Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Joel Strauch..Editor, 472-1766
Gerry Beltz...Features Editor
Jennifer Miratsky ...Copy Desk Chief
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Bam!
Fireworks proposal should fizzle out
One week ago today, The Lincoln Star ran a story on the idea
of a statewide ban on anything other than display fireworks.
The idea was brought up by Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady
in response to the flagrant violations of Lincoln’s ban of explo
sive fireworks. Specifically, firecrackers that are legal in nearby
Nebraska towns that were being brought in to the Capital City.
Noncompliance with Lincoln’s fireworks ordinance is not just
younger citizens, but the parents of these youngsters as well.
Also, the number of violations was quite high, and the police met
with great difficulty trying to enforce the ban on such a wide
spread area.
One important note: this was only an idea that was brought up
by Casady. There has been no action since then to follow this
through.
However, the idea has been planted and until next July, we
won’t know what will grow from this.
Let’s hope the idea finds dead soil, and goes no further.
On Independence Day, the day on which we celebrate our
rights, we may have yet another right taken away from us with
this possibility.
The root cause for this notion to be brought up can be summed
up in one word: irresponsibility.
Fireworks are legal to fire off during certain hours of the day
on July 3 and 4 in the city of Lincoln.
Yet many, many citizens in Lincoln don’t seem to understand
this, and don’t have any common sense, either.
Any use of fireworks — explosive or otherwise — requires
responsible supervision during that time. A talk before letting the
kids loose for the day in a fireworks tent with a $20 bill and a
lighter is not the answer.
A watchful eye from a responsible adult could keep accidents
from happening and the illegal fireworks from being used.
All that a statewide ban would accomplish would be more
people leaving the state to buy illegal fireworks, thereby causing
tension between police and fireworks-traffickers.
A statewide ban is not the answer; a statewide requirement of
common sense and responsibility would be nice, but impossible
to enforce.
Nebraskan
Editor Joel Strauch, 472-1766
Features Editor Gerry Beltz
Copy Desk Editors Jennifer Miratsky
Courtney MatMeson
Photo Chief Tanna Kfnnaman
Art Director James MehsHng
General Manager Daniel Shattil
Production Manager Katherine Poiicky
Advertising Manager Amy Struthers
Asst. Advertising Manager Laura Wilson
Publications BoarcfChairman Tim Hedegaard, 472-2988
Professional Adviser Don Walton. 473-7301
The Daily Nebraskan (USPS 144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board,
Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St., P.O. Box 880448, Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448, weekdays
during the academic year (except holidays); weekly during the summer session.
Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by
phoning 472-1763 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public also has
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Subscription price is $50 for one year.
Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400
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ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1995 DAILY NEBRASKAN
1
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This Bud’s for you, Mom
Thispast Fourth of July, I did some
thing I nave never done before (be
sides celebrating the 219th birthday
of the good ole US of A).
I drank a beer in front of my mom.
Yeah, 1 know. For some of you,
that’s no big deal. Some people have
been trading shots with tneir parents
since they learned how to walk.
But you have to understand my
mother. The only alcohol she con
sumes is the weekly (and weakly) com
munion wine.
And 1 haven’t seen my dad drink a
beer in over 10 years.
We had a huge family reunion with
relatives I didn’t even know existed at
my parents’ house in the loveable
dungheap of Grand Island.
That was my setting on Indepen
dence Day.
It’s true, I’m almost 24 and I’ve
been living on my own for over five
years. So, I’ve tipped back a couple
(dozen, hundred) on the weekends.
And it’s not like I didn’t drink
when I was at home (I just never got
caught — except once, but I’ll get to
that).
I started drinking when I was in the
8th grade. My parents were out of
town and my older sister was having a
rockin’ shindig with a bunch of her
college friends.
They thought it would be neat to
make fuzzy navels for my friends and
I. “Let’s see what the stupid little
junior high geeks do when they’re
drunk.”
About all I did was lose conscious
ness.
But I had fun.
This was how I discovered the joys
of alcohol.
From then on I would drink every
chance I got, which were few and far
between. So I had to make the most of
each chance.
Unfortunately, my mom had this
Joel Strauch
insane rule that I had to check in with
them every time I came home — no
matter how late it was.
This rule almost led to her discov
ering my drinking problem more than
once.
On one memorable occasion, I had
gone to the graduation party of a
friend’s sister.
, For some strange reason, she had
decided to get a buttload of wine cool
ers for the party.
For some even stranger reason, I
got drunk on wine coolers.
Now, it takes a lot of wine coolers
to get inebriated. I remember having
at least a dozen before I faded out (I
was later told that I went around fin
ishing off other people’s half-empty
bottles).
Around two o’clock in the morn
ing, when 1 had barely a glimmer of
sober thought left in me, my mom
called. She waswonderingwhen I was
coming home.
I freaked out.
Luckily, a friend of mine (much
more coherent than I) drove me to a
convenience store for some Gatorade
and Big Red and then took me home.
I don’t remember it, but I sat up and
talked to my mom for about half an
hour and convinced her that I hadn’t
been drinking. I don’t know how I did
it, but it turned out to be all for naught.
Two years later, after another
graduation party, she discovered that
I had been drinking for several years
(those graduation parties will lie the
death of me yet).
I was only 19 and I had gone with
some other friends to a bunch of par
ties for the graduating class a year
younger than us.
Again, I blacked out. I remember
being at my friend Greg’s house and
then calling my friend Dave (who was
supposed to meet us) at 3 or 4 in the
morning.
1 remember it because I was swear
ing at him and calling him names (I’ve
got a real potty mouth when I’ve been
drinking).
I also remember it because he told
me not to cuss because he thought the
answering machine had turned on and
his parents were listening.
And I’ll never forget it because the
answering machine was on, because
his parents were listening, because I
told Dave that his parents could per
form fellatio on me (in a much more
colorful phrasing) and because Dave’s
dad worked with my mom.
Needless to say, my mom was wait
ing for me when I got home and she
wasn’t going to be convinced of any
thing this time.
It’s not like I’ve ever punched any
one while I was drunk, or stolen any
thing, or broken any windows. But
there was still this uneasy feeling when
I cracked open a can of Bud Light and
offered nw parents one.
Shedidn’tsay anything and Ididn’t
say anything.
I’m not a big beer advocate and.I ’ll
agree that a lot of our society’s prob
lems are caused by alcohol.
But it sure felt good being treated
as an adult—for one of the first times
in my life.
Stravch ts a grad ■ ate of the llalversify
of Nebraska-Line ola and the editor of the
Dally Nebraska!.
