Opinion
Wednesday, October 11, 1995 Page 4
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Daily,
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
J. Christopher Haiti.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
Bret GottschaJI/DN
Pope pushes piety
Catholic leader stresses values, visibility
Pope John Paul II, perhaps the world’s most visible religious
leader, made his fourth visit to the United States last week.
The 75-year-old pontiff, installed as pope in 1978, visited New
York, Maryland and New Jersey — the focus of his tour being a
speech delivered to the United Nations General Assembly,
The last papal visit to America before John Paul II became head
of the Catholic Church, was in 1965 by Paul VI. Paul VI also spoke
to the United Nations, almost 30 years to the day from last week’s
papal speech.John Paul II has been our most visible Pope. Despite
his sometimes precarious health and the risk of physical harm, John
Paul II travels the world taking political stands and engaging his
opponents in debate, rather than retiring to the Vatican and the com
fort of the “big chair.” ■
Whether one agrees with him or not, it’s good for the leader of
one of the world’s laigest living religions to be so visible.
As the role o( religion in American society has become signifi
cantly blurred, the pope spoke about the crushing need for the vis
ibility of values in American society.
“Democracy needs virtue,” he said. “Every generation of Ameri
cans needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what we like,
but in having the right to do what we ought.”
Many American Catholics have strong differences with the pope
on issues, but his message of religion in American society finds an
ear with those concerned about the moral direction of the country.
The pope challenged Catholics to defend “against those who
would take religion out of the public domain and establish secular
ism as America’s official faith.”
Religion is an important factor in our lives and we can’t divorce
that from public policy.
Religion has to be a matter of debate. It’s not a question of “church
and state” but of a need for values in our communities, our legisla
tion and our leaders.
Goodbye pope. Come back soon.
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent the official
policy of the Fall 1995 Daily Nebras
kan. Policy is set by the Daily Nebras
kan Editorial Board. Editorials do not
necessarily reflect the views of the
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or the NU Board of Regents. Editorial
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ing to policy set by the regents, respon
sibility for the editorial content of the
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The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the
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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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A bad rap
Point blank, I’m upset by a column
written by Steve Willey (“Odd
couple,” Oct. 5). I feel as if I’ve been
slapped in the face with a hot bag of
nickels because of this person’s
joltingly written essay about rap mu
sic or Gangsta Rap if you will.
Asa rapper myself, I can’t begin to
explain the importance of rap music in
the inner-cities and urban communi
ties all over America. Rap is the voice
of a people who, some years ago, were
not allowed to say anything. Let us
speak, let us say what we will.
Food for thought right here—don’t
address anything you don’t know or
understand, Steve.
Antonc Douglas
Junior
Elementary Education
Jamie “Nelson” Karl
Usually when Jamie Karl takes up
his pen and writes some ridiculous
and bigoted comment about the way
the world should be, I am able to
restrain my rage and frustration. I re
mind myself that he represents the
fringe element and holds no real power
to achieve his scary visions.
But this all changed with the ap
pearance of the letter to the editor
from Gov. E. Benjamin Nelson (Let
ters, Oct. 9).
It starts offwith the words “I appre
ciate the ideas expressed by Jamie
Karl in a recent column,” which is a
real tip-off that Nelson’s politics are
on the fringe also.
The specific column Nelson ap
preciated dealt with the death penalty.
Nelson goes on to say that if elected to
the Senate, he will work to “reform”
the appeals process. What he really
means to do is “reform” it right out of
existence.
Ifyou elect Nelson to the Senate be
ready for the Jamie Karls of this world
to get their way.
Nell Eckersley
Senior
Women's Studies
I
Sock it to me
I was very disappointed this Mon
day morning when 1 picked up my
copy of the DN and didn’t see any
thing about the women’s soccer team
on the front page. 1 understand that the
big thing in the entire state of Ne
braska is Husker football, but they
didn’t even play this week.
Our women’s soccer team played
two games this weekend at Abbott
Soccer Complex, winning both and
not letting the other team even get a
shot on our goal once in either game.
I hope that in the future you will
give the women the recognition they
deserve for all their hard work and
success.
Martina Seigel
Union Admin Offices
...But your chains
While reading Nick Wiltgen’s “Al
truism threatens personal freedoms,”
certain passages seem to be lifted from
thin air in his attacks on this “religion”
of altruism.
Two of Mr. Wiltgen’s points espe
cially caught my eye. First of all, his
take on the psychology of an altruist
seems to be totally misguided:
“(Altruism) ultimately leads to feel
ings of worthlessness, loss of self
esteem and lack of identity.”
Really? I’d think someone who is
lost in the world of big business and
money would find themselves strug
gling for a reason for continuing in the
face of such monetary disappoint
ments. Nothing i s more rewarding than
offering yourself for the benefit of
someone in need.
The second point was even more
outrageous:
“Only the doctrines of altruism
could permit the horrors of slavery...”
Bear with me a minute, how do you
support that claim?
As I see it, slavery was the saving
grace for this new idea of capitalism in
our country.
What it did was allow the economy
to be placed on the backs of free labor,
and as any capitalist will tell you,
there’s nothing better than cheap la
bor.
1 would suggest to Mr. Wiltgen,
and any other capitalist out there who
is struggling to find some direction in
their life, to open their eyes to the
broader picture and see the hopeless
ness in trying to survive with only
your own best interests in mind.
Matt Jewell
Junior
Anthropology
Quilting B
An important contribution to the
names quilt from UNL was omitted
from the front page story (“Quilt dis
play an emotional remembrance,” Oct.
9).
Last fall, the PERSUNL (Peers
Encouraging Responsible Sexual ity at
UNL) Program, as part of Worlds
AIDS Day activities and with assis
tance from the Campus Red Cross
HIV Educators, created a quilt panel
that was signed on World AIDS Day
(Dec. 1) by approximately 150 mem
bers of the UNL community.
The Quilt Panel will now be a part
of the Names Quilt.
The quilt panel “University of NE
Supports AIDS Awareness” was for
mally submitted to the Names Quilt at
the closing ceremonies by members
of the PERSUNL Program on Sunday
along with a donation to the quilt that
was collected at the signing of the
quilt. It will now be part of the Names
Quilt.
I think it is important to acknowl
edge the time, effort, and caring of the
individuals involved.
Pat Tetreault, Ph.D.
Sexuality Education Coordinator
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