The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, February 23, 1996, Page 4, Image 4

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    Opinion
Friday, February 23, 1996 Page 4
Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
J. Christopher Haiti.Editor, 472-1766
Doug Kouma..Managing Editor
Doug Peters...Opinion Page Editor
Sarah Scalet.Associate News Editor
Matt Waite...Associate News Editor
Michelle Garner.Wire Editor
Jennifer Mapes....Columnist
_
“Are you out there at 3 o clock in the morning when a
woman screams for help and an officer pulls up and
somebody steps out and blows him away? Does a doctor
respond to that? Does a garbage man?”
—Jimmy Wilson Sr., father of slain Omaha police officerJimmy
Wilson Jr., during testimony to the Legislature on a bill to add killing
a police officer to the list of crimes punishable by death.
“I really feel this team has the character to recover. I
can just tell by the body language that the worst is over.”
— Nebraska basketball coach Danny Nee, on his team’sprospects
for the rest of the season.
“Every American in the United States thinks we can’t
win, but we have to go in there with the attitude that we
have nothing to lose.”
— Nee in comments after Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State, on
the team's strategy for Monday’s game against Kansas.
“If our kids thought they would try to have a little fun
and not show up for practice, I tell you, there’d be five
cheerleaders going to war the next game.”
— Kansas coach Roy Williams, on how he would react to a
practice boycott by his players.
“We just happen to be pretending to bash each other’s
heads in.”
— UNL junior Heidi Hillhouse, a member of the Society for
Creative Anachronism, on the group’s medieval-style mock battles.
“I’m not at liberty to go into those right now.”
— Vicki Whitehom, complex manager of Amberwood Apart
ments, on ideas for improving security. Complex residents have
voiced concern over security issues since the murder of Tina
McMenamin in the complex last July.
“He’s really, really funny, and he’s got great hair.”
— UNL student Kristi Lankford, on folk singer Wally Pleasant,
who performed Monday at Mudslide Slim’s.
“Now I know why they call this the Granite State,
because it’s so hard to crack.”
— Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Bob Dole, on his difficul
ties in the New Hampshire primary.
“Everyone suffers because of the gays.”
— 16-year-old Brett Shields, on the Salt Lake City School Board’s
decision to ban all extracurricular clubs rather than allow gay
students to form a group.
“I cry and I smoke cigarettes. When I drink enough,
then 1 could sleep.”
— Bosnian Muslim refugee Emin Smajlovic, on how he copes with
the war.
“It sucks.”
— Lt. Kip Korth, who is serving in Tuzla, on his current job of
finding land mines.
“Venus is a boring planet, and Venus has a boring
tune.”
— Astronomy Professor Martin Gaskell, who played musical
renditions ofplanets based on formulas by Johannes Kepler and
musical theories of Vincenzo Galilei.
t * V
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent the official
policy of the Spring 19% Daily Ne
braskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board. Editorials
do not necessarily reflect the views of
the university, its employees, the stu
dents 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 super
vise the daily production of the paper.
According to policy set by the regents,
responsibility 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 firm 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 theright to editorreject 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. 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 SL Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
J_
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Cartoon oversteps
bounds
I am no supporter of Patrick
Buchanan. I am troubled by his
stands on more than one issue, and I
think he is only marginally an
improvement over the current
President. When I saw your editorial
cartoon, however, I was both
appalled and disappointed. By
lumping Buchanan together with the
Grand Wizard of the Klan, Adolf
Hitler and Satan, you have moved
well beyond thoughtful dissent. To
simply say that Buchanan fits in
with the greatest evils in the history
of mankind is childish, illogical and
unprofessional, and it qualifies as
nothing short of character assassina
tion. You have said absolutely
nothing that qualifies as substantive
criticism, and you ought to be
embarrassed. If you disagree with
the man, then address his stand on a
particular issue and show us why
you disagree. Show us some of the
thinking skills that we expect to see
in a student at a major university.
Slander has no place in thoughtful
debate between reasonable individu
als, and it ought not find a home on
the editorial page. You can do
better, and now is a good time to
start.
Brad Pardee
University libraries
Nobody’s perfect
This is in response to Veera
Supinen’s articles. I like hearing the
European view as she compares her
values to the “American” values. I
have a few problems, however, with
the amount that she does it. This is
the United States, like it or not, and
yes, we do have our problems. But
we did not make Ms. Supinen come
here, and we are not catering to her
every value. I am sorry we have
problems. All countries do. No, this
is not heaven, but I think you should
concentrate on the positive aspects
and comparisons than with what is
always wrong with this country. I
am sorry Ms. Supinen has such a
negative view of the United States
that she can find little good to say,
and can complain so much as to how
we have “strayed” from Europe.
Europe is no perfect place either. If
the U.S. is such a corrupt and ted
place to be, I suggest that you find a
better place to do your commenting
and studying. *
Julie Paschold
sophomore
agronomy
Bosnia coverage
important
The Daily Nebraskan is making a
great contribution to student
journalism through its coverage of
the Bosnian war. Thanks to Matthew
Waite and Staci McKee for telling
and showing why humans every
where should care when humans are
at war anywhere. Thanks for
Bret liott serial i/uin
showing the grueling, challenging,
hard work that comes with keeping
peace and for demonstrating the
need for peaceful international
assistance to the people of the
former Yugoslavia.
Bettina Heinz
Doctoral Student
Department of Communication
Studies
Uncivilized?
In her recent articles in the DN,
Veera Supinen portrays Americans
as uncultured savages looking for
enemies all around the world. I
don’t have enough space here to
present thousands of arguments
showing that this is absolutely
wrong, but let me just make some
points. The best indication of a
cultured society is a tolerance to
foreign cultures and other opinions.
In this regard, the United States is
the first (or perhaps one of the first)
nation in the world. I wonder why
Ms. Supinen came from the civi
lized Finland to study in this wild
hostile country.
Ilya Fabrikant
professor
physics
Send your brief letters to:
the* Daily Nebraskan, 34
... i 11 IC7 Nebraska Union, 1400 R St.,
- Lincoln, Neb. 68588, or Fax
to (402) 472-1761, or email
cletters @ unlinfo.unl.edu.>
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