Opinion
Thursday, November 17,1994 Page 4
Nebraskan
Edtorial Board
University of Nebraska-Uncoln
JeffZeleny.Editor, 472-1766
Kara Morrison. Opinion Page Editor
Angie Brunkow..Managing Editor
Jeffrey Robb.Associate News Editor
Rainbow Rowell.Columnist/Associate News Editor
Mike Lewis.Copy Desk Chief
James Mehsling.Cartoonist
Spoil sports
Athlete crimes warrant further study
Athletes are conditioned to be as tough as animals on the playing
field. But off the field, society expeas them to be role models.
When athletes don't act like role models — when they arc
arrested or convicted — the new's media often takes note.
' j
Are athletes really more prone to committing violent acts, or arc
their crimes simply made more public?
That question was partially addressed in a recent survey.
Two professors at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
and a graduate student at Northeastern University concluded that
athlaes were in fact involved in more incidents of college sexual
assaults that non-athletes.
During the 1991-1993 survey, which studied student judicial
records, researchers found athlaes made up only 3.3 percent of
male students but comprised 19 percent of the convicted assaulters.
However, a survey of campus police records showed no major
difference in the criminal records of athletes and other students
While data found in the study appears to be inconsistent, the
issue of sexual assault and athletes docs warrant additional study.
The study, “Male Student-Athletes Reported for Sexual Assault:
A Survey of Campus Police Departments and Judicial Affairs
Offices,” gathered its statistics from 30 unnamed schools with
highly rated NCAA Division I programs
It is unknown if the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln was one of
the targeted colleges. But UNL docs meet the survey’s criteria of
having a top 20 football or basketball team in the last three years.
The Daily Nebraskan also learned that ESPN was on campus
last week attempting to compile a story about athlaes who have
committed sexual assault.
They were specifically interested in the case of Nebraska
defensive tackle Christian Peter, who pleaded no contest to third
degree sexual assault charges last year. Athletic department
officials declined comment to ESPN.
Past cases can't be changed. But the discussion must continue.
As one of the researchers, Jeffrey Benedict of Northeastern
University, has said, the debate should shift to how the issue can be
addressed instead of w hether athletes commit sex crimes.
“There's a real makc-it-whilc-you-can, scx-and-moncy attitude
in sports, and it's not so different in music, acting, maybe some
aspects of politics,” Benedict told The New York Times.
“But there's a special factor here; some of our best athletes arc
trained in violence and deception, and they just can't turn it on and
off when we want them to. And given the money involved, coaches
and owners might not want to risk them losing their edge for the
game.”
The question lingers: Can we expect athletes to shut off their
violence and step onto our pedestal?
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 relleci the views of the
university, its employees, the students or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial column* represent
the opinion of the author. The regents publish the Daily Nebraskan. They establish the UNL
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-1 I
‘Gay lifestyle’
As president of the Gay and
Lesbian Student Association, I
have been reluctant to respond to
many of the homophobic, bigoted
and definitely hateful statements in
columns written by both Shane
Tucker and Jamie Karl.
My first reaction was to allow
the educated and well-thought
people of this campus respond to
this kind of blatant discrimination
of “Queers.” So far, the students,
faculty and staff have been doing a
great job of discrediting Karl’s and
Tucker’s “proof’ of the reasoning
behind their hatred, but enough is
enougn.
Both Karl and Tucker have
referred to this “Gay Lifestyle,”
and not once have they tried to
explain what that is. The way they
write — so matter-of-factly — they
surely have to have some idea of
what this gay lifestyle is. Please,
boys, help me understand this term
you use (or misuse) so readily.
I am a gay man, and I’ve been
thinking what my lifestyle —
which Karl and Tucker amazingly
stretch and alter — is like and
trying to put it into context.
Because Webster doesn’t define it
for us, and neither Karl nor Tucker
explain anything, let me as a gay
man give it a “twirl.”
Let me start with the word
“lifestyle.” Webster does define
this word as: “the way in which an
individual lives.” Since I’m gay. let
me describe the way I live, and
maybe we’ll get a picture of what
this gay lifestyle is all about. My
schedule is usually the same for
most days: I get up in the morning,
shower, brush my teeth and eat
breakfast.
