I -
Leftist hunters prey on right
In watching the 2nd District
Congressional debate Sunday
evening, I was subjected to what
has apparently become a common
tactic among the hodgepodge of
leftist drivel prevalent in today’s
political landscape.
In a slovenly attempt at
misdirection, misrepresentation and
general character assassination, the
incumbent Democrat Peter
“Gimme’ some pork” Hoagland
tried to stigmatize his Republican
challenger Jon Christensen with the
label “extremist.”
Veteran mudslinger “Hogland”
apparently felt Christensen’s views
on abortion warranted this outland
ish label. Ironically enough,
Christensen’s pro-life views are no
different than that of Nebraska’s
Democratic governor, Ben Nelson.
Would Hoagland characterize
Nelson as an “extremist?” Obvi
ously not.
The difference, you see, is that
Ben’s a Democrat and Christensen
is a Republican. The conventional
wisdom (or lack thereof) among
tax-hiking Clintonites like
Hoagland is that Republican pro
lifers are “extreme” whereas
Democratic pro-lifers are “main
stream”.
The problem runs much deeper
than “take the money and run”
Washingtonians like Hoagland,
however. There is an unfortunate
movement in our country to
misrepresent the political right as a
fanatical and intemperate fringe
group.
.The best place to view this sort
of nonsense, besides Hoagland’s
campaign headquarters, is on MTV.
When watching one of Kurt Loder’s
pathetic attempts at objective
broadcast journalism this weekend,
I saw political misrepresentation in
rare form.
When “investigating” a story on
racist, Nazi, skinhead types, Loder
repeatedly referred to the human
MTV, like most of their friends in the
media, has no qualms with
deliberately misrepresenting the right
in an attempt to categorize them
with loonies and extremists.
scum as "right-wingers.”
In his fanciful story, Loder made
sure the race-baiters weren’t
confused with peace-and-harmony
skinhead types, but no such attempt
was made to distinguish the hairless
fecal matter from American
conservatism, which is also allotted
the label "ri^ht-wing.”
Never mind the objectives of
fascism are statist, politically much
closer to the left than the right.
Never mind the rich history of
. racially oppressive policies among
Democrats and their lefty buddies
(Can you say slavery? How about
welfare?).
MTV, like most of their friends
in the media, has no qualms with
deliberately misrepresenting the
right in an attempt to categorize
them with loonies and extremists.
Brent Bozell of the Creators
Syndicate provides another ex
ample.
When comparing the media
coverage of two different political
organizations, the Christian Coali
tion and the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People, he found some very
different results.
Of 317 newspaper articles that
mentioned the Christian Coalition
between 1991 and June of 1994, the
organization was labelled as "far
right” or “hard-right” 150 times.
The NAACP, on the other hand,
was described as "liberal” only
eight times among 2,697 newspapei
stories. That’s only 0.3 percent,
folks.
This new wave of political
intolerance seeks to redefine
conservatism as a small sect of
religious bigots, out of step with the
American mainstream. By making
middle-of-the-road beliefs appear
“extreme,” Hoagland and his loony
left hope to shift the political
spectrum a little closer to their
territory.
This strategy is a variation of the
former “campaign like a conserva
tive, vote like a socialist” strategy
used by Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey
(who says: government’s bad,
unless it’s good, and then it’s not
too bad, but it’s not too good).
Fortunately, Hoagland’s use of
misdirection is not nearly as
effective as Kerrey’s. (Nobody can
babble like Bob.)
Hopefully the silent majority
remains unswayed by the libelous
character defamation used by
Hoagland and today’s left. Even
amidst gross exaggeration, most
people can detect seeds of truth,
something liberalism’s newest ploy
lacks.
But that doesn’t mean we
haven’t seen the last of Hoagland’s
brand of negativity. Come ’96 when
Billy Boy’s campaigning like the
“moderate” Democrat he isn’t, you
can bet the left will have a slew of
attacks against their mainstream
opposition. And they’ll be just as
false then as they are now.
Tucker is ■ senior biology major ami a
Dally Nebraskan columnist.
-1_I
Rising tuition drowns students
Nebraska University students
have again been reminded what a
good deal they get for their educa
tion dollar.
The University of Nebraska
Lincoln made the first U.S. News &
World Report’s top 20 best-buy list,
and an article in the Lincoln Journal
declared, “State’s collegians pay
less actual education costs than
peers”
That’s probably a great comfort
to people who have to make one
package of Ramen noodles last for
three days before payday.
UNL has made an annual trend
of raising tuition 5 to 6 percent.
Students are expected to appreciate
this hosing because other universi
ties are soaking their students for
more. It certainly makes one
wonder how those students get by
when students at this “best buy”
university have to sell their blood to
make ends meet.
The 5 to 6 percent increase
doesn’t look tyid in the peer
institution comparison format.
Tuition at the University of Mis
souri jumped 10 percent last year.
The UNL increase for 1994-95
was 6.2 percent — a few small steps
above the inflation rate, and a giant
leap beyond financial aid increases
and wages for part-time jobs.
