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Thursday, October 27, 1994 Page 4
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
JeffZelerty.Editor, 472-1766
Kara Morrison....Opinion Page Editor
Angie Brunkow...Managing Editor
Jeffrey Robb..Associate News Editor
Rainbow Rowell.Columnist/Associate News Editor
Kiley Christian.Photography Director
Mike Lewis...Copy Desk Chief
James Mehsling.....Cartoonist
Air pollution
Negative ads, tactics corrupt campaign
Nebraska politics got a strong dose of national publicity on
Wednesday. The message, which was sent out to about 1.8 million
people, was published on the front page of The Wall Street Jour
nal.
Aren’t we proud.
Death threats, stalking and lie detector tests have replaced
stickers, yard signs and kissing babies in this year’s 2nd Congres
sional District race in Nebraska.
Jon Christensen,
the Republican candi
date, and Peter
Hoagland, the Demo
cratic incumbent, have
been at each other’s
throats for months.
Negative adver
tisements have pol
luted the airwaves
throughout the cam
paign. To an extent,
this is to be expected;
however, the dirty
politics have gone too
far.
The mudslinging
has gone beyond
name-calling in TV
commercials and rhetoric in radio spots Nebraska — which
according to the Journal is best known for com and college
football — has been treated to a classless act of politics.
But apparently, that is what brings in votes.
“A negative piece of information is more credible than a posi
tive one,” Republican pollster Fred Steeper told the Journal.
If it really is negative information voters desire, then it will be
difficult choosing a candidate. Have there been any strictly issue
oriented commercials? We don’t believe so.
Both Hoagland and Christensen are to blame. This has not been
a one-sided smear campaign. Hoagland said Christensen appeared
from out of nowhere earlier in the campaign and eyed him “with a
snarl on his face like (I’m) the devil incarnate.”
It sounds to us like the Democratic incumbent is a bit paranoid.
On the other hand, Steve Thomlison, Christensen’s campaign
manager, hired a private detective to videotape people coming and
going from a polygraph testing office.
One Omaha woman, Barbara Lebedz, was prepared to take a
polygraph test to prove Christensen was lying, but she called it off
mid-test.
The Lebedzes say they’ve received death threats for openly
criticizing Christensen after he allegedly campaigned at their door
and said schools were teaching “immoral values ” Christensen
denied having campaigned in their area.
The reported death threats make this slimy campaign downright
sick.
Now, Nehraska will be known for com, college football and
lethal politics.
Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Fall 1994 Daily Nebraskan Policy is set by
the Daily Nebraskan Fditorial Hoard Rditorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the
university, its employees, the students or the NU Hoard of Regents Rditorial columns represent
the opinion of the author The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan They establish the UNI.
Publications Hoard 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.
-1 I
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the editor from all readers and interested others
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
also are 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
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affiliation, if any Requests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit material to the Daily
Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.. Lincoln. Neb 68588-0448.
_
I l.
Sportsmanship
A big game is coming up for the
Comhuskers; and I am sure that the
enthusiasm is mounting for the
Nebraska vs. Colorado game. Let
me tell you up front that I am a
proud graduate of the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln and for this
reason I am writing.
Having lived in Colorado for the
last 10 years, 1 can attest to the fact
that they have behaved atrociously.
I have witnessed, firsthand,
tasteless displays of their so-called
team support. On the other hand, it
seems there was a tit for tat in 1992
from Nebraska fans. I would like to
think that we are above that sort of
behavior.
I urge you to go to the game and
give the team your support. Be
loud, and yell your support; but
please do not give those people any
reason to go back to Colorado and
ciy about how they were mistreated.
I hope that our fans will lead the
way to cleaning this rivalry up and
demonstrate that we can be fans
without being abusive.
If you witness a Nebraska fan
being abusive, say something to
them. Because whether or not it
works, the CU fan will see that not
all of us condone that kind of
behavior.
If you really want to make them
mad whether we win or lose, kill
them with kindness. If we win, tell
them that they have a good team
and wish them future success. If
they are derogatory or abusive in
return, tell them you are sorry that
they choose to act like that, or
better yet, say nothing at all. If we
should lose, congratulate them for a
well-executed game and wish them
luck in the Orange Bowl.
Believe me, this will hurt them
much more than showing what bad
sports we can be, because they
won’t be able to go back to Colo
rado telling everyone how terrible
we were and plan how they can
retaliate when we play in Boulder.
Furthermore, when their
program hits the skids down the
road — and I’m pretty sure it will
— don’t even go to the games in
Boulder and give that program any
of your money. They will be
begging Comhusker fans to attend
their games, so that some money is
coming into their pathetic program.
I know that our fans are better
than theirs; I urge you to go to the
game and prove it!
Jan D. Wilson
Colorado
BretGottshall/DN
Oppressors
In response to Mr. Simon
Liverani's article (DN, Oct. 20,
1994), 1 am forced to remind him of
some facts.
Mr. Liverani did an excellent job
of lobbying for Israelis. But I am
sorry that in some parts of the
world, where peace and justice are
still given priority, your efforts will
go in vain.
Peace-loving people all around
the world do not take their hats off
for oppressors. Occupying a
sovereign, independent and
recognized piece of land called
Palestine is not a goodwill gesture.
Bombing the refugee camps of
innocent Palestinians is not a sign
of peace.
Surrounding and trapping tens
of innocent people in snow, and
depriving them of food and water,
by Israelis last year was not a
humanitarian cause. When an
oppressor like Israel occupies 70
percent of the land, commits crimes
that arc condemned by the world
community through the U.N.
resolutions and then gives back part
of the land to the innocent people of
Palestine on some conditions, they
should not be valued by the world
community.
If you think that Israel's good
will gesture of giving back part of
the occupied territories should be
valued by the world community,
then Russia should be praised for
committing atrocities against the
Afghans and then giving back all of
the occupying territories.
Iraq’s goodwill should be valued
for giving the occupied territories
back to the Kuwaitis. Serbs should
be given a salute for committing
atrocities in Bosnia and giving part
of the occupied territories back.
Mr. Liverani, people who work
for the glory of peace, justice and
humanity do not praise oppressors
and aggressors. If we cannot work
for a brighter tomorrow, then at
least we should not try toioin those
who want to shatter this dream.
Abbas Ali
graduate student
mechanical engineering
Regents race
As a teacher in a rural commu
nity, I would urge you to vote for
Chuck Hassebrook for the Univer
sity of Nebraska Board of Regents
for the following reasons:
Chuck has been a long supporter
of affordable higher education for
average families who work hard
and struggle to make ends meet.
He will fight to constrain
spending by the university’s Office
of Central Administration in
Lincoln, which has grown by $1
million in the last five years.
Chuck will work toward a better
future for family farming, and in
doing so, help to keep rural
communities viable. He believes
that the University of Nebraska is
one of our most powerful institu
tions for confronting this challenge.
Linda Abboud
West Point
Kerrey/ Stoney
If Bob Kerrey wanted to repre
sent Nebraskans, why, when
debating Jan Stoney, would he say
he has two fears: one that he’ll lose
the election and one that he might
win?
Maybe Bob Kerrery is starting to
realize Nebraskans don’t want
anymore of his political beliefs of
having more government in their
lives.
Larry Dlokel
Norfolk
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