Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jeff Zeleny...Editor, 472-1766
Jeff Robb....Managing Editor
Matt Woody.;...Opinion Page Editor
DeDra Janssen.;...'.Associate News Editor
Rainbow Rowell. .Arts & Entertainment Editor
James Mehsling.....Cartoonist
Chris Hain. .t.Senior Reporter
Ediiokiai
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Anonymous message solves nothing
It seems there is a faction forming on the University of Nebraska
Lincoln campus. You probably haven’t seen it, and you probably
haven’t heard it.
But if you listen very, very closely you might hear them whisper
ing. But don’t tell anyone, apparently it’s supposed to be a secret.
Childish actions are back in full swing at UNL so soon after the
end of winter break. Bantering, whining, whimpering and denying
are all part of the game being played by Regent Robert Allen of
Hastings and a so-called anonymous committee.
At the Academic Senate meeting Tuesday, Allen distributed cop
ies of “A message from the UN-L Committee of Concerned Profes
sors.” This unsigned document highlights Chancellor Graham
Spanier’s shortcomings.
“Among some of our colleagues, there is great concern that the
current UN-L Chancellor, Graham Spanier, is leading UN-L in a
way that is not in the best long-term interest of the students, faculty
or people, of the State of Nebraska,” the memo said.
The Daily Nebraskan questions the message.
An unsigned hate letter serves no purpose. If professors did in
deed author the letter and hope to have their allegations looked into
or resolved, they must make specific charges and make themselves
known. f , >.
It is far too easy to spout off about someone or something without
signing a document.
If Graham Spanier is the evil administrator he is made out to be in
the message, these individuals need to come forward publicly. If they
feel they can’t, they need to tell their complaints to someone—any
one.
Tell a state senator. Tell central administration. For heaven’s sake,
tell the media.
But speaking about these issues without showing your faces ac
complishes absolutely nothing.
GOP in action
Initial job in Congress encouraging
In die first days of 1995, newspaper headlines and space have
been dominated overwhelmingly by one topic: the new Republican
Congress.
The GOP celebrated as it took power when the 104th Congress
convened on Jan. 5.
Last week, the new Republican majority passed many measures
that, among other things, reduced die size of congressional staffs,
imposed federal laws that apply to the rest of the country on Con
gress and established a “supermajority” three-fifths majority to pass
future income tax rate increases.
Such steps are encouraging. It is good to see politicians living up
to their promises for a change.
It seems that a new majority party could change the bureaucracy
and stalemate that has been a part of our government for so long.
Since the new session began, both Republicans and Democrats have
said they were looking forward to cooperating with each other.
Of course, the line between such statements and political double
talk is very fine.
Hopefully, both sides will live up to the rhetoric. The country can
only benefit from that.
LmiOKl \l 1*01 It \
Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1995. 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 NU 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.
I I NIK [*( >1 !( \
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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
also are welcome to submit material as guest opinions. The editor decides whether material
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Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
'46
Lincoln ii
age suffers in media
I like Lincoln.
Maybe I’m strange, but I can’t
think of many other places I would
rather live.
For me, Lincoln has just about
the right amount of everything—
just enough people, just enough
culture, ju^t enough traffic, just
enough snow.
The people here are nice. When
we pass each other on the street, we
smile or say hi. When someone gets
hurt, we stop to help. And when the
Huskers play in the big game, we
rally behind them and celebrate in
the streets when they win.
At least that’s the way I see
Lincoln, and that’s what I try to tell
people who aren't from here. But
lately, I am starting to worry that
others don't see these qualities.
Not counting stories about the
national championship, in the last
several months I have seen four
reports from Lincoln in the national
media. Sadly, none of them was
especially flattering.
In September, the state executed
Harold LaMont Otey, and the event
garnered wide-spread media
attention throughout Nebraska and
beyond. Bid many states have
executions. In and of themselves,
those do not necessarily reflect
poorly upon the state's people.
But when thousands of people
show up outside the prison to
celebrate, that does. ’
During a recent Otey stay on an
episode of CBS' “48 Hours,”
panned shots of the crowd showed
chanting, cheering people holding
signs and banners with racist
slogans and swastikas.
Oily in passing did the stay
show the somber candlelight vigils
and the quiet, nearly empty streets.
So to the rest of the country
watching on television, that crowd
represented the city as a whole.
Doug Kouma
In October, charges of racism
were made against several local
police officers after Francisco
Renteria, a Hispanic man who was
simply in the wrong place at the
wrong time, died after a scuffle
with police.
Investigations were held, and
indictments were handed down, but
many in the Hispanic community
felt die officers involved got away
with little more than a slap on the
wrist.
The story was picked up by
many national media outlets, some
of whom compared the incident to
Los Angeles’ Rodney King beating.
So now, not only were Lincoln
residents seemingly eager to go
back to the days of public lynch
ings, the police were apparently
happy to help.
If that is the perceived atmo
sphere of the city, Lincoln could
end up an appealing place for
groups that thrive on that. As it
turns out, at least one is already
here.
Not long after the Otey story
aired on “48 Hours,” I came across
a TV news report about a promi
nent American Nazi who maintains
an address in Lincoln. Therefore,
the propaganda he sends out is
delivered with a Lincoln postmark,
and presumably a Lincoln return
address.
Such propaganda is illegal in
Germany — where much of it
ultimately is sent. According to
German officials interviewed for
that report, Lincoln is becoming
fairly well-known as its point of
origin.
'All of thiS'WOtd&to enough *00*
make anyone question the true .
Nebraskan spirit.
: Yet there’s more.
While I was home in Wyoming
over Christmas break, a story by
Hie Associated Press appeared in
the newspaper about the Roman
Catholic Church’s recent decision
to allow females to serve at Mass.
The article made it a point to
mention, however, that of all the
dioceses in the United States, only
two t- one in Virginia and the
Diocese of Lincoln—opted to
continue allowing only males to
serve at Mass.
While the Lincoln Diocese was
certainly within its rights to make
this decision, Lincoln was yet again
the subject of more negative
attention.
I don’t believe that any of these
incidents were reflective of the
people of Lincoln as a whole, and I
hope that die majority of people in
this town are still good at heart.
But it doesn’t matter what I or
any other person in Lincoln
believes. We live here. We know
the truth.
What matters is that we work to
give the best possible image of
Lincoln to the rest of the world.
Because right now, we’re not doing
that.
And if we don’t start soon, we
may be too late to do anything
about it.
Kooma Is a Jaalor news-editorial major
and a Dally Nebraskan associate news editor.
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want
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and sign it (don't forget your student ID number
the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union. 1400 P
Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, or stop by th$r:offlcitiM
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