Then I'm off for a day of classes
that range from English to history
and maybe a math class. On certain
days I may go to work or go home
and study for a while. Oh yeah, I
try to go to the rec center and work
out several times a week. All week
long, my schedule is pretty consis
tent to this. Is this the gay lifestyle?
Then comes the weekend, and I,
like many college students, may go
to a movie, dinner and then out to
the bars downtown; or maybe I’ll
use the time to catch up on school
work. Does this classify me as
living the gay lifestyle? Since I’m
gay, no matter what I do, I’m living
the “gay lifestyle.” Yet if you look
at my schedule, I think most people
would fit into this “gay lifestyle”
category.
So please do tell me what this
gay lifestyle is that you’re trying to
shield children from. The way I
live? How much different is it from
the way you live?
I’d like to end with part of a
poem by Pat Parker from her book,
“Movement In Black.” It helps
explain why enough is enough for
me:
...the supreme court/says it is
illegal/to scream fire/in a crowded
theatre/to scream fire/in a crowded
theatre/causes people to panic/to
run to hurt each other/my mind
remembers/& now i know/what my
innards/say/illegal to cause/people/
to panic/to run/to hurt/there is/no
contradiction/what the Nazis say/
will cause/people/to hurt/Me.
No matter how you try to
masquerade the hate you write
under your First Amendment right,
Mr. Tucker and Mr. Karl, that hate
will cause people to hurt ME and
MILLIONS of other Queers out
there.
Christopher Pavao
GLSA president
Bret Gottshall/DN
Hate
Prior to coming to the Univer
sity of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1 taught
for 18 years at two prestigious
Eastern prep schools. The image
most Nebraskans conjure up of
such institutions is that of an elitist,
ivy-colored campus, populated by
snotty, rich, lazy, crybaby WASPs
— whose dads buy their way into
Harvard and, hence, the family
business. Of course, this is an
unfortunate stereotype bom of a
lack of knowledge about first-rate
prep schools and their students.
Similarly, there are those like
Jamie Karl who unilaterally
castigate homosexuals as sex
crazed pederasts, who are only too
happy to lead a Boy Scout troop or
sign on as counselors at overnight
youth camps. As with any sizeable
segment of the population, there
are subgroups within it who by no
means embrace, what others
outside the group mistakenly
perceive as miraculously unani
mous, a point of view.
Recently, we’ve seen fissures in
the leadership of the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People. This, I’m sure,
comes as a shock to those who
perceive African Americans as
having a universally agreed-upon
agenda and who would prefer that
they returned to their homeland.
We’ve also seen power plays
within the National Organization
for Women. The Roman Catholic
Church is having to wrestle with \r
issues of leadership roles and
women’s rights — while every TV
evangelist seems to have a direct
line to heaven via his or her
“inspired” interpretation of the
ScriDtures.
I’m mystified as to why men or
women would want to dress in a
manner unbecoming or uncompli
mentary to their physical attributes.
I can’t fathom a physical attraction
to a preteen. Indulging in sex acts
that involve physical pain lies
totally beyond my comprehension.
Yes, 1 obviously carry a big sack
of prejudices around with me, but I
don’t stand in the way of those
people expressing their various
philosophical, sociological and
sexual views until they infringe
upon my legal rights. Some confuse
tolerance with acquiescence.
Personally, I know I can’t solve
what 1 perceive as the world’s
problems; but I can do my small
part and hope for the best. More
over, 1 realize that one person’s
problems are another person’s
reasons for living.
The peace and light each of us
seeks might be nice for a few years,
but I think such homogenous life
would become a little, well, boring.
Why, 1 bet even Heaven has its
fractious elements.
Jamie Karl, I hope you’ll be
careful where you aim that loose
cannon of yours. I dare say, years
from now, you’ll probably meet a
homosexual in Heaven who will
only want to strike up an inno
cently intelligent conversation with
you — period.
In the meantime, mind the
message of one of my favorite
bumper stickers: “Hate is not a
family value.”
James Hejduk
associate professor of music
