Opinion
Thursday, January 19,1995
Page 4
Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
JeffZeleny.,..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.Senior Reporter
PBS in danger
Quality television deserves federal funds
With the Republicans in control of Congress for the first time in 40
years, many federally funded programs find themselves looking at a
slashed or eliminated budget.
One of these programs’ plight has received much attention after
new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich
suggested its funding be eliminated- the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting.
The CPB is one of the main sources of money for PBS, the non
profit network that is responsible for such quality television shows as
“TheMacNeil/LehrerNewshour,’’“Nova’’and“GreatPerformances.’’
Ron Hull, associate general manager of Nebraska Educational
Telecommunications, understands and supports the need for the
United States to get control of its budget deficit.
“Everybody has to downsize,” Hull said. “We don’t disagree with
that. But zeroing out public broadcasting funding would be devastat
ing for Nebraskans.”
Indeed, that is true.
Nebraska ETV and other public broadcasting suppliers already
rely heavily on donations from thepublic. Eliminating the $ 1.2 million
in government support that goes to NETV could bring about an end
to PBS in Nebraska. It isn’t hard to see a nationwide trend following.
PBS deserves all of the support it gets, and then some. The amount
of federal funds PBS receives is such a small part of the big picture that
cutting into those funds, will have a minimal impact on the deficit.
Everyone is going to have to make sacrifices to balance the budget.
But public broadcasting is one we cannot afford to make.
Medical drama
Doctors should not dictate patients’lives
Dr. Thomas Theocarides decided last month that he would no
longerprovide contraception for unmarried people.
The Indiana obstetrician-gynecologist made that decision based
on his own feelings about premarital sex. Theocarides believes
sexually active single women expose themselves to serious health
risks. He said he would no longer condone or encourage their
behavior.
It is not a doctor’s role to dictate the personal activities of his
patients. Theocarides has the right to make his Own decisions about
sex, and who and how he wants to serve as patients. But these patients
have similar rights.
Certainly, women who request birth control are more responsible
than those who do not consider birth control until too late or those
who use abortion as birth control.
Theocarides’ patients probably just found new doctors (it is
doubtful that any chose to stop having sex). But in some areas of the
country — and many areas in Nebraska — it is geographically
impossible to just switch doctors.
With the recent demise of the contraceptive sponge, a woman’s
over-the-counter birth-control options are limited to messy spermicidal
jellies, foams and films. Many women depend on their doctors for
effective birth control.
If other doctors exercise their rights and follow Theocarides’
example, women and men will be forced to examine other methods
of contraception.
Editorial poliey
Staff editorials represent the official
policy of the Spring 1995. Daily
Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editori
alsdo not necessarily reflect the views
of the university, its employees, the
students or the NU Board of Regents.
Editorial columns represent the opin
ion of the author. The regents publish
the Daily Nebraskan. They establish
the UNL Publications Board to su
pervise the daily production of the
paper. According to policy set by the
regents, responsibility for the edito
rial content of the newspaper lies
solely in the hands of its students.
Letter policy
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 mate
rial submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit
material as guest opinions. The editordecides whether
material should run as a guest opinion. Letters and
guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the
property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be re
turned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub
lished. Letters should included the author’s name,
year in school, major and group affiliation, if any.
Requests to withhold names will not be granted.
Submit material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska
Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
ARE yoo sure \
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Nebraskan
readers say:
k
Send your brief letters to:
Daily Nebraskan, 34
Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.,
Lincoln, Neb. 68588. Or fax
to: (402) 472-1761. Letters
must be signed and include a
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verification.
Planned Parenthood
Again there is talk, as there
always should be, about abortion
and Planned Parenthood in Lin
coln. Perhaps the Daily Nebraskan
should research and inform the
students of this campus, many of
whom will be deciding whether to
use Planned Parenthood’s services,
just what the organization is and
where it came from.
A woman of the early 1900s
named Margaret Sanger is respon
sible for Planned Parenthood. She
was a rebellious, self-proclaimed
anii-Catholic, Adolf Hitler-loving,
Nazi-party organizing, eugenics
promoting nut case who had a
problem with obedience, fidelity
and sexual prudence.
She supported Adolf Hitler’s
“superior human race” philosophy.
She divorced her husband because
he did not agree that they should
each experiment sexually with
other partners. She hoped to kill off
the old, the weaker, the feeble and
the “undesirable” to improve the
human race.
She believed sex was a right for
all, especially for young adults and
teenagers (married or unmarried).
She promoted mass promiscuity
and the idea that “if they (teens)
want to have sex, that is their
right.” Needless to say, abortion
rights soon followed this irrespon
sible thinking.
This is just a little information.
I’m sure Planned Parenthood could
provide some more history and
information. People should ask for
some figures on divorce rates,
sexually transmitted diseases and
baby killings since they came into
existence.
If you would like some informa
tion from religious groups, ask
them how many souls they have
helped.
Just weighing the facts, I know
they’ve helped mine.
Tony Fulton
senior
mechanical engineering
BretGottshall/DN
Cha-cMngll
I have a great idea for a new
business.
Well, OK, I copied it from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
I want to buy a square of land
next to campus, pave it and riddle it
with parking meters. They won’t be
those sissy two-hour meters,
though.
I figure with an unorganized
variety of 15-, 30- and 60-minute
meters, I’ll make even more money
on tickets than UNL does. I’ll
overstaff the security so violators
will be ticketed right away, and if
they don’t pay for the mounting
tickets, I’ll tow their cars so they
have to pay.
They’ll be back tomorrow.
Besides, if they can’t afford the
parking, they shouldn’t have a car.
With my profits rolling in, I’ll
begin the building of my large
parking garage. Then all my
patrons will have to pay two or
three dollars to park.
So what if I take advantage of
people who drive to campus.
Anything less would be like
inviting them.
Allen Hudson
junior
advertising
Letter was satire
Brice Sullivan and Mick
Vodvarka’s letter to the editor
entitled “Orphanages” (Jan. 17) is
outrageous because it manifests
utter ignorance, prejudice and
abusiveness.
I did not promote orphanages
anymore than Jonathan Swift
advocated cannibalism in his “A
Modest Proposal.”
Swift wrote, “I have been
assured by a very knowing Ameri
can of my acquaintance in London,
that a young healthy child well
nursed, is a year old a most
delicious, nourishing and whole
some food, whether stewed, roasted
baked or boiled, and I have no
doubt that it will equally serve in a
fricassee, or a ragout.”
If Sullivan and Vodvarka read
only the first book of the Bible,
“Genesis,” they would have known
that Moshe, the hero in my letter,
was not given up “voluntarily” for
adoption, but that he was under the
threat of death before being given
up for adoption!
I did not mention the word
orphanages once in my previous
letter. If Sullivan and Vodvarka
knew about the miracles that
Father Val Peters and his co
workers at Boys Town have
performed, they would not scoff at
Boys Towns and spew other
vulgarities about these institu
tions.
Their anti-Semitism is only
skin deep. Hitler did not feel that
“the Jews were screwed up;” he
knew better. He was consumed
with envy and hatred.
I am a member of Voices for
Children of Nebraska. They lobby
the Nebraska Legislature to
eliminate poverty amongst working
Americans.
Ezekiel Bahar
George Holmes Professor
electrical engineering