trip to the supermarket. Whoops, forgot bananas! Whoops, we need more bread. Excuse me, have you seen my sunglasses? Things have got to change. Unorganized women of Lincoln unite. I’m calling a meeting—just as soon as I find my car. I.ange-Kubick it a senior news-editorial and sociology major and a Daily Nebraskan columnist. SIMON | ,|\ I K Wl Free speech was Hitler’s tool T'h m — I■ A a - - — — 1 A 1 ^ * M A — _ _ * ^ I . — _ . « a A « A a * IIV I VVVIII VirVUIUI IV/1 • IUIV T IVIVIIW of the abortion issue is symptomatic of a society that has allowed its naivety to become fatal. Freedom of speech in the United States has been brought to such extremes that it has been transformed from an asset to a liability. Groups who preach hate and instigate violence arc prospering undisturbed in a society blindly tied to a Disneyland concept of free speech. The main problem stems from the fact that Americans refuse to look critically at history without the preconceptions that ultimately erase any meaningful deduction. When looking at World War II for example, young American generations do not sec 40 million deaths and the total destruction of Europe. They see the United States’ liberation of Europe as proof of American democracy’s superiority. The difference in history lessons cxplaias why European countries limit the indiscriminate use of free speech and the U.S. doesn’t. The key word is indiscriminate. Obviously, as a member of the media, I cannot be against free speech as a concept; but it has to be monitored. My upbringing in Italy was characterized by the knowledge that fascist propaganda was banned by law. This limitation of free speech has never led to more widespread censorship. Americans’ paranoia that imposing any sort of speech codes will destroy First Amendment rights is reminiscent of their fear that drinking a beer will result in alcohol ism. _______ Fortunately, we do not live in a world without logic or a sense of continuity, and history is the best tool * we have to understand the present. We do not have to make the mistake now many doctors wui nave to oe shot before preventive action will be taken against violent ‘pro-life” groups? Why not make it a crime for a pastor slowly to incite followers to violence .... of regarding history as a Bible. However, it would be a mistake to assume history does not repeat itself. Why? Because every society arrogantly assumes its system is better than any preceding one. History, however, has taught us a good orator can inflame the masses and stir them to violence. The argument that truth always will prevail and justice will triumph is appealing, but only good for fairy talcs. Indeed, truth and justice triumphed over Hitler — forty million deaths too late. How many doctors will have to be shot before preventive action will be taken against violent “pro-life” groups? Why not make it a crime for a pastor slowly to incite followers to violence, especially after numerous eases show a correlation between words and deeds? With today’s technology, the speeches of violent lunatics can spread around the world in a matter Df seconds. With the advent of radio and television, dictators in embryo can popularize their thoughts among uneducated people. The key word here is uneducated, because the assumption beneath freedom of speech is that the audience should have the intellectual tools to make a thoughtful decision. Unfortunately, education is rare, and ignorance equals vulnerability. The advent of universal suffrage gave power to people who did not have the intellec tual tools to use it. If we think that a high school drop-out has the same voting power as a Harvard professor, we can realize how dangerous it is to allow charismatic but extremist leaders to work the masses. Hitler, and others like him, took advantage of the ignorance of the common people and gave voice to their most violent instincts. The Nazi's rise to power was fueled by an explosive mixture: free speech and ignorance. Of course, nobody can be against free speech. It would be like being against world peace. It would be masochistic for me to be against a system which is protecting me in this very instance. 1 am, however, against the use of free speech when it is aimed at provoking violence or used to conceal historic facts. A good example of this is the denial of the Holocaust by neo-Nazi groups. Speech codes should not be instituted only on certain campuses, xit should be defined by the federal government. If only one person’s life could be <avcd by restricting violent speeches, it would be worth the inconvenience. Uveraal U a junior advertiilaf major ind a Daily Nebraska* columnist. LAWLOR'S SPORTING GOODS Tent Sale! 56TH & HWY 2 • EDGEWOOD PARKING LOT Huge Savings Now Thru Aug. 30th *250,000 Of Cool Stuff Consolidated From 4 Stores At Dramatic Discounts Under 1 Tent! Mm, Ladci, E Kn T |"ft/ Summer Sportswear.OU"# D%0FF Hundreds of Pams 7FQ/ Athletic Footwear .OU"iO/o Water Sk. Gear.40-60% Baseball & Softball Gear .40“50%OFF f«Ss'& Golf Gear .40-60% .50% .50% .50% Tshirts, Sweats, & Shorts.*228_$082 Sports Posters . .990 $tt (sjtsi. yaw* kcIftivu fat ic4t mUcUm! Books & Books of Snow Skis & Ski Boots Don't Fonoct Athletic Bags . Amo What Amour OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF L^II/l/LOR’S SPORTING GOODS I Rea/ Gear for Real Players! UNLIMITED ROUND-TRIP FLIGHTS FOR ONLY $10. 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