Opinion
Thursday, February 2,1995 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
Weighing in
Balanced-budget amendment makes sense
Somewhere in the Constitution of the United States of America
there should be abalance sheet—or at least instructions on how to use
one.
Our nation’s lawmakers could pull out the old parchment, and right
next to the signatures of the Constitutional Convention they could
write in the amount of revenue and the amount of spending. And the
two would have to equal each other.
Unfortunately, foryears now, ourcongressmen have not been able
to understand one of the basics of accountancy—you shouldn’t spend
more money than you have.
For this reason, the U.S. has a huge deficit. Consequently, several
federal programs are threatening to break the back of government. For
this reason, a balanced-budget amendment should be passed.
Balancing the budget most certainly will include cutting into social
programs and dumping some level of financial responsibility onto the
states.
Neither is desirable, but the alternative is to continue to drop the
check in the laps of the next generation, and no one wants that.
That’s why everybody loves the concept. It’s common sense in an
era where we have all but lost our heads.
If the Senate and president do hand a constitutional amendment to
the states for ratification, there are questions that will have to be
answered. 1
No one wants to touch the politically suicidal issue of cutting into
entitlements, and states are afraid federal funds will dry up, forcing
them to raise taxes.
It’s time the federal government took a lesson from a C.P.A.
Another view
Dredging up compromising photographs or information about
public figures seems to be all the rage in recent years.
Consider the fiasco over 1984 Miss America Vanessa Williams,
whose nude photos ended up in Penthouse magazine. Or considerthe
honeymoon pictures of Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly.
It’s a good thing, then, that the Smithsonian I nstitution has cut off
all public access to a collection of nude photos taken of generations
of elite college students, many of whom went on to become highly
visible people in U.S. society and government
Beginning in the early 1900s, freshmen at some colleges, includ
ing schools from the Ivy League, were required to pose in the nude
as part of a “ritual.” Apparently the photographs were used to study
posture.
Reports by The Associated Press say that First Lady Hillary
Rodham C linton and formerPresident George Bush would have been
among those subject to the ritual, but it was not known whether their
photos were in the collection.
While the photos of famous people would be in highest demand,
every one of the subjects has the right to a level of privacy.
Besides, some things are better left to the imagination.
— University Daily Kansan
University of Kansas
Correction
The Daily Nebraskan erroneously reported in a Wednesday edito
rial that ASUN would consider the CFA Fund A requests Wednesday
night. ASUN actually will consider the request Feb. 22.
Edttorlal policy
Staff editorials represent the official
policy of the Spring 1995. Daily
Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board Editori
alsdonotnecessarilyteflecttbe views
of the university, its employees, the
students or the NU BoardofRcgents.
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 die
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.
Latter policy
The Doily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the
editor from all readers and interested others. Letters
will be selected for publication on the basis ofclarity,
originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily
Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material
submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit ma
terial as guest opinions. The editor decides whether
material should ran as a guest opinion. Letters and
guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the
property of foe Daily Nebraskan and cannot be
returned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub
lished. Letters should included foe author’s name,
year in school, major and group 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.
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Send your brief letters to:
Dally Nebraskan, 34
Nebraska Union, 1400 R St,
Lincoln, Neb. 68588. Or fax
to: (402) 472-1761. Letters
must be signed and include a
phone number for
^verification.
‘Shamefaced
-■-*-«
(IOT8flS6
Why did the Daily Nebraskan
feel it necessary to print a defense
of Cindy Lange-Kubick’s opinion
piece (Jan. 31) in which she
discusses her choice beliefs?
It’s no one’s business except
mine, and whoever I chose to
involve in the decision, if I had an
abortion, or five abortions. Simi
larly, it is no one's business if
Lange-Kubick has had an abortion.
It infuriates me that a few letters
from anti-choice individuals can
motivate the Daily Nebraskan to
print a shamefaced defense and
invade Lange-Kubick’s privacy.
Holly Trimper
graduate student
museum studies
The editor’s note about lange
Kubick’s column was {Minted at
her request. — Editor
— mmm- — 1
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I clearly understand the position
of the pro-lifers regarding their
views on abortion. I further respect
the intellectualism and arguments
why people remain pro or con on
the subject.
Why a woman should or should
not decide whether or not to have
an abortion, in my estimation, is
best left to the right and decision of
the woman, her spouse and family
physician.
All other considerations to the
issue are secondary and nonessen
tial.
Anti-abortionists willfully
infringe on the right of a woman in
matters of privacy and the right to
freely exercise her freedom of
expression. The argument by the
pro-lifers is biased and therefore
based on their religious beliefs.
This is all well and fine, but pro
lifers should not force their
religious principles on the rights of
other citizens who neither support
nor share their stand on abortion.
Hell hath no fury like a pro-lifer
scorned.
Religion and politics do not mix
nor should they be integrated under
a constitutional democracy. The
decision of family and personal
matters regarding family reproduc
tion must be held in highest respect
to the wishes and rights of the
family and both married or unmar
ried couples.
Alexis Wolf
Americans for Pro-Choice
Lincoln
BretGottschall/DN
Housing rales
This is in response to Andrea
Casart’s letter (Jan. 30). Yes, UNL
Housing’s cohabitation policy is an
issue. It is unclear, unfair and
outdated. What is actually printed
in “The Good Life,” the rules by
which hall residents must abide, is
not the policy enforced or espoused
by housing officials.
First, what is an overnight
guest? Does a person need to fall
asleep for a certain amount of time
between certain specified hours, or
just be in your room all night?
If you choose the former, then
what are these guidelines? If,
however, you choose the latter,
then I hope you do not have any
opposite-sex friends you may wish
to talk with late at night.
Second, “The Good Life” (’94
’95) specifically allows same-sex
overnight guests up to 96 hours in a
month. It says nothing at all about
opposite-sex guests. Are we to
assume that since no mention is
made that they are not allowed? If
this is a valid assumption, then
there is a problem. Persons in a
homosexual relationship would be
allowed to have their boyfriend or
girlfriend stay the night, while
heterosexual students would not.
Casart mentions that the policy
helps roommates get along by not
forcing one roommate to endure the
presence of the other's boyfriend or
girlfriend. What about those
residents who have single rooms?
I must say I agree with Casart
that some sort of policy is neces
sary in order to prevent persons
from living in the halls rent-free,
and to make life more comfortable
for those persons who do have
roommates. The current policy is
inadequate and needs to be revised.
On a final note, Casart said she
had never “heard anything but
support for our visitation policy.”
Well, I live here too, and I have
heard nothing but dissatisfaction
with the current policy.
Maybe Casart needs to pay a
little closer attention to what the
residents are saying since she is
RHA president.
Michael Valerien
senior
philosophy
‘Careless mistake’
It was a careless mistake on the
part of the editors and the author.
This was my reaction after going
through an article titled “Muslims
celebrate holy month” (Jan. 31).
The author writes, “Ramadan
lasts for about 30 days ... and die
last 10, while not required, are very
important.”
No matter which school of
thought you choose in Islam,
fasting is required on each day in
the month of Ramadan.
1 was surprised how this misrep
resentation of an important fact (in
the context of the article) went
unnoticed.
Care should be taken especially
when reporting facts about different
religions and faiths.
Syed A. Ahmed
junior
computer science