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Wednesday, February 8,1995 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
Casting the ballot
Current electoral system voter-friendly
The Nebraska Legislature took the wrong step last Thursday in
taking the first step toward approving a bill that would make the
state’s electoral college system winner-take-all.
Nebraska took a step in the right direction in 1991 by establish
ing the system it has in common with only Maine. The states allow
for division of the electoral college votes between candidates.
The winner of the statewide popular vote receives each of the two
votes designated for Nebraska’s U.S. senators. But the three
legislative districts are also evaluated on an individual basis; each
of those districts hands out its own electoral vote.
Ideally, Americans should be allowed to elect the president
directly, but that does not diminish the wise move Nebraska made
in updating its system. Our state senators need to realize that and
uphold the system in later votes.
The national electoral college system gives voters no credit.
Americans have shown over more than 200 years an uncanny
ability to elect a competent leader. They will continue to do so in the
future.
Sen. Doug Kristensen ofMinden, the chief sponsor of the repeal
measure, is another who doesn’t believe in the American voters.
Kristensen contends the current system could make Nebraska a
target for fringe candidates.
What fringe candidates? Ross Perot, who gained 19 percent of
the national popular vote in 1992, yet won not a single electoral
college vote? John Anderson, who garnered 7 percent of the popular
vote in 1980? Colin Powell, a man many consider a viable third
party candidate in 1996?
lOistensen needs a lesson in civics. The Nebraska system is
fairer than the antiquated system used by the rest of the country.
The entire system of electing the president would be better if the
rest of the country would follow the lead of Nebraska and Maine.
On our terms
China must accommodate U.S. demands
The U nited States drew first blood Saturday in a trade war against
China by imposing a 100 percent tariff on more than S1 billion worth
of Chinese goods.
China slashed back quickly, similarly taxing American products.
But the truth is that China and many Pacific Rim nations are
bleeding the United States dry.
Trade imbalances are nothing new to America. The large U.S. trade
deficits with Japan has been highly publicized.
At issue is rampant Chinese piracy of American software, movies
and music. Many U.S. businesses are losing money as a result.
That’s a very good reason to impose a tariff. The Chinese don’t
think so.
If that isn’t enough of a reason, a quick look at China’s human
rights record should provide one.
But hrnnan rights aren’t even the issue here; intellectual piracy is.
Both sides remain hopeful that they will work out an agreement.
The tariffs announced last weekend will not take effect until Feb. 26.
i Administration officials have been using the delay to try to resolve
the dispute; they have scheduledmany meetings to discuss the relevant
issues..
The United States should lift the tariff if, and only if, China does
something to correct the problem.
- ■ _ ■
Editorial policy
; Staff editorials represent the official
policy ofjhe Spring 1995. Daily
NebraskaotTPiDlicy is set fay the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editori
alsdo no tnecessarilyreflectthe views
of the university. its employees, the :
students or the NU BoaidofRegents.
Editorial columns represent the opin
ion ofthe author. The regentspublish
the DailyNebraskan. They establish
the UNL Publications Board irso
pervise the daily production of the
paper. According topolicy 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
t;:: will be selected forpublication on the basis of clarity,
originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily
Nebraska retains therighttoedit orrejectall material
submitted. Readers alsaare welcome to submit ma
terial as guest opinions. The editor decides 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
■T** returned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub
lished. Letters should included die author’s name,
chool, major and group affiliation, if any.
to withhold names will not be granted.
Subnritmaterial to the Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska
Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
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Send your brief letters to:
Daily Nebraskan, 34
Nebraska Union, 1400 R St,
Lincoln, Neb. 68588. Or fax
to: (402) 472-1761. Utters
must be signed and include a
k phone number for
Ik verification.
HHk_
‘Strip Pool’ad
You do not have to believe that
the nude human form is “smutty”
to take offense to the “Strip Pool”
advertisement in the Daily Nebras
kan.
When you take a photo of a
nude body and add it to a deroga
tory term, no matter how it is
spelled, then you make the entire
ad derogatory. This would be true
if it is a nude female with an
accompanying derogatory label, as
the ad depicts, or if it is a nude
minority male with an accompany
ing derogatory label. Just because
the word “bimbo” is the title of a
company and is spelled
“Bimbeaux” does not change the
fact that it IS offensive toward
women.
runnermore, everyone in our
society has an obligation to be
aware of what might be degrading
to any group of people, whether
based on sex, race, nationality, etc.
We must create a society that
consists of different groups of
people who can work together
without feeling that any group is
superior or inferior to another.
This will never be accomplished
if we ignore such negative expres
sions as the ad placed in the Daily
Nebraskan. I hope that in the future
we encourage everyone to be more
aware of such issues and not to
ignore them. I also hope the Daily
Nebraskan advertising office will
raise its standards when placing ads
in the newspaper.
Tonda Humphress
staff secretary
administration building
Kathy Omahen
graduate student
educational administration
B»Uon
At last, a voice of reason.
Michael Justice’s commentary
“Abortion is woman’s choice*
(Feb. 6) hit upon an often-missed
truth in the abortion issue.
Regardless of my personal
beliefs on abortion, I will fight for
a woman’s right to choose what
happens to her body. After all, it is
her life, and she has to deal with
any mental and emotional conse
quences.
Thank you for realizing this
truth.
Cheryl Kapa
graduate student
geography
Michael Justice
Three points in response to
Michael Justice’s spoutings (Feb.
6):
First, I will assume that Mr.
Justice holds a “personal set of
beliefs” by which he lives, and I
will assume that one pf those
beliefs says that rape is a bad thing.
I wonder what he would do if he
chanced upon a rape in progress
and tried to intervene, but die rapist
objected on the grounds that it was
not Justice’s responsibility to
impose his beliefs on anyone else
who doesn’t share the same view.
Second, I would suggest that
before using something like the
Jesus Conference as a reference,
one should look into the back
ground of said conference. Upon
doing so, one will find that it is a
group of religious radicals (of
various denominations) whose
views are taken seriously by very
few people.
Third, did anyone notice how
Justice referred to his friend’s
aborted baby as an “unborn child?’
Curious, isn’t it?
Darren Furasek
freshman
electrical engineering
Glveachance
I am writing in response to
attacks made on the pro-life
movement in the two commentaries
published Feb. 6.
* If there is one thing that both
abortion advocates and authenti
cally pro-life people can agree on,
it is this: The recent killings at two
abortion clinics were heinous and
inexcusable crimes.
Pro-life Americans, like every
one else, were horrified by the
shootings and heartily disapprove
of them. True pro-life advocates
are nonviolent and will never
support murder.
Surprisingly, perhaps, there is
additional common ground be
tween pro-lifers and abortion
advocates.
And I would hope we could
agree that 1.5 million abortions a
year, over 30 million since 1973, is
too many and that the 2 million
Americans who wait to adopt a
child deserve at least the chance.
That’s all we’re really asking
for: give life a chance.
Gary Coulter
senior
electrical engineering
AIDS vaccine
I am responding to the article
titled “Unintentional experiment
implies AIDS vaccine safe” (Jan.
26). I think the vaccine should still
be tested because it sounds as if it
is still in the experimental stage.
Since one man caught a geneti
cally weakened form of the AIDS
virus fjom a possible vaccine does
not mean the vaccine will affect
everyone else the same way.
Further testing of the vaccine needs
to be done.
The article stated the vaccine
causes AIDS when given to baby
monkeys. Researchers are worried
that a mother who receives this
vaccine might pass the AIDS virus
to her baby.
Something needs to be done
about the problem before it gets
worse. This vaccine might be die
answer.
Noelle Sherrets
freshman
pre-med