Opinion
Tuesday, October 18,1994 Page 4
Nebraskan
\\i Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jeff Zeleny.Edi,or• 472-1766
Kara Morrison. Opinion Page Editor
Angie Brunkow.Managing Editor
Jeffrey Robb.Associate News Editor
Rainbow Rowell.Columnist/Associate News Editor
Kilev Christian.Photography Director
Mike Lewis.Copy Desk ChieJ
James Mehsling..Cartoonist
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It’s time to act
UNL officials are turning their heads
After years of “awareness.'1 sexual assault is still not being
reported or dealt with as seriously as it should be.
University Police Chief Ken Caublc has said that only 13 sexual
assaults have been reported at the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln
in the past four years.
Caublc said the number of actual sexual assaults that have
occurred here would be about 260, if it held with national statistics
that show only one in 20 assaults is reported.
Judith Kriss, director of the UNL Women's Center, said one of
the biggest problems was that society's view of the crime still has
not progressed.
“Because society blames the victim, we as women, tend to
internalize that and blame ourselves — particularly when alcohol
is involved.'1
This belief is reinforced in many cases by the way the university
has dealt — or more specifically, has not dealt with — sexual
assault cases.
A year ago, one woman talked to the Daily Nebraskan about
having been sexually assaulted by a student. She was upset by the
red tape the university put her through and by the fact that no
action was taken against the student on the university's behalf.
The woman was ultimately uncomfortable going through with a
story about the incident for fear of how the university community
would view her.
Since then, the Daily Nebraskan has learned the university has
not taken action under the Student Code of Conduct in a number
of sexual assault cases involving university students.
Because of student confidentiality, the university is not allowed
to release specific information on individual cases.
University officials contend many of the cases occurred off
campus and that the university did not assume jurisdiction over the
cases.
In addition to legal action against sexual predators, we believe
any student who has been found to have committed a sexual
assault against another university student — on or off campus —
should be punished to the full extent that the Code of Conduct
allows.
University inaction in such cases is unforgivable.
The Republican party has signed on the dotted line The GOP
has a “Contract with America."
Republicans signed a contract encouraging the people to kick
Republican congressmen out of office if they fail to work for the
best interest of the general population.
This is a refreshing change from the past when both parties
based campaigns on the apparent faults of their opponents
But unfortunately, the GOP failed to camouflage the intention
of its contract. The American people do not need the signature or
permission of congressmen to vote them out of office.
All they need is to register to vote and show up at the polls. Bad
politicians have remained in office because U S. voters have
become apathetic and uninformed.
What America does not need is a contract from its employees
allowing the employers to fire them.
— The University Daily Kansan
University of Kansas
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Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 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 Nl) Board of Regents, editorial 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
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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
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Comparison
In response to Tom Ead’s letter
Monday, the comparison of the
Gerald Schlondorf arrest to the
Francisco Renteria arrest is a valid
one, even if there were significant
differences. The most obvious
differences arc simply that
Schlondorf tried to kill an officer
with no provocation.
Francisco was spotlighted as he
walked down the street, called
“Chico” when the officer tried to
verbally confront him, and. after
not responding to a name not his
own, was grabbed by the arm by
that officer. We know what fol
lowed.
Given the circumstances, I think
it is legitimate to question the
motive and tactics involved. As for
motive, I can only speculate. But.
had the initial contact officer used
better discretion (maybe through
knowing the public she serves
better), it is very possible the whole
situation could have been merely
inconvenient rather than fatal for
Francisco.
It rrancisco had been hearing
impaired rather than brown and
Spanish-speaking, would the
confronting officer have identified
this and tried to accommodate? I
don't know. What I do know is that
when you confront someone
aggressively, you not only immedi
ately limit your options for react
ing, but you tend to provoke like
responses.
The bottom line with the
comparison is that police would
have been perfectly justified in
killing Schlondorf, who was putting
the public in significant danger
The police chose to give him
time. Francisco is the one who
should have been given the time to
understand what was happening ...
