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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1995)
Opinion Friday, April 14, 1995 Page 4 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 Leant from legacy Cash-lovin’ Byrne should walk his talk Nebraska legend Bob Devaney celebrated his 80th birthday Thurs day. What did he get? At one particular ceremony, the coach was honored by the Ne braska athletic department, which planted a red oak tree by the col umns just south of Memorial Stadium — “The House That Bob Built.” In presenting the tree to the architect of the Big Red machine, current athletic director Bill Byrne read from an inscription that will be placed next to the tree. “This Red Oak was planted on the occasion of Bob Devaney’s 80th birthday. May this tree grow and flourish in the same manner that the Nebraska football program and athletic department did un der Devaney’s tutelage and care as head football coach (1962-1972) and Athletic Director (1967-1993).” It would have been nice if Byrne had heard the words that came from his mouth. In the two-plus years he has been here, Byrne has done his best to tear down the tradition built by the Bobfather. A mandatory do nation from boosters, increased ticket prices for all — Byrne has tried to bleed Nebraska supporters dry. Fiscally, the new athletic director has been a dream for the Uni versity of Nebraska. But during Devaney’s legacy, tradition and people’s feelings were more important than money. It would have been nice if Byrne had presented Devaney with a better gift — a respect for the man’s ways and for Nebraska fans. We would have given it to vou. coach. Censored Student shutdown of paper detrimental Dozens of DePaul University students took an unfortunate step last week when they decided to shut down the campus newspaper. Yes, censorship. Not censorship by the government, which is combatted by the First Amendment, but censorship by an intolerant and close-minded public. The students were upset about an article they called racist. But killing open communication about the issue was not the way to pro test. . A few weeks ago, an article in the DePaulia about a fight at a campus party used police lingo for male blacks, “M-B’s.” The use of this term was questionable, but police described students that way, not the reporter. The story also referred to male whites being called “M-W’s,” as well as similar designations for females. Students fed up with racism and intolerance at the university stormed the DePaulia’s office and ordered staff members out. They holed themselves up, and DePaul’s president suspended publica tion of the weekly edition. This is no way to deal with the problem. Whether the newspaper was right or not should not be the issue. The newspaper’s views and the staff members’ rights of expression should not be suppressed, even if they did wrong. University spokeswoman Denise Mattson said DePaul would let the protest continue because it was a good learning experience for the students. No, Ms. Mattson, this is a clampdown on expression. Being intolerant is a nonsensical solution to intolerance. Shutting down expression is not what the marketplace of ideas, democracy, this country, is about. Move the protest elsewhere, al low the newspaper to print, then talk about the problems. Editorial policy Staff editorials represent the official policy of the Spring 1995. Daily Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editori als do 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. Latter 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 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 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. 68388-0448. LEtS $>EE /-AST VEAR HERE m rr you Delivered million easi^ rm 'DEN m iMPomrr poesrioH HERE aw SPEAK you is EORB/BN A LhmhBB, Daily Nebraskan readers say: 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 phone number for verification. Home schooling I am writing in response to the Daily Nebraskan editorial “Time to test” (April 12). You’re right! Home-schooled children cannot be in the safety patrol at school, but then a safety patrol is not needed in their own home. The don’t have to cross busy highways to attend school, so they don’t need student crossing guards. They don’t have to face bullies or drug dealers on campus. You’re right! Home-schooled children can’t be in school plays. But they can be and are in plays, spelling bees, piano recitals, etc. put on by local home-school groups. As for the statement in the editorial, “the saddest circumstance behind most of the 4,000 home schooled children in the state is they have no choice;” how much choice do you think the children in public or private school have? In fact, probably a much larger percentage of home-schooled children have the choice to continue being home schooled or to go to traditional schools than the other way around. As for the quality of education, home-schooled children, as a group, continually score higher than the national average on all scholastic tests. If the public school system is so great, why is it that one out of every four adults in the United States is functionally illiterate? Religion is not the only reason people choose to home school their children, nor is fear or distrust of the public school system the only reason. Some families choose to home school because they believe that they can give their children a fine education at home and can be more flexible in working with their children’s interests. As far as isolation goes, home schooled children do spend a good deal of time in the “world.” They are usually very involved in sports, clubs and hobbies. The Daily Nebraskan seemed to be in favor of the home-school program last year when it ran an article on my daughter, Ramona Clark, when she entered UNL last summer directly from home school as a full-time student at the age of 13. Lynn Clark student-at-large English AmySchrridt/DN Rodeo I am responding to the letter by Lynn Clark, “Rodeo cruelty” (April 13). She spends several paragraphs urging her fellow human beings to consider the cruelty of the sport of rodeo. The problem is that anyone who reads the letter carefully will quickly discover that Clark has no idea what she is talking about. She states that every year “thousands of horses, cows, and calves” are injured in rodeo. A rodeo uses bulls, steers and calves, but no cows. “Cows” is not a blanket term for any bovine. Of course, the biggest mistake is about bucking horses. Clark states that a back cinch is tightened around the horse’s belly, putting pressure on the horse’s penis in order to make said horse buck harder. Not all bucking horses are males; in fact, many of the great ones have been females (“mares,” as the terminology goes). And further more, the back cinch goes around the belly, not the penis, even on male horses. Although I personally enjoy a good rodeo now and then, I think there are legitimate concerns to be raised regarding some events—too bad those issues are beyond the grasp of Clark. Sara Schott senior music Mora rodeo I have to stand up for the sport of rodeo. The athletes don’t do steroids and can’t be bought as is alleged in some other sports. The sport of rodeo is done purely in spirit of camaraderie and competition, to be the fastest or to ride to the buzzer and do it the best. This takes speed and luck, which is inherent in every sport. And no one can tell me it doesn’t take years of practice and training to get on a horse and travel at high speeds while trying to rope a calf. I know; I’ve tried. As for injury to the animals, I don’t feel that, as a mortal being, it’s my place to say who is mistreat ing animals and who is not or, for that matter, define the mistreatment of animals. This supposed abomination called rodeo is a time-honored tribute to our country and its colonization and was one of the ways in which a sense of unity and community was formed in the days when there weren’t even dirt roads connecting the miles between neighbors. And F.Y.I., the cinch on a bronc riding horse is tightened around the flank on male and female horses. While this sounds cruel, is not. It mildly irritates the animal because the flank is very sensitive. Peggy Anderson senior psychology