What does the university say to
these people when they are priced
out of an education? That it was a
difficult decision, but we must
maintain competitive salaries to
continue attracting talented faculty?
Those salaries are a matter of
public record. According to the
Chronicle of Higher Education
Almanac Issue, Nebraska ranks 14th
in average pay for full-time faculty
among four-year public universities
in the 50 states. That ranking would
probably be slightly offset by the
substantial number of people who
teach for their dinner in order to
finish a doctorate.
The point is, most professional
UNL has made an annual trend of
i raising tuition 5 to 6percent.
Students are expected to appreciate
I this hosing because other universities
are soaking their students for more.
salaries at the university appear to
be competitive, including adminis
trative salaries.
NU President Dennis Smith
received a 3-year contract with an
annual salary of $165,000 when he
came here in December 1993. The
Chronicle lists the median salary of
chief executives as $116,907 for
comprehensive university systems,
and $155,000 for doctoral institu
tions.
Chancellor Graham Spanier’s
salary for 1994-95 is $ 151,050,
compared to $ 108,170 for the chief
executive of a single, comprehen
sive institution, and $149,000 for
doctoral institutions, according to
The Chronicle.
Our executives are surviving
university budget cuts rather
sportingly. They will continue to
have access to salary increases,
which is fine as long as students
continue to have access to an
education.
At the chancellor’s installation in
April 1992, Dr. Samuel Procter of
Rutgers University spoke about
“accessibility.” He said that, above
all, education should be accessible
to everyone.
When you make over $ 100,000 a
year, it’s probably damn near
impossible to comprehend what a
$20 increase here and a $20
increase (here means to someone
making $5 an hour. It could mean
the difference between access to a
university education and a lifetime
on an assembly line.
Most people go to college to get
better iobs: 82 percent, according to
The Chronicle. President Smith,
however, said the university was not
a“■vocational” school, and that
people should come here in pursuit
of education for edification. Why,
even his own daughter changed
majors several times before she
settled on a professional goal, he
said in an interview earlier this year.
The experience enhanced her
education more than her ability to
get a job, he said.
Unfortunately, not everyone has
a cash cow to bankroll a trip to
enlightenment. Does that mean
enlightenment is reserved for the
wealthy?
Smith also said low tuition rates
subsidized the wealthy. Theoreti
cally, the wealthy pay a higher
percentage of the taxes that support
the university. Low tuition rates
may actually subsidize the poor,
who need education to get better
jobs, not to go to nirvana.
For them, the university repre
sents opportunity. It represents a
chance to gain skills and get off
public assistance. Those people are
willing to work hard and make
sacrifices, but Ramen and blood only
go so far.
The justifications behind tuition
increases will seem more genuine
when university officials begin to
make some sacrifices themselves.
McAdama la a junior newa-cdltorial
major and the Dally Nebraahan wire
editor and cotamntat.
Free Computer
Classes!
The Computing Resource Center is offering free
microcomputer classes to UNL students. The classes will
feature an introduction to Microsoft Word for the
Macintosh. No reservations are required. Seats are
available on a first come, first served basis.
Introduction to Microsoft Word for Macintosh
rhursday, September 29 11:30 - 12:20 p.m. Andrews 17
Wednesday, October 6 11:00 -11:50 a.m. Andrews 17
Intermediate Microsoft Word for Macintosh
Tuesday, October 4 11:00 a.m. - 12J30 p.m. Andrews 17
Plug Into the
| World with FREE
Herbie Classes
Now that you have your computer account you can discover
how to tap into the resources available to you on the internet.
These classes are free and no reservations are required. Seats
are available on a first come, first served basis.
E-Mail
Wednesday, September 28 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Monday, October 3 11:00 • 12:30 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Gopher
Thursday, September 29 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Electronic News
Tuesday, September 27 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Wednesday, September 28 11:00-12:30 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Thursday, October 6 2:30-4:00 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Finger/Talk
Wednesday, September 28 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Monday, October 3 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Advanced E-Mail
Tuesday, October 4 10:30 - 12:00 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Wednesday, October 5 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
File Transfer Protocol
Wednesday, October 5 11:00-12:30 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
Thursday, October 6 10:30* 12:00 p.m. Bancroft Hall, 239
INSTITUTE FOR STUDY ABROAD
BUTLER UNIVERSITY
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES IN
GREAT BRITAIN
AUSTRALIA
IRELAND
NEW ZEALAND
Fully integrated, study at British, Irish,
Metv Zealand and Australian universities
FALL OR SPRING SEMESTER • FULL YEAR
INSTEP • SUMMER PROGRAM • INTERNSHIPS
Study Abroad Information Session
Representative: Steve Sea worth
Qate. Tues., September 27
Location: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
1237 R Street
For further information please contact: Your Study Abroad Office on campus
or the Institute for Study Abroad. Butler University. 4600 Suns?t Avenue.
Indianapolis. IN 46208. Tel: 317/283-9336 or 1/800-858-0229.
