'Vi,;
Daily
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...v.Senior Reporter
James Mehsling.......... V.... .*'............ Cartoonist
Justice on trial
Simpson trial puts system in hotseat
O.J. Simpson may be on trial in Los Angeles, but all across the
United States, as the public peered into the Los Angeles County
Courthose and watched defense and prosecution lawyers wrangle
in front of the jury, Americans have been judging the criminal jus
tice system.
The O.J. Simpson trial has showcased the uglier side of the U.S.
court system.
Criminal justice in America was set ud to allow a certain amount
of freedom for the accused —
innocent until proven guilty,
judgments made only on the
evidence allowed in court, free
dom ahead of security.
Money isn’t supposed to
be a factor injustice; neither is
race. But in this trial both are.
Can anyone argue that O.J.
Simpson’s wealth has not
bought him a better-than-aver
age shot at an acquittal?
r The makeup of the jury
and the strategy of the defense
has made race central to the
question of guilt or innocence.
No matter what verdict is
handed down, it will not be ac
cepted by certain segments of
the populace.
-Wif r^HfJ If Simpson is found inno
Jason GicBow/DN cent, many will cry that he
bought freedom and that the system is corrupt.
If he is found guilty, others will say he was framed by racist
police in Los Angeles (lest we forget Rodney King), and that the
system is corrupt.
Most Americans see grandstanding by the two sides in this
struggle, with the winner being the team that can put on the best act
in front of the jury.
Some might argue that the intense media coverage is what has
turned the trial into a sideshow. Certainly throughout the trial, the
defense, the prosecution or Judge Lance Ito have said things in
tended as much for the viewing audience as the courtroom jury.
But does that blame fall on the cameras bringing the trial to the
rest of the world or on the criminal justice professionals aiming
their statements outside of the halls of justice?
Perhaps, this is no different than Clarence Darrow and William
Jennings Bryan in the Scopes monkey trial, the trial of Bruno
Hauptmann for the murder of the Lindburgh baby or any of the
other “trials of the century.”
The attention focused on high-profile cases like the O.J Simpson
trial give the American public a skewed perspective of the Ameri
can criminal justice system.
Don’t believe everything you see on TV.
Ours is a fairer system than any on earth.
Editorial policy
Staff 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, die students
or die NU Board of Regents. Editorial
columns represent die opinion of die
author. The regents publish die Daily
Nebraskan. They establish die UNL
Publications Board to supervise the
daily production of the paper. Accord
ing to policy set by the regents, respon
sibility far die editorial content of die
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. Hie editor decides whether
material should ran as a guest opinion. Letters and
guest opinions sent to die newspaper become die
property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be re
turned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub
lished. Letters should 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. 68588-0448.
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Smart farmers
As a student who has directed
much of my time and effort at this
university doing research, I find the
recent comments by Nebraska
regent Drew Miller about research
narrow-minded and short sighted.
He was quoted in the DN
(“Resolution to determine NU
research”, Sept. 29) as having said
that, even if NU research led to a
new theory of relativity, it would be
hard to justify that research to a
Nebraska farmer.
I grew up in a small rural town in
northeast Nebraska, and most of the
people I knew were farmers. The
farmers Regent Miller talks about
do not sound like the farmers I
know.
If Miller were to stop farmers
after a hard day of work and ask
them if they favored spending their
hard earned motley on research that
wouldn’t clearly benefit them, he
might well get the negative answer
he is looking for.
But sometimes actions speak
louder than words. A few years ago
Clearwater, my home town, voted
“yes” on a school bond issue to
build a new school, and it passed
with overwhelming support.
The farmers who voted yes did so
knowing full well that most of their
children were not going to stay
home after graduating and remain
farmers. Many do, but most don’t.
They voted to give their children
the best education they could afford,
even though that education would
not always directly benefit the
farming community. Those farmers
do not sound like the narrow
minded people Regent Miller thinks
they are.
If I am right, I hope they express
their displeasure at the condescend
ing and insulting remarks made on
their behalf.
Mark Hankla
Senior
Psychology
via e-mail
Moitago mixer
I would like to cite the words of
Todd Crossett, Assistant Professor
of Sports Management and Sociol
ogy, as published in the Oct. 2 issue
of People Magazine:
“In suspending Lawrence Phillips
from the Nebraska football team,
Coach Tom Osborne has delivered a
clear message that violence against
women will not be tolerated. If he
reinstates Phillips, he’ll be sending a
mixed message,”
Pamela F. Starr
Associate Professor
Music History
via e-mail
Bitter truth
I am writing in response to Rotin
E. Lemon’s guest editorial concern
ing violence against women and its
effects on men (“Violence to women
victimizes men too,” Sept. 27).
Unfortunately violence against
women is one of the many serious
issues that men do not take seriously
until it affects them directly. It is
also an issue that men do not usually
talk about even when it does directly
affect them.
ror many reasons most males
cannot breaik out of their macho
shells long enough to discuss the
pain that they inflict and the pain
that is inflicted upon them as a result
of violence against the women they
know and love.
I would like to personally thank
Mr. Lemon for sharing his pain in
the hopes that more members of the
male gender can begin to deal with
and talk about this issue.
Tom Sanchez
Graduate Student
Sociology
via e-mail
One hand clapping
Two thumbs up and a standing
ovation for Jamie Karl’s column
(“English needed to unite states,”
Sept. 27).
Coming from Los Angeles, a
place where I have lived my entire
life, it was refreshing to see an
article like this.
In L.A. this article would not
have even made it to print because
of the controversy it would stir.
Nicole Markota
Freshman
Criminal Justice
Klqg of Cupps
In response to Jamie Karl’s
arguments for English as the
national language, Rodney Cupp
(Letters, S^pt. 28) responded:
“I suggest that Karl is, in fact,
‘simple’ and ‘uncultured,’ is out of
place (xi a university campus, and
should go the hell back to where he
came from—some backwater, I
imagine.”
Is Cupp suggesting that only
nonsimple and cultured folks should
be found on a university campus?
Surely he does not meet these
criteria because, for example, no
cultured graduate philosophy major
would abandon one of the funda
mental precepts of philosophical
debate: to attack the argument, not
the person. 'mm
Perhaps a retaking of Philosophy
101 is in order for Mr. Cupp.
Tom Eads
Senior
Political Science and English
via e-mail
In his Cupps
Thursday’s letters to the editor
reveals a telling example of academic
pomposity. In arguing a very reason
able point Rodney W. Cupp tries to
baffle the masses with his “analytic”
approach to the United States’
discourse cm multilingualism.
Instead of insulting our fellow
discussers in public debate and
trying to wow us with his analytical
philosophy, Cupp should engage his
opponents honestly and in terms
which the public will understand.
Individuals such as Cupp only
give academia a bad name and will
result in the kind of professors-who
make college a limiting experience.
Cupp demonstrates academic slop.
Dan Pojar
Graduate
German
via e-mail
Cupp runneth over
I submit to Mr. Cupp that the use
of logic will cause you to form the
same conclusion that Mr. Karl
reached when he wrote his article on
language in the United States.
You yourself use no logical
discussion, nor provide alternative '
solutions, but rather resort to the
grade school mentality of name
calling. •'
In fact, you almost got the gist of
Mr. Karl’s article:
. Yes, we need to stop spending
tax dollars on such programs, but
not because of the amount of
money, but rather of the illogical use
of such monies. ;
Mr. Cupp, and other liberal name
callers out there, should stop and
use a little logical thought on the
political issues of the day.
Gene Paulsen
Graduate Student
Mechanical Engineering
via e-mail
