Nebraskan
Ecfitorial Board
University of Nebraska-lincoln
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.C°Py Desk Chief
James Mehsling.Cartoonist
Security risk
Helms shouldn't be committee chairman
Republican Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina has proven he
is not up to the job of heading the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.
Last week. Helms questioned President Clinton s ability to serve
as the military’s commander in chief and suggested the president
would need a bodyguard if he ever visited North Carolina.
The statements in themselves are not uncharacteristic of Helms.
As a senator, he has made several such challenges and always has
been an outspoken Clinton critic.
As a senator, Helms’ questioning of the president was not
outside his realm of criticism. But as the likely head of the Foreign
Relations Committee, the comments jeopardized national security.
Those who deal with international politics recognize that
statements such as those Helms made send waves of U S. instabil
ity to the rest of the world.
And Helms' style of irresponsible blasphemy could endanger
the already fragile relations and respect the United States has long
held in the international scene.
The committee, whose powers include authorizing foreign aid,
approving ambassadorial nominations and reviewing treaties, has
no place for a chairman whose words run away with him.
Sens. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and Tom Daschle, D-S.D., asked
expected Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole to deny Helms the
chairmanship of the committee.
For the good of the country, the GOP should take charge of
Helms and reject his chairmanship. It would be in the United
States’ best interest to secure a more responsible and less reaction
ary committee chairperson.
Most Americans don’t know enough about Asia in general and
China in particular. To some people we arc, in fact, the laughing
stock of the world, because we live is such an obvious cultural
bubble of our own making.
Bubbles, like glass houses, don’t wear well. Sooner than we
think, our bubble will burst.
By the year 2020, China will become the top world economy,
according to Werner Severin, a professor of journalism who has
taught in China. Today, in aggregate rankings, China’s economy
comes in third, behind Japan and the United States. How many
Americans think about that?
There’s no excuse for ignorance about China. A recent book by
Nicholas Kristof, “China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a
Rising Power,” covers events in China until Jan. 1, 1994.
Plenty of other information awaits those who arc interested. On
the Internet, for instance, the newsgroup clari.world.asia.china
offers Associated Press and Reuters stories on China.
Americans should read more about Indonesia, China, Russia or
any country or region they haven’t visited yet.
And then they should visit, if possible, just to be as well-rounded
and well-informed as possible.
— The Daily Texan
University of Texas at Austin
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Americans can pray anywhere
I hopped into a cab, gave the
driver an address and then said:
“Excuse me, but do you mind if I
pray?”
He laughed and said: “Don’t
worry, I drive careful. You got
nothing to worry about.”
“No, it’s not your driving,” I
said. “I wanted to pray for a variety
of things. Do you rave any objec
tion?”
Peering into the rearview mirror,
he said: “No, sir. That’s your
business. Uh, but you’re not going
to do it real loud, are you?”
“Oh, no. I always pray in a soft
mumble. I doubt if you’ll be able to
hear me.”
“Go ahead,” he said cheerfully.
“I’ve had fares who did a lot
funnier stuff than praying, if you
know what I mean.”
“I can imagine. By the way, is
there anything I can say or ask for
on your behalf?”
“What do you mean by that?” he
asked.
“I just thought as long as I was
praying, and this is your cab, I
could pass along any requests you
might have: wealth, health or a
blight upon your enemies. You
name it, I’ll ask. Of course, I can’t
guarantee results, but you never
know. How about it?”
“Uh, no thanks," he said. “I’m
OK, no problems. But thanks
anyway.
“Really, it would be no trouble at
all.”
“No, it’s OK. You just go ahead.
Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
“Suit yourself,” I said. “Now, if
you will excuse me, I’ll begin.”
“Good luck," he said.
When we got to my destination,
I paid the fare, got out, waved and
said: “Bless you, my boy.”
“Yeah,” he said, “And you, too.”
I relate that incident in the hope
that it will comfort Newt Gingrich,
the new big heat conservative in
Congress.
Gingrich worries about Ameri
cans praying, especially schoolchil
dren. Which is nne. If schoolchil
dren feel the need to pray, they
should.
So should congressmen like
Gingrich, and maybe they do,
although I haven’t detected any
heavenly influence in their behav
ior.
But I don’t know why Gingrich
and his ilk (he currently has lots of
ilks) are so concerned about prayer.
My informal survey, beginning with
But I don’t know why Gingrich
and his ilk ... are so concerned
about prayer. My informal survey, i
beginning with that cab ride, tells
me that Americans can pray just I
about anywhere and any time.
that cab ride, tells me that Ameri
cans can pray just about anywhere
and any time.
After the cab ride, I dropped in
at a tavern, pulled up a stool and
said to the barkeeper: “I hope you
have no objections to my praying
while I sit here.”
He gave me a slightly suspicious
look and then said: “You’ll still
have to pay for your drinks.”
“Of course. I simply want to
offer up some requests and my
gratitude for the bounty of your
well-stocked bar, including those
pqpperoni sticks, of which I will
have two.”
“Whatever you say. But I hope
you aren’t going to make a big deal
out of it.”
“What do you mean by a big
deal?”
“I mean, 1 got a quiet clientele
here, so you're not going to jump
around or yell or sing or anything
like that, are you?”
“Absolutely not. I’ll be very
restrained. Your other patrons will
probably think I’m merely brood
ing.”
“Good. There’s nothing worse
than someone singing depressing
songs or having a crying jag about
his dearly departed mother. I cut
people off when they start doing
that kind of stuff. It’s a downer for
the other customers and bad for
business.”
“I understand. You won’t even
hear one hallelujah from me.”
“OK. But I’ll turn on the .
jukebox iust in case.” ,
See? Here we have a tavern, a
sort of place sometimes thought of
as wicked or sinful.
Yet, I had no difficulty using it
as a place of worship. Indeed, I
could have done so without even
telling the bartender what I was
doing. Had I rested my head on the
bar while praying, he would have
thought I was just showing the
effects of a stressful day.
It was another example of the
potential for spiritual growth that
exists in this free country. A
potential that Gingrich may not be
aware of, because he appears to be
so deeply concerned about prayer
opportunities.
But just think about it: If I can
pray in a tavern, what is to stop a |
student from praying in school?
After all, bartenders are no less
demanding than teachers.
Later, f went to a restaurant. The
hostess said, “Smoking or non
smoking?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I said. “But do
you have praying and nonpraying
sections?”
“Excuse me?”
“Do you have sections where
people can say grace or not say
grace? That sort of thing?”
“Not that I know of. It’s never
come up before. But I guess it’s all
right anywhere, you know?”
The potential appears to be
unlimited. If we can pray in public
restaurants, I’m sure students can
do the same in the school cafeteria.
What, would an atheistic server
withhold a worshiper’s meatloaf?
And this morning, when I
arrived at work, I asked a lobby
security guard, “Do you know if we
have a company policy forbidding
prayer at one’s desk?”
He looked at me for several
seconds, shook his head and said:
“If we do, nobody told me about it.’
“Great,” I said. “I’ll put in a
good word for you, my lad."
He nodded and said, “Uh-huh."
He clearly was moved.
So I think Gingrich and his
politically flexible new ally,
President Clinton, can relax. Our
right to pray is secure. They can gel
back to the business of spending
less of our money. We can all pray
for that. Anywhere.
Copyright 1994 Tribeee Media Service
lac.
