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Thursday, August 31,1995 Page 4
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
J. Christopher Hain..Editor, 472-1766
Rainbow Rowell.Managing Editor
Mark Baldridge...Opinion Page Editor
DeDra Janssen.Associate News Editor
Doug Kouma.Arts & Entertainment Editor
JeffZeleny..Senior Reporter
Matt Woody.... .Senior Reporter
James Mehsling.Cartoonist
Right of way
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Cyclists deserve protection on streets
You are not safe in this town.
The police will protect you, but only so far—strap on a helmet and
hop on your bike, and they’ll look the other way.
That’s right, cyclists are on their own.
' Cycling is forbidden on the sidewalks downtown — as well it
should be.
Grown-ups on bikes should be in the street, not flying between
pedestrians like mad acrobats.
But the streets downtown are not safe for cyclists, and they never
have been.
The law keeping bikes off
the sidewalk is strictly enforced
— count the number of times
you’ve seen a bike cop write a
ticket for just that offense.
Now count the number of
times you’ve seen any police of
ficer in this town stop a car for
cutting into a cyclist’s lane.
That number wouldbe zero.
But in this state, in case
you didn’t know, a bicyclist owns
a chunk of the road just like a
car: a lane of one’s own.
A whole lane, just think.
Lincoln motorists don’t
seem to know that, or care.
And why should they, with
the police officers averting their
eyes.
'Mr* T I ADoutoneiniuoitneanv
* ^ ers who cut you off, turn in front
of you or otherwise endanger
your skin will also hurl abuse at you from an open window.
About one in 50 will hurl something more substantial.
And nothing will ever happen to them — so long as they don’t
actually hit and kill you.
While the city planners were busy calculating the number of cars
they predict will be choking the streets of our fair city in the year 2525
(or whenever) were they taking into account the explosion in cyclists
this town is even now experiencing?
Were they figuring on an economy that has people working harder .
for less — and the effects which that might have on the number of
cyclists?
No. That would be pessimism, and the keepers of the keys of the city
can’t afford to be pessimistic.
Still, the number of cyclists grows in proportion to the number of
drivers. What will they do about it?
Here’s what they should do.
—Mandate bike lanes downtown and on all major thoroughfares.
(The trails are nice but don’t actually get you where you want to go.)
— Emphasize bike laws in driver’s education classes.
— Treat cyclists like the taxpaying commuters they are.
Until then cyclists just will have to play it safe — or walk.
Editorial policy
-■ SiafT editorials represent the official
policy of die Fall 1995 Daily Nebras
kan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebras
kan Editorial Board. Editorials do not
necessarily reflect the views of the
university, its employees, the students
or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial
columns represent the opinion of the
author. The regents publish the Daily
Nebraskan. They establish the UNL
Publications Board to supervise the
daily production of the paper. Accord
ing to policy set by the regents, respon
sibility for the editorial 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 material
submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit mate
rial 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. Lettersshould include the author’s name, year
in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Re
quests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit
material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union,
1400 R St Lincoln, Neb. 685884)448.
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Un-justice
Jamie Karl, in his column (Death
penalty brings justice, Aug. 30) is
simply incorrect in stating that the
“death penalty brings justice.”
The key concept injustice is even
handedness. Those committing
equivalent crimes suffer equivalent
punishment; those victimized by
equivalent crimes receive equivalent
redress.
The death penalty, as adminis
tered in the United States, including
Nebraska, does not provide such even
handedness: Between 1973 and 1990,
there were more than 200 homicide
convictions in Nebraska but only 19
death sentences imposed.
And sentencing is not proportional
to the heinousness of the crime.
The race of the murder victim, the
poverty of the murderer, and the
county where the crime took place
are all better predictors of whether a
murderer will even be considered for
the death penalty than are the bloody
horrors of a particular assault.
Given the disparities of race and
class in this country, it is unlikely
that the death penalty could be ad
ministered justly, but that is specula
tion.
Any review of murders and pun
ishments in any death penalty state
demonstrates that the death penalty
as it is actually administered does not
bring justice.
As strange as it seems, executions
do not deter murderers — the U.S. is
the only major western democracy
with a death penalty, and it is also the
western democracy with the highest
murder rate. '
Repealing the death penalty, an
important and genuinely achievable
first step in de-escalating the vio
lence in our society, does make each
of us a bit less likely to become a
victim of rape or murder.
Frances W. Kaye
Professor of English
Modem (English)
language
It is really a shame you didn’t read
the article in your own paper before
writing your editorial (Foreign policy,
\ug, 29) about the placement poli
cies of the Department of Modem
Languages.
Of course perhaps you did read it
but didn’t understand it since it is
evident you have problems with the
English language.
I base that assertion on a previous
editorial in which you wrote about
bow the Board of Regents “rose” the
tuition.
I really resent having our program
criticized by a bunch of ignoramuses
who don’t bother to check out the
facts and then analyze them and per
haps ask some questions before go
ing into print.
In our department we do have
students’ interest in mind. We think
it is patently unfair to have people
with significant previous experience
in a course intended for beginners,
i.e. students who have never had the
language before or have studied it
only a very short time. Let’s put an
end to the easy A’s.
It really is time to quit griping and
become serious about one’s educa
tion.
Hans Gilde
Assistant professor of modern
languages and literatures
Bible basher
I wish to respond to comments
made by Jim Senyszyn in an letter
^Christian Coalition, Aug. 29).
Mr. Senyszyn claims that the
cachings of Christ “are actually quite
inti-family” using several Bible
verses to prove his point.
The context of these verses is quite
important, however — for the mes
sage Christ wishes to portray is not a
blanket condemnation of the family
jnit.
Each of the passages given merely
warn that one’s family must not be
come a stumbling block to the gos
pel.
On the other hand, the Bible does
direct us to “honor thy father and
mother” (Matthew 19:19).
Perhaps more distressing is the
blatant anti-Catholic bias portrayed
by the letter. Contrary to what many
think, the Catholic Church does not
have an “anti-sex, anti-marriage as
cetic bias,” for this Church also be
lieves that God has given marriage as
one of the seven Sacraments.
It is true that priests are celibate,
however, this is not due to any ani
mosity toward marriage and the fam
ily.
Instead, this custom merely af
fords priests the time and flexibility
necessary to minister to all.
Michael Dalton
Junior
Broadcasting
Sexism defined
What is sexism?
Webster’s Dictionary seems to
think that it is discrimination based
on one’s sex.
I would like to take that a step
further and say it is the defamation
and/or disrespect caused by a person ’ s
sex.
Therefore the generalization that
the entire male population are sexist
pigs because a few bad apples walk
around campus with “Hooters” T
shirts (Sexist shirts have no place in
society, Aug. 29) would be sexist.
I strongly agree that it is a very
sexist world, both for wymyn and
men.
One form of sexism that men are
subject to is the generalization that
men are not sensitive, and that they
have to be “manly.”.
The gap between wymyn and men
can be closed, but it has to start with
the treatment of people as individu
als, blaming individuals and quitting
the nonsense of targeting entire groups
of people.
This issue goes beyond sex.
The way I see it, let’s stop whining
and start acting and treating EVERY
ONE with fairness and respect. This
includes people with different reli
gious beliefs, ethnic background,
sexual orientation, sex, race, color,
social status.
You deserve it, they deserve it,
people deserve it. *
Hans Yunge
Lincoln
J Post it
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