And he wasn't endangering anyone
when the fatal night began
Michael Eisenhauer
junior
general studies
Marijuana
The Daily Nebraskan editors
must have biccn short on letters to
the editor when they decided to
print ‘Marijuana.’ That letter
wasn’t worth the paper it was
printed on next to putting it in the
newspaper!
Not only did they put it in the
paper, they even put a drawing
depicting the ignorant statements
made in the letter. Supposedly, the
letters are chosen on “clarity,
originality, timeliness, and space
available." Stereotypical insults are
hardly original!!!
Chad Kudym
sophomore
environmental studies
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BretGottshall/DN
‘Small differences’
“Nurture! Well, maybe not
nurture, but certainly not nature.
OK. I don't really care — I just
think it's weird .” (My take on
Shane Tucker’s column (DN. Oct.
15, 1994).
It seems that the debate of nature
versus nurture won't be settled any
lime soon. The statistical research
offered by Mr. Tucker to show that
homosexuality is learned (such as.
only 11 percent of adult male
homosexuals enjoyed boys' activi
ties in their youth) appears to be
circular in form.
The argument can be reversed to
imply that you didn't like to play
army because you didn't inherit
that gene with the affinity for those
little green plastic soldiers.
So if the research is out on
nurture, why not consider nature —
which, as a biologist, would be well
within Mr. Tucker’s area of
expertise? Mr. Tucker’s assertion
that even if it could be nature, then
homosexuals should “control (their)
personal actions.”
I ms maxes as mile sense as
lumping homosexuals into the same
category as those practicing
bestiality, pedophiles and
necrophiles: gcrbils can t consent,
children can't consent, and the
dead aren’t exactly in the best
condition to put up a Tight. Why is
Mr. Tucker so concerned about the
private lives of consenting adults?
If Mr. Tucker’s argument is that
homosexuality is weird, I can live
with that. We the culture define the
meaning of weird and normal. And
as individuals, we have our own
interpretations and differences with
our culture's definitions. No logic
necessary, just feelings, beliefs and
values. I respect Mr. Tucker’s right
to his interpretations and hope that
he respects my right to mine
I think gay people just want the
same in return. That's where the
law usually comes in handily »
Generally, it protects everyone’s
right to live as we choose, as long
as we don't cause harm to anyone
or to the state. The case wasn’t
made in Mr. Tucker's article that
homosexuals are causing harm, just
that some members of our culture
don’t like it.
Debra McGuire
UNL staff
Renteria
This letter is in response to E.
Hughes Shank's column on the
Renteria death, or should I say
murder? After all, isn't this
Shank's implied accusation?
1 took off my rose-colored
glasses ten years ago when I joined
the U S. Army. In the course of my
fours year of service. I witnessed
every kind of racial and gender
bias; I.also saw every kind of racial
and gender reciprocity, so I know
that both do exist and for an
individual to say that they do not
would be extremely naive.
However, given Mr. Shank's
argument. 1 guess we should all
assume that any interaction
between differing cultures or
genders must be motivated by bias.
Now doesn't this seem close
minded to some of you?
wnne mere arc (umonunatciyj
still plenty of “good-old-boy”
attitudes out there, they are cer
tainly not as prevalent as they once
were. Sadly, people are not ac
knowledging this. As a result, we
arc seeing unjustified condemna
tions based on old stereotypes
Until an investigation is com
pleted, Mr. Shanks, we have no
right to pass judgment on these
officers. After all is said, you arc
guilty in your column of the same
thing you accuse these officers. Not
everything is as evil as it may look,
but if wc assume it is, more of the
circumstances such as your own
personal one in New Orleans will
certainly continue.
As for myself. I’ll base my
judgment on my experience with
each individual 1 meet, not on one
experience.
Mathew Baker
senior
English